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Original poster

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

46 replies

Kittypickle · 08/06/2006 16:57

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.

OP posts:
Furball · 08/06/2006 17:06

It's awful at the moment for hayfever, ds (nearly 5) suffers and really is feeling it at the moment. His eyes are slightly bloodshot of an evening - I just rinse them with cool water which seems to help. Miserable for sufferers especially children isn't it? Have a chat with the pharmacist to get their advice on which are more strong or have different ingredients in they usually are really informative.

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 08/06/2006 17:06

My ds2 does kitty - he's 14 now and has suffered since about 7. We use sodium chromoglycate drops from the GP, we were told to use them 4 times a day even if the symptoms aren't too bad as the effect builds up. It's doesn't say this in the patient leaflet.

If it's really bad maybe she's scratched her eyeball when rubbing - you could take her to A&E - I vaguely remember ds having some other drops from them once when one of his was almost shut. I can't remember what they were called - sorry.

spursmum · 08/06/2006 17:10

NOt kids, ME!!!
I've just had to take my contacts out as my eyes are streaming and itchy.
My doctor recommends anti-histamines(a good dose of Piriton works wonders!)and a good soothing, moisturising eye bath/drops.

LeahE · 08/06/2006 17:10

I used to terribly as a teenager -- tried the sodium chromoglycate which didn't make much difference but was better than nothing. In my teens I had to stay in as much as possible and always, always wear dark glasses when I went out. Interestingly, as predicted by my old-school GP, my symptoms got gradually worse until I was around 20, then got gradually better until I was around 30 and levelled off at the level I have now. I don't know if that's a common pattern or if there was something particular about me.

Original poster
Kittypickle · 08/06/2006 17:22

Thank you all. I think I will have to ring the doctors tomorrow to see if they can give us something like the sodium chromoglycate. I don't think she's scratched her eyeball though I can't be sure. I'm keeping a close eye (excuse the pun!) on it tonight and will if needs be take her in. Just remembered that we have an eye A&E at one of the hospitals I think, I'll ring them if it doesn't improve shortly.

I should know all this, I have suffered with hayfever since I was two. But I don't remember my eyes being as bad as this, though apparently they were. Luckily mine improved a couple of years ago at 35. Now poor DD has started at 7, seems to be true for our family about the 7 year cycles.

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 08/06/2006 17:27

I posted something in health today my eyes were so bad. I could hardly read the computer screen this morning!

I went and got some of those drops this morning - I washed my eyes out and put them in. I honestly don't think I saw any improvement till after lunch time today (so probably 4 or 5 hours after I had first put the drops in and I had done it twice in that time) so I think it is something that isn't easily relieved.

If she is old enough, I would also suggest one of those cooling eye masks (again, you can get them at chemists). You leave them in the fridge - ooh they feel great when your eyes are puffy. Also, sleeping with the window closed and wearing sunglasses help.

Hope she feels better - it is miserable.

Original poster
Kittypickle · 08/06/2006 17:37

foxinsocks, you poor thing :( I'm on the case with wraparound sunglasses, am looking now. Also have just read about something called Haymax which is supposed to help reduce symptoms by trapping the pollen before it gets up your nose. From looking at the website it's basically a balm so as I happened to have some beeswax in the cupboard I've made her a pot to try that. The piraton definitely helps her nose but it's her poor eyes.

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 08/06/2006 17:47

oh thanks for your sympathy - at least I'm an adult, would hate for a child to suffer this way Sad

I think there are some eye drops (not sure if they are the same ones as we are talking about) that you put in every day - as much a preventative medicine as anything else. Don't know if you have to get these from the GP though. Hope she feels better soon.

