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Ah-choo! Tips on how Iowans can tell spring allergies vs. spring colds
Buds are beginning to pop on trees across Iowa, and the green grass is starting to come up, meaning, spring allergy season is also upon us, and doctors are offering tips on how to help allergy-prone kids to cope.
Pediatrician Dr. Megan Yanny says it can be easy to confuse allergies with a cold, but there are certain symptoms for which you should watch.
“Common symptoms of seasonal allergies that kids might have are going to be a runny nose, congestion, sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, a bit of a tickle in their throat,” she says, “but shouldn’t have things like fevers, really severe, sore throats, trouble swallowing.” The latter may be signs of something other than allergies.
Yanny says preventing kids from being exposed to what’s impacting them can also be helpful.
“Things like changing the bedding and their towels often to just rinse that pollen off,” she says. “Keeping the windows closed to keep allergens out of the bedroom. Showering, bathing at night to wash those allergens off their clothes and their bodies from the day. And then watching the weather report for really high pollen count days.”
She says it’s important that parents know what medications are okay for treating kids’ spring allergies and that cough and cold medications should not be used.
“Better medicines to reach for for seasonal allergies are going to be your antihistamines,” Yanny says, “the non-drowsy oral medicines and they come in liquid or pill form, and when kiddos have a lot of stuffy nose or itchy eyes, they can even add in a nasal steroid spray or allergy eye drops.”
Some 81 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies, and Iowa chalked up some of the nation’s highest pollen counts in April of 2024.
