Child Allergy Medication

People of all ages suffer from allergies. Between the pets, the flowers and the pollution in the air, this is completely understandable. Even our children are not immune to common allergy symptoms. In fact, some of them may even be more susceptible to these issues than adults. They tend to get dirtier in their day to day lives. They play with pets, rub their face in the grass and generally don't are about the consequences. So when it comes to helping our kids out with this problem, what should we do? For adults, the answer is pretty straight forward. You either grab a box of Claritin off the shelf or maybe opt for some kind of an over the counter allergy medication. With children, though, we have to be careful. Their bodies are smaller and react differently to adult dosages of common antihistamines. Presented in this article is a basic overview of child allergy medication. If your child has a runny nose, itchy eyes or is sneezing all the time, read on.

First of all, OTC allergy medications should be used very carefully with children of any age. These products are typically meant for adults and maybe older children. If your kid really suffers from allergies and the doctor gives you the go ahead - consider using a product like Claritin or Alavert. These are over the counter medicines but they don't cause drowsiness or light-headed type side effects.

Medication For Young Children's Allergies

As you all know, children grow extremely fast!  Keep this in mind as you look for any medication meant for a child.  Read the label carefully because one company "Kid" may be 6 years old while another's is only 2.  I'll try to keep this in mind through the length of this article but always double check a product's label.  Now, for young kids you basically have two options as far as allergy medicine is concerned.  Clarinex and Zyrtec both make medicines for kids 6 months and up.  It's served as a syrup as well!

If your children are a little bit older(Age 2 and up), they may want to try Claritin.  This isn't the same Claritin that adults take, mind you.  It's a special product designed for kids that comes in both a syrup form or a chewable tablet.  For children in this 2-6 range, there are actually a couple of options for your kid's allergy relief.  My personal favorite is a product called Singular.  It was originally designed for children's asthma symptoms but has since become known as very reputable child allergy medication.  It works equally for seasonal allergies as it does for those suffered year-round.  Much like the Claritin product discussed above, Singular comes in two forms:  A pack of small oral granular type pieces or a chewable tablet.  Another brand of allergy medicine for kids is Allegra.  This one comes in a liquid form and also works to relieve hives.  If you're not comfortable giving your young child antihistamines, this is completely understandable.  You could try using a nasal spray like Nasonex or Veramyst.  These two products are topically applied and generally have no side effects.

Medication For Older Children's Allergies

It's a lot easier to find allergy medication for your older children.  Once they can swallow a pill, a whole ton of options appear for you.  For kids between the ages of 6 and 14, I recommend the Singular product.  There is a 5mg dosage that is about perfect for this age group.  Once the children hit 14, they can up the dosage to the regular 10mg pill.  Allegra is another brand that makes allergy medcine for children.  They recommend a 30 mg tablet for kids between the ages of 6 and 11.  For the big kids in your family, they can choose between either a 30mg pill or a 180mg pill.

Once children are into their teens, they can really start using any allergy medication you do.  Talk to your pharmacist about Allegra-D, Zyrtec or Claritin-D.  There is also the nasal spray route if you just need some temporary relief from congestion or a stuffed up nose.  Keep in mind that these decongestants don't really do anything for sneezing symptoms though.

In closing, I'd like to discuss a few preventative measure that one can take regarding allergies.  If you can prevent your child from sneezing or getting itchy eyes, it's in your best interest.  Allergens are the cause of allergies.  These things find their way into dust mites, mold and pet fur.  Keeping your house clean and your children in a somewhat fresh environment is a good way to prevent common allergies.  Good Luck!