MADISON, Wis. - As spring arrives, so do seasonal allergies, which impact one in five kids in the United States.
Many kids start getting symptoms like sneezing, watery or itching eyes, runny nose and sniffling as the weather warms up. These symptoms are triggered when their immune system overreacts to something in their environment like pollen, grass or mold, according to Dr. Megan Yanny, pediatrician, UW Health Kids.
Seasonal allergies for kids are common and understanding the symptoms and using the right medication can help kids cope, she said.
“Every spring we get lots of calls from parents about constant sniffling from their kids and wanting to know what medications to try,” said Yanny, who is also an assistant professor of pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “Parents are also worried their kid was sick all of April with a cold when really it is just allergies.”
There are many overlapping symptoms between a common cold and seasonal allergies, like runny nose and congestion, but there are important differences, according to Yanny. Allergies do not cause a fever, severe cough or severe sore throat, for example. A cold will generally last three to 10 days, and allergies, which are not contagious, could last for months depending on how long a person is exposed to a certain allergen, she said.
Allergies can often be managed at home with over-the-counter medications including antihistamines, nasal sprays or eye drops. It is important the medication is non-drowsy, so diphenhydramine – known as Benadryl – is not recommended, according to Yanny. The recommended medicines can be taken in combination every day and taking them in advance before a person’s body is triggered can help, she said.
“We do not recommend using cough and cold medicines to treat allergies, because they do not get to the root of the symptoms for allergies,” Yanny said. “If over-the-counter medication doesn’t seem to be helping or something still seems off, call your child’s pediatrician.”
In some cases, an allergy test might be needed to determine an exact allergen and come up with a specific treatment plan. This includes skin prick testing where the results are interpreted by an allergist, according to Yanny.
Other helpful tips for parents to reduce the overall impacts of seasonal allergies include changing bedding more often, showering or bathing at night, keeping windows closed, watching the weather reports to see the pollen count and staying inside when pollen counts are really high, she said.
Allergies often exist alongside eczema, or skin inflammation, or asthma, or they can cause worsening of those conditions.
Childhood allergies typically do not start until at least two years of age because the immune system needs a season or two to be exposed to allergens. Seasonal allergies can start at any time after that in childhood and into adulthood.