Hay Fever
Allergic rhinitis (Latin name)By Bjarne Lühr Hansen PhD, MD and Philipp Skafte-Holm MD, Mentor Institute
Hay fever is the most common allergy occurring with children. Hay fever appears as itching in nose and eyes, a lot of sneezing and a running nose. Even though it is not a serious illness, hay fever can be of quite a bother. Parents can treat hay fever by avoiding pollen, use allergy medication and avoid smoke, especially in the home.
Hay fever greatly resembles a common cold but lasts much longer. Most parent suspect hay fever because of repeated prolonged ‘colds’ during the summer. In some cases, the hay fever is triggered by allergy to furry animals, dust mites and mould fungus. In those cases, the children are bothered all year round.
Hay fever appears by sudden itching in the eyes and nose plus in the throat, to a lesser degree. The itch in the eyes leads to the child rubbing them causing them to be red and more irritated. The itch in the nose results in fits of sneezing with up to 25 sneezes following each other. At the same time the nose and the eyes run with a thin fluid and the nose becomes stuffy.