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Spring season is here, which means allergy season as well. Here’s what to know about the best allergy medicine for kids.
It is awful to see your children struggling with allergies. While you can’t cure these allergies completely, there are ways and medications to control the symptoms and make your child feel better. Kids are affected by all sorts of allergies; pollen, dust bed mites, food, you name it. There are multiple kinds of medication available to treat allergies in kids.
In this article, we will discuss some of the best allergy medicine for kids. Without further ado, let’s get started.
Antihistamines
Without a doubt, Antihistamines are the longest-established allergy medications. They dampen the allergic reaction by suppressing the effects of histamine in tissues.
For mild symptoms, doctors generally recommend over-the-counter versions. Children who are unable to swallow the tablets can opt for syrups, chewable tablets, and melt-away forms of Antihistamine. They are great for controlling the itchiness that accompanies hay fever, hives, and eczema. Sometimes, doctors will recommend nasal sprays to ease congestion and breathing.
Antihistamines can sometimes cause mild drowsiness after the first dose. This is something to keep in mind.
Decongestants
If your child suffers from hay fever, antihistamines can stop the runny nose, sneezing, and itching but they won’t have any significant impact on nasal congestion and stuffiness. Decongestants are given along with an antihistamine to cover a range of symptoms.
Decongestants are typically taken orally and can cause stimulation in children. Children might show one of the following symptoms post taking a decongestant; being hyper, feeling anxious, having trouble sleeping, and/or a racing heartbeat. Due to these side effects, doctors won’t recommend using decongestants for long-term usage.
The treatment can be given topically with the help of nasal sprays or drops. Be very careful with the use of these medications and avoid using them on a long-term basis as it can lead to a rebound effect.
Cromolyn
Cromolyn sodium is typically recommended to treat nasal allergy symptoms. It can either be used every day to prevent chronic problems or for a limited duration to counter the symptoms of allergy. The medication is easily available in the form of a nasal spray and you can get your hands on it without a prescription. Your child can use it 3 or 4 times a day. Nasal cromolyn has negligible side effects but its potency is not high. As it requires frequent administration, children might struggle with consistency.
Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids aka steroids or cortisones are a very effective treatment for allergies and are effective for a wide variety of symptoms. They primarily come as skin medications; creams and ointments. They also come in the form of nasal sprays, asthma inhalers, pills, and liquids.
The topical creams are mainly used for children struggling with eczema. Based on the severity of the rash, it can be applied once or twice a day. Nasal sprays have a compound derived from cortisone and work amazingly well for patients with nasal allergy problems. Typically, once-daily dosing is enough to treat the symptoms. Best results can be seen if it is used on a regular basis. No problems are seen in patients who use the medication on a long-term basis.
Allergy Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy, allergy shots, are sometimes recommended to minimize your child’s sensitivity to airborne allergens. This form of treatment involves giving a child, the material he/she is allergic to with the help of an injection. The goal is to alter the immune system, making him/her less allergic to that particular material.
It is important to note that not every problem can be treated with allergy shots. However, the treatment of respiratory allergies to dust mites, pollen, molds is usually very successful. At present, sublingual immunotherapy is available to treat allergies for grass pollen and ragweed pollen. It is important to note that these treatments are given a few months before the season. Immunotherapy can also work wonders for cat and dog allergies in some patients.
Another thing to note is that immunotherapy takes some time to work and demands commitment and patience. The treatment is given by injecting stronger doses of allergen extract once or twice a week at first, and then gradually for longer intervals. You will be able to see the maximum effect in about 6 to 12 months.
Your child will start to feel better within a few months of getting immunotherapy. The injections might continue for three to five years before your doctor starts to make a decision on whether to continue with the treatment or not. For most children, this is highly effective and symptoms do not return even when the treatment is stopped.
Compounding Medication
When it comes to treating allergies in kids, compounding is hands down one of the best choices. Children and medicine don’t typically go hand in hand especially when there are multiple medications involved. A compounding pharmacist will alter the taste of medications to make them taste better, provide individualized strengths and dosage forms and make the process of medication administration less stressful for both you and your child.
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Flavoured Medicine
Most medications can be transformed in order to make them more appealing. From ugly, awful tasting things to colorful flavored ones, you can surely encourage your child to take the meds without altering the effectiveness of the medication.
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Unique Dosage Forms
A lot of children find it difficult to swallow the capsules and tablets especially when they have to take more than one medication throughout the day. To solve this problem, your doctor and compounding pharmacist can prepare alternate dosage forms that make the entire medication administration process easier. A compounding pharmacist can turn the pills into various forms such as oral liquids, lollipops, topical gels, and effervescent drinks.
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Strength and Ingredient Variations
Every kid is unique and has different needs. Some kids have varying drug intolerances and have unique requirements. A compounding pharmacist can make your drug sugar-free, gluten-free, casein-free, soy-free, or dye-free and make it suitable for your child’s unique needs.
Conclusion
We hope you found this article informative and learned more about the possible options for treating allergies in children. Please do not substitute the information present in this article for the doctor’s advice. This article is meant to be used for information/learning purposes only.