Causes
Hay fever is a type of allergic reaction. It usually affects the nose, skin, face, sinus passages, eyes and throat.
Seasonal hay fever (also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis) happens when your child has an allergy to pollens, which are small particles released into the air by particular grasses (for example, rye grass). Your child breathes these pollens in, and they irritate the lining of his eyes, sinuses and nasal passages.
Perennial hay fever (also known as persistent allergic rhinitis) happens all year round and is caused by other triggers. These could be dust mites in the house, animal fur or hair, mould spores and cigarette smoke. If your child gets hay fever all year round, she’s probably allergic to one of these triggers.
Your child has a greater chance of having hay fever if members of his immediate family suffer from an allergy.
Symptoms
Common symptoms of hay fever include sniffling, runny nose, blocked nose, and sneezing. Your child might also have itchy eyes, nose, roof of the mouth and back of the throat. Your child’s eyes might be red and sore, and water a lot.
Hay fever is usually a minor problem. But if your child is sensitive to pollens, she can develop other allergic conditions such as hives, rashes (especially eczema) and asthma. Hay fever can also lead to poor-quality sleep, tiredness and poor concentration during the daytime.
Tests
Your doctor might refer your child to an allergist for allergy testing. This might help identify the particular substances that are causing the hay fever. These tests rarely change the treatment your child receives.
Treatment
There’s no cure for hay fever, so all treatments aim to improve your child’s symptoms.
Antihistamines can help relieve itching and discomfort, but aren’t usually helpful in relieving a blocked nose. Some antihistamines can cause drowsiness, although newer types generally don’t have this side effect.
Steroid nasal sprays help prevent an allergic reaction and can be safely used throughout the hay fever season. Be careful about using decongestant nose drops and sprays, because prolonged use can narrow the blood vessels in your child’s nose and cause permanent damage to the nasal lining.
For severe persistent hay fever, your doctor might consider sending your child to a specialist for immunotherapy. This involves giving your child gradually increasing doses of an allergen to desensitize him.
Prevention
Prevention plays an important role in hay fever treatment. Try to avoid your child having direct exposure to pollens during late spring and early summer – if your child’s playing outside, you can expect her to have worse symptoms.
If your child’s allergic to house dust mites or animal fur, try to reduce his exposure to these allergens.
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