How do you cope with your child's hayfever?

[Novacane]

My poor child looks like he has been beaten up.
Started with avengence yesterday, and if last year is anything to go by, he will be like this until the middle of Sept.

How do you all manage your childs hayfever? He can cope with the sore throat/bunged up nose, that really is not a problem, he can just bumble along with that, it's just his eyes that are terrible...

They swell up and are sticky and sore (think conjuctivitis), and the whites of his eyes go like jelly (it is called the cobblestone effect). It really is horrific, and he will no doubt be missing some school over the next few weeks.

He has been prescribed loratadine, which is not touching it, he has tried another one, but the only one that works to any extent is really high doses of chloramphenamine, which knocks him on his arse! He also had sodium cromoglicate eye drops, which we put in, but this is barbaric, as he is on the autistic spectrum and doesn't understand why he has to have them in.

They don't have any grass at school thankfully, butthey have started going up to the field to practise for sportsday. I don't want to be seen as an over protective mother, but all he gets out of it is swollen sore and sticky eyes for 48hrs afterwards...

Is there anything else I can do to help the poor little sod???

TIA x

poor you, my dd(14) is mainly just sneezing has been since April - not as bad as your ds but it drives her nuts.

Have you tried that CARE stuff advertised on this page?

DD has tried vaseline up the nose but says it doesn't work.

Wearing sunglasses maybe on the sports field? Not sure how practical, but you can get some really cool sports ones which wrap around - designed for surfers/sailors/skiers.

wow what fantasti replies! Thankyou for the great tips...

I havent got time to write as much as I would like, but am going to try all the tips over the next few days..

I have been keeping up with the chloramphenamine (piriton), it seems to be the only one that works, but it isnt great because he takes melatonin on a night, and they are both sedating.. last night I only gave half melatonin dose and he seemed to be fine, but forgot tonight and gave hm the full dose tongiht eeekk..

id go back and speak to your GP. fexofenadine can be dosed a bit more specific to the needs of the user. the dose can be tinkered about with more to suit the individual and its non drowsy.

i use it and so do the kids. also a nasal spray if your DS will tolerate it. my DS has aspergers and he cant use eyedrops either. see if the gp can give fexofenadine and tinker with the dose until it eliminates symptoms.