Yesterday we were told by our pediatrician that our 3 year old daughter has allergy rhinitis. My husband took her to the Dr because she's had a ( what we thought ) long lasting cold. We had looked in her throat and thought her tonsils looked enlarged and we also saw white-gray spots in there which lead us to believe she needed antibiotics to get rid of this.
Well, the Dr could not see the white spots that we see and she gave the diagnosis of allergies. I think she may be right about the allergies but I also feel she missed something else.
Anyway I was hoping that someone could help me shed some light on allergy rhinitis. I myself have seasonal allergies ( hay fever ) but I only suffer during pollen season. My daughter did not show any symptoms this summer and have only had problems the past 2 months or so. Her symptoms are also very different from mine as her nasal passages are swollen, the Dr said she could see signs in her eyes ( blood vessels or something ) and when she does have a cold she tends to get really stuffed up and the mucous runs down her throat instead of out which makes her cough a lot at night.
She's only 3,5 years old and we were told to start giving her claritin syrup to see if that helps. The Dr talked about this being seasonal and that the season lasting through January, what season? We live in Virginia USA and it is winter here. If she suffers from indoor allergies wouldn't that be year round?
What can I do to help her? Does anyone now of natural remedies for this kind of allergy?
TIA,
I have symptoms very much like your daughter in that I rarely have mucus come out my nose, instead it all goes down my throat as post nasal drip. I used to live in Virginia and if I remember correctly, it is probably ragweed season there now. It starts in the early fall and ends around January. It can end sooner if the temperature goes below freezing more than a few nights in a row.
Starting Clariatin is a good idea. If you don't allready have one, you might want to get an air purifier. It will help both you and your daughter. Also, I highly recommend 3M filtrete furnace filters. They really made a difference in the air quality of my whole house. They will help your daughter whether her allergies are indoor or outdoor.
Thank you for your advice! I will try that furnace filter. I also realized that we do not have any filters at the individual outlets so I will get that too.
We did go back to the Dr's today for a second oppinion of her throat and she has been put on antibiotics because this Dr said her throat looked nasty and that it was not due to allergies. Wether or not she also has allergies she could not answer at this point. We're gonna try antibiotics and see how well she clears up and then go from there. I would not be suprised if she really has allergies but hopefully it's not as bad as it sounds now due to this infection.
Thanks again,
I agree with sneezydiva. Also, with all the leaves that are falling carry mold to the ground with them, and spread it around in the air. I have a terrible time in the fall.
If your daughter is experiencing facial swelling as well as post nasal drip, it is possible her allergies could be more severe than yours. I would start keeping a journal of her symptoms, esp documenting how she does with claritin syrup. Good luck.
Allergy rhinitis 
