Coping with your child's hay fever
Hay fever can make summer a misery for sufferers, so what can you do to help?
For the one in ten children in the UK that suffer from hay fever, summer can be their least favourite time of year. Hay fever is an allergic reaction to plant pollens and mould spores. These cause the immune system to think it’s under attack so it releases a chemical called histamine, which causes the runny noses, itchy throats, sore, streaming eyes and sneezing.
Different plants produce pollen at varying times of the year. Grass pollen is the most common trigger and is active from May to July; trees, such as birch, hazel and oak, give off pollen in spring, and wild flowers produce pollen in autumn.
On sunny days, lots of pollen grains are released and rise through the air on warm currents. They float down when the air cools from 3-7pm, so it’s best to go out in the morning.
You can find out which pollen your child is allergic to with an allergy test — ask your GP for information.
Dr Gill Jenkins
GP and mum of three
Expert tips
- Keep an eye on the pollen count, which is published in newspapers and given in weather forecasts.
- When the pollen count is high, avoid going out to areas where your child’s trigger pollen is common. Also remember, your child may sometimes be more comfortable indoors with the windows closed.
- Keep your home pollen-free by wiping surfaces with a damp cloth, vacuuming carpets and mopping floors frequently, and covering your child’s bed in the day with a protective sheet that you remove at night.
- Keep pollen out of eyes with wraparound sunglasses and bathe eyes with a cold flannel if they start to itch.
- Ask your GP about antihistamine treatments. There are medicines, nasal sprays and eye drops for kids.
Find out more
- Allergy UK
www.allergyuk.org
- Now read our feature Understanding food allergies in children
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