Treating Allergies

By editor | March 6, 2008

The most effective and inexpensive way to treat allergies is to avoid all allergens whenever possible, but it’s easier to avoid some than others. You can reduce your child’s exposure to certain allergens-like keeping him away from smoke or pets if those trigger his allergies. But your child cannot and should not stay indoors all the time, so outdoor pollens cannot be avoided entirely.

The alternative to avoiding allergens is to use various medicines to control allergy symptoms. The best medicines are those used directly on the site of symptoms: nasal sprays for hay fever and ointments and creams for the skin for atopic dermatitis.

Nasal Sprays

For children with allergic rhinitis, doctors generally prefer to prescribe nasal corticosteroid sprays to help relieve symptoms. These medicines are the most effective because they block the cells that cause symptoms instead of treating each symptom individually. These drugs, including beclomethasone (Beconase), budesonide (Rhinocort), mometasone (Nasonex), triamcilone (Nasalcort), and fluticasone (Flonase), are very effective and very safe. These medicines have been approved for various ages (some for children as young as three) and are usually used once a day. The most common side effect is a nosebleed, which can be controlled when nasal sprays are used correctly. The corticosteroid nasal spray should be sprayed into the nose with the tip of the spray pointed up and outward toward the eye or about 45 degrees away from the center of the nose.

Cromolyn nose spray (Nasalcrom) is an alternative to corticosteroid sprays. Cromolyn is very safe but less effective than nasal corti costeroids. Cromolyn is available in nonprescription form, but talk to your child’s doctor before using it to be sure this is the best treatment for your child.

Medicines For Skin

The most effective treatment for atopic dermatitis is good skin care. Most children do better with a daily bath, frequent use of moisturizers, and use of mild, nondrying soaps. To control skin inflammation, redness, and itching, prescription medicines may be used. There are two types of topical medicines. (”Topical” just means it is applied directly to the skin.) They are corticosteroids and macrolides, a nonsteroid medicine. Topical corticosteroids range in strength from mild to very potent. Low potency topical steroids like hydrocortisone do not have the side effects seen in high potency topical steroids. The more potent ones can cause thinned skin, stretch marks, and other problems if used too many days in the same area of the body. To prevent side effects, your doctor may limit the length of treatment time and locations where these ointments should be applied.

The macro lides are fairly new topical medicines and have been approved for use since February 2000. Tacrolimus (Protopic) and pimecrolimus (Elidel) are two examples of this new class of medicine that inhibits the activity of cells that play a role in eczema. Studies have shown that this new class of drugs will improve or completely clear eczema in 60 to 80 percent of treated patients. The major side effect seen in these medicines is some itching or burning in the first week of use.


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Topics: Allergy |

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