Hayfever

[MrsFruitcake]

Last Spring, we were told that DS (3.4) had Hayfever. Was given Loratidine for it which seemed to work okay.

This Spring, he's a lot worse - wakes every morning with gummy, puffed-up eyes, is constantly sneezing and rubbing his eyes/nose and the medicine clearly isn't working.

I know he needs to be seen again but does anyone know if there's anything else he can take? He's so miserable all the time I feel bad for him.

The problem with sodium cromoglycate is that it is a mast cell stabilisor.

These type of drops, due to their mode of action, take around 6weeks to hit full effectiveness.

You might be better off with an anti-histamine eye drop but you'll need a prescription for those drops for a child as young as your DS.

There are a couple of drops licensed for the 3yr olds. Emedastine and Olopatadine if you go down that road. Both only need insertion twice a day.

Hope your DS is feeling better soon. DS2 suffers very baddly from hayfever - the first time he was affected all the pharmacists trooped out to have a look at him as they had never seen anybody have hayfever so bad! For him the only drug that worked was Loratadine, but he was tried on 3 or 4 different ones to find one that did work, so definitely worth keeping going back to the GP. He also gets given eye drops, although they are often a nightmare trying to get them in his eyes.

Doctor has given us some Cetirizine to try, but he said that and Loratadine were much of a muchness and he didn't want to have to give him eye drops just yet. Will see how he gets on - interestingly, we went to Kew gardens today and he was fine with a dose of the Cetirizine so I hope that's the end of it for now.

next year start taking the antihistamine a month or two weeks before the tree pollen/hay fever season starts.

we use the eye drops, nasel spray as well.

other tips,

ski type wrap around sun glassses.

vaseline dabbed on inner nostril to catch the pollen.

remember to

not hang bedding on washing line during the pollen season. or clothes if severe .

keep bedroom windows closed , esp during the evening.

take a shower before bed to remove pollen from hair and clothing.