Californifrau · 08/06/2006 18:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

farawaytree · 09/06/2006 12:01

For DS we use Benadryl or Clarityn medicine. Once spoonful in the morning but every morning as it is cumulative. He does not suffer anymore, but we have to use it for the entire summer. My husband also finds it much more effective than any of the eyedrops.

mummydoc · 09/06/2006 12:55

ask your doctor for otrivine-antistin eye drops if she is over 5, i prescribe them all the time for hayfever , but need to use them in conjunction with anti-histamine such as piriton for under 6's or cetirizine for over 6's ( latter is good as non drowsy). I also use them for my DD1 aged 6 1/2 ands my DH . and just in case anyone wonders no i am not a drug rep and i am not influenced by them - just think these are probably hte best products! hope it helps hayfever is so miserable.

bambi06 · 09/06/2006 13:12

is htere anything apart from piriton fo r18 mths olds as the little one i look after seems to be taking after his mother .por thing and she was wondering whats on the market for this age group.plus he`s sleeping a lot, is this a side effect of hayfever?

alison222 · 09/06/2006 14:04

Bambi piriton makes you sleepy so it could be a side effect of that if he is having it yet

SoupDragon · 09/06/2006 14:10

DS1 does (he's 6) if I forget to give him a dose of Benadryl before school.

festiveface · 09/06/2006 14:13

i am having the same trouble with my ds1 and ds2. ds1 is actually off school toay because his eyes are so bad.
usually ds2 has the most horrendous hayfever and ds1 has it mild so this year i started ds2 on benadryly, flixonase and rapitil eye drops which so far seem much better than sodium cromoglicate (which is otc)
ds1 has it the worst now !
i know what you mean about the eyeball swelling. theirs goes kind of jelly looking. last year ds2 got sent home and the teacher said se had panicked as she had never seen anything like it!
it's a nightmare but my recommendation would be

antihistamine medicine
nasal spray (better off the doc)
rapitil eyedrops
vaseline up nostrils when going out
and a cold compress if things get swelled.

bring on the rain!

festiveface · 09/06/2006 14:15

meant to say, i started all these hings with ds2 in april before it started and he seems to have milder symptoms this year.

Original poster
Kittypickle · 09/06/2006 14:30

Thank you all, that's really helpful. I rang the doctor this morning who said to go back to the pharmacist to see if they could recommend anything else. Which DH has done and been given Otrivine Nasal drops and ibuprofen apparently. So I am going to ring up again and ask for some different drops.Neither Claityn or Piriton seem to do much for her eye.

The jelly bit describes it well. DD's teacher got a bit freaked at the beginning of the week and I got a call to pick her up. She went off with some balm up her nose which I hope will help a tiny bit. Will have to see what state she comes home in. We live in one of the worst possible areas for this, surrounded by loads of trees and grass, poor DD.

OP posts:
juliajudeandjoel · 09/06/2006 14:37

Lots of homoeopathic remdies can help dcepending on symtoms, ie Euphrasia for itchy eyes and runny nose, alium cepia for streaming eyes and a nose that is itchy etc.
Also honey that is local to your town can help. Theory being that if you eat a product of the pollen you are allergic to it helps your sensitivity. Lovely bees....:)

mummydoc · 09/06/2006 17:18

why on earth did your DH get given ibuprofen for hayfever ??? kitty pickle, the eye drops have to be otrivine-antistin not just plain otrivine and i agree the homeopathic remedies can work too. love the idea of vaseline up the nose , i am gogin totell allthe patients that next week...

Original poster
Kittypickle · 09/06/2006 17:45

I have no idea why they gave him Ibuprofen mummydoc - it's been consigned to the back of the cupboard and I made a mental note to change pharmacies when he told me !.I've written down the eye drops and will be asking the doctor for them. I think the balm up the nose has helped a little - she isn't as bad as she was yesterday and had been out for the the sponsored walk. We are now the proud owners of a pot of local honey, some Luffa complex, Echinacea & got sucked into buying some hideously expensive Yamoa powder which the woman in the health food shop swore by (she would wouldn't she !). So we are going to give a couple of them a go.

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 09/06/2006 18:06

are her eyes really swollen? perhaps the pharmacist gave her ibuprofen for that. Also, I have a killer headache from rubbing my eyes and have them water so much (also one eye has a huge, puffy black ring under it now - soooo attractive Wink) and I actually took a nurofen and do feel a bit better for it!

If you think she's given herself a headache, may be worth letting her have some of the nurofen (if it is allowed with whatever else she has had!).

mummydoc · 09/06/2006 18:19

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

williamsmummy · 09/06/2006 20:08

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.

Original poster
Kittypickle · 11/06/2006 07:01

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.

OP posts:
TheHun · 12/06/2006 14:07

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?

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