The Difference Between Seasonal Allergies And A Cold
If the symptoms sound just like a , youre right. It can be challenging to tell the difference between a cold and a seasonal allergy. recommends observing when the symptoms occur. If your childs nose starts running at the same time every year, for example, around March or later, and often without a fever, a seasonal allergy could be the cause.
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In addition, if it always seems to occur without many of the typical symptoms of colds that do not occur with allergies, such as muscle aches, its most likely a cold. The other factor to examine is length of time the symptoms last. A cold might go away in a week or two, but allergies will typically last longer.
Get On Course With Allergy Medications
Since every child is different, its important to work with your childs allergist or pediatrician to find the most effective medication schedule for when his or her allergy symptoms act up. For kids with seasonal allergies, taking allergy medications two to four weeks before allergy season starts can help ease allergy symptoms. While antihistamines can be effective, older versions should be used with caution as they can dry out mucous membranes and make little ones feel drowsy. You might talk to your childs allergist about trying a daily nasal steroid spray and allergy eye drops. “We try to avoid using decongestant nasal sprays or eye drops long-term, but they can help when used as needed during the worst periods of symptoms,” Stukus says. However, he says that these medications can cause rebound symptoms if used for more than a few days.
How Do I Treat My Labs Inhalant Allergy
There are several ways to treat inhalant allergies. Allergy shots involve a serum containing the allergen to which your dog reacts. Over time, the injections can desensitize them to the allergen, reducing the symptoms.
Your vet might also prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve symptoms like itching and skin irritation. But its important to note that these drugs treat only the symptoms and not the allergy itself. You can also bathe your dog with hypoallergenic shampoo* to help relieve symptoms.
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How Should I Prepare For A Doctors Appointment
Before you visit your doctor, write down what allergic symptoms your child has had, and try to pay attention to what may have caused or triggered them. Also, be aware if other family members have allergies, asthma, sinus infections, or reactions to certain foods that can help identify what might be happening with your child.
Some questions you might want to consider include:
Things To Keep In Mind When Trying To Manage Your Childs Allergies
If allergies are getting the best of your child, the following points might help you understand the process and determine the best course of action.
Lesson #1: Know your opponent
Sneezing, nose and throat itchiness, and eye itchiness plus redness usually signal allergies. Like a cold, allergies produce nasal drainage, but it looks clear and watery. With a cold, mucus drainage is thicker and yellow or green.
Lesson #2: Age matters
Kids between 3 and 5 years old can have seasonal allergies. Indoor allergens, such as dust mites and pet dander, can affect kids as young as 1 or 2 years old. Adults can outgrow childhood allergies, or they may persist throughout their lifetime.
Lesson #3: Parents pass it on
Kids often inherit allergies from Mom or Dad. The catch: They arent always allergic to the same things. You inherit the ability to become allergic, not the specific allergen sensitivity.
Lesson #4: OTC medication overview
Over-the-counter medications manage allergy symptoms well for most children. Long-acting, non-sedating antihistamines like loratadine, fexofenadine and cetirizine, come in childrens formulations. They work well for sneezing and itching but do not adequately address stuffiness and drainage. Nasacort®, a nasal spray thats available over the counter, handles all four symptoms well.
Lesson #5: Hone your delivery technique
Even if your child feels better, you can continue to give them allergy medication or nasal spray throughout pollen season.
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Talk To Your Doctor About Benadryl And Alternatives
Its always a good idea to consult your childs doctor before giving an antihistamine. Your childs doctor may give you the green light to go ahead and try a dose of Childrens Benadryl if your child develops an allergic reaction to something. But its also possible that your childs doctor will ask you to steer clear of this particular medication.
If your child does have seasonal allergies, your doctor might also talk to you about trying another type of that they can take on an ongoing basis. Benadryl is really designed for short-term use.
Depending on your childs age, weight, and allergies, possible options might include:
- cetirizine
Care Advice For Nose Allergies Or Hay Fever
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When Should I Seek Treatment For My Toddler
If you suspect your toddler has a cold, the vast majority of the time you can manage the symptoms at home while your childs cold resolves. Make an appointment to see our team at Valencia Pediatrics if your young childs condition doesnt improve after a couple of weeks or if your toddler develops a high fever.
