When Should I Take My Daughter to See an Allergist?

As an allergy and asthma sufferer since childhood, I would suggest taking her to an allergist. At 7 they can determine what her triggers are and you can make some adjustments as needed and/or get her on some medicines that will help alleviate symptoms. My daughter started showing signs of allergies around that age as well. She is on a daily nose spray which has helped tremendously. Claritin/Zyrtec can certainly help but can make some kids tired or hyper so it's best to find out what is triggering the allergies. Good luck!

It may not hurt to bring her the allergist, at least you know what is causing the reationg and possibly ways of makeing her feel better.

My son is allergic to Mold, and Trees so right now our mold count is way up and his nose has been going non stop. We give him a bath everynight and have the Hepa Air Purifier in his room going 100% of the time, and the AC on (never open thier window).

When we went we also found out that he was allergic to our cat. You migth be suprised what they say.

Good luck

We had an allergy blood test done for our son and found out he's allergic to cats and some out door things, his biggest trigger (highest level) was rye grass. Now we reseed our lawn with seed that doesn't have rye grass and he's better. During the bad months (red eyes and runny nose and sneezing) we give him Claritin daily and he's fine. You could try Claritin and if it works great, long term though it helps to know what the allergen is so you can avoid it as much as possible.

On a side note, some kids react to Claritin and Zyrtec and their behavior changes. Watch for that, if she starts to act different, moody, irritable, etc, stop using it and try the other one.

Good luck.

Definitely take her to an allergist. After struggling with allergies and therefore frequent sinus infections for 31 years, I finally got to the right allergist/immunologist who allergy skin-tested me to identify all of the allergens properly AND diagnosed my immune disorder. For the past year, I've been on medications to treat my allergies and monthly infusions to treat the immune disorder, which was playing against me with my allergies, and my world has been completely different. Don't downplay her symptoms - she might not be complaining about what's going on too much because it's all she's ever know. Best of luck to you!

I would definitely take her to an allergist and not just her pediatrician. I have suffered with allergies for years and finally saw an allergist to be tested and got on immunotherapy(shots). It absolutely changed my life! it would be so helpful to know exactly what she is allergic to so that you can treat her properly. I don't see any reason NOT to take her. Poor thing is probably miserable part of the year.

Since we moved to Ohio last summer, all 4 of us have had allergy/sinus infection problems. I had all mine tested with an allergist but nothing shows up. I leave the state and the allergies clear up, so I know it is something in the environment here (we've lived in more than 1 home here so it's not something in the house).

I asked our pediatrician about what I could give our kids and whether they need to be tested (also asked the allergist) and both said to try generic kids allegra or kids benadryl to see if they made a difference. Sometimes they make a difference, sometimes they don't. Kiddos are 7 & 3 1/2.

Bottom line is you need to go with your gut on this one. If it were one of mind, I would ask the pediatrician first, then go from there. If your insurance is like mine, you'll have to see the family doc/pediatrician before you can see any other specialist anyway. Good luck and I hope she gets some relief.

I would have her tested. I took my daughter in the Spring and she's allergic to trees and mold. She has to take Allegra twice a day the 1st of March until the end of November because she has year round allergies. She will take Allegra once a day from Nov to March along with Flonaise. I have a humidifer in her room as well. We have a humidifer with the furnace but it isn't enough. Good luck!!

My children both have allergies as do myself and their father. Both children were tested by a pediatric allergist. My daughter tested low enough that she rarely takes any over the counter medicine, only when she wants to. My son was so bad that he tested postive for every single thing on the skin test and he started allergy shots. He was so bad that at one point he was taking FOUR different allergy medications including a nasal spray and eye drops. Alllergy shots were a lifesaver for him. He was absolutely miserable and could not even spend the night with people who had dogs or carpet.

I don't think this is a matter of her safety(my son also has life threatening food allergies) but there is no reason that your daughter should be miserable if there are things that can truly help her.

Mother of a 10 year old girl and a 12 year old boy

My husband and I both have pretty bad allergies. I asked my allergist when I should have my daughters tested. His response was 'when you can't take it anymore.' I now understand what he meant.

Personally I would try giving the OTC allergy medicines on a regular basis. As long as they are keeping the symptoms at bay than there is no need for the allergist. But as it did with us, there will come a day when multiple OTC allergy medicines (used in unison) will not be enough to control their symptoms. That's when you will want to call on the allergist.

Since it's on and off I don't think she needs an allergist. Have you discussed her symptoms with her pediatrician and see what he or she reccomends? The only families I know that go to an allergist are those with multiple food allergies that are very severe. They needs tests to determine if the allergies are getting better over time. The blood tests are not completely accurate and give lots of false positives.

No need for a pediatric allergist. Your regular pediatrician can order a simple blood test for food and environmental triggers and can determine what will put her over the allergy threshold. it is as accurrate as "skin prick" tests" but I don't prefer that. Great coverage through insurance as well. I formerly covered this testing before I transitioned to exclusively women's health.

Good luck!

I don't think it would hurt to take her to an allergist just so you know what is going on.

That said, my daughter and I have seasonal allergies and alternate Zyrtec and Allegra. Per the pedi, our bodies get "used" to the daily 24 hr pill so when I purchase, I switch between those 2 so we won't be so used to them. I've found that this works well for us.

Here in TX, we have to take a pill daily. Daughter's allergies are worse and she usually ends up with a sinus infection every Fall and Spring.