Watching your child struggle with an illness can be heartbreaking. Every sneeze and cough leaves you feeling helpless. Many times, you wish there was a magical way to make their pain disappear.
It gets worse when you’re not exactly certain what’s wrong with them. Your child has a stuffy nose, headache, fatigue, cough, and persistent sneezing. So, it’s likely a common cold, then? Except there’s no fever or body pain, and their eyes are itchy and red. If these symptoms sound like what your baby is experiencing, then they might just be suffering from hay fever.
Finding ways to relive your baby’s symptoms can be tricky – knowing what to give them, how much to give them, and when to give it to them. However, more recently, there has been an effort from parents to find home remedies for blocked nose – utilising essential oils in conjunction with rest and gentle therapies. During periods of hayfever, these solutions can become a daily part of the routine until you find preventative measures.
But how can you really be sure that hay fever is the reason behind your child’s symptoms? In this blog post, we provide some signs that indicate that your child could be suffering from hay fever.
Hay Fever in Babies – Most Common Symptoms
You can easily mistake hay fever for the common cold because both illnesses share similar symptoms, such as sneezing, coughing, and a stuffy nose. However, some signs separate them.
For instance, body aches and a feverish condition are usually associated with the common cold, but they rarely occur with hay fever. So, what are the possible symptoms you can expect with hay fever in children? We list them below:
- Sneezing
- Red, watery, and itchy eyes
- Coughing
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Swollen and dark circles under the eyes
- Sore throat
- Stuffed and running nose
- Mucus in the back of the throat
What Causes Hay Fever in Children?
Hay fever is an allergic reaction caused when tiny irritants in the air are inhaled through your nose or mouth.
The most common irritant responsible for hay fever is pollen. When flowers bloom and release these substances, we can inhale them without knowing.
However, plants only bloom in specific seasons—usually spring and summer.
So, hay fever is seasonal. Also, since pollen lingers in the air throughout the blooming seasons, hay fever in children can last for weeks and even months.
That said, other irritants that can cause hay fever include:
- Dust mites
- Pet dander
- Mould spores
- Cockroach droppings
- Cigarette smoke
Treatment Procedure for Hay Fever in Babies
You can cure hay fever in children using home remedies or over-the-counter medications. Some common treatment methods include:
- Nasal sprays
- Neti pots
- Antihistamine medication
- Cold compresses
You may also need to take some precautions at home to prevent the condition. Here are some recommendations:
- Close windows during spring and summer seasons to keep pollen away from the living area
- Wash your child’s hands and face whenever they play outdoors or after coming in contact with pets
- Keep pets away from furniture like couches and beds
- Use air purifiers in the home
- Regularly wash linens and use covers on pillows and mattresses
Final Thoughts
Hay fever can be mistaken for a common cold since they have similar symptoms. However, the illness is seasonal and does not come with a feverish condition or body pains. In kids, nasal sprays, neti pots, and antihistamine medications can treat hay fever. However, taking precautions like having air purifiers at home and keeping windows closed during pollen months can prevent it from occurring.