If you think your toddler might have allergies, its important to make an appointment with Dr. Valencia. Allergy treatment from a pediatrician will allow your child to manage potentially life-disrupting and life-threatening symptoms.
At your appointment, Dr. Valencia performs allergy testing to determine what materials are causing your childs allergies if you arent certain. Then, Dr. Valencia develops a personalized plan to manage your toddlers allergies.
Dr. Valencia, with Micaela Marin-Tucker, PA-C and Megan Reynolds, C-PNP, offers specialized allergy treatment along with general pediatric care to children and adolescents. our office today to schedule allergy testing and management for your child.
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What Are Bacterial Allergies And Bacterial Allergy Symptoms
Bacterial allergies usually occur as a secondary infection as a result of the above allergic reactions weve discussed. Since allergies often cause skin irritation and hair loss, your Lab can often develop lesions or inflamed pustules. For these, your vet will likely proscribe topical medications like ointments and sprays as well as a round of antibiotics.
If the infection is severe or doesnt respond to these treatments, a skin biopsy or scraping might be performed. The vet will look for evidence that the infection is symptomatic of a more serious medical condition.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Seasonal Allergies In Babies And Toddlers
The earlier that parents spot potential seasonal allergies in their children, the better it will be to get them under control. This means that if you suspect your baby or toddler has seasonal allergies, its a good idea to take them to an allergist for evaluation. Its not uncommon for symptoms of seasonal allergies to appear as though theyre part of a common cold or sinus infection. So, if youre able to pinpoint your childs allergies and give them the treatment they need to manage their symptoms, it may mean fewer missed days of school for them .
If your child has the same chronic cold-like symptoms over and over, they last more than a week or two, and they tend to happen around the same time each year, theres a good chance your little one has seasonal allergies. Here are some of the seasonal allergy symptoms in babies and toddlers to look out for:
- Runny nose
- Coughing, wheezing, and/or difficulty breathing
- Recurrent red, itchy, dry, sometimes scaly rashes in the creases of the skin, wrists, and ankles
Whats The Difference Between The Symptoms For Covid
âI think the first point would be that sometimes COVID-19 symptoms for children can be very different than the symptoms for adults, said Dr. Chawla. She explained the symptoms of COVID-19 for adults are: Cough, shortness of breath and fever.
âFor kids, that might look very different. It might just be a little bit of congestion, it might be nothing altogether, Dr. Chawla said. They may progress on to have cough and more cold-like symptoms and progress further. But that is a rare situation for kids.â
Dr. Chawla explained the difference between allergies and COVID-19 is with allergies you get: Profuse runny nose, itchy watery eyes, a lot of nasal drip and sneezing. Those arent the symptoms youll see with COVID, Dr. Chawla said.
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How Long Have The Symptoms Lasted
Colds tend to go away in 2 weeks or less. Allergies stick around longer. âItâs not going to be 3 days and youâre done,â McMorris says.
Nasal allergies can hang around for much of the year, especially in the plant-growing months, if youâre allergic to some kind of pollen.
Your child could also be allergic to something thatâs indoors, such as dust mites, pet dander, indoor mold, or cockroaches. Those are year-round triggers.
Treating Symptoms With Allergy Shots
If you’ve tried pills, sprays, and rinses but your child continues to suffer, talk to their allergist about allergy shots . This treatment exposes your child to increasing amounts of the allergen though shots. In the long run, it makes the body less reactive to triggers.
“They are still the cornerstone of long-term treatment,” says Dr. Demain. “We have shots for almost every common allergen, and they also reduce the risk for developing new allergies and asthma.” The only real drawback? Getting your kid on board with a plan involving needles. The treatment starts out with two shots a week for up to two to three months, then tapers down to once a week, then every other week, and finally monthly.
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What Should I Feed My Allergic Lab
Most common dog food brands on the market offer hypoallergenic formulas. These recipes are free of some of the most common allergens we talked about earlier: corn, soy, beef, chicken, chicken eggs, fish, and wheat. They might also contain novel ingredients like pheasant or buffalo. Which dogs wont typically have been exposed to before and might be less allergic to.
You can also consider feeding a raw diet consisting of unprocessed meats and veggies. Whichever method you choose, change your Labs diet gradually to avoid stomach upset.
