As a child I suffered really badly with hay-fever and know just how itchy and miserable it can make the summer. Allergies tend to run in families and my 2 year old daughter is now also showing some tell tale signs of pollen sensitivity. Hay-fever symptoms (runny nose, itchy puffed eyes, itchy throat) do not normally affect babies and toddlers until they are about 2 years old and are more common in children who have asthma or eczema. The culprits are usually grass and tree pollens and different species ripen throughout the summer months so it can really last a long time.Medication such as nasal sprays, eye drops and anti-histamine tablets are available from chemists and generally work well, but there are also a few other ways to help reduce the amount of pollen around your child.
- Most pollen is released in the early morning so try minimising outdoor activities at this time.
- Avoid play next to freshly cut grass as the pollens and moulds have been disturbed and will be in the air.
- Do not used bed linen that has been dried on an outside line.
- Change your child's clothes after coming in from playing outside as pollen is easily trapped in the fibres.
- Smear a little balm on your child's nose. Its not only soothing to the skin but will help trap pollen particles before they enter the nose.
- Choose coastal holidays as often the wind comes straight off the sea with minimal pollen.
- Keep car windows closed when travelling and re-circulate the air inside rather than having fresh air.
- Shower and wash hair to help get rid off particles. Also a cold, damp cloth placed over the eyes will help soothe the itch and reduce puffiness.
- Some research suggests that eating local honey helps the body become less sensitive to pollen. I found this at a local fete and Tot and I are having it over porridge. Hopefully we will get some good results! Remember, no honey for babies under 12 months.
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| Local honey is said to alleviate symptoms |
Please feel free to add your top tips to help children cope with the irritation of pollen!
Found this realy interesting as my 18month old is forever sneezing so loved the advice and will definately be putting it all to good use : )
ReplyDelete(Pls can u enter me in your Totseat comp as this would be so handy as we r often left with her on our knees x x)
Try to bath your child and wash their hair before bed every night when the hay fever is really bad as this will help remove the pollen and make them sleep better
ReplyDeleteThanks for all these tips! Me and my partner suffer from terrible hayfever but so far the kids don't. I will certainly use the tips for myself at the moment. Also, did not know the effect of honey on hayfever.
ReplyDeleteWe've been trying the honey for a week or so now, and so far so good. I normally suffer in May and June. I have had a slightly itchy eyes but nothing compared to what I'd normally be experiencing. I think the key point is that it needs to be local honey from your area to de-sensitise you to the pollen around you. x That's the theory anyway!
ReplyDeleteThis can really make your little ones life a misery, I second the local honey from local hives thing. Try your local allotment, they often have hives with enthusiastic beekeepers who would be happy to part with a jar or two for a pound or two, plus think of the food miles!
ReplyDeleteSome really great tips, thanks!
ReplyDeleteMy son suffers from Hayfever really bad, I didn't realise it affected children so badly until he developed it. Thank you for these tips, they'll come in very handy x
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