Survival Guide to Summer Allergies
It’s summer time, which for the kids means the promise of enjoying outdoor activities. However, if your child has untreated allergies, fun in the sun could turn into many days inside. Here’s a few tips to keep your little ones enjoying the outdoors.
Are allergies exclusive to spring and fall?
Summer allergies can be more intense than fall or spring. Often times the warm and humid weather creates a hospitable environment for allergens such as dust mites or grass and weed pollens.
Allergy triggers
Allergy symptoms are a sign that your body is fighting against foreign invaders, similar to how cold symptoms show your body is fighting off a bacteria. People who have seasonal allergies release chemicals into their bloodstream to fight things like mold spores, dust mites and outdoor pollens. Everyone is unique, and your child can be allergic to more than one kind of allergen, during different seasons.
Allergy test
Knowing what your child, is allergic to is important to managing their allergies. If you think your child might have seasonal allergies, talk to your doctor to determine the exact cause. After evaluating your child’s symptoms, your doctor may ask to perform a blood or allergy skin test. Most skin tests are performed by applying an allergen to an area of skin through injection or a small prick. The test if fairly pain-free and helps to determine the most effective form of treatment.
Symptoms
If your child develops a cold around the same time every year it could be caused by not treating their seasonal allergies. Common allergy symptoms to look for are sneezing, itchy nose or throat, congestion, runny nose and coughing. Children can also have watery or itchy eyes as a result of the irritation from pollen or mold spores.
Check-list
There are some easy steps you can take to help reduce the effects of your child’s seasonal allergies. Check the pollen count daily before you take a hike or walk through the park. Try to plan your outdoor activities for times where the pollen counts are low. On days when the pollen count is too high, find fun indoor activities for them to do like having a movie marathon or a Lego building competition. Dust your house regularly, dusting can help rid your house of outdoor pollens that have floated in through the windows or air conditioning. Most importantly, make sure your child takes any regularly prescribed medications, or their allergies could lead to more serious medical conditions like asthma.
Similar to any other medical condition, it is important to stay on top of your child’s allergies and learn what to avoid. No child want’s to be cooped up inside with allergies, when they should be outside playing with their friends. Talk to a doctor today at Premier Medical if you think your child is experiencing summer allergies to determine the best course of action, and get them back outside enjoying their summer.
