Island Life Magazine Ltd June/July 2012 | Page 126

FASHION HEALTH & BEAUTY

To reduce your
child’s
exposure to po
llens:

• Keep window

s closed at nigh

pollen doesn’t

enter the house.

t so

• Buy your child

a pair of
nglasses to stop

wraparound su
pollen entering

their eyes.
• Smear petroleu
m jelly around
the
inside of your ch
ild’s nose to tra
p
pollen and stop
it being inhaled
.
• Wash your ch
ild’s hair, face
and hands when
they come back
indoors and ch
ange their cloth
es.
• Don't let them
play in fields or
large areas of gr
assland.
• Use air filters
to try to reduce
pollen that's flo
ating around th
e
house.

Hay fever

• Keep the car wi
driving.

ndows shut wh

en

and children

Hay fever doesn't usually affect children until

Signs of hay fever in children

Treating hay fever symptoms

they're about seven, and older children and

Look out for symptoms from March to

If your child doesn't like taking tablets,

teenagers are more susceptible to the allergy

October. Sometimes hay fever can be

antihistamines are also available as a liquid.

than adults.

confused with a virus. The way to tell the

Other treatments include steroid nasal sprays.

difference is by how long the symptoms last. If

John Collard from Allergy UK says that

allergist at Guy’s Hospital in London, if you

it's a virus, they should only last for a week or

antihistamines generally have a good safety

think your child may have hay fever, make an

two. Viruses rarely last for weeks and weeks.

record. “That’s why they’re available over the

appointment with your GP to get a diagnosis.

If your child has a constant runny nose and

counter. People with hay fever should take

“It’s important to know if it's hay fever, as it

is sneezing every day for part of the year but

them regularly, not just on the days when they

could be a non-pollen allergy such as dust

not in the winter, it's a sign that they may be

feel bad. If you take them throughout the hay

mite or pet fur," says Dugué.

allergic to something.

fever season, they work much better.”

According to Pierre Dugué, consultant

Diagnosing hay fever

Preventing hay fever symptoms

symptoms, which occur every year at the

It’s important that hay fever is diagnosed so it

Pollen is released in the early morning. As the

same time. “The strict diagnosis of hay fever

can be treated and your child can take steps

air warms up, the pollen is carried up above

is allergy to grass pollen. But your child could

to avoid it. If your child only has symptoms

our heads. As evening comes and the air

also be allergic to tree pollen, which usually

in July and August on a very sunny day, it's

cools, pollen comes back down. So symptoms

comes at the end of spring, before grass

almost certainly hay fever.

are usually worse first thing in the morning

Dugué says hay fever has clear seasonal

pollen is produced. “Allergy to tree pollen

In this case, you don’t really need a formal

usually means allergy to birch, hazel or elder

diagnosis. But if your child has symptoms all

trees, which are in the same family."

year round and you’re not sure if it's hay fever,
go to your GP for a diagnosis.

126

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and early evening, particularly on days that
have b