Childhood allergies can be frustrating for both child and parent, and an alarmingly growing number of children are affected. Whether this is due to climate change, environmental conditions, food preparation methods, or other causes is the subject of much research.
If your child has allergies, it is very likely that they will experience sneezing, a runny or stuffy nose, watery eyes, itchy skin, or sore skin. There are a number of things that can be done to help relieve symptoms. The following seven points have been shown to be effective coping strategies for childhood allergies.
1. Fabrics: Pollen is probably the number one cause of most allergies. As your child runs outside, she will invariably pick up a large amount of pollen on her clothing. As soon as your child comes in, change his clothes and wash his old clothes right away.
This may seem like overkill, but it’s a great way to quickly get rid of invisible pollen. Likewise, it’s a good idea to consider removing other fabrics around the house that can collect pollen, dust, moths, and pet dander, such as carpets and rugs. Replacing them with laminate or hardwood flooring and carpet could make a world of difference.
two. Humidity – If your child suffers both indoors and outdoors, consider ways to reduce humidity in the home. Excessive humidity can lead to the growth of mold and invisible spores in the air, which can be a common cause for many allergy sufferers. Use a dehumidifier to reduce humidity and consider using mold-resistant caulking and grout in bathrooms and kitchens.
3. Saline nasal spray: Having a stuffy nose is irritating enough for adults, but for children with allergies it can be doubly exhausting because they want to be much more active than most adults. Having a stuffy nose makes them get out of breath easily and makes them even more miserable.
There are decongestant sprays available, but a good home remedy is to use salt water. Simply use a spray bottle and mix eight parts water with one part non-ionized salt. Have your child use this as a decongestant and you’ll be amazed at what a difference it makes. You can also buy prepared saline solutions at most drug stores.
Four. Hydration – It’s always important to make sure you keep your kids hydrated, especially in the warmer months. Continual sneezing can lead to a surprising level of moisture loss, and sneezing, runny nose, and watery eyes can lead to dehydration.
Children can become dehydrated much faster than adults, so make sure you have a bottle of water available at all times and plenty of cold drinks. Flavored water low in salt and sugar is a great incentive for them to drink. And cold beverages can help make sore throats and even nasal congestion much more comfortable.
5. Hot baths: Showers are good too, but a hot bath can really help unblock your sinuses and relieve congestion. During the spring and summer months, try to encourage your child to take a hot bath at the end of each day. By helping relieve many of the symptoms just before bed, it can often help them sleep better at night.
6. Don’t rub: One of the symptoms of many childhood allergies is itchy or sore eyes, and children tend to respond by rubbing their eyes frequently. Of course, this is the worst thing to do, as it only increases irritation, as well as transferring more pollen from your hands to your eyes.
In addition to encouraging him not to rub his eyes, give him a cold compress and ask him to sit with it on his eyes for a few minutes at a time. This will help relieve much of the itching and pain.
7. Tissues – Your child will probably go through a lot of tissues when he sneezes to get over his allergies, but this can have a detrimental effect on his nose. Young skin is much softer and more sensitive than adult skin, and using the softest tissues possible will give them extra comfort and encourage them to use tissues.
Lotion tissues are kinder to your softer skin, preventing the skin around your nose from getting hurt. Look for non-allergenic tissues and avoid those with fragrances, as fragrances can contribute to the problem rather than help.