Hayfever remedies for children

[Dumbledoresgirl]

What do you give your child suffering from hayfever? Ds2 has come home after playing in long grass which had pollen flying from it with a sudden sore throat, itchy eyes and runny nose. I know it is hayfever (started getting it myself a couple of years ago). I have checked my Benadryl packet and the tablets are not recommended for children under 12 (ds2 is 11.6)

Please tell me what I could nip out and buy for him right now that would give him some relief.

[FluffyBunnyGoneBad]

Piriton syrup can be taken from 1 year. I have hayfever and no longer take medication for it, I just have a glass of elderflower cordial, it works really well as it has traces of pollen in it from the elderflower.

[AnnieShamrockInYourEar]

I'd like to know the answer to this too, my DS is 4, and DH is convinced he has hayfever (he has it himself).
I have heard if you put some vaseline on his nose it stops the pollen going up there, but not sure how effective this is!

[babyhouse]

Hi, dont know if it will help but my DS(nearly 8) plays a lot of football and started to get tight chest and sore eyes last summer.
Doctor did all the tests for asthma but concluded hay fever/allergies and gave him prescription for Loratadine which has been fab and he hasnt suffered since.
I only give it him if he needs it, after breakfast as he always displays same signs, tickly chest and sore eyes when waking, when pollen is high.
Hope that helps. My friends ds has just started getting hayfever and has Piriton but finds that by lunchtime he is suffering again, the Loratadine is given once and lasts all day.

[MaryBS]

Cetirizine is OK from the age of 6 and is nondrowsy

[Dumbledoresgirl]

Thanks for all this information. I too have read that vaseline around the nose is supposed to help but ds2 was in a bit of a critical state (really red, weepy eyes being the most obvious sign) so I took him to our nearby chemist and I was given some cetirizine hydrochloride tablets for him. Glad to read they are recommended here.

Trouble is, these are one a day, to be taken every day as a preventative thing which seems a bit extreme to me as I only worked out ds2 had hayfever less than an hour ago. Now that I think about it, I realise this is not his first attack but I hadn't put 2 and 2 together until today. But he is not suffering every day so surely taking a preventative tablet every day is a rather extreme response? I get occasional hayfever and take Benadryl to treat the symptoms when they occur. Is there anything like that I could give to ds2? Is that what piriton is?

Ds2 is already asthmatic and his symptoms now are completely different so I know it is not that at least.

[MaryBS]

I use Cetirizine as and when, but no more than once a day. This seems to work fine for us.

[babyhouse]

Might be worth a visit to the doc to get prescription then like us you can use the medicine as and when, works for my DD.

[Dumbledoresgirl]

Yes, I will consider the GP if he stays bad. How long does the grass pollen season last, roughly?

[babyhouse]

Depends on which pollen he is allergic to. as far as I know(and I am no expert..) this is the tree pollen season which starts May and can last till end of august but is normally end of June/july. At this time of year it is normally the tree pollen in the wind that gets them and it has been breezy here today. I think the grass pollen starts about now and depending on our summer(!) can last till end of summer.
I found with my DD that he was ok come july so it may just be tree pollen with him which is same as my mum but clashes badly with the footie tournament season!!
Always worth looking at pollen count on weather forcast websites to see what is expected. Good luck, it isnt nice for them is it..