Caring for a child with allergies

Not all children are prone to allergies; but, caring for a child prone to allergies and hayfever can be a challenging experience as any parent or caregiver will tell you. When a children are busy sneezing and sniffing it’s hard for them to be their cheerful and optimistic little selves. As a parent there are some things you can do to keep your child from such occasions.

• Keep cuddle toy piles to a minimum. A pile up of plush toys is often the culprit for a sneezy child. Stuffed animals gather a lot of dust and are often a pile up of dust mites that can’t be seen with the naked eye. Kiddy favourites should be washed often in warm water and gentle soap to keep them fresh smelling and free of dust, which will cause allergies. Pillows and play rugs should be washed often too.
• Dry air can irritate the nasal passage of a child prone to allergies and too much moisture can make a happy home for dust mites. If you notice your child’s allergies come and go with weather and atmosphere changes you may want to consider getting a humidifier for your child’s room. An ideal humidity level should be between 30% and 45%.
• Encourage your child to change out of his play clothes before coming indoors and take a bath. Doing so will help keep your home free of allergens, pollen, and dust from outside.
• Use a dryer during the pollen seasons instead of hanging the laundry outdoors where it can gather pollen.
• Avoid clutter in the house. Too many toys and stuffed animals can be hard to clean on a regular basis and will only gather dust. Keep toys tucked away where they can stay clean and dust-free.
• Help your child avoid rubbing his eyes as this will irritate the eyes and make watering and itching worse.
• Keep Benadryl for Children Allergy Solution handy at home. It can be used for children over two years old and will help calm allergy symptoms of hayfever, hives, and pet allergies.
• Children prone to allergies usually sneeze and blow their nose a lot. They should be encouraged to drink water throughout the day to keep up the moisture in their body and prevent dehydration.
• Give your child a warm compress to apply to his face to help soothe sinus pain and pressure.