Hay fever management services in London
Allergic rhinitis is also referred to as hay fever, nasal allergy or pollinosis. Allergic rhinitis can be severely debilitating, whether it be seasonal allergies
with classic hay fever allergy symptoms, or persistent from animal dander or house dust mites.
Grass pollen and tree pollen can cause severe hay fever. Severe hay fever in children has shown to impact grades. Results have shown a drop in performance between their mock GCSE exams in winter versus their summer GCSE exams. This is caused by disrupted sleep and reduced concentration at school, potentially carrying significant consequences for their future prospects.
Thankfully, symptoms of hay fever including itchy throat, watery eyes, itchy nose, blocked nose, runny nose and sneezing, as well as itchy eyes, can often be treated effectively with safe medication together with identification and avoidance of the causative allergen.
We can help by diagnosing which allergen is the cause of the hay fever symptoms, offering advice on avoidance and treatment, as well as the most appropriate medication and show you and your child how to use it.
Children’s Hay-Fever Testing
If you suspect your child has a potential hay-fever allergy, you should seek medical assistance. They will likely arrange some allergy tests to help them make a confident diagnosis.
The most common test for hay fever in children is a skin prick test or specific IgE blood test. The skin prick test involves putting a small amount of the allergen on your child’s skin to see if this leads to a tiny wheal. If a blood sample is taken, usually from the inside of your child’s elbow.
The sample is then checked for allergens that may be causing the reaction. Both tests can identify which types of pollen allergies your child is sensitive to. Medical professionals can then work to treat it.
Children’s Hay-Fever Treatment
Although there is no cure for hay fever, various treatments can help your child manage their allergic reaction symptoms to give them some relief. If you can identify the type of pollen your child is allergic to, you should actively help them avoid contact with it.
Your doctor may also prescribe your child medication to help relieve symptoms, such as saline and steroid nose sprays. These are effective at treating symptoms such as a runny, blocked nose. Non-drowsy antihistamines can also help with itchy eyes and nose. Anti-allergy eye drops are also useful for itchy/sore eyes.
Immunotherapy is available for those who suffer badly from hay-fever to the point where it makes daily life challenging. This long-term treatment exposes your child to small amounts of allergen through the mouth. This helps them gradually build up a tolerance to it.
Managing Your Child’s Hay-Fever
We take hay-fever management seriously here at Children’s Allergy Doctors. Our support team is on hand to offer parents guidance on ways they can manage hay fever in children. To manage hay fever allergies in children effectively, we recommend:
- Brushing off your children’s clothes or encouraging them to get changed and have a shower when they get home if they have been playing outside
- Dressing your child in pollen-protective accessories such as wraparound sunglasses. This will prevent pollen from getting into their eyes
- Rubbing Vaseline around your child’s nostrils to trap pollen and prevent it going inside the nose
- Keeping the windows closed as much as possible during the spring and summer seasons, when the pollen count is highest
Parents can seek comfort in knowing that hay-fever is not generally classed as a dangerous condition. Most children suffering from hay-fever will find that the condition improves over time.
We offer a wide range of services here at Children’s Allergy Doctors to help them better manage their condition. If you would like to know more about the services we provide, such as hay-fever management, don’t hesitate to book an appointment today via our website.