Managing Seasonal Allergies
From the Show: Children's Health
Summary:
Air Date: 3/24/20
Duration: 10 Minutes
Dr. Chambliss discusses seasonal allergies in children and tips on how to manage them.
Transcription:
Bill Klaproth: You're listening to Children's Health Checkup, where we answer parent's most common questions about raising healthy and happy kids. I'm Bill Klaproth, and on this episode we'll talk about managing seasonal allergies with our expert, Dr. Jeffrey Chambliss, a Pediatric Allergist at Children's Health and Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center. We're going to cover allergy treatment, how to minimize allergy symptoms around the home, and whether or not babies and toddlers can get allergies. Dr. Chambliss, thanks so much for your time. So first off, can you share the basic facts about seasonal allergies?
Dr. Chambliss: Sure. Seasonal allergies are sometimes referred to as hay fever and occur in people whose immune system identifies a typically harmless substance, like a pollen, as somewhat of an intruder. And for these individuals who are sensitized to certain pollens, when they get exposed to that trigger, their body releases mediators that can cause symptoms in the nose, mouth, ears, and skin.
Host: So how common is it then for kids to have seasonal allergies? And what are the most common allergens?
Dr. Chambliss: You know, they're fairly common. They can occur in about 10 to 30%, maybe even up to 40% of children. There are several allergens that are more common in the Dallas area. Allergies like Mountain Cedar that pollinate in the late winter are common, grass allergies are quite frequent and we have a long grass season in this part of the country. And ragweed is another common seasonal allergen that affects people mostly in the fall.
Host: So then what are the symptoms of seasonal allergies in children?
Dr. Chambliss: Well, in children, seasonal allergies present with things like a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, itchy or red eyes. Occasionally things like itchy ears or throat, sore throat or maybe even coughing. And for seasonal allergies, these symptoms are going to be present during the pollinating season of that particular allergen.
Host: Got it. So you said earlier basically these symptoms, stuffy, runny nose, cough, etc. This is our body trying to attack the allergen and this is the result of it. Are these symptoms?
Dr. Chambliss: That's correct. This is the result of it. And for most people, people with these allergies, you just don't have that same response from your body.
Host: Right. And I know it can be very annoying and troublesome as well, so how can you tell the difference between seasonal allergy symptoms and the common cold since they share symptoms?
Dr. Chambliss: You know, you're right. This can be tricky because a lot of the symptoms can be similar. Colds and allergies can both give you that stopped up and runny nose. I think one clue can be the timing of the symptoms where seasonal allergies are going to occur, particularly during that pollinating season. How long they last can also be a clue. A cold or virus typically gets better in a week to 10 days, but allergies can last several weeks to months at a time and usually kind of more persistence of the itchy and sneezy symptoms tends to occur more with allergies than colds. Finally, I'd say that fever is something that I think about with colds and viruses, but not necessarily with allergies.
Host: Well, that's very helpful to know then. Is it possible for seasonal allergies to develop at different ages and can babies or toddlers have seasonal allergies?
Dr. Chambliss: They definitely can develop at different ages. For seasonal allergies in particular, we think about you needing a few seasons of exposure before you start them out in an allergic response to it. So we don't think about seasonal allergies occurring in young babies and toddlers. Usually they start to show up after children or three or four years old if you don't develop them when you're younger though, it doesn't necessarily mean that you couldn't develop them into your teenage years.
Host: So then it is very possible for seasonal allergies to develop at different ages in one's life. So let's talk about treatment now. What generally is the best way to treat seasonal allergies in kids?
Dr. Chambliss: You know, there are several options for treating seasonal allergies and I think that coming up with an effective treatment plan really depends on how often you're having these symptoms and how severe they are. Many of these medications are available over the counter. Things like nasal saline rinses can help flush out the nasal passages and really can just be used when you have those symptoms. Antihistamines that you can take by mouth. Many of them are in liquid form, work well just taking them when you need them. Although if you need to take them more frequently, like every day they're okay to do in that way also. Nasal steroid sprays probably work a little bit better with consistent use and how you're using them is important. You want to be sure in point the tip of that nozzle out towards your lateral eye or ear on that same side so that you're not spraying that nose spray directly up your nose or towards the middle of your nose. Some over the counter decongestants can be okay to use in the short term, but I typically don't recommend them as part of the regular allergy regimen because they can have some other side effects associated with them. Probably for the patients that just have infrequent symptoms. I think starting with something like an antihistamine is a good choice. If you're having some more persistent symptoms. Using something like a nasal steroid spray may be a better option.
