May 19, 09 | Posted by: Kristin Bencik Boudreau, D.O.

Spring is sprung- and so are my allergies!!

Ah, Spring! Trees budding, grass growing, flowers blooming- and my eyes itching, nose running, and sneezing. Although I love spring because it means winter is FINALLY over, I really dislike what happens with my allergies. Many of our patients had similar complaints, as seen in the recent spike in office visits for allergy symptoms. Lots of kids are coming in with eyes swollen, red itchy, and noses that never seem to stop running. For kids with asthma, the allergies can trigger attacks and cause a lot of problems.

So, what can a parent do for their child to help with allergies? Over the counter antihistamines like Claritin and Zyrtec are the first line treatment for seasonal allergies. Benadryl works also, but is very sedating so we try to limit its use. Call your doctor to come up with a dose that is appropriate for your child. If the symptoms are not helped enough with the OTC medicines, speak with your doctor about adding a prescription medicine to it. For example, if itchy eyes are the problem, many times we will try Pataday, an allergy eye drop in conjunction with the Claritin/Zyrtec. If runny nose/congestion is the problem, we may add a nasal steroid in.

If none of the above measures are working, more than likely we will refer your child to an allergist for further testing. We generally do not refer for testing immediately unless it is a food allergy, because the mainstay of treatment is the medications described above. Allergy testing is also invasive, so we refer it for those children who need it most. The most severe cases of allergies may require allergy injections. Who qualifies for allergy testing would be determined by the allergist.

Please call your doctor if you think your child is suffering from allergies- we want them to enjoy the beautiful spring weather!

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