seasonal allergies

[kidzcare]

Even though it snowed in Chicagoland yesterday, I am seeing the starts of seasonal allergies. How do you handle these kids?

On one hand, I feel terrible that there is nothing that I can do for them when they have puffy eyes and a faucet nose.

One the other hand, they can't stay home the whole allergy season or spend 1/2 the day in my office.

I've been recommending to the kids to talk to their parents about starting a 24hr allergy medication to keep symptoms under control. I'm considering sending out an email to parents saying the same thing.

Still, every year I get the same kids, day after day, just miserable and nothing I can do. Teachers keep sending them to me because they are suffering in class and the sneezing/coughing/nose blowing becomes distracting. What to do???

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

I pretty much do the same thing - bearing in mind that these children will have to find a way to get through life. I can't think of many careers that will allow extended sick leave because ragweed is in bloom.

I mention to the students that are really affected that they can discuss with their parents and possibly their doctors going on some sort of allergy medication. If they don't like that idea, I encourage them to do similar things that they would for a cold- drink plenty of fluids, wash hands often, don't touch face/ rub eyes as not to spread allergens into eyes.

I have a child that literally walks to school in a face mask. His father begged and begged me to allow him to stay in my office during outside recess instead of going out to play. My logic that getting a healthy exposed to the myriad of germs that regularly parade through here in addition to him having to walk home in his mask won in the end and he stays inside and reads in the library instead.

[Wave Watcher]

Educating the parents that allergy medication should be taken EVERY day and not just when symptoms arise. Otherwise, it won't do the child any good. :-) We are seeing a ton of allergies right now also.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

Educating the parents that allergy medication should be taken EVERY day and not just when symptoms arise. Otherwise, it won't do the child any good. :-) We are seeing a ton of allergies right now also.

YES. I tell this to kids and parents all the time. Taking it once after symptoms are already terrible will not work. Parents also assume I just stock all the OTC non-drowsy allergy meds. I stock OTC benadryl for allergic skin reactions only; I can't afford to stock anything else, nor do I have standing orders for anything else!

[vikivail26]

I have been seeing a lot of children with allergies these days in Florida. I use saline eye drops for there eyes and it helps. I will call parents to see if they bring meds and/or to let them know there child is miserable and having a hard time doing school work.

[tining, BSN, RN]

First I tell them about the nose being irritated by pollen and the body's firs reaction is to sneeze it out, when that does not work, then the nose makes boogers to run (the irritant) out. Then I show them a simple anatomy pic and show them if they don't blow their nose, then he boogers run down their throat. What would you do if you had boogers on your hands - wash them - then drink h20 to get boogers off your throat. I think a little explanation goes a long way - lots of 'aha' moments. And, YES, parents give them the symptom remedy ONCE, of course it did not work, you need it every 4 - 6 hours.

[tining, BSN, RN]

OMG - so sorry that pic got HUGE!