Allergic rhinitis, more commonly known as seasonal or year-round (perennial) allergies, or hay fever, occurs in about 40 percent of children in the United States.

Since more over-the-counter allergy medications have become available, more parents are blindly self-treating their children, without learning the “ins” and “outs” of what they are giving them.

Allergies: The Cause and the Cure

Allergies result when your child’s immune system mistakenly identifies harmless substances as serious enemies. When these “invaders” are detected, many different chemicals, including histamine, are released in an attempt to destroy the opponents. Histamine is responsible for a slew of sticky, gooey, unsavory, and unagreeable allergy symptoms, including sneezing, runny nose, itchy nose and throat, itchy or watery eyes, post-nasal drip and congestion, and all-around irritability. For histamine to cause all that icky allergy stuff, it needs to be able to bind to its target (called “receptors” in Pharmacyland). Over the counter (OTC) antihistamines block histamines from binding to their target points in the body.

OTC antihistamines are broken-down into 1st generation and 2nd generation drugs. There is one OTC 1st generation antihistamine available for children, BENADRYL, and two 2nd generation medications, Claritin and Zyrtec.  All three are available in a kid-friendly liquid formula.

Before You Buy, Beware…

You may have noticed that the abovementioned OTC medications are marketed as effective for perennial or seasonal—or indoor or outdoor—allergies. Don’t believe the hype! Standard-issue Benadryl, Claritin, and Zyrtec are all effective in treating your child’s allergies no matter what the cause or time of year!

Whoa, gotta stop here…just noticed that it’s time for me to go rock out on Guitar Hero!  I’ll hit you up with Part II next time I post a written piece (first, I’m gonna put a video up!).

Any questions so far?  Let me know by tossing an e-mail my way.  Cate@getpharmacyadvice.com is where you can reach me.  Or simply leave your thoughts below!

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Thanks all!