Seasonal hay fever is upon us. It is a common condition otherwise known as allergic rhinitis and generally affects people allergic to pollens.
If your child has hay fever, they may have:
- frequent bouts of sneezing
- a runny nose
- blocked nose (either one or both nostrils)
- itchy ears, nose, throat and roof of the mouth
- red, itchy, swollen and/or watery eyes
- headaches
If hay fever is left untreated it can lead to poor quality sleep, tiredness and daytime sleepiness. In some cases, hay fever can also:
- make asthma more difficult to control
- increase the chance of sinus infections
- affect your child's learning and performance
- lead to bad breath, a husky voice and/or a sore throat
- cause more frequent eye infections because children rub itchy eyes.
Your doctor or pharmacist can give advice on which medication may be best for your child. They may suggest using medication to help relieve your child's symptoms, such as:
- non-sedating antihistamines
- low-dose steroid nasal sprays, which may be useful for older children.
We would like to encourage that student’s with known hay fever symptoms take the relevant medications/antihistamines before attending school that day. This effort will help to prevent the onset of symptoms and allow your child to concentrate and feel well throughout the school day.
Please utilise the AusPollen pollen forecast website for information on high pollen days.