Pollen is (Almost) Upon Us

It's spring.  And it snowed yesterday.  (I'm going to leave it at that, as I have a contract with myself to never blog about the weather.)

But the fact is spring is coming (well, it's technically here).  And that means so are the allergies.  

I'm one of those allergy-free people who thought for a long time the whole allergy thing was a farce. I mean come on, runny nose?  Watery eyes?  It's a cold!  My husband is not one of those allergy-free people, and for years I have made fun of his "fake allergies" (to nuts and pollen and apples that have not been cooked).  

Now my son, Casey, has a severe peanut allergy.  And my other son, Braden has severe seasonal allergies.  

So apparently it's not a farce.  I've seen firsthand that my kids are definitely afflicted.  And I blame my husband completely.  (As an aside, my blame is well founded.  According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, if one parent has allergies (check), or if relatives on one side of the family have allergies (check), then the child has about a 50 percent chance of developing allergies).  

In any event, I am gearing up for April.  As an allergy novice, I had no idea that pollen could wreak such havoc.  Last spring my son walked around for the month of April with eyes that were nearly swollen shut.  And by the way, telling a four year old not to rub their itchy eyes DOES NOT WORK.  It got so bad that we even avoided going outside at times, but then that got way too depressing.  When spring finally does arrive, who wants to stay inside?  (Especially after this winter.  Must. get. out.)

In case any of you have little ones that are afflicted by allergies, here are some things that ultimately worked for us: 

- Change clothes immediately after playing outside

- Bathe after coming in from playing outside (I know this sounds excessive, but that pollen gets everywhere)

- Vacuum daily

- Wash the dog (okay, I didn't do this daily, but I probably should have). 

- Cold wash cloths over the eyes  

- Allergy medication - OTC Safety has a lot of useful information on over the counter medications and how to use them.  (Click here).  

For us, over the counter allergy medication worked wonders (in conjunction with the above).  If you do decide to go the medication route for your child, make sure to always read the label and follow the dosing instructions for children.  Also, note that diphenhydramine (a common ingredient in many allergy medications) should NEVER be used in children, and that allergy medication should never be used for the sole purpose of making a child sleepy.  

The graphic below from OTC Safety has a lot of helpful information regarding seasonal allergies.  With any luck, we'll all have a happy, WARM (snow-free), spring!

Disclosure: I received compensation for this post as part of the CHPA OTC Safety Ambassador Program.  All of the opinions reflected here are my own.