Common Allergy Triggers In Children
- Outdoors: tree pollen, plant pollen, insect bites or stings
- Indoors: pet or animal hair or fur, dust mites, mold
- Irritants: cigarette smoke, perfume, car exhaust
- Foods: peanuts, eggs, milk and milk products
If you suspect your child has an allergy, make an appointment to see an allergist. Start a diary before the appointment and keep track of what symptoms your child experiences and what you think causes them.
It’s changed his life drastically. Now he’s just very vibrant and outgoing. He’s healthier and he can do things that he couldn’t do.
Josh’s Mom
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Pass The Water Bottle
When your child’s respiratory allergy symptoms flare, its good to have plenty of water on hand. “This is a great, all-natural way to help reduce symptom severity,” Dr. Stukus says. When allergens enter his body, his mucous membrane tissue that secretes mucus is triggered in order to trap allergens like pollen. Making sure your child drinks extra water throughout the day promotes hydration and better moisture in the mucous membranes. Broth-based soups help, too. “People with allergies produce a lot of mucus as a way to protect their respiratory tract,” Stukus says, but this results in a cough, sore throat, and stuffy nose. “Drinking lots of clear fluids can help clear out some of this mucus, especially when it tends to bother the throat,” he says.
What Foods Do I Offer My Child To Eat
Offer your child the same healthy foods that you and the rest of your family enjoy. Give your child foods with different flavours and textures. Include a variety of:
Make sure that the foods you offer are prepared with little or no added salt or sugar. Include foods that are higher in healthy fat like salmon, avocado and nut butters.
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Allergy Relief Tips For Your Child
Publish Date: 04/26/2017
It isnt always easy to tell if your child has allergies, but it is important to know.
Children with nasal allergies are at higher risk for developing asthma. The symptoms also may disrupt a childs sleep, and sleep is important to growth and development.
One of the major causes of allergies in the United States is ragweed pollen. It begins pollinating in early to mid-autumn.
While flowers often are blamed for pollen allergies and their uncomfortable symptoms, they are rarely the cause their pollen is too heavy to be airborne. Pollen from ragweed, trees and grasses usually are to blame.
Allergies can cause many ear, nose, and throat symptoms in children, but allergies can be difficult to separate from other causes. Pay attention to these clues that allergies may be affecting your child and share them with the doctor:
How to Help Your Child Cope
To keep track of allergens in the air, follow Loyola Medicine’s weekday allergy report on Twitter, , and on our Allergy Report web page.
Horizontal Nasal Line Indicates Possible Allergy
When children rub their nostrils up and down and wiggle their nose side to side, the movement creates a wrinkle or crease on top of their nose. Often, the line or crease is white or reddish in color. “If a child has been dealing with an itchy, sneezy, runny nose for weeks, and we see a horizontal line on the nose, we suspect allergies,” explains Dr. Lee. “That crease is pretty much exclusive to allergy sufferers who rub their nose.”
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Baby Allergies: Signs Your Infant Has Seasonal Allergies
As spring approaches, its easy to get excited about warm weather, crisp air, and increased outdoor time. But we all know, along with flowers and fun comes infant seasonal allergies. Many people suffer from dreaded seasonal allergies, but many new parents arent aware that their infants could also be experiencing allergens in the spring air.
What Are Some Snack Ideas For My Child
- Whole grain cereal or oatmeal with milk
- Bite-sized pieces of leftover cooked beef, chicken or tofu and soft cooked vegetables
- Milk or yogurt-based fruit smoothies in an open cup
- Plain yogurt with pieces of soft fresh fruit
- Applesauce with whole grain crackers or roti
- Grated or small cubes of cheese with whole grain crackers
- A small whole grain muffin with fresh fruit
- Small amount of nut or seed butter spread thinly on whole grain crackers
- Mashed avocado on whole grain toast
- Yogurt and fruit popsicles
- Whole grain pita bread triangles and bean dip
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What Are Common Triggers For Spring And Summer Allergies
Getting outside and enjoying the warmer weather is one of the few things families can do during this time of social distancing. However, the warming weather and blooming of plants can trigger allergies. Here are the top three spring and summer allergy triggers:
- Mold.
Allergy symptoms often look similar to those of the common cold. These allergy symptoms include:
- Congestion.
- Sneezing and itching.
- Watery eyes.
Are you worried your childs allergies may be more severe than just allergies? With COVID-19 happening, its natural to worry know the difference between the two. Read more: What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
