My 4 year olds hayfever is so bad .

[Louisa111]

My 4 ds hasn't really suffered at all with it but it's so bad this year .. today he's been outside for 10 mins and I've had to bring him inside.
Red puffy cheeks, rubbing his eyes, cuffing his nose. Needless to say he's making his face so sore.
Piriton is making him drowsy so a phone to the docs tomorrow.

Is it worse this year than usual and any tips to help??

easy tips are wearing sunglasses glasses when out, and wash face and hands when come in. Also maybe wipe a damp flannel over his hair.

You can also put vaseline just inside the nostrils to catch the pollen.

I find Puriton drowsy making too! Have you tried loretadine? Speak to pharmacist and see what they have for a 4yo. A don't buy branded antihistamines where possible, buy the generics!

My 4 year old DS2 is the same, following for advice!

will he wear a mask; that helps.

My 3.5 yr old is awful 😩

Best we've found is allerief from the pharmacy over the counter. Currently have the boots own version which is toothpaste flavoured but allerief is strawberry. We have to do 2/3/4 times a day depending on symptoms (can do 6 in total I believe) It is listed as a drowsy but my daughter seems ok. We've tried the one a day loratadine which is supposed non drowsy but it doesn't work for her, she also wouldn't take it whereas this one she takes happily.the loratadine had a slimy gloop syrupy texture whereas allerief is almost water iyswim

It’s so miserable. I used to have horrendous hay fever as a child, the itchy, swollen eyes and headaches made me tired too. I was fine on piriton, admittedly I was a bit older (7).

Poor wee guy! Hay facet can be miserable. Sun glasses and Vaseline on the nostrils are good ideas and often more effective than you would think they should be.

Some people are more effected by drowsiness with antihistamines than others but loratadine is less sedating than piriton so it’s worth a go. I think you can get it in the pharmacy for over 2s. Sodium Cromoglicate eye drops work for some people (not the easiest to get into a 4yo though!!). I’m not sure what age you can buy these for over the counter but the GP will definitely be able to supply them.

You can also get a STERIMAR nasal spray that’s suitable for kids. It’s just a salty water spray which washes the pollen out of the nostrils.

Unfortunately with hayfever it’s often trial and error. What works for one person doesn’t for another. Hope you find something that helps.

I meant to add my brother had awful hayfever as a child. He was always worse at this time of the year as it’s tree pollen time. It tended to ease slightly over the summer for grass pollen season. GP also told him to take loratadine every day so it builds up in your system and is more effective.

give the gp a call.
cetirizine or loratadine are usually ok for children that age and also available as syrup or nose spray.

So for delay in replying. Thankyou for all your help everyone. The doctor had prescribed cetirizine and he has to take it before bed. We are on day 2 and he seems to be improving.
It must be so bad this year as I know lots of people suffering xx

It must be worse this year because I rarely suffer with hay fever and I’ve been sneezing and rubbing my eyes like mad for the last few days. I hope your little boy feels better soon.

Can I ask if anyone on this thread’s child gets a red face with hay fever? I have birch pollen triggered hay fever myself and DS has been coming home from preschool every day for the last couple of weeks with cheeks like in the photo- he’s also sniffing a bit and his eyes are slightly puffy, but not sneezing. It goes away overnight (we give Piriton at bed time). Mine never does that to my face, I didn’t have it as a small child. Piriton not doing much but the preschool are not giving a dose so it has probably worn off by the afternoon.

I did speak to the GP and send pics, she thought a food allergy more likely (she ruled out slapped cheek virus) but didn’t seem to have seen this with hay fever before.

@HaveringWavering Yes DS2 gets this with hayfever, it comes and goes. We have a silver birch in our garden.

He was also prescribed Cetirizine after his face blew up in school on Tuesday 😢 and he has eye drops, too.

Thanks, @HelpfulBelle. I grew up with a silver birch in the garden, it was only years later that I understood why I sneezed through most of my childhood!

I feel bad for thinking of having it removed from the garden

My dc suffers from multiple allergies including hayfever. He was on anti-allergy drug(ketotifen) for years, as well as had steroid nose spray at certain point, which completely stopped all year round runny nose.

Now he still suffers occasional runny nose, but symptom isn't severe anymore.
Still suffers from food allergies though.

My boys cheeks go like this too , he also rubs and cuffs his nose so must be so itchy. I've tried Vaseline on his nose but he won't let me. His medicine seems to be helping but he's still suffering a bit xx

So certerizine is much less drowsy than the other one.

But the beconase kids nasal Spray is amazing. I have just discovered it for my DD who is 8 and it works a treat. One spray up each nostril in the AM amd she is set for the day. You can use it 2-3 times a day if needed/wears off. Honestly. I’ve stopped giving her oral anti histamines now and she volunteers to have it every morning as she knows it works. It’s not quite enough for cat hair but fine for general pollen

Mine was horrendous age 4-16 to the point I stayed in doors during break time at school, wore sunglasses everywhere and slept with cold flannels on my eyes. See the GP their antihistamines are better than over the counter and they used to prescribe me some fantastic eye drops and nasal spray. Make sure he strips off and washes when he get in, wash his hair, keep his bedroom window shut and if his eyes are super itchy a nice cold flannel does the trick, maybe looks at buying a ice gel pack for their eyes (mine use to be a life safer kept in the fridge) I once rubbed my eyes
So bad they ended up black and there was a jelly-like film on my eyes, ended up visiting minor injuries as I couldnt see. I still suffer now but not as bad, I can manage it easily.