Do children get hay fever? and if so does dd2 have it?

[Marne]

Lots of parents seem to say their dc's suffer from hayfever this time of year when they actually have a cold so do children really get hayfever?

Dd2 is 5 and has had a slightly runny nose in the morning and evening and a slight cough at night, i have been suffering from hayfever this week as our house is surounded by rape seed (that pretty looking yellow stuff in the fields) but wasn't sure if dd2 had hayfever or just a slight cold, is it possible to get a cough with it?

Children do get hayfever; itchy eyes, sneezing etc. Try a glass of elderflower squash in the morning, this helps for us.

Thanks Belle (i love elderflower), she has been sneezing a lot .

It's the itchy eyes that's a give-a-way. I've had hayfever since I was 14, I'm now erm...older. I've not used any antihistamines (apart from visiting the family as I was allergic to the now dead dog) for a few years since I started drinking the cordial. Try it and see if it helps.

Yes children do get hayfever - my eldest started with runny nose etc when he was a toddler , he is now 10 and is on prescribed anti - histamine every year . First couple of years it was quite mild but when he started school it got worse.

Will often go to bed with cold flannel on his eyes as they are so itchy ,he refuses eye drops !

It does seem mild, not sure if she would tolerate a cold flannel , might try and get some Piriton tomorrow if i go any where.

Marne I would look at other methods and/or anti histimine. Piriton is quite sedating and (I think) 4 hourly. The newer type of non drowsy one a day may be more suitable but I dont know if these are for kiddies - need prescribing anyway. Nasal sprays (mild steroid ones) also are good but probably not tolerated and also needs prescribing.
Look at keeping windows closed at night, those air purifier things, vaseline just inside the nostrils at night (sounds wierd but pollen is supposed to be trapped in the vaseline and blown out in the morning), sunglasses, changing clothes when she comes in from the outside to remove pollen, shower when she gets indoors, live on Mars? (hayfever is such a pain!) I'm sure there are lots of other barrier type methods.

Thank you sneezecakes, will try the vaseline as she wont mind me doing that, she spends most of the day going in and out of the garden so i will bath her before she goes to bed to remove pollen.

Mine developed it aged 5. We are in Belgium and were prescribed a once a day anti histimine. Usually dd has a spoon a day from the end April to end June, then it stops.

Yes, I've had it since I was 4 or 5 years old. Don't give her medicine for it without seeing a dr though. I don't think OTC anti-histamines for children are intended for long term use. They build up in the system so need to be taken consistently for a while to get the best effect so it's important that she's given something appropriate.