Children may have trouble with concentration and/or school work
Treatment :
Reduce exposure to triggers:
a. Keep your child inside during morning time when pollen count is high (5 am - 10am)
b. Keep car and house windows closed and use air conditioner in car
c. Have child take shower before bedtime to rinse off pollen
Nose rinse for older children can try this. It cleans nose as well as pollen
Steroid nasal sprays - first line medication. Some sprays are also available OTC (Nasacort, Flonase, Rhinocort, etc.) Nasal spray works best when they are used properly. (Head positioned normally, spray directed away from nasal septum, after spraying sniff gently)
Antihistamine medications – Claritin, Allegra etc. relieve itching, sneezing, and runny nose but not stuffy nose. Some antihistamine makes people tired and drowsy. Ask your pediatrician about it before use
Combined use of steroid nasal spray and anti-histamine medicine works best
Allergy shots - sometimes doctor may recommend allergy shots for children who have poor response to the conventional medical therapy. It is given by an Allergist every week or every month. It changes body’s immune response to allergens over time. It can also help preventing development of allergic asthma later in life
