Does anyone have a child who gets really bad swollen eyes with Hayfever ?

[Kittypickle]

And if so, have you found any difference in the various eye drops that you can get ? DD has the most horrendous puffy eyes and it looks as if her eyeball has swollen and I really need to get something that works better than what we've got.

[Mumchatting]

I have found this thread as was looking for advise regarding my son's eye alergy.

Anyone's toddler suffers from red itchy eyes due to alergy?

We have been prescribed various eye drops since the problem started in January. The antibiotics were also prescribed twice and didn't stop the symptoms so the doctor said it must be alergy that is causing my son's eyes to be red, swollen and itchy. There is also a yellow discharge which I clean few times a day.

We were not told what he might be alergic to but alergy to pollen seems to be the main cause (as we don't have any pets at home and the problem started in January when the first signs of spring). Currently taking Opatanol eye drops but they don't do much difference. After spending 2 hours in the park his eyes got swollen and red again. He is only 21 months and hates eye drops. I feel really sorry for him he is suffering from this alergy. I have read somewhere that taking local honey helps to fight the alergies. Has anyone tried that?

Any advise for treatment of eyes alergy in toddlers would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Arabica]

Ahh, mummydoc, if it helps, I'm a print journalist (sorry, don't do telly!) and do occasionally need the opinion of a GP for whatever am working on--so if you want to be in my contacts book, just CAT me! Do it quick and you can be in my next feature which is about family eating habits.
My DS is sniffling horribly at night, and as I am 33wks pg and have no patience (and he has no bedroom cos the painters are in, so all our furniture is piled up in it), I think I might need the piriton to help me sleep let alone him!

[mummydoc]

sound slike everyone is getting there with various treatments...now if any media mummies are out there and happen to need a slightly plump, rather opinionated, enormous boobed gp to presnt some program ( i'll talk about anything ) i'm your girl...( i so want to be Dr Hilary ..please..)

[foxinsocks]

lol mummydoc (re Dr Hilary!) and I'm glad things are getting better Kittypickle

I would reiterate what mummydoc said - I had those steroid injections one year in my nose and good gawd, they were painful. They did work brilliantly but even my ENT said he would really only use them as an absolute last resort if he felt it would give loads of benefit and all other first line treatments hadn't worked.

My eyes are still bad but the drops now work much quicker than before so at least I know when they are itching, the drops will work (I got them over the counter from boots - their own make one).

CD, it may be the piriton making her sleep better but it could also be that her hayfever was giving her a really disturbed night.

[Kittypickle]

Sorry to hear there are still people suffering with this and everyone improves very soon. There has been a bit of a transformation in the Pickle household since I posted this a week ago.

DD's eyes are loads and loads better and haven't swollen up again. And for the first time in 35 years I haven't taken any conventional medicine - am usually on beconase and anti-histamines twice daily with eye drops in between. That combination means that I pretty much don't get any symptoms now as I improved a lot a couple of years ago (though I was desperate without anything when pregnant with DS in 2003). I'm sure the pollen count must be very low or something, I can't believe that this will last. Goodness knows if it's the stuff I got from the health food shop that is making a difference but am very pleased whilst this lasts.

[saffy202]

Just been to the drs with ds2(7). Had suspected for a couple of weeks he had hayfever but last night the grass-cutters had been out and his eyes swelled up - got eye drops, nose drops and Loratadine.

[Bozza]

Personally I would go to the doctor and see what he says. DS's eyes have been so dreadful this summer I have been rung up from school. He now has a set of eyedrops resident at school.

[mummydoc]

Layla - thankyou for supportive note about b@**@y nanny , called in sick again today , I remember headaches with hayfever when I was a child - if piriton is not making your DS drowsy it is just as good as any other anti-histamine, my comments are alittle bias as DD1 only has to have a wiff of the older anti-histamines to be asleep for 12 hrs - very useful in some circumstance ! I have noticed alot of people this summer saying their anti-histamines arn't working aswell as previous years , i think that sometimes a change to a different one works - but that is anecdotal stuff no hard science behind it! Also could your DS 's headaches be due to the piriton ???... like a drowsy type of headache I know dd1 often wakes up (the next day if I have used it to knock her out the night before ) with a "thick" head...just an idea, good luck withthe camping, personally I only sleep under 5 stars ( the hotel kind) - I wish!

[layla]

Oh yes and I'm glad your little one is ok.Mine is back to school,eyes not too bad but must get down to docs soon about eye drops or whatever.

[layla]

Hi mummydoc and haggard.He's been taking piriton.He's had headaches with the hayfever too and he's been off school a bit.I didn't know cortisone was a steroid or painful.I've never liked the sound of steroids anyway.So thanks for the advice Mummydoc.Hope you an sort out useless nanny problem quickly.

