Kid Health: Cold v. Allergies
A Pediatrics Nurse Perspective
Spring is here! Warmer weather, longer days, flowers and trees budding, outdoor spring sports starting up. I love it! Warmer temperatures and more time outside gives me life. It also gives me and my kiddos, itchy, watery eyes and a runny nose! Can anyone relate?
When I worked in primary care, March and April came with a significant up-tick in children coming in for allergy symptoms, which can largely be managed with over-the-counter products. So, how can you as a parent differentiate between a common cold and allergy symptoms? It isn’t always easy, but here are some tips for discerning what you are dealing with at home with your kiddo.
First and foremost, if your kid has a fever, it is not just seasonal allergies. Allergies, unless it’s a SEVERE allergic reaction, do not cause fever.
Signs & Symptoms
How is your kid feeling? Are they running around and playing as normal despite a runny nose? Or, are they extra tired? Oftentimes, children with allergy symptoms can “play through” and it doesn’t affect their day- to- day activities all that much. If they are extra tired and not wanting to play much, they likely have a virus.
Eye drainage? There are multiple types of “conjunctivitis” or swelling, redness, and drainage from the eyes. Parents often have a hard time differentiating between allergy eyes and pink eye.
Pink eye:
Yellow, thick drainage, typically starting in one eye first
Drainage is persistent, meaning you wipe it away and it comes back immediately
Eyes are crusted shut in the morning after sleep
Causes redness of the white part of the eye
Allergy eyes:
Drainage is usually watery/clear
A caveat is during high- pollen season. The pollen can color the drainage to look more yellow, but it is still watery and not usually thick.
May or may not be persistent
Typically affects both eyes at the same time
Eyes are not typically crusty in the morning
Do symptoms worsen when outside and somewhat improve when inside? If so, it’s likely allergies.
Allergy Treatment
How can allergy symptoms be treated at home?
First, I recommend a cool mist humidifier in the child’s room at night. It helps loosen mucus and clear the sinuses. Be sure to properly clean the humidifier according to manufacturer directions.
Second, nasal saline rinses or sprays are great for helping to clear the allergens from the nasal passages. Doing a couple of sprays in the nose when kids come in from outside can really help to wash away the allergen causing the issue.
When symptoms are not improved with natural solutions such as saline and humidity, I recommend over-the-counter (OTC) medications. If your child is only experiencing nasal stuffiness or runny nose, OTC fluticasone (flonase) nasal spray may be helpful. Often, the tissues in the nose, called turbinates, become inflamed as a response to allergens. This causes nasal congestion and increased mucous production. Flonase nasal spray is a topical steroid that works directly on those tissues to help shrink them. Unlike oral steroids, this only affects the tissues it touches, which means none of the nasty side effects that accompany the oral stuff.
There are a multitude of OTC allergy medications available. Cetirizine (zyrtec) is the one I most often use for allergy symptoms in children because it is safe in kids as young as 6 months of age. While, it is uncommon for children that young to have environmental allergy symptoms, it can be helpful for other conditions such as eczema or allergic reaction rashes in babies. Other OTC options are Allegra and Claritin. Oftentimes, it is trial and error to see which one works best for your child to help dry their congestion and eyes. If your child’s allergies are limited to certain times of the year, these medications can be helpful for just a month or two until things outdoors stop actively blooming.
Most of these medications have dosing guidelines on the back of the box. However, if you are unsure of an appropriate dose, you can always consult a local pharmacist or your pediatrician.
Does your family deal with seasonal allergies? If so, what have you used that seems to help?
Check out my Instagram @nuanced_newborns for more helpful tips and tricks to make it through allergy season!
Morgan Fowler is a mother of three and a pediatric nurse with extensive experience in physician office and emergency room settings. She believes many pediatric visits can be avoided with proper education and she’s on a mission to share her experience to benefit families.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Restored is not a medical provider and does not offer medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.
