My son just turned 3 and he is having an awful time with allergies. I have him on Zyrtec daily but he still can never breath thru his nose, he is seeing an allergist July 8th, but my doctor recommended i pick up some saline drops for his eyes and for his nose. My question is what has everyone used and what has worked for their children? I do not want anything medicated perferrebly (not to mention he has to be off all medications for 7 days prior to him seeing the allergy doctor) So if its non medicated then he can keep using it.
Thanks in advance for all your wonderful help.
(As a side note - he is allergic to vics)
I'd start with going off all dairy.
Also look into homeopathy. Its safe and natural, and it WORKS! You can find it in some health food stores, or online. One site I like is www.1800homeopathy.com
Good luck
I've been told Neti pots are really helpful-you can find them at Target. I have one and have used it for myself, but not sure how easy it would be to convince a 3 year old to try it.
Also-air purifiers in his room, a vaporizer, (warm mist not cold), kids vic on his chest at night might help too.
My son has had terrible allergies too but the zyrtek seems to be working. We also have had him off cow's milk since Feb because of ear infections but started him back on it in May and then have to take him off it again because of all the congestion. He drinks rice milk to get his calcium. It has the exact same amount of calcium and vitamins as regular milk.
Cheapest place to get rice milk is Trader Joes.
As for the itchy eyes our doc prescribed expensive eye drops which we didn't end up purchasing (over $80). However if our son did not respond to the zyrtek we probably would have paid for it.
I second the Neti Pot--they work great! I think the saline solution squirted up the nose is pretty much the same thing, and would be more toddler-friendly.
In addition to what has already been mentioned, I would shut his bedroom window at night. If you have pets, keep them out of his bedroom.
Somewhat off-topic..... I know you are seeing an Allergist, but have you explored the possibility of food allergies? If he still has symptoms despite taking Zyrtec, it could be something he's eating. It is not unheard of for dairy to cause congestion. If he was my kid, I would take him off cow's milk for 2 weeks and scale back the other dairy and see what happens.
Hi T.! Little Noses makes an allergy relief gel that is applied on the outside of the nostril. It's $15 for a little tube and you can find it at Wal-Mart in the pharmacy area. Little Noses also has saline products. They are not medicated so should be safe for the no meds rule.
Good luck! I hope your trip to the allergist gets you some answers. Allergies are miserable!
my son has allergies and we do flonase or nasonex, you could also try saline or ocean drops for the nose.
Good luck
My children don't seem to be bothered by allergies so far, but my husband and I are. Making changes in the home environment can help a lot. We use allergen furnace filters in the summertime. They cost more, but can be used for 3 months at a time. We keep a small air purifier in our bedroom. We don't leave windows open. We use an allergen filter on the vacuum, but we don't use it often because we have very little carpet. Carpet, curtains and upholstery can hang on to all kinds of allergens, so we try to keep those things at a minimum. My husband uses a dust mask when he mows the yard. Our pets all live outside. We don't have to worry about mold and mildew due to living in a fairly dry climate, but those things can aggravate allergies too.
Once you know what he is specifically allergic to, it becomes easier to tailor your efforts to those things.
