Allergies and Asthma in Children: Triggers, Treatments and Preventive Strategies
Sneezing, wheezing, coughing, a runny nose and itchy eyes: These common allergy symptoms can make our lives quite miserable, especially during allergy season鈥攆rom early spring through fall if you live in the northeastern U.S. And children, with their immature immune systems, can be hardest hit of all.
Seasonal allergens include pollen, grasses and weeds, says Dr. Nicolina Wawrin, a pediatrician at 51精品 Primary Care. Children can start to experience allergy symptoms as early as age 2.
Dr. Wawrin advises parents to start giving their child allergy medication 1 to 2 weeks before their symptoms can be expected to appear. Doing so will help dampen the allergic response and mitigate symptoms. Listen to the forecast in February to get a sense of when tree pollen is predicted to arrive on the scene, she says, and plan accordingly.
And then there are year-round allergens, such as dust mites, pet dander and cockroach or mouse droppings.
For parents unsure of the cause of their child鈥檚 symptoms, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) offers the following suggestion: Before your next appointment with your family doctor or pediatrician, start a diary to keep track of your child鈥檚 symptoms and what you believe is causing them. It鈥檚 impossible for parents to control everything their children are exposed to, so focus instead on monitoring symptoms.
Over-the-counter allergy medications
The pharacy offers a cornucopia of allergy medications, but Dr. Wawrin鈥檚 go-to choice is Zyrtec (cetirizine). It should relieve your child鈥檚 sneezing, runny nose, cough and itchy eyes, as well as hives and rashes, she says. But if Zyrtec makes your child sleepy, Claritin is a fine alternative. Both of these medications will control allergy symptoms for 24 hours.
Also consider using a nasal spray that contains a mild steroid, such as Flonase or Nasonex. Either of these can be given once or twice daily to reduce swelling and cut your child鈥檚 allergy symptoms down to size.
The allergies-asthma connection
鈥淎llergies increase a child鈥檚 risk for asthma,鈥 Dr. Wawrin says. 鈥淭hey tend to increase hyperactivity in the airways, and we鈥檙e always on the lookout for that.鈥
Although there are many types of asthma, they all share the same basic features. It鈥檚 a chronic condition that causes inflammation and narrowing of the bronchial tubes鈥攖he little passageways that allow air to enter and leave your lungs. Asthma is also surprisingly common in children, affecting approximately 6 million in the U.S. alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Often running in families, asthma can be passed along to children through family genetics. Environmental factors, such as exposure to secondhand smoke or air pollution, can also play a role.
Signs of childhood asthma
Your child may have a cough that lingers for days or weeks, especially at night. Or you may notice a wheezing or whistling sound, especially when your child exhales. More alarming, your child may have trouble breathing, even to the point of a breathing emergency. If these symptoms recur, your child may indeed have asthma; a physical exam with your pediatrician or pediatric allergist will confirm a diagnosis of asthma鈥攐r rule it out.
Asthma medications
Dr. Wawrin describes two major types of medications for asthma, both available by prescription:
The first is albuterol鈥攁 short-acting asthma 鈥渞eliever,鈥 typically an inhaler, that controls shortness of breath, prolonged cough and wheezing.
But if you find you are giving it several times a week for months, that means your child鈥檚 asthma is poorly controlled, and it鈥檚 time to add a second, longer-acting medicine: a 鈥渃ontroller鈥 inhaler containing a corticosteroid to reduce inflammation and prevent full-blown asthma attacks.
Both of these medicines are extremely safe and effective when used as directed, Dr. Wawrin says.
Tackling allergies and asthma at home
She further suggests the following routines and remedies that parents can adopt at home to downsize their child鈥檚 asthma and allergy symptoms (remember, these conditions are often found together in children):
- Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter at least once a week to remove dust mites and other allergens from your rugs or carpeting,
- When your child comes home from school or the playground, make sure they wash their hands right away...
- ...and wash their hair before bedtime to remove pollen, which can linger in their hair, on their clothes or in their nostrils. That will prevent seasonal allergens from rubbing all over their pillowcase.
- And speaking of pillowcases, make sure to change them once a week.
- Use a mild steroid-containing nasal spray such as Nasonex or Flonase once or twice a day.
- Consider using a neti pot to ease allergy symptoms in older children (younger ones may not be able to tolerate it). Resembling a little teapot with an unusually long spout, a neti pot irrigates and moistens the nasal passages and can even relieve severe allergy symptoms when used and cleaned properly, according to the Food and Drug Administration. That means only using it with distilled, sterile or previously boiled water.
Your family doctor, pediatrician or pediatric allergist can provide a treatment plan that matches your child鈥檚 symptoms, whether these are mild, moderate or severe.