What to Do If Your Child Has Allergies?

Find out how to subdue your child’s allergy symptoms to keep them healthy and happy.

Have you noticed that your little one has become to sneeze or cough persistently? Have they been fighting odd and annoying rashes or complaining of stomach aches after eating? If so, your child could be dealing with allergies. Your Gaithersburg pediatrician offers some advice for how to care for your child’s allergies.

Start proofing: If your child’s nasal symptoms are due to irritants like dust mites or pet dander, then you’ll want to use dust-mite proof coverings over your child’s bed. Also, wash their bedding every week in hot water and throw it through an extra rinse cycle just to eliminate as much of the allergen as possible.

Limit curtains and carpets: The more carpeting and heavy curtains are in your child’s room the more likely dust and other allergens are going to send them into a sneezing fit. Therefore, try to keep these items to a minimum or nix them from your child’s room altogether. Rugs can be a better alternative, as long as you wash them each week.

Vacuum often: While no one wants to think about doing household chores more than they already have to, it’s important to keep the house as allergen-free as possible. This means opting for a vacuum that also contains an HEPA filter to capture allergens. Without an HEPA filter, your vacuum might just be pushing those allergens back into the air.

Avoid the allergens: This is a bit easier for some allergies than others, but if you find that your child is allergic to certain foods then the best thing you can do to protect your little one and prevent symptoms is to avoid that food altogether. Talk to your Gaithersburg pediatrician to find out which foods your child could be allergic to.

Over-the-counter antihistamines: While some parents want to avoid giving their children medications, there are times that your child’s symptoms are plaguing them enough that it warrants some help. If you child has outdoor allergies then you may want to start them on an antihistamine regime a few days before the allergy season starts. Some allergy symptoms are exacerbated between the hours of 4 a.m. to 6 a.m.; therefore, give your child a dose of antihistamines before they go to bed.

Don’t let your child suffer from allergies. Even the smallest symptoms can be annoying and exhausting for your little one. If you want to find out what could be causing these allergies, then schedule an appointment today with your Gaithersburg pediatrician, Dr. Farnoush Jamali, at Prime Pediatrics.