Host: So those are good first steps in managing seasonal allergies, nasal saline rinses, antihistamines, nasal steroids, sprays and over the counter decongestants. So can you then also share some tips for parents on how to minimize allergy symptoms at home?
Dr. Chambliss: You know as much as you can you want try and limit the pollen that's getting into the house and so keeping your windows closed or even staying inside when you've got high pollen counts, dry and windy days may be helpful. Oftentimes if kids have been playing outside, having them change their clothes when they get inside or even taking a quick shower or bath can help rinse some of those pollens off. And then finally using something like a HEPA filter, it can help decrease some of the circulating pollens that may be inside of your house.
Host: Again, very useful tips. So when it comes to allergies, there is a whole bunch of different theories and it seems like everybody's got an opinion on them. Are there any myths you'd like to debunk about seasonal allergies?
Dr. Chambliss: You know, a couple of things come to mind. Like you said, everybody's kind of got opinions on them. We do know that maybe up to 40% of children have allergies, but that still leaves another 60% who don't and so not everybody has seasonal allergies. I think another myth that people think about is that flowers often cause allergy symptoms and the pollen in flowers is really too heavy to be carried by the wind too much, so they don't cause a ton of symptoms for people. That's another reason why flowers need bees to help pollinate them. Finally, and we were talking about some of the different medications, sometimes I hear patients concerned that nasal sprays or allergy medications can be addictive and they really don't have properties that make them addictive. You can run into some trouble using over the counter nasal decongestants too often, which can actually worsen your symptoms, but the antihistamines and the nasal steroid sprays really aren't addicting.
Host: Well, there you go. Myths debunked. That's really good information and it's good for all of us to understand that. Well, Dr. Chambliss, this has been very informative. We appreciate your time today. Thank you very much.
Dr. Chambliss: All right, thank you.
Host: That's Dr. Jeffrey Chambliss. And for more information, please visit Children's.com/allergies. And if you found this podcast helpful, please rate and review or share the episode and please follow Children's Health on your social channels. This is Children's health Checkup, a podcast from Children's Health. Thanks for listening.
Bill Klaproth: You're listening to Children's Health Checkup, where we answer parent's most common questions about raising healthy and happy kids. I'm Bill Klaproth, and on this episode we'll talk about managing seasonal allergies with our expert, Dr. Jeffrey Chambliss, a Pediatric Allergist at Children's Health and Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center. We're going to cover allergy treatment, how to minimize allergy symptoms around the home, and whether or not babies and toddlers can get allergies. Dr. Chambliss, thanks so much for your time. So first off, can you share the basic facts about seasonal allergies?
Dr. Chambliss: Sure. Seasonal allergies are sometimes referred to as hay fever and occur in people whose immune system identifies a typically harmless substance, like a pollen, as somewhat of an intruder. And for these individuals who are sensitized to certain pollens, when they get exposed to that trigger, their body releases mediators that can cause symptoms in the nose, mouth, ears, and skin.
Host: So how common is it then for kids to have seasonal allergies? And what are the most common allergens?
Dr. Chambliss: You know, they're fairly common. They can occur in about 10 to 30%, maybe even up to 40% of children. There are several allergens that are more common in the Dallas area. Allergies like Mountain Cedar that pollinate in the late winter are common, grass allergies are quite frequent and we have a long grass season in this part of the country. And ragweed is another common seasonal allergen that affects people mostly in the fall.
Host: So then what are the symptoms of seasonal allergies in children?
Dr. Chambliss: Well, in children, seasonal allergies present with things like a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, itchy or red eyes. Occasionally things like itchy ears or throat, sore throat or maybe even coughing. And for seasonal allergies, these symptoms are going to be present during the pollinating season of that particular allergen.
Host: Got it. So you said earlier basically these symptoms, stuffy, runny nose, cough, etc. This is our body trying to attack the allergen and this is the result of it. Are these symptoms?
Dr. Chambliss: That's correct. This is the result of it. And for most people, people with these allergies, you just don't have that same response from your body.
Host: Right. And I know it can be very annoying and troublesome as well, so how can you tell the difference between seasonal allergy symptoms and the common cold since they share symptoms?
