The Monkey Tree

Your toddler has had a stuffy nose for months. Could he have hay fever? A stuffy nose in a child usually means one of three things: a cold, an irritation or an allergy. Colds generally last a few days and don't cause the snuffliness that some children have. Irritation can be caused by cigarette smoke, dust and paint fumes. In the absence of these or any other obvious irritants, the problem is likely to be an allergy.

The most common symptoms of an allergy include a stuffy or runny nose with clear drainage, sneezing, itchy eyes and nose, sore throat, throat clearing and a cough that may be worse at night and in the morning, and if your child has symptoms which are only there during the spring and summer months, then a diagnosis of hay fever is more likely.

Hay fever or Allergic Rhinitis to give it its proper medical name is a common problem in infants and children but not so common in the very young. Hay fever is an allergy to pollen, such as tree pollens, grasses and weeds. Tree pollens appear in the spring and are followed by grass and flower pollens which can be in the air right through to the autumn. Some people suffer all the way through the season
Allergies do run in certain families and are more common in children that have asthma or eczema. It is also more common in children that are exposed to second hand smoke, air pollution and pets. It can also make asthma symptoms worse.

In some cases of allergy it may be possible to reduce the exposure the child receives to the allergen (the thing that causes the allergy). So, for example, if your child is allergic to your family pet, you might want to keep the pet out of certain rooms at home. But as you might expect with hay fever, it's very difficult to change or reduce the pollen levels, especially if you live in the country.

So what can you do to help the situation?

• For older babies (generally over one year old) and children, discuss with you GP what medications may be available or appropriate to reduce any inflammation and irritation in the eyes/nose.
  
• Limit your child's exposure to known hay fever triggers such as grass and tree pollens, for example, by keeping windows closed and washing her hair after being outside
  
• Keep car windows closed on summer trips and if it has one, check your car's pollen filter regularly
  
• Consider using a HEPA filter to control airborne allergens (these only work if what you are allergic to is airborne, which doesn't include dust mites and mold).
  
• Avoid the use of ceiling fans.
  
• For seasonal allergies, keep windows closed in the home to avoid exposure to pollens and limit outdoor activities when pollen counts are highest (early morning for spring time tree pollens, afternoon and early evening for summer grasses, and in the middle of the day for ragweed in the autumn)
  
• Avoid taking your child outside at the start and end of the day when the pollen count is at its highest, and watch local pollen reports on the TV
  
• Buy your child some wrap-around sunglasses and encourage them to wear them.
  
• Take your holidays on the coast where the pollen count is usually lower

 What Allergy Medications are there?

The medications that are used to control the symptoms of allergic rhinitis include decongestants, antihistamines and steroids. If symptoms are mild, you can use an over the counter medicine as needed, talk to your pharmacist they will be able to advise you on the appropriate products for your child. Be careful about using topical decongestants for more than 3-5 days at a time or frequent use of over the counter allergy medicines with antihistamines, as they can cause drowsiness and poor performance in school. If symptoms persist discuss with your GP.

Although food allergies are not a common trigger for hay fever, if you notice that your child's allergy symptoms always get worse after being exposed to certain foods, then you should avoid those foods. The most common foods that can cause allergies include: milk, eggs (especially egg yolks), peanuts, soybeans, tree nuts, seafood, and wheat.

If in doubt about what is causing your child’s symptoms always contact your General Practitioner.