How can you tell if your little one has allergies?

When can they test for seasonal allergies? What medications work?
What is the criteria for getting allergy shots?

Rebekah's nose is running like crazy (it's clear), her eyes are watering, she's coughing, and she's sneezing, and rubbing her eyes. Cold decongestant doesn't do anything for her. We're trying over the counter Children's Claratin today.

I have bad allergies and I got shots from the time I was 16 till I was 27. They did wonders for me and I rarely have any allergy symptoms even off the shots.

If shots will save Rebekah from going through what I did when I was a kid (couldn't breathe at all during the summer, going through one box of tissues a day, feeling like a had a head cold all year), I'd gladly get them for her.

They can test pretty early. We had Joe tested last year because we thought he had allergies - he had a cold (or a series of them) that seemed to go on forever. Everything came up negative, though.

Keep in mind that Rebekah is probably going to start picking up a lot of things from daycare now. But if you think she might have some allergies, definitely take her to an allergist to get tested.

Dennis

Matthew has the same symptoms as Rebekah every spring and fall. His ped said that's probably what it was. He has never had an actual test, just going by his symptoms and when they are worse and when they get better.

He is on a prescription that I can't remember the name of. It's root beer flavored, but he still hates it. I'm going to ask about Claritin at his 2 year appt. next week.

This is what our pediatrician did too - after telling her about Caroline's eyes and nose streaming after coming in from some time outside, etc. She gave us some Zyrtec, which has done WONDERS for her symptoms. The ped. keeps giving us free samples because she said she doesn't want to prescribe it and find out our insurance doesn't cover it (alot of places aren't covering it now since Claritin went OTC), so every few weeks we stop by her office for another handful of sample bottles. :)

Matthew has the same symptoms as Rebekah every spring and fall. His ped said that's probably what it was. He has never had an actual test, just going by his symptoms and when they are worse and when they get better.

I called my mom a little while ago and she said Rebekah's nose is alot better. She hasn't had to wipe it hardly at all today. And the cough and sneezing are better, too.

So it looks like the Claritin worked.

Anne - rebekah's eyes and nose were like a faucet! It was horrible! I've never seen so much stuff come out of a kid's nose when she sneezed before.

(I was giving her pediacare decongestant and cough yesterday and it didn't do anything).

My daughter was given Zyrtec a few months ago by our ENT and I never gave it to her. I have a ton of samples though. Here lately she seems bothered a lot by a runny nose and she is always putting her finger at it scratching. I'm starting to wonder if it is indeed allergies. She is in daycare part-time though but doesn't get sick nearly as much as she did when she was under a year old at this point.

We have been wondering about allergies in Garrett nearly all of his life. He seems to go from one "cold" tp the next with very little relief. We have asked SO many times aout allergy testing (DH and I both have them) and keep getting told "he's too young!" It's really starting to irritate me now that he 18 1/2 months!

Does the Zyrtec taste better than the Claritin? Analisa has a fit about taking the Claritin, but I am so tired of her telling me that "my eyeballs are itchin' mama" "my eyes are dwipping" "my nose is stuppy".

The zyrtec is very very very grape flavoured, Janelle takes it with no problem. She's been taking it on an as needed basis since she was 6 months old, and it seemed to work great...till last week when she started breaking out in hives for no reason, so now we are going to get allergy testing done.

Rebekah started with the coughing and runny nose again on Saturday. We were outside Friday evening and all day Saturday. She's coughing because stuff is running down her throat and because she's congested. The Claritin worked some but it's really bad at night. She coughs all night long.

However, it's raining today and she hasn't coughed at all since she got up.