Sneezing, coughing, puffy eyes and an itchy nose – the hallmark signs of allergy season – can be miserable. As a parent, it’s even worse to see your child suffer from allergies.

Although allergies can’t be cured, parents and doctors can take steps to reduce symptoms and help children feel better.

Seasonal allergies are typically caused by plant pollen, and different plants release pollen at different times of the year. This means that the worst season for a child who suffers from allergies will depend on what plant pollen causes his or her allergies.

Knowing your child’s trigger season can help you prepare in advance, so you can minimize allergy symptoms. These simple measures can help reduce the likelihood of your child experiencing an allergy attack:

• Have your child bathe or shower before going to bed and make sure they're is wearing clean pajamas (not clothes worn outside or around the house). This removes the pollen that may have landed on a child’s body and clothes during the day.
• Encourage your child to wash their hands when coming in from outside to rinse off any pollen.
• Cover your child’s bed pillows with allergy-proof liners that go between your pillow and the regular pillow cover. During allergy season, common year-round allergens like the dust mites found in all bedding can make symptoms worse. A pillow liner will help reduce added irritation from dust mites.
• Wash bed linens every week, and other bedding such as blankets every two to three weeks in hot water to kill dust mites.
• Avoid fabric couch pillows that can harbor allergens and dust mites. Choose leather or vinyl pillows instead and periodically wipe these down with a damp cloth.
• Keep windows closed from sunrise to mid-morning as pollen levels peak in the morning. Also, keep windows closed if it is or has been windy.
• While driving, keep car windows up and use the recycle air setting so that pollen stays out of the car.

Treating Symptoms

The most natural and effective allergy treatment to ease your child’s allergy symptoms is an over-the-counter saline nose rinse such as Ocean Mist or Simply Saline. These rinses flush allergens and other irritants out of the nose before they can trigger symptoms.

To help your child get the best results from the nose spray try having your child bend over and look at his or her toes while spraying.

Some parents with allergies find the Neti pot (a small ceramic or plastic pot shaped like a flattened tea pot that is used for nasal irrigation) effective for allergy relief. These are also safe for kids to use, but they are not very comfortable. You might have a hard time persuading your child to use one.

If more help is needed to control your child’s symptoms, try the following over-the-counter medications:

• Allergy medications such as cetirizine (Zyrtec), fexofenadine (Allegra) and loratadine (Claritin). These are safe for short-term use and can usually ease allergy symptoms within an hour of taking them, although sometimes they may take two to three days to work. If your child needs to take them for two weeks or longer, consult your doctor.
• Antihistamine eye drops containing the drug ketotifen fumarate (Alaway or Zaditor) can soothe itchy eyes.
• Cortisone nose sprays (Flonase or Nasacort) can prevent the allergic reaction that causes allergy symptoms in the first place. However, it can take between a week and a month of regular use before your child notices the benefits.

It's important to talk to your child’s pediatrician to determine the right medication choices and dosages for your child. They may also refer your child to a pediatric allergist for further advice.