How to Beat This Tough Allergy Season in Our Region

For many parents, the spring season isn’t all sunshine and flowers. It can also bring sniffles and runny noses for your child—and though it’s easy to accept these symptoms as seasonal allergies, there’s often more to the story. According to Dr. Lauren Deutsch, a primary care pediatrician and Regional Chief of primary care at Nemours Children’s Health, multiple factors can contribute to a child’s allergy-like symptoms, and they’re not all tied to the time of year.

“Allergy season really covers the majority of the year,” explains Deutsch. “For those of us based in the Delaware Valley area, we tend to think of spring as the peak for symptoms, but allergy season can start as early as February and last until the first hard freeze of winter.”

That’s because, she says, allergies can be caused by different triggers as weather conditions change. Allergens like tree pollens and grass pollens spike in the spring and summertime, the fall season can bring a new crop of weed pollens that can also prompt allergy symptoms. In addition, many children prone to atopic conditions (like allergies and other conditions like eczema) also suffer from asthma, and abrupt temperature changes in the fall and winter months can cause symptoms to flare.

“Nasal congestion, runny nose (“hay-fever”), sneezing, nasal itching, throat irritation and red or watery eyes can all be symptoms of seasonal allergies,” says Deutsch. If these symptoms are coming from allergies, they’re due to a histamine release, which occurs when a child’s body encounters an allergen and triggers a release of histamine: a function designed to get rid of the allergen by causing increased blood flow and inflammation to targeted areas. That’s why allergies are known for increased mucus production, nasal congestion, sneezing and other symptoms—but seasonal allergens aren’t the only cause for these kinds of symptoms.

“It’s important to remember that pollens, weeds and grass aren’t the only culprits when children develop these symptoms,” says Deutsch. “Mold, dust and other environmental triggers, as well as insect bites and even food allergies, can cause some of these same symptoms.”

And sometimes, those symptoms aren’t due to allergies at all, and finding the root of the issue requires a more in-depth analysis. Getting the right treatment begins with tracing symptoms back to the right source, says Deutsch—and that’s where a pediatrician comes in.

“We know that allergy symptoms can be seen in lots of other common pediatric conditions, so there are lots of causes that need to be ruled out,” says Deutsch. For example, common cold viruses can mimic allergy symptoms, and in some cases, allergy symptoms can even have some overlap with bacterial infections of the head and neck.

“It can be tricky for parents and caregivers to know the difference and know how to manage these symptoms at home,” she says. “As pediatricians, we’re really well-trained to ask the right questions, get a good history from the parent or caregiver, and do a thorough exam to get to the bottom of what’s going on and make an accurate diagnosis.”

Because pediatricians take that holistic viewpoint, they can identify the important information about your child’s health: whether their symptoms indicate allergies, what they might be allergic to, if any underlying conditions are suspected, how to remove triggers from their environment, what treatments or specialists might be needed and more. Plus, they can help parents know what to look for, so you can team up with the care team to build a detailed understanding of your child’s health.

How to Track and Treat Symptoms at Home

According to Deutsch, some symptoms are consistent across different allergens, so you won’t necessarily be able to pinpoint what your child is allergic to based on their symptoms alone. But a thorough logging of symptoms can help: the timing and seasonality of symptoms can give you some initial clues about what potentially triggering environmental players your child has interacted with that day. Plus, those details are useful factors to share with your child’s pediatrician, so it’s important to know what to look for.

Deutsch encourages parents to track the larger weather patterns surrounding a child’s symptoms, and how their symptoms relate to the activities and events in their life. She suggests taking note of the pollen (or allergen) count, which you can find on most weather apps, on the days your child’s symptoms are flaring. Connecting that information with your child’s symptoms and activities can help you identify potential trends, like if runny noses and itchy eyes emerge after playing in the park. Perhaps more importantly, it can help you start to take action—so that your kids can enjoy their days without allergies holding them back.

