Your child might rub their itchy nose upwards with the heel of their hand. This is called the allergic salute. Nasal congestion could mean they really do have to eat with their mouth open, not always but in summer maybe. Other seasonal allergy symptoms can include:

• Sneezing
• Blocked or runny nose, possibly at the same time
• Itchy, watery eyes
• Tiredness as sleep may be interrupted, and dark circles under their eyes

The common cold is viral rhinitis which is why the symptoms sound so familiar, although there are telltale differences. Kids can get colds all year round but it can peak in fall and winter when school starts again and life moves more indoors.

Babies are very unlikely to have seasonal allergies because kids usually need to live through pollen or mold season twice before experiencing symptoms. The first year their developing immune system identifies the harmless particles as a threat. Now they’re sensitized. It means their body is ready to react when they breathe them in again.

Toddlers can have hay fever which starts after the age of 2. And it gets steadily more common each year after that according to studies of children up to 14 years old.

We’re going to tell you a bit more about the common seasonal allergens. But they may not be the only culprits behind your child’s symptoms. Kids sometimes have other environmental allergic triggers such as dust mites or pet dander, which are in the air all year. But they only start sneezing when pollen or mold pushes up their total allergen load. Your doctor may look out for that in allergy testing.

Lots of plants use the wind to carry their pollen grains to others of the same type. You can’t usually see them. But pollen can set off an allergic reaction when it lands in kids’ eyes and gets into their noses. The allergy season starts in early spring with tree pollen. Grass pollen peaks in the summer. Then it’s weed pollen, which can be in the air until the first frost.

Fun stuff like scrambling over fallen trees, making dens in the woods and kicking over piles of dead leaves could also bring kids into contact with sneezy mold spores. Dry windy days may be worst or it could be when the air and ground are damp, depending which type of mold your child is allergic to.

Seasonal irritants can intensify allergy symptoms too. It could be chlorine in the pool or campfire smoke when they’re toasting marshmallows.

• Falling grades at school: Kids may find it hard to concentrate at school and have more sick days. A British study showed that kids taking allergy medication may also do less well in exams taken in pollen season compared to other times.
• Developing asthma: Kids are up to 7 times more likely to start wheezing and need an inhaler if they already have allergic rhinitis. This disease progression from one allergic condition to another is called the atopic or allergic march.

Ask your doctor for a referral to an allergist. The allergist may suggest a skin prick test. Medical staff put drops containing the allergen onto your child’s arm or back and gently prick the skin. After 15 minutes they check to see if there’s a raised red bump like a mosquito bite, which shows that your child may be allergic to that substance. Allergy blood tests look for Immunoglobulin E antibodies which would show if your child is sensitized and could be allergic to a particular substance.

Corticosteroid nasal sprays and antihistamine tablets, eye drops and nasal sprays can all help control symptoms. Your child might be more comfortable once their seasonal allergens are in the air if they start taking their symptom relief ahead of time. But talk to your doctor before giving children any allergy medications. And read the patient information leaflet carefully.

2. While their allergen is in the air: Try to limit your child’s exposure to help them avoid having an allergic reaction. Our online pollen forecast and allergy app can warn you about days when it might be better to keep your child inside. Otherwise, taking their allergy medication before going out will give it time to start working. A saline nasal spray can help unblock stuffy noses, flush out allergens and make symptom relief work better. Clothes and hair can pick up pollen too. Encourage kids to shower and change, ideally when they get home. And keep an allergy diary: When and where your child gets symptoms, how severely, whether pollen counts were high at the time and if their medication helped.  

This aims to reduce the symptoms of seasonal allergies in the long term. Repeated doses of the allergen retrain your child’s immune system to tolerate those allergy triggers better. Kids’ allergy immunotherapy is available for certain types of plant pollen and other allergens. They may have tablets (SLIT) that dissolve under the tongue or injections (SCIT), also known as allergy shots. Ask your doctor or allergist to tell you whether your child might be eligible for allergy immunotherapy.

Seasonal allergies are a reaction to substances only in the air during certain months of the year. Commonly that’s pollen and mold spores, which subside in the winter except where the temperature doesn’t really fall. Kids tend to start sneezing and get itchy eyes and a blocked or runny nose when they go outdoors. These symptoms may affect their sleep, social life and school work. Seasonal allergies may also develop into allergic asthma if left untreated. Talk to your doctor about ways to manage allergy symptoms. Your child’s allergy treatment plan could start with short-term allergy medication but move on to long-term relief with allergy immunotherapy.

Last medically reviewed on 29 August 2023