Does your toddler have seasonal allergies? Can you tell the difference between an onset of a cold and allergies? One thing I find other parents saying frequently is either, “She’s prone to being sick”, or “Yeah, he’s sniffling again, he’s sick all the time”. My goal right now is for you to be able to tell if your child has seasonal allergies or if your son/daughter is just simply getting a cold.
Pop Quiz! (Don’t you just love these?):
My toddler is getting a cold because he/she is _____
A) sniffling (has a runny nose) and is sneezing. She also has begun wheezing.
B) just having a fever, and he/she says they feel tired, additionally, daycare/school mentioned there’s something around.
C) rubbing his watery, puffy eyes and they seem to be itchy.
D) having “the usual symptoms” for several weeks now.
(answer is within the diagram at the bottom!)
I’ve often wondered about how fellow parents knew when their child had a allergy and also if it was even inherited. For me, all of the little ones I see with known allergies, all have a parent who has allergies as well (which is why I thought it could be inherited!). Interestingly enough, I was n
ot too far off! One of the pieces of information that I wanted to share with you is “Allergies in toddlers“, by BabyCenter. Everything you need to know regarding what an allergy is (and how it is different from a cold), common allergens, information on allergy shots, and also even determining what your child could be allergic to (if you suspect he/she might have allergies), is all within this article. Read this before you call the doctor!
Okay, so you read that all of that material, and you’re now thinking how to help your your little one with possible allergi
es as that news totally described your child. It’s been more than a week, and your child still has that running nose, they are whining, coughing, and doing the infamous nasal salute as well as rubbing their eyes so much that their eyes are red and you’re wondering if they either found your make up or got into the craft bin. You made the appointment with the pediatrician, and you want to help them now. Here are 15 Tips to Help Prevent Allergy Symptoms in Kids. I will add, after reading #13 on this list, you may want to use decaffeinated tea with the honey, little ones already have an abundance of energy!
Healthline has some valuable information on natural remedy ideas for allergies, and also includes information (with pictures) on skin and food allergies. Check this out too! There are also children’s books about managing your child’s allergies which you may find helpful, such as The Great Katie Kate Offers Answers About Asthma by M. Maitland DeLand, MD and James and the Big Battle: A Children’s Book about Allergies by Jen Burns.
As you may know already, there are different times of the year where allergies can be harder on your child, or anyone with allergies. Month to month guides would be beneficial to take a look at, especially if you’re new to living the life of allergies, like I am. It’s usually a good idea to try to stay one step ahead and you can better determine if your child is coming down with the common cold or is developing allergies. Additionally, take a look at Thinking Moms’ Revolution blog about Seasonal Allergies and Our Non-Verbal Children. This is a good reminder that even if your child can’t express it nor show the ‘usual’ signs, their behavior change could be an indicator of allergies or a cold coming on.
