Managing Seasonal Allergies in Children: Tips for Parents

If your child develops a runny nose, itchy eyes, coughing, and wheezing during the spring and summer months, your child could have seasonal allergies. Your pediatrician can help. The pediatricians at Johns Creek Pediatrics offer a full range of pediatric medical services, including allergy testing and treatment. They have two convenient office locations in Suwanee and Cumming, GA.

How Seasonal Allergies Can Affect Your Child

When your child is exposed to an allergic substance known as an allergen, your child might develop signs and symptoms like these:

• Coughing and sneezing
• Itchy, watery eyes
• Runny nose and sore throat
• Itchy, irritated skin or rashes
• Breathing difficulties

Plant and flower pollens, trees, grasses, and weeds are common allergens that can cause seasonal allergy symptoms.

The first step in effective seasonal allergy management is to visit the pediatrician for allergy testing. When you and your child know the source of the allergies, your child may be able to avoid the substance.

To reduce allergy symptoms, your pediatrician may prescribe:

• Allergy shots
• Sublingual immunotherapy drops
• Prescription-strength antihistamine medications
• Prescription-strength decongestant medications
• Steroid nasal sprays and nasal lavage
• Inhalers and other breathing aids

Allergies can be accompanied by asthma, which can make it difficult for your child to breathe. A child’s airways are narrow, which can increase breathing difficulties. Your pediatrician can also test your child’s lung function. To treat asthma, your pediatrician may recommend:

• Short-term rescue inhalers
• Long-term asthma management medications

Environmental modifications are another important step to manage seasonal allergies effectively. There are some easy steps you can take to help keep your home clear of allergens. You should:

• Install a HEPA filter in your child’s bedroom to filter allergens from the air
• Use hypo-allergenic pillowcases and sheets
• Wash your child’s bedding often
• Vacuum and dust regularly

Want To Know More About Seasonal Allergies?

To find out more about how to manage seasonal allergies affecting your child and how your pediatrician can help, call the pediatricians at Johns Creek Pediatrics, with offices in Suwanee and Cumming, GA. You can reach them in either office by calling (770) 814-1160, so call today.