From the Triage Desk

Springtime… a season of new life, warm weather, and blooming flowers. What’s not to love about this time of year?

ALLERGIES. That’s what.

While many of us welcome a change in the weather with open arms, those with children who suffer from seasonal allergies can dread it. Here are some steps you can take to help your child manage their symptoms and get back to playing!

Have Action Plans Ready for School

If your child has asthma, make sure the action plan on file with the school addresses any changes to the plan during allergy season. If you are unsure about this, please reach out to us so we can assist you. If your child uses an epi pen for allergies (for example, if stung by a bee), please be sure the school nurse has an epi pen for your child and a written plan from our office as well.

Practice Good Allergy Hygiene

Pollen can stick to hair and clothes when children are outside playing. Be sure to have your child take a shower or bath before bed and wash their hair thoroughly to remove any allergens before going to sleep.

Use Saline Spray

Excessive nose blowing can lead to dried out nasal passages and inflammation. A saline spray/rinse before blowing can help remove allergens and keep the nasal passages moist. To clarify, a saline spray/rinse is not the same as Flonase. Flonase can be used in children ages 4+ but is an anti-inflammatory so should only be used once daily. If your child has never used Flonase before, please discuss with your pediatrician before starting on this regimen.

Make Sure You Have Medication On Hand

When children have itchy, runny eyes and noses, it’s a great idea to have Children’s Claritin or Zyrtec and Benadryl within reach. Claritin or Zyrtec can be taken once daily (morning is best) and Benadryl can be taken every 6 hours as needed, but can cause drowsiness so is generally best before bed.

If your child needs inhalers or epi pens, be sure that you have them at home and if they are expired, let us know so we can send a refill to the pharmacy.

Medication	Age (years)	Dose
Claritin (Loratadine) 5 mg/5ml	2-5 6+	5 mg daily 10 mg daily
Zyrtec (Cetirizine) 5 mg/5 ml	2-5 6 +	5 mg daily 10 mg daily
Benadryl (by weight)	N/A	Check with your doctor first if under 6 years old

As always, if you have any questions or concerns about how to best help your child, give us a call.

Now, get out and enjoy the weather!