To ask you for your child safe hay fever remedies?

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My DC has awful hayfever which also triggers a persistent asthmatic type cough which can last for days. They will get almost dopey with the symptoms. Occasionally they will get really wheezy and short on breath, like an asthma attack.

They're really outdoorsy and sporty, but when it's hay fever season they basically struggle to be outside anywhere where there's grass or trees. It's ruining their social life and limiting what we can do as a family - we used to love camping for example. He's fine on beach holidays in foreign countries where presumably there's different pollen but can only do so many of those!

We've tried all the over the counter liquids but they don't seem to make much difference. What else could we try?

Hayfever wipes and hayfever balm. Can buy at B&M and Superdrug. Life changer!

If they have allergic asthma symptoms he needs asthma treatments, once lungs are irritated it's not enough to just remove the allergen.

Go to the doctor for some advice and medicine - honestly it will improve your child's quality of life so much. If you don't suffer with bad hay fever you can't appreciate the pure misery it brings and the relief of getting proper treatment.

Try a spoonful of local honey each day. It works well for some people although there is no scientific evidence to support it. It is a harmless remedy so worth trying.

Hay fever balm around nostrils and under eyes. We always carry hay fever wipes as well. DC shower and wash hair twice a day and have air purifiers in their rooms

Go to a doctor or asthma nurse at your GP surgery and get an inhaler(s) if your child is wheezy. Hay fever can trigger asthma, and you don’t mess around with asthma/wheeze.

Pharmacist is usually good for advice on antihistamines, I had to try about five before I found one that worked well for me, plus a nasal spray. I have to take them daily all summer though, not just as and when.

What age is your child, and have you seen a GP about the asthma?

DS is 8 and takes half a cetirizine tablet morning and night during hay fever season, and preservative free sodium cromoglycate eye drops on the worst days. This doesn't completely remove symptoms, but makes them manageable.

If he has asthma symptoms, he has asthma!

Needs a once daily non-drowsy antihistamine, started well before the start of hayfever season and to see GP for asthma treatment.

Cetirizine syrup from GP morning and night has pretty much completely cured my toddlers hayfever, skin rashes and nocturnal cough! Piriton did nothing for her at all.

They need to see a GP for their asthma reviewing and a different inhaler as well as antihistamines if its more asthma type symptoms.

See the GP and get prescribed an inhaler and fexofenadine (available over the counter for adults but prescription only for children). My DS is very similar, he basically never needs his inhaler outside of hayfever season but when it’s bad he gets a terrible asthma cough - a few weeks ago he coughed so much all night that he made himself sick. Fexofenadine is much more effective for him than loratidine or the other syrup one. It only comes as tablets but DS (7) learnt to take them pretty easily.

Thank you! This is all really helpful

I have come back from the GP with a blue inhaler and a brown inhaler

We'll see how we get on with those. Already taking cetierazine

I will pop to the chemist tomorrow and get the wipes and nasal spray.

I read that you shouldn't dry clothes on the line too, is that true? If so, what a pain 😔

Glad you’ve been to GP and gotten stronger inhalers.
If he has sinus/eye symptoms, you can always ask about prescription strength eye drops and antihistamines.
Also do not use any fans in his bedroom or drive with the car windows open. The air is essentially like poison gas to him.
Yes, do not dry his clothes or sheets/bedding outside. This is perfect excuse to get a heat pump tumble drier.
Also, when he comes indoors for rest of day/evening he should strip, shower and put on clean clothes (otherwise he’s carrying all that pollen on his skin, clothes and in his hair)

Allevia is are much better than cetirazine.

And yes, it's true about drying clothes outside, sorry!

OP some nasal sprays are better when you start early in the season.
Pirinase for example is great but I have found I need to start around April and use it everyday.

I am also asthmatic, so the brown inhaler should start to build up the prevention pretty quick.

If he is struggling with sleep and evening symptoms then a piriton will help, my DD14 doesn't find the syrup particularly effective either.

We don’t dry clothes, bedding or towels outside when the pollen is high as it makes a huge difference to my partner and toddler especially at night.

We also have an air filter fan (HEPA) that we put on for a couple of hours in the bedroom before we go to bed and it helps loads. Or the air con on in the car rather than windows open.

Washing hands and faces after being outside (or a quick shower and clothes change but not always practical) helps. Vaseline round nostrils to stop the pollen going up can help too. It’s just all about limiting pollen exposure and tbh it becomes second nature when you see how much better they are!

Thank you so much, this is all really valuable advice.

I'm going to wash his bedding today and vacuum his room as I think some grass has got in to his carpet on socks etc

We've not opened the window as usual and his room really smells!! Will an air filter fan help with that?