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April Showers, May Flowers – and Allergies

How to Beat the Springtime Sniffles

By Tamar K. Weiss

The first signs of new leaves and crocuses are unparalleled. As the world around us turns green, hope and cheer are at their fullest. Spring is beginning, signifying, among other things, a marked decrease in runny noses and trips to the doctor, right? Not always.

A major cause of stuffy noses and other cold-like symptoms is allergies, and spring's foliage, while pleasing to the eye, also gives birth to an abundance of allergens, which can set your family sneezing.

"Fatigue, sleep disturbances, cough, headache and ear congestion are frequent hay-fever symptoms," says Dr. Gary Rachelefsky, a pediatric allergist and immunologist and past president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). He explains that throughout the spring, various trees and grass pollens can result in hay fever affecting the nose and eyes.

Allergy symptoms can run from mild to severe. Those affecting the nose can cause a runny nose, coughing and difficulty breathing – even including complete obstruction of nasal passages, an inability to smell and decreased appetite and weight loss. Some children have major eye symptoms where the eyes are irritated, sensitive to light and may even develop scratches on the cornea.

Parents are often baffled by their children's symptoms, wondering "if this is just a cold, why does it recur so often, and why does my child seem to feel lousy all the time?" The difference between cold and allergy symptoms, says Dr. Rachelefsky, is that a cold is generally short-lived – with possible low-grade fever – and then it goes away. Allergies may last for weeks, but may keep coming and going.

With allergies, mucous is usually clear, and when an infection is present, the mucous may be thick, opaque or green. Also, allergies respond to allergy medication and colds do not.

Want to see more?

• Breathe Easy: Asthma Is a Treatable Illness
• When the Family Pet Makes Your Child Sneeze
• Little Breaths: Asthma in Toddlers
• Talk about it!

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