Hay fever in children: this is how you can reduce complaints

Allergic reaction

Hay fever is an allergic reaction to the pollen of flowering grasses, shrubs and trees. The complaints you have – red eyes, a runny nose, tickling cough and sneezing – occur with a cold and with hay fever, but you can still notice a difference. For example, hay fever symptoms appear within minutes, while a cold takes a few hours. On the other hand, hay fever has disappeared faster.

Itchy tear eyes

Not the freshest phenomenon, but something that you can recognize hay fever by: it is as if water flows from the nose for a few hours. With a cold, snot can also be watery, but in most cases the snot is thicker with a cold. Also, in hay fever, the itchy tear eyes are usually abundant. This is often not the case with a cold. But how can you reduce these complaints?

1. Smear Vaseline around the nose

Putting a little Vaseline around your nostrils can also help. Part of the pollen then sticks and does not go into your nose.

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1. Do not rub, use a washcloth

Your child should not rub itchy eyes, because the pollen on eyes and hands will only be spread further. Therefore, give a wet washcloth to keep your eyes clean. There are also eye drops that soothe burning eyes available at the drugstore.

3. Airing? Not all day

Keep the windows in the living room and children’s room closed as much as possible. If you still want some fresh air, open windows that are not windy or put anti-pollen screens in front of them. Preferably air your house early in the morning or in the evening after a rain shower, because then there is less pollen in the air.

4. Honey in the tea

An ancient wisdom: put a teaspoon of honey in your tea daily. Honey often contains small amounts of pollen, so you could get used to it. Please note: it is better not to give honey to children under one year of age because of the clostridium botulinum bacteria.

5. Wash your hair at night

To reduce contact with pollen at night, it is useful to wash your child’s hair in the evening. Then the pollen will in any case not end up on the pillow.

6. Take Medicine

Nowadays, many medicines for hay fever in children are freely available at the drugstore, but always get good advice.

7. Book a beach holiday

Make a virtue of necessity and take your child to the beach – a long walk on the beach can also help. The most pollen occurs in Gelderland, Brabant and Overijssel, the least on the coast.

Source: Allesover ALLERGY.nl

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