Dr. Chambliss: You know, you're right. This can be tricky because a lot of the symptoms can be similar. Colds and allergies can both give you that stopped up and runny nose. I think one clue can be the timing of the symptoms where seasonal allergies are going to occur, particularly during that pollinating season. How long they last can also be a clue. A cold or virus typically gets better in a week to 10 days, but allergies can last several weeks to months at a time and usually kind of more persistence of the itchy and sneezy symptoms tends to occur more with allergies than colds. Finally, I'd say that fever is something that I think about with colds and viruses, but not necessarily with allergies.
Host: Well, that's very helpful to know then. Is it possible for seasonal allergies to develop at different ages and can babies or toddlers have seasonal allergies?
Dr. Chambliss: They definitely can develop at different ages. For seasonal allergies in particular, we think about you needing a few seasons of exposure before you start them out in an allergic response to it. So we don't think about seasonal allergies occurring in young babies and toddlers. Usually they start to show up after children or three or four years old if you don't develop them when you're younger though, it doesn't necessarily mean that you couldn't develop them into your teenage years.
Host: So then it is very possible for seasonal allergies to develop at different ages in one's life. So let's talk about treatment now. What generally is the best way to treat seasonal allergies in kids?
Dr. Chambliss: You know, there are several options for treating seasonal allergies and I think that coming up with an effective treatment plan really depends on how often you're having these symptoms and how severe they are. Many of these medications are available over the counter. Things like nasal saline rinses can help flush out the nasal passages and really can just be used when you have those symptoms. Antihistamines that you can take by mouth. Many of them are in liquid form, work well just taking them when you need them. Although if you need to take them more frequently, like every day they're okay to do in that way also. Nasal steroid sprays probably work a little bit better with consistent use and how you're using them is important. You want to be sure in point the tip of that nozzle out towards your lateral eye or ear on that same side so that you're not spraying that nose spray directly up your nose or towards the middle of your nose. Some over the counter decongestants can be okay to use in the short term, but I typically don't recommend them as part of the regular allergy regimen because they can have some other side effects associated with them. Probably for the patients that just have infrequent symptoms. I think starting with something like an antihistamine is a good choice. If you're having some more persistent symptoms. Using something like a nasal steroid spray may be a better option.
Host: So those are good first steps in managing seasonal allergies, nasal saline rinses, antihistamines, nasal steroids, sprays and over the counter decongestants. So can you then also share some tips for parents on how to minimize allergy symptoms at home?
Dr. Chambliss: You know as much as you can you want try and limit the pollen that's getting into the house and so keeping your windows closed or even staying inside when you've got high pollen counts, dry and windy days may be helpful. Oftentimes if kids have been playing outside, having them change their clothes when they get inside or even taking a quick shower or bath can help rinse some of those pollens off. And then finally using something like a HEPA filter, it can help decrease some of the circulating pollens that may be inside of your house.
Host: Again, very useful tips. So when it comes to allergies, there is a whole bunch of different theories and it seems like everybody's got an opinion on them. Are there any myths you'd like to debunk about seasonal allergies?
Dr. Chambliss: You know, a couple of things come to mind. Like you said, everybody's kind of got opinions on them. We do know that maybe up to 40% of children have allergies, but that still leaves another 60% who don't and so not everybody has seasonal allergies. I think another myth that people think about is that flowers often cause allergy symptoms and the pollen in flowers is really too heavy to be carried by the wind too much, so they don't cause a ton of symptoms for people. That's another reason why flowers need bees to help pollinate them. Finally, and we were talking about some of the different medications, sometimes I hear patients concerned that nasal sprays or allergy medications can be addictive and they really don't have properties that make them addictive. You can run into some trouble using over the counter nasal decongestants too often, which can actually worsen your symptoms, but the antihistamines and the nasal steroid sprays really aren't addicting.
Host: Well, there you go. Myths debunked. That's really good information and it's good for all of us to understand that. Well, Dr. Chambliss, this has been very informative. We appreciate your time today. Thank you very much.
Dr. Chambliss: All right, thank you.
Host: That's Dr. Jeffrey Chambliss. And for more information, please visit Children's.com/allergies. And if you found this podcast helpful, please rate and review or share the episode and please follow Children's Health on your social channels. This is Children's health Checkup, a podcast from Children's Health. Thanks for listening.