4 ways to help your child with seasonal eye allergies
Spring is here 🌸 ! And with that the promises of new beginnings and a change in weather. The weather changes causes new floral growth and with that, seasonal eye allergies. It’s not uncommon for your child to start rubbing their eyes more and experience watery, red, ITCHY eyes during this time. To help fight seasonal eye allergies, prevention and protection is key to help minimize those pesky symptoms.
Use these methods to soothe your children's eyes from irritation due to allergies.
1. Avoid allergens
When the seasons change, try to do a few of these easy measures to keep allergens away from your kids.
- Clean air filters before turning on during the spring
- Checking pollen levels online as part of your daily routine, during high pollen levels, avoid outdoor activities.
- Keeping your windows closed so pollen and allergens don’t come in.
- Washing pillow cases more often.
2. Wearing sunglasses
When your child is outside, have them wear trusted sunglasses to protect the surface of their eyes from direct contact with allergens. The glasses act as a barrier between the air and the eyes and allergens are less likely to come into direct contact with the eyes. Not only will their eyes be protected from the sun with UV protection, but also from annoying allergies. Here are a few of our favorite spring sunglasses.
3. Cleanse the eyes and face
Many eye allergy symptoms come from allergens landing directly onto the eye. In addition to floating airborne allergens, the eyes could can suffer from contact with allergens that are transferred onto the skin and hair. Have your child wash their hands more frequently during allergy season is recommended. Your child should also wash their face and eyes after they return from outside. These steps reduce the concentration of allergens on the skin.
It may be hard to have your child wash their eye area with soap, even tear free, because their eyes can get irritated or your child may just not let you. I have developed a no- rinse, toxin free formula spray that cleanses the eyelids and is easy to use! Stay tuned for more information of the Eye Boogie™ spray as the release nears.
4. Cold therapy
Cold therapy can provide immediate soothing relief for eye allergy symptoms, including improving the appearance of the skin around the eyes.
You can use a soft cloth or compress on your child. Soak the compress/cloth in cool water, wring it out, and place over the eyes. A better, less messy approach is to use a cooling gel eye-mask made especially for kids. I have designed one for children that has a removable gel pack that can be placed in the refrigerator. The design allows the eye mask to sit perfectly to the mold of the child’s face for better cooling exposure. This type of mask will last longer and provide relief far better than a wet cloth or compress. The release date for GlamBaby child’s eye mask is coming soon.
If your child experiences eye allergies, make an appointment with your local Eye Care Provider for help.
xo, Dr. Arian Fartash