“Kids love to play, and we don’t want to tell them they need to stay inside all year,” says Deutsch. “If there’s a tree allergy, pollen allergy or weed allergy, showering after playing outside, washing hair and changing clothes can help mitigate any allergens that might stick to a child’s clothing, skin or hair. Keeping windows closed to prevent pollen and outdoor allergens from entering the home and using air purifiers with HEPA filters to remove any allergens from the indoor air can also be helpful.”

In addition to those environmental modifiers, often, families may reach for common over-the-counter antihistamines and steroid nasal sprays to relieve symptoms before seeing a pediatrician. And while these medications can be a good litmus test for an allergy diagnosis by seeing if symptoms improve with medications, it’s always important to check with a doctor to be sure that you’re dealing with allergies.

“Parents should consult with their pediatrician to review appropriate doses for their child, check for any medication interactions, titrate medications and monitor closely for any improvement in symptoms,” explains Deutsch. “And if these over-the-counter medicines don’t seem to be working, it’s important that parents follow up with a pediatrician to avoid missing another underlying cause for their child’s symptoms.”

Sometimes, tracking these patterns can also reveal another, non-seasonal issue. Allergens like pets, fabrics and dust, can cause the same symptoms as seasonal allergens, so it’s important to be thorough to make sure you can adequately protect your child from their triggers.

When to See a Pediatrician

According to Deutsch, there’s never a wrong time to see a pediatrician. Because all of the preventative steps and treatments you can take for your child’s allergies depend on a key first step—identifying the correct trigger—it’s worth getting to the bottom of their symptoms as quickly as you can. A pediatrician can help speed up that process.

“We can get kids seen pretty quickly, which can expedite the process of making an allergy diagnosis. That helps alleviate the waiting time that a lot of children experience with seeing allergy specialists and others,” explains Deutsch.

And though it’s always a good idea to check in, there are some situations in which seeing a pediatrician becomes even more important. When symptoms are impeding your child’s ability to enjoy their normal activities, or when the symptoms are associated with a fever, there might be a need for some further attention. Or, says Deutsch, when a child is too young to articulate their symptoms or when a child’s symptoms don’t respond to typical over-the-counter allergy medications, it’s a good time to set up an appointment. And in cases where another diagnosis is needed—if a child is experiencing the flu, RSV, or another illness that’s presenting like allergies—a pediatrician is equipped to make that distinction and get the appropriate treatment started.

Allergists and specialists aren’t always necessary in these cases, says Deutsch, but when they are, a pediatrician’s referral can help your child get those services coordinated and expedited. Then, if allergy and immunology specialists pursue further skin or blood testing, those results can be shared with the pediatrician—so your pediatrician and specialists can collaborate with your family for ongoing treatment and monitoring even after the diagnosis is confirmed.

In addition to their efficiency, pediatricians also diagnose from a grounded, evidence-based point of view. Family histories, genetics and other conditions can play a role in allergies, and a pediatrician can consider how each of those factors might impact a child’s symptoms. And, should those symptoms become severe, a pediatrician can evaluate for potential underlying conditions, like asthma, that haven’t been properly addressed yet.

“We know that allergic propensity can be inherited. If mom, dad, or siblings have asthma, it may mean a higher likelihood for the child to have an atopic condition, like seasonal allergies, asthma, eczema or even food allergies,” says Deutsch. “Pediatricians are already familiar with family history, medications that a child has used in the past, how they’ve responded to treatments in the past, and other critical inputs that are helpful, not only to diagnose, but to figure out the best treatment plan.”

That treatment plan might include medications—but, Deutsch notes, pediatricians typically like to limit the use of medication whenever possible, and usually, for seasonal allergies, there isn’t a need for year-round intervention. They can recommend solutions like eye drops or nasal decongestants to alleviate symptoms or suggest medications, accounting for appropriate dosing and prevention of side effects.

Ultimately, as a parent, your goal is to minimize and alleviate any of the symptoms that prevent your child from appreciating all the fun, joy and play that warmer seasons bring—and a pediatrician can help make that possible.

To contact Nemours Children’s Health today and prioritize your child’s health this allergy season, click here.