How to tell the difference between hay fever and cold symptoms in children
By Merryn Porter|
Children as young as two can suffer from hay fever, but many parents find it hard to tell if a child has an allergy or another illness, making it hard to treat.
Hay fever, which is also known as allergic rhinitis, is an allergic reaction to airborne allergens such as pollen, dust mites, or animal saliva or dander จC the tiny flecks of skin shed by animals with fur or feathers.
With symptoms including sneezing, a runny or congested nose, and itchy, watery eyes, it can closely resemble other illnesses, such as a cold.
What is hay fever?
There are two types of hay fever; seasonal hay fever and perennial hay fever.
Perennial hay fever occurs all year round and is caused by triggers such as dust mites, animal saliva or dander and mould spores.
Seasonal hay fever is the most common of the two, and is caused by an allergy to pollens, which triggers your immune system to have an allergic reaction.
It can occur in spring, spring and summer, or all year round, depending where you live.
READ MORE: Mum changes five-month-old daughter's name 14 times
?READ MORE: Suits star is expecting third child?
READ MORE: Dax Shepard defends his kids' 'unruly' behaviour
For example, pollen counts can be very high in October and November in Melbourne and Hobart, and throughout all of spring and summer seasons in Adelaide, Sydney and Canberra.
Meanwhile, Brisbane and Darwin have high pollen counts most of the year.
Can children get hay fever??
According to the Australian government funded Raising Children Network website, children can get either form of hay fever.
Seasonal hay fever occurs when a child breathes in pollens they are allergic to, which triggers an immune response. This can cause the lining of their eyes, sinuses and nasal passages to become irritated.
A child has a greater chance of developing hay fever if one or both parents have allergies.
National Asthma Council Australia director Professor Peter Wark told nine.com.au that very young children could suffer from hay fever.
"Typically children develop symptoms of allergic rhinitis (hay fever) after the age of two years and nearly all before the age of six years," he said.
"This coincides with them developing an allergic response to allergens, such as dust mite or grasses."
Hay fever symptoms in children
Common symptoms of hay fever in children are the same as in adults and include:
- runny nose and sniffing
- blocked nose
- mouth breathing
- sneezing
- itchy eyes, nose, roof of the mouth and back of the throat
- red, sore and watery eyes.
According to The Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, hay fever in children can also cause:
- headaches
- poor sleep
- worsen asthma symptoms
- poor concentration and learning
- bad breath, a husky voice, or sore throat
- eye infections from rubbing itchy eyes.?
How can I tell if my child has hay fever or a cold?
Professor Wark said both conditions displayed similar symptoms in young children, especially in relation to a runny nose or blocked nose and sneezing, with a few subtle differences.
"Hay fever is more likely to be associated with clear nasal discharge and is often associated with an itchy nose and throat and itchy eyes," he said.
"It comes on often with exposure and varies depending on exposure.
"A common cold or viral infection will more often lead to more constant symptoms and may be associated with fever and the nasal discharge is more likely to be yellow and green."
A fever?, that is a body temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or more, is another sign that your child may have a virus or infection and not hay fever.
Colds, influenza, COVID and other illnesses often have other symptoms such as chills, body aches, sore throat, cough and general feeling of being unwell.
While cold or flu symptoms will usually improve in a week or two, hay fever symptoms may hang around.
If you still aren't sure if your child has hay fever, consider when symptoms started and the health of other family members.
If no one else is sick, and symptoms started at the onset of spring, it could point to hay fever.
Similarly, if other members of the family have allergies and a child starts to display symptoms at the same time, this could be a clue that hay fever is the culprit.
If you have any concerns, seek medical advice. ?
While watery eyes are common symptoms of both cold and hay fever, itchy eyes most likely point to an allergy, while conjunctivitis, either viral or bacterial, often includes a discharge.
?When to see a doctor
While hay fever itself usually isn't serious, a child who is sensitive to pollens may develop other symptoms, including wheezing, hives and rashes, such as eczema.
?The pollens associated with hay fever can also trigger asthma symptoms, which can be very serious.
Raising Children Network suggests taking your child to a doctor if you are concerned that hay fever is affecting their quality of life, or is linked to other more serious conditions such as those listed above.
Professor Wark said: "Hay fever leads to annoying symptoms that affect people's quality of life, school attendance and learning.
"Untreated and severe symptoms can result in chronic sinusitis, eye irritation and cough.
"If the child has asthma as well, untreated hay fever can worsen asthma control."
Your GP? or paediatrician can arrange allergy testing with a specialist. This can include a skin-prick test or blood tests, and arrange treatment.
Hay fever treatment
There's no cure for hay fever, but treatment is available to manage symptoms.
These include nose sprays containing corticosteroid, which can help with a blocked nose; and antihistamines to help with itching, runny nose and sneezing.
Severe hay fever may require a special antihistamine, which must be prescribed by a doctor.
In severe cases, your doctor may refer your child to a specialist for immunotherapy treatment.
Can I give kids cold medicine for hay fever?
The short answer is no.
Medication used to treat cold and flu is very different to that for allergies.
If in doubt, seek medical advice or speak to a pharmacist.?
?Hay fever prevention
Raising Children Network says you can help prevent hay fever by reducing your child's exposure to triggers such as pollen.
It suggests monitoring the pollen forecast on websites such as Pollen Forecast.
You can then limit exposure by staying inside on days when high pollen counts are highest or when it is windy. You should also stay inside during and after thunderstorms.
Other tips to prevent hay fever during high pollen days include:
- Keep windows and doors shut on days with high pollen counts and when it is windy
- Avoid activities that expose your child to pollens such as mowing grass
- Get your child to have a bath or shower after playing outside, especially if your child feels itchy.
Hay fever and asthma??
Professor Wark said allergic asthma should not be treated any differently to asthma, which is a chronic inflammatory disease that needs to be carefully monitored and managed with medication.
"Asthma can be difficult to diagnose in children aged one to five years as we often rely upon symptoms alone," he said.
"Once a child is six years and older, it is clear and can be confirmed with breathing tests."
He said medication depended on the child's age and severity of asthma, and childhood sufferers needed to be monitored by a doctor regularly. ?
Thunderstorm asthma
Thunderstorm asthma is a serious condition linked to hay fever. It is caused by high pollen levels and stormy weather.
Professor Wark said it could occur even if someone had not had asthma before.
"Changing temperature and wind can lead to a sudden exposure of people to very high levels of pollen very quickly," he said.
"If you get hay fever (allergic rhinitis) in the springtime, you could be at risk of thunderstorm asthma."?
During a thunderstorm asthma attack, a child's airways swell or tighten, making it hard to breathe.
"If you get hay fever (allergic rhinitis) in the springtime, you could be at risk of thunderstorm asthma," Professor Wark said.?
If your child is already diagnosed with asthma, make sure you have an asthma plan in place. Have your medication on hand and take preventative medications as directed.
"The risk is much reduced with the use of inhaled corticosteroids and having good control of your asthma before the event," Professor Wark said.
"Treatment of allergic rhinitis with intranasal steroids also is likely to reduce the severity of nasal symptoms and may offer protection against thunderstorm asthma.
"If a child has asthma, they should have their asthma treated.
"If they have hay fever only with a grass allergy, they should use an intranasal corticosteroid daily in spring and summer.
"Avoidance of exposure should be considered, such as staying indoors and watching for emergency alerts for high risk of thunderstorm events occurring."
If your child appears to be struggling to breathe or talk, phone Triple-0 immediately.
The information in this article is general medical advice. Please consult a healthcare professional for medical advice that is tailored to your health needs.
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.
