Spring Allergy Symptoms in Children and What to Do About It.

Do you have allergies? Believe it or not most Americans are allergic to something. Whether it is a bout of hay fever in the spring, sneezing and running nose when cutting the grass in the summer, persistent colds and bronchitis in the winter and fall, or a sudden rash or difficulty breathing because you ate something your body did not like. You are experiencing an allergy attack, which can mean a trip to the emergency room for an allergy treatment.

Spring has sprung and so has the pollen. Seasonal allergies affect millions of children each year. Find out the symptoms and what you can do to relieve them.

The substances that cause allergies are called allergens. Allergens can be anything from pollen to molds and fungi to dust. These allergens are carried through the air until they land on your child. Pollen is the reproductive spores of plants. Allergy symptoms can occur from the pollen of weeds, grasses, trees, and mold.

Once you determine that you need more than a quick over-the-counter allergy medication to get relief from your symptoms, you make an appointment with a physician who specializes in treating allergies. You meeting the physician and undergo what seems to be a never ending list of questions about everything from the contents of your home, to the types of clothing you wear, to what you eat, to the types of animals you come into contact with. This is the first step to determining what type of allergy treatment would benefit you.

Sensitivity to these allergies is what brings on the histamine response. This is the body’s reaction to the allergens being present in the child’s system. Allergens enter the body through the mouth, the eyes, and the nasal passages. Your child may experience: sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, nasal congestion, chest congestion, coughing, and/or sore throat. A child suffering from allergies may display one or more of these symptoms at a time.

Allergies are often confused with colds and therefore misdiagnosed.

A battery of tests is given and you are finally diagnosed with allergies. Now what? You have several options on what allergy treatments are available. Many types of allergies in the hay fever category are controlled using over-the-counter or prescription antihistamines. These products can reduce or eliminate many of the symptoms related to the allergy especially if the allergy is a short-term seasonal one. The physician may also prescribe an inhaler and nasal spray as another type of allergy treatment. The inhaler and nasal spray would be used to help you get through some of the more difficult days when your allergies are at their worst.

Cold symptoms usually include fatigue, fever, and body aches. If any of these symptoms are also present, then your child is probably not suffering from seasonal allergies.

Pediatricians can run tests to find out the exact type of allergen your child is allergic to. Blood work can be done to ferret out the offending allergen. More commonly a skin-prick test is performed.

The spin-prick test is not painful to the child. It involves lightly scratching the skin with different types of allergens. This test is usually done on the back.

Allergy treatment for individuals with severe allergies may include allergen immunotherapy. The patient is given injections of a special formula of medication which contains the allergens that directly affect them. The allergy shots desensitize the patient’s response when they come into contact with the item they are allergic.

If the skin becomes red and swollen in certain areas, the doctor can determine what allergen is attacking your child.

Once the allergen is identified, the doctor will come up with a course of treatment. Prescribing medication such as Singulair, Allegra, and Advair, will block the reactions in the body that cause allergy symptoms.

Using injections as an allergy treatment may take several weeks if not months to help the patient build up a sufficient resistance to the offending item. Injections begin with a very small dose of the medication and the amount given during each allergy treatment injection slowly increases over time. The gradual introduction and increase of the medication is given because each allergy treatment has the potential of an adverse reaction. You must remember that the allergy treatment is introducing directly into your body, the very thing you are allergic to.

It will take a week or two for the medications to fully circulate throughout the body.

There are practical things that you can do at home to safeguard against allergies. Keep windows closed. A good breeze will fill your home with pollen from the outside. Use the air conditioning in the spring and summer if it gets warm inside.

Take a bath at night during allergy season. The water will wash off any pollen spores and other allergens accumulated during the day.

One effective allergy treatment is to stop coming into contact with the item you are allergic. If you are allergic to dust or dust mites, you can remove all carpeting from your home, put special covers over your mattress and pillows and have your home vacuumed and dusted weekly. This would greatly reduce the amount of offending item and reduce your symptoms... [read more]

Also make sure to use allergen proof covers on mattresses and pillows.

Allergies are a nuisance, but they don’t have to ruin your life. Follow a few guidelines to keep your home safe from offending allergens. Take your child to the doctor to properly diagnose his/her allergy condition and receive treatment options.

Variety Of Medications Offer Allergy Relief.

Promethazine is a generic name for a class of antihistamine drugs used to prevent motion sickness, nausea, or vomiting; and for sedation, and the treatment of itching related to allergies. It is in the latter that we're interested in here, treating allergy symptoms and reactions with Promethazine, such as: nasal congestion, itching nose, clear runny nose, sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, hives, and itchy skin rashes. Brand names of promethazine include Phenadoz, Phenergan, and Promethegan. The FDA has approved Promethazine in 1951.

