Toddler with Seasonal Allergies

Hi J.. Both of my kids (Madison is 4 and Hunter is almost 18 months) have really bad allergies. Madison takes Clarinex and Hunter is on Zyrtec. I would suggest to the pediatrician to switch him to Zyrtec (it's the only thing that works for Hunter -- my 18 month old). Good Luck! I know how hard it can be!! :)

You said the doc just put your son on singular...from what I understand it takes some time for that to kick in..you may want to check with the ped's office or even the pharmacy to find out when you might start to see a difference. Maybe the doc can suggest something to dry him up --my daughter took rynatan generic perscription...cleared her right up as far as congestion went but not sure they will give to such a young child.

Don't hesitate to call the office on Monday when they have normal hours...Good luck and hope you all get a better nights sleep!

Here are a few suggestions that might help. Make sure your son is sleeping at an angle with his head up. If he doesn't use a pillow, you can do this by putting something under his mattress to lift it up a bit where his head usually rests. Also, run a cool air humidifier in his room at night. This will help to thin out the mucous his body is making so that he can handle it better. You can get vapor additives for them, also, that can help with it. Also, both Vicks' and Johnson & Johnson make vapor rubs that are safe for little ones. Try putting a little on him at night. If the congestion is really bad, you can try an old family remedy our family has used for generations. It doesn't sound all that appealing but it really works. You boil a small onion in a pot of water. Allow the water to cool to a temperature that a child can handle. Put the water/juice/broth that has formed into a bottle or sippy cup with a little sugar to sweeten it. Most kids enjoy the taste but the onion will really help to break up the mucous.

You, also, want to talk to your doctor. Ask him if the singular should be making a bigger difference. It may be that he needs to change your son's medication. Not all allergy medications are as effective on all people. You might have to try a few before you find the right one for your son. Sometimes it is not the effectiveness of the medication, though. Sometimes it is just that the pollens are that strong. I'm allergic to early and late trees as well as grass. I don't open my windows during the late spring and the summer when the pollens are very high. We bought a house with whole house air. If you open your windows at night to let in cool air, you may have to look into other solutions such as a couple of room air conditioners or whole house air (if you don't already have it).

Good luck with your little guy. I hope he is feeling better soon.

I agree the pollen has been brutal here in Chester County, PA. Although my son and I hav not been diagnosed with allergies he and I are suffering the same symptoms as your son. One thing, is try to keep your windows closed. Hard to do in this beautiful weather. Dust your house/car and change his linens often. Also, change his clothes whenever you go outside and wash his hands and face often. All those antihistamines act like "uppers" on my son and I also. Know the above is common sense-but it has helped us.

The brand simply saline makes nasal spray for babies, it may help a little bit to use it before bed, and when he wakes up. You could also get an air purifier for his room which will help to lessen the pollen count in his room. Best of luck!!

I wonder if oak pollen is the main culprit. That seems to aggravate even those of us with minimal allergy problems. The oak is blooming here in SE Pennsylvania, so everyone is sniffy and red-eyed as the green dust floats down and covers everything. Try keeping windows closed, using saline spray and/or air purifier/humidifier in the little one's room at night. If it's the oak pollen, then at least that'll be over with in a week or two.

Have you tried Claritan for children? Also, what about Dimetapp? I'm sure you will, but please make sure you get this resolved for him. I have suffered from allergies since I was an infant and it is really miserable. I agree, that you must keep his home and sleep space as allergen-free as possible. This includes washing his body of the pollens when he comes inside and changing his clothes. Also, pollens tend to have the highest count in the morning, so avoid going out at that time if you can. Good luck and hang in there!

I am not in the states and my toddler has been suffering with seasonal allergies...child should have lots vit C and garlic. I have had to change my sons diet. Eating mucus eliminating foods also help..example pears (you can use baby food in jar). My son had horrid reaction to benadryl would and will never use again! Homeopaths state to stay clear of dairy....

We live in PA and my 3 yr is really bad this year too. Zertek worked for us.

Good Luck

Hi J.! My son was diagnosed with seasonal allergies also around the same age. He sneezes alot - nasal drip - bad cough that sounds like bronchitis- and so on. The doc said try an over the counter medication first. She didn't want to prescribe anything until we tried that method. Claritin has worked wonders for him. He is going to be 4 this year. So far this year has taken a toll on him. The claritin has seemed to work so far after it took a little over a week to kick in. Good luck to you!!!

We're in Delaware also, and my 3 year old son is suffering as well. We've been using children's Claritin, and while it doesn't completely resolve the problem, it does help. We also use a humidifier, keep Vaseline on the raw spots under his nose, keep him propped up on an inclined surface while he sleeps, and let him have his own tissues to keep in his bed. Sorry I don't have any better suggestions, but you're not alone!

My son is 18 months and they just put him on allergy meds. i would call your ped and make an appointment. The allergies are really bad this season so the peds arent sticking to the two year rule. Good luck.

Jen,
My Daughter use to have severe allergies when she was a toddler and I would have to keep her mattress to her crib and then to her toddler bed proped up at the top so she would have good drainage in her nose. I could not keep her dolls and stuffed animals in her room because they would collect the dust in her bedroom. Every other night we would put her vaporizer cool mist on in her room because our house is dry heat in the winter and in the summer we put an air conditioner in her bedroom to keep her sneezing down.
Kim in Ridley

Hi, my ped said the best thing is to use a decongestant like dimetap and the antihistimine. If he's young than you might only be able to use some sudefed. I was also told that you need to use it consistantly every like 4 hours or so not just when he starts to show symptoms. Good Luck!!

My son and I both had terrible allergies. Our allergist diagnosed us both with pollen allergies, my son also had dog and oak tree allergies, and I had a SEVERE mold allergy.

We no longer have these problems. AT ALL. After a year of suffering, even on Zyrtec, singulair, etc. we eliminated our allergies.

I am so grateful to the person who recommended this treatment to me. It worked so good on me, that I took my son. My husband is now going.

www.delvalacupuncture.com

It really works, I don't know why it is so effective, but it is. And we are saving a fortune on kleenexes and allergy meds.

My kids took the singulair and Zyrtec together and it took a week or so but the two combined were great. Have you taken him to an allegergist versus the pediatrician. They can run the tests to find out what it is exactly he is reacting to and then treat it accordingly. The tests are a series of pricks on the back with different allergens and if they get raised or red they give each bump a degree of inflamation and the ones that rise the most are the ones affecting them. Then they can put him on the right drugs etc.

Also watch the humidity in the house. For kids with allergies it should be between 35 to 50%. Once we lowered ours to about 40% we saw a huge difference in the snot production. We bought a cheap barometer at Walmart.

Also don't use feather pillows they hold lots of dust and we switched our girls to cotton blankets versus synthetic that don't breath as well. Good luck.