10month old, GP suggested it might be hayfever

[verybusyspider]

but I thought babies didn't get hayfever, she said thats the norm but in her experience some do, anyway he does look like he has hayfever, puffy face, red eyes, runny nose, no change in diet just a weekend in the forest and its tree pollen time - any advice? I've got some eye drops for him which have made a slight difference but he's still rolling around upstairs and sleeping really badly at the moment wondered if anyone had anything else I could do to make him more comfortable... I'll give him local honey when he's old enough as heard that can help, can't do piriton syrup till 12 months either, I don't have hayfever so no idea what would help
thanks

It does sound like hayfever. I had hayfever when I was just three months' old. GP told my mum I was too young for it to be hayfever but I have suffered ever since.

I would make sure you keep his window closed and cover his cot when he is not in it to prevent any pollen settling on his bedding. Changing his clothes when he has been outside may also help.

A little bit of vaseline around his nostrils can prevent the pollen from getting up his nose. You can soothe his eyes by bathing with salt water (1 teaspoon of salt to a pint of boiled water) Calpol will also help him as he may well have a sore throat, itchy ears etc.

The other thing that can really help is getting an ioniser and having it in his bedroom.

There are also homeopathic remedies but I'm not sure what age you can use them from. I have had mixed results wit them.

thanks, I'm running the washing machine now as I dryed all his sheets outside last week when the weather was good, doh! I use homeopathic remedies for a variety of stuff anyway and they are ok for babies but I need to find out what the best thing to use, willing to try anything at this stage as nothing conventional is liciensed for babies.
what does an ioniser do?

Another vote for ionizer - I suffered from hay fever badly for years an ioniser in the bedroom gave me enough rest from pollen overnight to desensitize me to not need medication the next day.

An ionizer removes the electrical charge from particles in the air, hence they no longer 'float' and settle.
Because of the 'settling' I would suggest that you put the ionizer on a easily cleaned surface.

have a look at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_ioniser

thanks, I got one from boots today (desperation!) they aren't cheap are they?! so I really hope it works, dh is going not going to be impressed if it doesn't and I spent the money, oh well worth a try and started putting a bit of vaseline under his nose, his eyes are streaming though he is so uncomfortable

Yup, hayfever. Ot sounds very odd but elderflower cordial works well, a bottle of weak cordial in the morning (although it's a bit of a problem if you only wish your child to have water/milk to drink. Sorry about that.)

your GP may be able to prescribe an anti histimine syrup, possibly a weight based dosage. ? Zyrtec

Would second the elderflower cordial I read about elderflower for hayfever and found the most soothing thing for my hayfever was elderflower and lemon tea sorted it out when the tabs didn't touch it.

I've not taken any hayfever medication for a few years, I do get sick of the taste by the end of the summer though.

Hi Verybusyspider, I am sorry to hear that your little boy is suffering from hay fever.
I have been reading your thread and see that homeopathic remedies have been mentioned a few times and I thought that I might be able to explain a little more about this subject.

I have been using Homeopathic medicine for the past 18 years for myself and my family. I am now in my second year of a 3 year BSc degree course in Homeopathy and can confirm that being prescribed the correct homeopathic remedies Hay fever can be an allergy of the past! Homeopathy is a holistic individualised system of medicine which takes into account the emotional, mental and physical aspects of the person. It recognises that symptoms of ill health are expressions of disharmony within the whole person and it is the patient who needs treatment not the disease.

Homeopathy is based on the principle that ?like cures like?? as an example of this could be...The patient has hay fever, with watery eyes and a burning nasal discharge. ? These are common symptoms of hay fever.. Instead of giving an antihistamine to try and dry up the drainage, a homeopath might suggest ALLIUM CEPA?a tiny dose of red onion, homeopathically prepared. Allium Cepa can cause watery eyes and burning nasal discharge, as everyone who has cut onions will testify.

Homeopathy seeks to find the cause of disease rather than just treating the symptoms of the disease. This is achieved by taking a full history of the patient- illnesses, any emotional upsets, likes and dislikes of foods, temperature and environmental preferences etc. ( Does he like to be wrapped up warm or prefer to be cooler- savory or sweet foods, happy to be on his own or prefer you to be near by? all of these things are part of his character and taken into account Family history is also an indicator of susceptibility to certain diseases. This can often be seen as conditions that run in families like allergies- asthma and eczema- etc
By looking at the whole person and his inherited susceptibility, homeopathy can restore and enhance a patients well being by the administration of remedies. The remedies are prepared from substances from the plant, mineral and animal kingdoms, they are highly diluted and are completely safe. Non Toxic and non addictive.
I know that hay fever can be very distressing not only for the person suffering but for the whole family. I would be happy to offer you some advise for your little boy if you would like me to- or I could suggest that you contact The Society of Homeopaths to find a Practitioner in your area.
Kind regards

hi Hpathydeb - thanks for all the info, my boys all see a homeopath regularly, I couldn't get hold of her last week tho so the practical immediate stuff that people suggested can in handy - ds3 is now loads better and I have over analysed what he's been eating this week and the only new thing is parmesan cheese so it could potentially be a tyramine sensitivity, I'll have no way of knowing for sure till we try again in a couple of weeks but we took boys out to wood for a walk today and ds seemed completely unaffected... surely if it was hayfever he'd have reacted in someway?? although maybe the ioniser is having a positive affect, his sleeping is more settled than before he had this reaction...

still quite confused as to what we are dealing with!

oh and thanks guys for elderflower advice - I have no issue with him drinking it if it helps!