It is that time of year…environmental allergies and asthma are at their worst! All three of my boys suffer from allergies and asthma, so this time of year is a very active time for our family’s noses! There are many different things you can do to relieve allergies and what you do depends on the severity of your condition.
Here are some things we do in our house to relieve our symptoms…
- Lots and lots of tissues!
- Nebulizer Treatments
- Saline spray and/or drops are great for sore noses.
- Limit the amount of stuffed animals your child has in his room. I let my boys pick a few of their favorites and the rest get donated.
- Zippered mattress covers and pillow cases also help.
- Humidifiers help, but be careful if your child is allergic to mold.
- Try to play outside in the mornings on summer days, the morning air is much easier to breathe! If your child is allergic to grasses, wait a while after the grass is cut before playing outside.
My oldest sees an allergy and asthma specialist where he receives shots for his allergies. Learn more about his allergy issues here.
There are many OTC or prescription medications available for asthma/allergies…talk to your child’s pediatrician to get some help with what to use for your child.
What are some things you do to relieve symptoms in your house?
Heidi, a contributing author here at Habits for a Happy Home, is a homeschooling mom to three boys, ages 7, 5 and 3. Find her sharing a mixture of couponing, cost savings strategies and more on her blog, Heidi’s Miscellany.
Tricia says
March 16, 2011 at 10:39 AMThis is such a helpful list Heidi! Thank you. We love that saline spray too. Our nurse practitioner says to use that often – like every time you brush your teeth. It helps nasal passages stay healthy.
Our younger three have been using Nasonex daily for the last month in prep for all the pollen 🙂 I also learned from our allergist that you can put stuffed animals in the freezer for a day or two to kill dust mites. The children think that is pretty neat.
Heidi says
March 16, 2011 at 10:18 PMI have heard that about freezing the stuffed animals, but I don’t think I will tell the boys…it is a good excuse to keep the stuffed animal clutter down and a good reason to donate! 😉
You should try the saline gel if you haven’t already. It seems to be easier on the nose and stays in better for the little ones.
reneegrace says
March 18, 2011 at 2:37 AMIf you have access to any Raw Honey (particularly from the area you live in), it is very good for ‘spring’ type allergies. Friends have found their kids allergies are virtually gone, between that and raw milk. (I don’t know if you are ok with raw milk… we have used it for years.)
Just thought I’d pass that on :). by the way, I have enjoyed your blog! 🙂
Heidi says
March 18, 2011 at 9:39 AMThank you reneegrace! I have not heard that, I will definately look in to it, though. I am open to anything that will bring some relief for my boys. We have had bad asthma symptons this week. Spring has definately sprung!
Angie says
April 4, 2011 at 10:08 PMGood info Heidi, thanks for posting!