An Overview Of Children’s Allergy Products

There are a number of practices, and products that are useful in treating children’s allergies; managing children’s allergies is not always a matter of choosing one wonder-drug product, but rather knowing the options and utilizing one or more methods to deal with specific child allergy problems.

Over The Counter Child Allergy Products

Over-the-counter (OTC) allergy medications for children are those which can be purchased without a prescription.  They may be used only occasionally or for regular maintenance of child allergy symptoms.  OTC medicines in many cases are lower-dose concentrations of prescription versions of the medication (which does not mean it is safe to increase a dosage—always follow label and/or a doctor’s instructions for dosing!).  The most commonly known and used OTC child allergy medications are antihistamines and decongestants; these are available in many forms for children of all ages, including pills, tablets, chewables, liquids, syrups, and nasal sprays.  Topically applied steroids are also available over-the-counter and may be used to relieve certain skin rashes and skin allergies.

The important thing is to know about using over-the-counter child allergy medicines is the proper use and dosage.  OTC child allergy products should be used as directed on product labeling, or by the child’s doctor or pharmacist.  Label dosing schedules should be followed unless otherwise directed by a physician.  Dosing for OTC child allergy products is calculated by age and weight, with weight usually preempting age.  Parents of chronic child allergy symptoms should talk to their child’s doctor before the need for OTC allergy products arises whenever possible so the child’s doctor can recommend the best OTC child allergy products and the right dose for the individual child.

Prescription Medications
Prescription child allergy products offer more tools for managing children’s allergies.  Prescription child allergy products include prescription-strength antihistamines and decongestants, as well as other options.  Prescription child allergy products can only be purchased with a doctor’s prescription and should only be taken as directed by the treating physician.

Prescription child allergy products may be preferable when a stronger acting medication is needed or a certain medicine is indicated that has no OTC availability; sometimes, prescription child allergy products are chosen because the side effects (such as drowsiness, fatigue, etc.) of a prescription child allergy medication are less.

Some commonly prescribed prescription child allergy products include:

• Steroids—may be topical (applied to skin, oral (liquid, pill, or tablet), or inhaled (inhaler or nebulizer); steroids treat skin conditions and asthma symptoms, including airway inflammation related to allergy attacks in children who have not been diagnosed with asthma
• Chemical blockers—antihistamines and antileukotrienes; blockers keep the blood chemicals which cause allergic reactions in children from affecting the child
• Decongestants—cause narrowing of the blood vessels which aids in clearing nasal congestion; decongestants are available in liquid and tablet form or in drops and nasal sprays
• Emergency rescues—namely, injectable epinephrine which may be prescribed for children with severe, life-threatening allergies; injectable epinephrine is taken at the point of contact to maintain function and breathing until the child can reach medical help

Often, an OTC version of a medication (when it exists) may be recommended first and replaced with a prescription child allergy product if ineffective, but recommendations depend entirely on the individual child and their condition, doctor, and their allergies; prescription child allergy products may be tapped for occasional use or as a regular maintenance drug.

Home Products

Prevention is an excellent means of managing child allergies, and so many home child allergy products can be very effective at decreasing and preventing child allergy attacks.  Among the many great home child allergy products are:

• Air cleaners—remove allergens from room or home air
• Dust covers—for bedding and pillows, limits the growth of dust mites and keeps dust, molds, and other allergens from becoming trapped in mattresses, etc.
• Filters/filtered vacuums and appliances—cleans the air during household cleaning, traps mites, molds, and child allergens
• Steam cleaners—highly effective at killing dust mites, molds, and allergens and at cleaning animal dander
• Humidifiers and dehumidifiers—to increase humidity in air and relieve breathing or to decrease humidity and limit mold growth

Foods & Formulas

Thanks to attention paid to the danger and health-related conditions associated with child food allergies, a number of commercial child allergy products have been developed to help children with food allergies.  These include supplements and replacements for allergenic foods and infant formulas.  Child allergy food products are made safe for children with specified food allergies either by replacing the allergenic ingredient with a safe alternative or by formulating a new recipe which does not use allergenic ingredients.

Child allergy products are available online, through pharmacies and grocery stores for children with allergies to nuts and peanuts, wheat and gluten, soy, and milk/dairy.  These include breads, milk replacements, snacks and meal products.  Many parents of children with food allergies prefer child food allergy products because they can be sure the products are not contaminated with trace elements of allergens (which can be dangerous for children with severe food allergies) and because they can help their children eat more normally with safe versions of traditional food products.

With the many child allergy products available today, parents have very good tools and medications to help them manage child allergies.  Finding the right balance of products can make a significant difference in the life of an allergic child, improving their ability to live and play well all the time.

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