Tis the season. Hay fever often wreaks havoc on adult and child sufferers. While there isn’t (yet) an all-out cure, there are a few things you can do to ease your child’s discomfort:
- Know the symptoms: Knowing what you’re dealing with makes treatment more effective. Irritated eyes, a runny nose, an itchy ear, sinus congestion, itchy skin and a hoarse/scratchy throat are hay fever’s usual calling card.
- Avoid high pollen times: Early in the morning and in the evening pollen counts are at their highest. Limit your child’s outdoor time during these times and keep the house/car windows closed. Time to get creative with some indoor activities!
- Prepare a kit: Wraparound sunglasses, a sun hat, tied-up hair and a tiny piece of Vaseline just under the nostrils can go a long way to reduce the amount of dander or pollen exposure.
- Get soapy: Once your child comes in from outside, wash their hands and face. As pollen sticks to hair and washing it multiple times a day isn’t realistic, run a damp face cloth over their hair too.
- Choose holidays carefully: While camping is a fun and memorable way to spend time with your children, it can be really tough on hay fever sufferers. Seaside holidays are a great alternative as pollen counts are much lower by the sea.
- Go heavy on the hugs: Imagine a cold that just won’t go away. Your child may feel miserable and that they’re missing out when hay fever strikes. Don’t forget to offer plenty of reassurance that it will pass and a reminder of all the fun things they can still do.
