Subscribe today for more stories, tips, and updates.

Cincinnati Children's Blog
  • Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Healthy Living
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Heart Conditions
  • Learning and Growing
  • Research and Discoveries
  • ?
  • Blog
  • Healthy Living
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Heart Conditions
  • Learning and Growing
  • Research and Discoveries
  • ?
  • Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us
HOME/Healthy Living/Fall Allergies Part I: Allergy Basics

Fall Allergies Part I: Allergy Basics

Fall Allergies Part I: Allergy Basics
September 22, 2017
0 Comments
By: Nick DeBlasio, MD

Are there more sniffles and sneezes around your house than usual? With this season often come the runny noses and itchy eyes that fall allergies bring. If you have a child with seasonal allergies, here’s what you need to know about what’s causing them and when to call the doctor.

Common Seasonal Allergies

  • Ragweed: Ragweed typically starts showing up in August, and persists through September and October until the weather gets colder. The pollen from ragweed causes allergy symptoms to flare in many people, kids included.
  • Mold: We see a lot of reactions to mold in the fall due to moisture inside the home and leaves outside. When leaves sit on the ground and get wet from dew and rain, they’re a prime breeding ground for mold.
  • Dust: Dust hangs around all year, but gets stirred up more in the fall when we turn our furnaces on after they’ve been off all summer long. The air blowing through the vents sends all that dust right into our living spaces.

The symptoms you’ll mainly see with fall allergies are congestion, coughing, post-nasal drip (which can lead to a sore throat), sneezing, and itchy, watery eyes. Kids who rub their hands up their nose while sniffing might have a line form across the bridge of the nose (called the “allergic salute”).

While allergies don’t cause kids to be tired, fatigue can be a side effect since kids may not rest as well if they’re congested a lot.

When to Call a Doctor

Not sure if your child has a lingering cold or if it’s allergies? As with most medical concerns, it’s best to talk to your pediatrician to eliminate guesswork and get to the root of what’s bothering your child.

For kids ages 4 and up, if there is a strong family history of allergies and your child is showing similar symptoms, it’s OK to try an over-the-counter allergy remedy (such as cetirizine/Zyrtec®, loratadine/Claritin®, or fexofenadine/Allegra®) for several days. If there’s no improvement, call your pediatrician.

For infants and toddlers, it can be hard to tell the difference between allergies and something else. Don’t treat kids this young with over-the-counter allergy medicines. Call your pediatrician.

Kids who are more prone to allergies are those with asthma and bad eczema, and those who have a family history of allergies.

When talking about treatments, parents often have questions about the type of medication, the correct dose for your child’s age, and other approaches you can take to help your child during the height of allergy season. I’ll talk more about those in Part II of this series on fall allergies.

Allergy Symptoms: Could It Be COVID-19?

With COVID-19 continuing to spread throughout the United States, even slight symptoms these days are cause for concern. Common allergy symptoms may have you guessing about a possible COVID-19 infection. It’s true that seasonal allergies and COVID-19 share a few symptoms, including cough, congestion, sore throat and fatigue. But there are important differences to note: One is that fever, a common COVID-19 symptom, is not generally a sign of seasonal allergies. Likewise, allergies typically do not cause difficulty breathing or shortness of breath unless you have another underlying respiratory condition such as asthma. To get a better idea of how allergy and COVID-19 symptoms overlap, take a look at these FAQs from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Call your doctor if you have any doubts.

Is your child experiencing allergy symptoms? Learn more about different treatment options, including medical and non-medical approaches, by reading part two of this series.

Subscribe today for more stories, tips, and updates.

Related Articles

Spring Allergies: What You Can Do for Your Child
Spring Allergies: What You Can Do for Your Child
Allergy Skin Prick Test: What’s It Like?
Allergy Skin Prick Test: What’s It Like?
Fall Allergies Part II: How to Help Your Child
Fall Allergies Part II: How to Help Your Child
3 Tips for Coping with Spring Allergies
3 Tips for Coping with Spring Allergies
TAGS:
  • seasonal allergies
Avatar photo

About the author: Nick DeBlasio, MD

Nick DeBlasio, MD, is a pediatrician in the Division of General and Community Pediatrics. His areas of interest include medical education and primary care of underserved children. He is an attending physician at the Pediatric Primary Care Center.

Write A Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

No Comments Yet

Topics

  • Cancer and Blood Diseases
  • Child Development and Behavior
  • Childhood Obesity
  • Chronic Care Networks
  • Cincinnati Walks for Kids
  • Featured Faces
  • Fetal Conditions
  • Fitness and Nutrition
  • Food Allergies
  • Ghana 2012
  • Health Care Public Policy
  • Health Care Quality
  • Health Care Reform
  • Healthy Living
  • Heart Conditions
  • Hospital Operations
  • How We Do It
  • Learning and Growing
  • Meet The Team
  • Nurses Week 2012
  • Patient Family Experience
  • Patient Flow
  • Patient Safety
  • Patient Stories
  • Pin of the Week
  • Radiology
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Research
  • Research and Discoveries
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Share Your Story
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • Vaccines
  • Volunteerism
  • What Makes Us Different
  • What's New
See All Topics
See Less Topics

Subscribe

Never miss a post! Sign up to get new blog updates delivered to your email.

Popular Posts

  • Caring for the Caregivers of Children with Congenital Heart Disease  2.4k views
  • 6 Questions to Ask When Your Child Complains of Chest Pain 2k views
  • My Child Has High Blood Pressure, Now What? 795 views
  • Stuttering In Young Kids: When To Be Concerned 688 views
  • Button Batteries: What Parents Should Know 672 views
  • Laryngomalacia: Is My Child’s Noisy Breathing Serious? 624 views
About

The Cincinnati Children’s blog features thoughts and perspectives from our experts on all things pediatric health. This blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Learn More »

Contact Us
  • 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3026
  • 1-513-636-4200 | 1-800-344-2462
  • TTY: 1-513-636-4900
  • socialmedia@cchmc.org
Connect With Us
  • Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us

© 2009-2022 Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center