Contents
When a child starts sneezing and blowing his nose, we immediately sin for a cold – it blew, we got infected in the kindergarten. But the cause of a runny nose, especially a protracted one, can be an allergy. With each breath, a lot of everything strives to get into our lungs: dust, pollen, spores. The body of some children reacts militantly to these substances, considering them a threat, hence the runny nose, sneezing, redness of the eyes.
Most often, allergies are caused by:
- pollen of plants;
- house dust mites;
- wool, saliva, animal secretions;
- mold fungi (present in bathrooms and air conditioning systems);
- insects;
- pillow feather.
Some children are more susceptible to allergies than others. Risk factors for the development of allergic rhinitis in a child are poor ecology (polluted and dusty air), hereditary predisposition, and mother’s smoking during pregnancy.
Symptoms of allergic rhinitis in a child
Symptoms of allergic rhinitis in a child are usually similar to those of a cold, so the disease is not immediately noticed:
- difficulty in nasal breathing;
- nasal discharge;
- itching in the nasal cavity;
- paroxysmal sneezing.
One or more of these symptoms should make parents think about going to the doctor.
– If a child has frequent acute respiratory infections without fever, which are not treatable, you need to go to the doctor and check for allergies. Other symptoms should also alert parents: if the child has nasal congestion for a long time, if he sneezes when in contact with dust, animals, plants or trees. Children with suspected allergic rhinitis must be examined by an allergist-immunologist and an otorhinolaryngologist to rule out more dangerous diseases, such as bronchial asthma, explains allergist, pediatrician Larisa Davletova.
Treatment of allergic rhinitis in a child
Treatment of allergic rhinitis in a child is designed to alleviate the condition during the period of exacerbation and prevent recurrence of the disease.
The first priority in the treatment of rhinitis is to eliminate the allergen. If a runny nose provokes dust, it is necessary to do a wet cleaning, if the bird feathers are in pillows and blankets, replace them with hypoallergenic ones, etc. The disease will not go away until contact with the allergen can be minimized.
Unfortunately, some allergens cannot be eliminated. You can not cut down all the poplars in the city, so as not to sneeze on their fluff, or destroy the flowers on the lawns because of their pollen. In such cases, drug treatment is prescribed.
Medical preparations
In the treatment of allergic rhinitis, the child is primarily prescribed antihistamines of the 2nd – 3rd generation:
- Cetirizine;
- Loratadine;
- Cut out.
What your child needs and whether it is needed at all, only an ENT and an allergist can say.
In the treatment of rhinitis, topical glucocorticosteroids are also used. These are nose sprays familiar to many parents:
- Nasonex,
- Desrinite,
- Nasobek,
- Avamis.
Sprays are allowed to be used from a very early age, while tablets have different conditions of use and should be taken on the advice of a doctor.
You can use vasoconstrictor sprays, but only for a short time and with severe nasal congestion. However, they must be combined with other medicinal preparations.
“The main method of treating allergic rhinitis in a child is allergen-specific immunotherapy,” explains the allergist, pediatrician Larisa Davletova. – Its essence is to reduce the body’s sensitivity to allergens, “teach” it not to perceive them as a threat.
With this therapy, the patient is repeatedly given the allergen, each time increasing the dose. Treatment is carried out permanently under the obligatory supervision of the attending physician.
Folk remedies
– Folk remedies for the treatment of allergic rhinitis are not used. Moreover, doctors do not recommend them, due to the fact that traditional medicine uses herbs, honey and other components that can be dangerous for an allergic child, says allergist, pediatrician Larisa Davletova.
The only thing doctors do not oppose is washing the nasal cavity with saline solutions. They help to simply wash the notorious allergen out of the body and alleviate the condition of the child.
Unfortunately, it will not work to cure allergic rhinitis with folk remedies.
Prevention at home
The main task of preventing allergic rhinitis is to eliminate substances that can provoke a runny nose and sneezing. If you and your child are prone to allergies, it is recommended that you constantly wet clean your home. It is better to get rid of carpets and keep upholstered furniture to a minimum – dust, a very common allergen, likes to settle there and there. She also “loves” soft toys, so it is better to give preference to rubber or plastic products.
Pets and birds also often provoke allergic rhinitis. If the tests showed that they are the cause of the constant runny nose in children, you will have to give your pets into good hands.
If allergic rhinitis occurs in the spring, you need to follow the flowering calendar of plants. As soon as they begin to bloom, without waiting for the first manifestations of rhinitis, you can begin to use corticosteroid sprays in a prophylactic dosage.