The right allergy medicine could help improve your child’s daily life and their future health. Antihistamines and corticosteroids are common types of short-term symptom relief medications. Allergy immunotherapy may also be an option. This treatment aims to retrain kids’ bodies to be more tolerant of their allergic trigger.

Rewinding for a moment, managing children’s allergies typically starts with helping them avoid their problem substance or allergen.

Rewinding for a moment, managing children’s allergies typically starts with helping them avoid their problem substance or allergen. After that, the treatment options vary from child to child, depending partly on their age and allergy. Topical remedies, like creams and eye drops, might work best for your little one. Or they may need oral allergy medication to relieve their symptoms. Having emergency treatment at hand is vital for children at risk of the most severe type of allergic reaction.

You don’t have to be super-mom or dad and find the right allergy medicine all by yourself. Your doctor will suggest a treatment plan, if your child needs one. To find out more about retraining the immune system, ask them about allergy immunotherapy.

An over-the-counter (OTC) drug is one that is judged to be safe, effective and simple to use without guidance from a doctor. Some common medications for kids’ allergy symptoms, including certain antihistamines and corticosteroids, are available as OTC. But allergy is complex and different children experience it differently. Some need stronger medication that only a doctor can prescribe.

An over-the-counter (OTC) drug is one that is judged to be safe, effective and simple to use without guidance from a doctor. Some common medications for kids’ allergy symptoms, including certain antihistamines and corticosteroids, are available as OTC.

Making an appointment with your doctor will help your child get the most appropriate treatment, which may change as they get older. Allergy testing may be necessary if you don’t have a diagnosis yet. And there could be reasons to avoid a certain drug if your child has another condition and maybe takes medication already.

Maybe you already use a saline nasal spray when your child gets a cold and has a blocked nose. It helps loosen and thin mucus and is even suitable for infants. Saline nasal sprays also seem to make corticosteroid nasal sprays work better by helping to clear the nose of mucus and reducing swelling. The same is true of oral antihistamines (more below) used to control allergic rhinitis, which children may also need to use less combined with a saline nasal spray.

Your child may be anxious about nasal sprays at first so tell them exactly what’s going to happen.

There are different options here too, such as antihistamine or mast cell stabilizer eye drops, or a combination medication. You may need to treat your child’s eyes several times a day. Saline or artificial tears can also soothe watery eyes.

Younger children may be even less keen about eyedrops than nasal sprays.

Corticosteroid creams, gels, ointments and lotions are common treatments to soothe atopic dermatitis (eczema) and insect stings. They calm inflammation and itching and range from mild to “super-potent”. There are non-steroid creams for treating children’s eczema too now. Ask your doctor about them.

It’s important to improve skin barrier health too. An emollient will do that as well as soothe your child’s soreness or itching.

Breathing in tiny environmental allergens can make children wheeze and cough. They may get short of breath and feel as if their chest is tight. Treatment depends on the severity of the symptoms but tends to involve different types of inhaler, one to control symptoms and another for sudden and potentially serious flare-ups. Corticosteroids are common daily maintenance treatment for kids, sometimes in combination inhalers. Beta-2 antagonists inhalers can offer quick relief.

There are tablets for older kids. Leukotriene receptor antagonists can help with allergic rhinitis (hay fever) too.

Your child has allergic reactions because their immune system thinks a harmless substance is the enemy. Allergy immunotherapy (AIT) aims to change that. Repeated doses of the allergic trigger can help their body learn to tolerate contact with it. Think of it as retraining or rebooting their immune system. Kids may have fewer symptoms after just a few months or when the next pollen season starts, depending on their trigger allergen.  

Immunotherapy is available for kids with allergies to dust mites, pollen and other allergens. They need to be old enough to describe clearly any adverse reaction to the treatment. So it’s not usually given to children under 5 years of age.

Other type of immunotherapy may also be recommended for children at risk of severe systemic allergic reactions to insect venom.

Some allergies may put a child at greater risk of anaphylaxis, which is a severe systemic allergic reaction. These include food, insect venom and latex (for instance in balloons, art supplies or sneakers), as well as antibiotics and other medicines.

Anaphylaxis can happen suddenly and may be life-threatening so needs immediate medical attention. Your doctor may prescribe an epinephrine auto-injector in case your child comes into contact with their trigger by accident. Epinephrine is another word for adrenaline.

Common signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis include:

• Flushed or pale skin, itching or hives
• Swelling of the tongue or throat
• A weak or rapid pulse
• Diarrhea, feeling or being sick
• Low blood pressure (hypotension)
• Narrowing of the airways, which may cause wheezing and trouble breathing
• Dizziness or fainting