The Sneezing Season: Children’s Fall and Winter Allergies
Many children experience allergy symptoms during fall and winter. Some triggers, such as ragweed pollen, are truly “seasonal;” however, many allergy symptoms are caused by a seasonal change of habits, not a change of seasons.
“We close our houses up,” explains Robert Klein, MD, director of the Asthma and Allergy Center at Hasbro Children's Hospital. “We close our windows and turn off the air conditioning, so allergens in the home environment can’t get out.”
Dust mites may also be present in ventilation systems. When we turn on our furnaces at home and in our schools, these allergens are blown into the air space. To complicate matters, when the school year begins, children are in close, daily contact with others who may transmit the common cold or flu virus. Colds and the flu can aggravate allergy symptoms, and vice versa.
Despite these environmental challenges, there is much that can be done to help minimize a child’s discomfort. The most important thing parents can do is control the environment where their child spends the most time. “Because children can sleep up to twelve hours a night, they literally spend half their lives in their bedrooms,” Klein says “Parents should clear the bedroom, as much as possible, of all things that can trigger allergies.”
After thoroughly cleaning and vacuuming the space, shag rugs and other “dust traps” should be removed. Feather pillows should be banished from the bed in favor of dustproof mattress and bedding covers. An air purifier/filter system on heating vents should be installed, if possible, and the room should be declared off limits to the family dog or cat.
If your child’s allergies are so severe that his or her quality of life is affected, your child’s doctor may prescribe medication. Newer antihistamines require only a daily dose—good for forgetful children—and cause less drowsiness than before. Steroid nasal sprays may also offer relief.
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