If your kid has hay-fever do you take them outside?

[managedmis]

Bit bamboozled really as the weather is glorious but DD has hay-fever and being outside obviously irritates her skin. Eyes are swollen etc, she takes a antihistamine.

So do you stay indoors? Is there better times I'd the day to go outdoors when you have hay-fever?

Errr yes, she needs some vitamin D. Just give her hay fever medication.

I'd try a different anti-histamine. I won't stay in, no.

Yes. If we weren't in this situation then they would have to go outside anyway.

Yes, they go outside a lot. DS is heavy enough to take a normal loratidine tablet now, when he was younger I have him piriton. DD suffers less but if her eyes get sore we she has piriton too.

Tie her hair up, sunglasses on, vaseline round her nose and antihistamines and a nasal spray when it's bad.

And shower and wash hair before bed. And keep bedroom window closed to keep pollen out.

This is how I spend grass and tree pollen season. Usually get a few weeks off inbetween them.

How old is she? Does she want to go out?

My sister has bad hay fever and would cry about being forced to play on the school field. I wouldn't be forcing a child like to play outside right now.

Me and DD both have fairly mild hay fever and are still going out.

Early Morning / Dusk is the worst time for me.
Keeping windows shut, showering after coming indoors, red light machine, air purifier and eye drops all help.

Call your local gp there are stronger prescription ones inhaler types etc. She needs fresh air and vitamin d as others have said.

My DD really suffers with hay fever, over the years we’ve found that sunglasses help (on top of prescribed medication). A shower as soon as she is in, not drying her bedding or clothes outside. And last year I got some very fine mesh which attached to her windows so she could have them open.

My 2 suffered terribly when they were little. You've had good advice on here, just wanted to add that a HEPA Air Purifier in their rooms made all the difference. Cost was high back then but they're cheaper now. The one they currently use is about £35, they bought it off the back of great reviews.

My hayfever always seems to be worse inside than outside; I think because there's no breeze to clear away the pollen.

What does she want to do? It won’t harm her - unless she has uncontrolled asthma or something. So it’s fine to let her but if she’s miserable then I wouldn’t force it.
I get hayfever and 95% of the time I just get on with it but there are a few days a year where even with antihistamines I just sneeze and my eyes sting and tears pour down my face, so I go indoors those days and if anyone forced me outside it would be horrible - so if it’s the latter like me don’t force your child!

If your dd will put a bit of baseline in her nostrils it helps against hayfever. I think the pollen gets trapped in the Vaseline. I do that sometimes. My hayfever was terrible as a child but fortunately seems to have lessened as I've got older.

Also I've found some of the nasal sprays against hayfever are more effective than antihistamine tablets. They're not very nice to use though. Worth trying different things to see.

Yes of course. DS is on antihistamines from the GP, they're stronger than over the counter ones. He takes it twice a day and I find his symptoms are minimal after the first few doses.

Dusk is the worst time IMO - as the air cools all the pollen in the air seems to fall down and out of it. And it finds its way into the house no matter what.

Best time is in the few hours after rainfall.

I would keep trying different antihistamines until you find something that works. I have nightmare hayfever and ended up on prescription antihistamines as a child )still on them now) because otherwise my eyes would swell up so much I couldn't see.

Wraparound sunglasses, covering my hair outside, even my mouth and nose as well if I'm right out in the countryside, and a shower when I get in are my main additional defenses.

I still have some days where the pollen count is just too high for it to be pleasant and I usually decamp to the seaside for the day if it's like that, if possible.

I would be led by her. I wouldn't minimise it either. I have dreadful hay fever and it sucks. Makes me so tired, I can feel down with and it can be relentless.

That said, I now take a prescription only antihistamine and its been life changing. Make sure you've tried them all and get help from your gp.

HUGE thanks for all this advice.

I've never had hayfever so I can only imagine how bad it can be with the itchy eyes and skin.
She likes being outside and we are outside a lot but I can tell just these last couple of days it's getting to her. We were outside, then came inside and her eyes were immediately less red.

I'm speaking to her allergist on Monday so will ask about the inhaler type antihistamines - we've tried most of them and none of them seem much good. She's only 3 so not sure if she's too young /light for a heavier dose.

I'll look into an air purifier too, and the sunglasses and Vaseline on her nose are a great idea.

One of my children has dreadful hayfever as well as lots of other allergic problems. The immunology consultant that we see recommended using a steroid nasal spray and sodium chromoglycate (I think thats what its called) eyedrops as well as an antihistamine and his usual asthma inhalers every day through the hayfever season even if his symptoms seem controlled. P,us of course all the other stuff that's already been mentioned like sunglasses, tumble drying instead of line drying his clothes etc. It has made a huge difference . It seems like we are now preventing attacks effectively rather than continually playing catch up once he is suffering. Definitely talk to your doctor as hay fever can be absolutely dreadful. A lot of people don't realise how bad it iscif they dont suffer the same. You should still be able to get help with other problems if needed, probably be telephone appointment.

The most important things for me are:

Change all outer clothes as soon as you come inside.
Wash face, hands, arms, hair - anything that's been exposed to pollen, as soon as you come inside.
If eyes are really sore, wipe with cotton wool and cooled camomile tea.
Sometimes my ears get itchy too, wet a cotton bud and gently clean her outer ears.
Keep her bed covered completely with a sheet when she's not in it, to stop pollen and other irritants (e.g. dust) from landing on her bedding.
Hoover and dust regularly, any additional allergens will make it worse.
Traffic pollution and bbq smoke also aggravate it.

Pollen rises up in to the atmosphere in the morning. If it's cloudy the pollen may get trapped closer to the ground for more of the day. Pollen falls back down in the evening. So the best time to go out is between about 10am and 3pm, to avoid pollen, unfortunately that's also when the sun is hottest! 🙄

Hay fever can be really horrible. As others have said you need to spend some time figuring out the correct treatments. It’s a pain but will be very worth it.

Thanks, Kelly, the sheet over the bed idea is great