Haggard,we're going to get a tent too soon,may need some advice from the camping folks soon.I've never fancied camping before although dh has tried to convince me to go.And just the other day I changed my mind and am really keen,how about that LOL.

[haggered]

Layla : Doc gave Ds Soluble Prednisolone Tabs
He is much better today, eyes are nearly back to normal. I am really worried for him you just cant close all doors and windows and lock him up for summer !! and we have bought a tent ( darn it ) so looking for good camps near the sea....

[mummydoc]

oops forgot to add steroid injections = very painful, just ask anyone who has ahd one for tennis elbow or the like , no way i would ever let my DDs have that for hayfever when the right regime of meds can be brilliant. ps can't stand Dr Hilary - ( might be because he has big bucks media career and i am still in hot little consulting room with a waiting room full of over heated miserable patients still to plow thru and have to sack useless nanny tonight)

[mummydoc]

not all gps are useless...( said in pathetic simpering tone) but do agree with post from festiveface steroid eye drops are very much "specialist" stuff, i would never prescribe them being a mere gp ! do think whoever said their child was on oral meds, eyedrops and nasal spray had it right + piriton very old fashioned anti-histamine , loads of non-drowsy ones available for little ones.

[layla]

Was listening to Dr Hilary on radio saying about cortisone injections for hay fever.I was interested he recommends them as my son has just been getting bad hayfever and sore eyes.I need to take him to doctors.Is this cortisone the steroids you are all on about?

[CountessDracula]

I think my dd has hayfever, she is always sniffling and waking up grumpy - the doc suggested trying piriton

Have tried piriton and she seems much happier but I wonder whether that is just the piriton knocking her out and her getting a better night's sleep because she is drugged

I really don't wnat to drug her unnecessarily though.

[haggered]

just been given some today only enough for three days. We are also using cold compress my heart is going out to him. how long does this last for I as told at least until the end of July ! will have to retreat to the sea side !!

[festiveface]

the first time my sons eyes went jelly i was really freaked! looks awful!
i saw an eye doctor but by then his eyes were better. he said that if they went like that again he would give him steroids but said not to ask my gp for them as they will given reapeat prescriptions etc and they really need to be used with alot of caution.
how long is he to use them for haggard?
i have just resorted to cold compresses for my 2 boys now.
find the doctors a waste of time.

[haggered]

Oh my word ! just been to the doctors as my DS has swollen jelly eyes no help but did him steriods which i am alittle uneasy about . I came home and "googled" swollen eyes and was sent here ! have got more information from you guys than all the flippin medical sites and GP... Isnt this web site a God send x xx thanks

[Arabica]

Apologies for the typos. Am in an internet cafe with a keyboard that's a bit hit and miss.

[Arabica]

DS is 5 and suffers teribly with swollen eyes. He is having homeopathic treatment but this doesn't affect the acute symptoms much, so he's on generic benadryl (get it for free from the pharmacist under the pharmacy first schme). DS really hated eye dop and they didn't sem to give him much relief. Euphrasia didn't help either. But lukewarm camomile tea on a flannel really soothes him. I wouldn't use cotton wool because the fibres can get in the eye and make things worse.
Pregnancy is pretty bad in the heat what with swollen ankles etc--but one good side-effect has been a lack of hayfever symptoms: lucky me!

[mummydoc]

try cetirizine oral solution 5mls once aday for that age group, it is non drowsy and seems to work very well, alos it is available without a prescription.

[TheHun]

I think dd may be starting with hayfever, she has had a runny nose and watery bloodshot eyes with a tiny bit of discharge in the corners. I have given her some antihistamine syrup this morning but I know it makes her sleepy, she is almost 3, any one know of anything that doesn't have that drowsy effect?

[Kittypickle]

A quick update to this just in case it helps anyone else somehow. She had a much better day yesterday. We've swapped to the Tesco antihistimine and are doing one teaspoon in the morning and one at night. She's taking Luffa complex tablets & local honey with the Yamoa powder in. Eye drops at regular interviews. Only one day so it might just bee that the pollen count was low but she was a lot better and even went to play in the garden before bed which is her worse time of days and came back in with pretty much OK. Thank you all very much, it has helped a lot and the moment her eyes go like that again I shall be back on the phone to the GP and ask for some of the drops mentioned on here.

[williamsmummy]

My son has the eye drops , nasal sprays and daily antihistamine.
i encourage the wearing of sun glasses and hats.( he hates wearing hats, as they ruin a cool spicky hair style!)
Other tips for this type of weather, close bedroom windows in the evening.
showers at night as this will wash of the pollen off hair.
we are finding that the hay fever is more of pain this year than the tree pollen season.

[mummydoc]

good point foxinsocks , sorry i didn't mean to insult pharmascist if any out there...