There are currently a variety of allergy treatment medications available to help alleviate the misery allergies can bring. The coughing, sneezing, runny eyes and itchy nose associated with allergies can make life hard to deal with.

Allergy relief can come in the form of allergy shots, prescription medications or over-the-counter treatments. Your doctor can suggest the treatment that will be best for your individual condition.

Promethazine is a prescription drug in the USA, but is available OTC in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and in many other countries. For the treatment of allergy induced symptoms and itches, tablets may be taken with or without food, once every 4 to 8 hours. Though be very careful about giving it to children, especially those below 2 years of age - Promethazine can cause severe breathing problems or even death. Doctor's instructions must be followed carefully when given to a child of any age. Always keep this medicine out of children's reach.

One form of allergy relief comes in the form of a series of allergy shots. In order to receive allergy shots, your doctor will take tests to determine which allergens you are allergic to. An allergen is basically a substance, such as pollen, ragweed or cat dander, that produces an allergic reaction. The shots you will be given will contain a small amount of this allergen.

The idea is that if the body is exposed to a small bit of this allergen over an extended period of time, the body will begin to produce an antibody for the allergen.

As an anti-allergic medication, Promethazine can also be used to treat hay fever, or better known as allergic rhinitis. To treat allergic reactions, it can be given either alone or in combination with an oral decongestant. All patients are recommended to have their blood pressure measured frequently. Moreover, during long-term therapy, blood cell counts, liver function studies, EKG, and EEG should be undertaken. These studies and examinations are to be taken at intervals according to risk profile of the patient.

After a period of six months, you should start to see some relief from your allergies.

Before you start allergy shots, however, talk to your doctor about your entire medical history. Certain health conditions you have or medicines you take may prevent you from being a candidate for allergy shots.

Allergy relief is also available in the form of both over-the-counter and prescription allergy medications.

Promethazine can produce side effects that impair your thinking or reactions. It's required that when under medication you should not be driving or do any hazardous work which takes a great deal of concentration and alertness. Also, do not take alcohol, which serves to enhance the side effects of Prometazine.

Most allergy medicines will contain one of two different classes of ingredients. One of these ingredients is a class of drugs called antihistamines.

Antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine, help to stop the chemical reaction in your body that result in an allergic reaction. Decongestants, such as pseudoephidrine, on the other hand, will help to relieve nasal and sinus congestion caused by allergies.

Typical side effects of Promethazine include blurred vision, confusion, fatigue, dizziness, drowsiness, and dry mouth. Serious side effects, in which the patient should contact their physician immediately include seizures, respiratory depression (most common in children under two years of age or people with compromised function of pulmonal region), and malignant neuroleptic syndrome.

Allergy medicines may also contain ingredients to help thin mucus, lower fever or ease aches and pains if you experience these symptoms also.

If you choose to see your doctor for you allergies, he might order a prescription allergy medicine for you. Prescription allergy medications are available in tablets, capsules, liquids and even eye drops. Non-sedating antihistamines are available only by prescription.

Before taking Promethazine, make sure you convey to your physician if you have or have ever experienced urination problems, digestive obstruction, stomach ulcers, glaucoma, sleep apnea, bone marrow disorder, or seizure disorder. You should also notify your physician, before taking the drug, if you have any history of heart disease, high blood pressure, or liver disease.

Generally prescription allergy medications are longer acting than those you can get without a prescription. These treatments also don’t impair learning abilities. This is especially important for children who suffer with allergies.

There are also a variety of allergy treatments available over-the-counter if you want to treat your allergies on your own.

If you have any of the above conditions, you may not be able to take Promethazine unless your doctor requires you to take adjusted dosage, or undergo special laboratory tests during treatment. In addition, this medication is harmful to an unborn baby, so if you are pregnant or plan to get pregnant, avoid this treatment, or consult further with your doctor.

You can purchase these medicines without a doctor's prescription; however, you might want to consult with your pharmacist about your particular symptoms to be sure you are choosing the best one for you.

Many forms of allergy relief that once required a doctor's order, such as Claritin and Nasalcrom, are now available without a prescription.

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Symptoms of a promethazine overdose may include severe drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, large pupils, flushing, nausea, vomiting, shallow breathing, and fainting.

While these two medicines generally don’t cause drowsiness, most other over-the-counter antihistamines, such as Benadryl, will possibly make you sleepy. If you do decide to take these medicines, pay attention to the effect they have on you. You might not want to drive if you notice yourself becoming very sleepy.

Disclaimer: This article should not be substituted for medical advice. Please talk to a qualified professional for more information about Promethazine... [read more]

Whatever extent your allergies bring misery there is allergy relief available. See your doctor to find out if your case could be helped with allergy shots or if your best bet is prescription or even over-the-counter treatments.