2 Year Old with Seasonal Allergies

[lotusdebi]

My two year old son seems to have seasonal allergies. He has been congested and coughing since the trees started to bloom. He had similar symptoms this time last year, if I remember correctly. There's definitely a family history of allergies. His pediatrician recommended that we try out Zyrtec or Claritin. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, or any recommendations for other things we can try out.

Thank you!

[Theloose]

I'm going to frame this by saying that I have no personal experience with seasonal allergies, so this is just a guess. BUT

Maybe look into increasing methylation? Methyl groups are what normally detox histamine, which is usually high in seasonal allergies. That would mean folate and B12.

[tanyalynn]

I didn't develop my seasonal allergies til my early teen years, and my kids don't have seasonal allergies, so I can't help with your immediate situation. Long-term you may want to look into detoxification. I now realize that my allergies were one of the first signs that I had toxic load issues, for me I was about 11 or 12 when my amalgam fillings were placed, and I was past 30 when I realized that several health issues cropped up shortly thereafter.

My healthcare provider is an acupuncturist and practices Traditional Chinese Medicine and has things that can help stuff like seasonal allergies, so if you want to go alternative, that may be one option. But since it works on supporting the body to function better, it would probably act slower than a prescription med.

[isaoma]

Dd is 2 as well, no seasonal allergies, but does have food allergies/sensitivities.


Stinging Nettle is wonderful for allergies, it helps support the lymph system to flush out allergies. It is also very high in trace minerals and is a great overall tea.

You are supposed to take nettles BEFORE allergy season and drink it daily to get your body ready, but IMO it is never too late to start.


http://www.wellnesstrader.com/eviden...tles-allergeis

More info on natural remedies

ETA (quickly b/c dd is wakin gup from a nap).

I'm sure your doctor also mentioned these tips, but be sure to dust often, take shoes off at home, and change clothes when kids play outside if allergies are bad).

http://www.wildroots.com/allergies.html

[isaoma]

okay, a few more ideas. Local raw unfiltered honey might help, just give your lo a tsp a day. Lots of people here swear by this method, it doesn't work overnight, but it should help in the long run.

also, our hfs sells homeopathic allergy formulas made specifically for our region & their most common allergins, perhaps you can find something like this for your area?

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by isaoma

okay, a few more ideas. Local raw unfiltered honey might help, just give your lo a tsp a day. Lot's of people here swear by this method, it doesn't work overnight, but it should help in the long run.

also, our hfs sells homeopathic allergy formulas made specifically for our region & their most common allergins, perhaps you can find something like this for your area?

Just recently I talked with an old friend in the city I used to live in, and she had successfully tried something like this as well. She was psyched since she wasn't thrilled about taking anything while pregnant. She got it at a People's Pharmacy, not sure if they're nationwide or not.

[lotusdebi]

Thank you all very much for the tips on dealing with seasonal allergies! You've given me a number of methods to try out! Thank you!

[SunshineJ]

Our DS has seasonal allergies as well, and if I recall they peaked for him when he was 3. Poor kid spent most the summer sacked out on the couch. If you decide to try the medicinal route, either Claritin or Zyrtec may work, but probably not both. Giving DS Zyrtec was like giving him water and had no effect. Claritin was slightly better and good when the allergies were "milder". On the other hand, Zyrtec has been a lifesaver for DD. With DS just plain old benedryl worked the best (we figured the allergies had him down so badly that he was a zombie anyway, if we gave him the benedryl he was the same zombie but able to breathe a little better ). Around age 4 it seemed to be the magic number for him and he suddenly outgrew the worst of them. I have no idea why to be honest, but now they're annoying whereas before they were debilitating. I'll definitely be trying some of the suggestions in this thread!

A couple of things to remember as well is that even though his allergies may be to the trees blooming, other irritants that normally wouldn't affect him can compound the problem when his body is fighting the allergen. Daily vaccuuming and sweeping, making sure to dust ceiling fans and surfaces weekly, washing in anti-allergen detergent, investing in anti allergen bedding can all make a huge difference as well. Always make sure he has a bath before bed - anything that may have been tracked in or clinging to his hair can make it worse at night. Also, check the windows in the rooms he frequents for if the weather stripping is old it can be full of mold (we got a nasty shock when he was around 2 1/2 and we went to open the window right over where he slept - it was horrible and we'd had no idea!).

Good luck - allergies can be really awful!

[naturalmom08]

If you're looking to avoid some of the more heavy duty meds, which it sounds like you are, there are a couple things you can try that I know of. Eating about a tablespoon or raw, local honey daily during allergy season can actually make a huge difference. I think it takes a little while, but it works to lessen one's sensitivity to the allergen in the air. I've heard many people rave about how well it works. Another thing to try is Hyland's Seasonal Allergy Relief. This works really well to help relieve symptoms as needed, and is very natural and safe. There are a few other homeopathic remedies as well that are very good, but I like the Hyland's brand a lot.

[balancedmama]

We've had mild success with hyland's allergy for kids. My 22-mo son is also dealing w/ seasonal allergies too. I'll let you know if I find anything that really seems to help.