Are you prepared for the change of weather from summer to fall? How do you avoid illnesses in your children during this transition? When should you start allergy medication if your child suffers from seasonal allergies?

by Joanna L. Olson, RPA-C

The change in weather from summer to fall can cause some concern with congestion, cough, sneezing, runny noses, and even fever.

Fall means back to school, which in turn means sharing of germs and illnesses. Make sure your children use hand sanitizer throughout the school day as well as washing their hands before eating snacks and lunch. Also, washing their hands when they get home from school will help in the spread of germs if they have come into contact with any. Getting your child into a school routine again will help keep their body healthy. Having the same bedtime routine and healthy foods and after school snacks will keep their bodies energized and ready to fight off viral illnesses such as common colds.

The beginning of September is a great time to restart allergy medication for children with seasonal allergies. By starting cetirizine or loratadine daily, it will greatly help with the congestion, cough, and runny noses children get from the change in weather. Keep up with the daily allergy medication until all of the leaves have fallen from the trees. If allergy symptoms return, restart the daily medication for an additional two weeks, then try to stop it again. Don’t panic though; some children require yearly allergy medication. Ask your pediatrician if you believe your child is one of these cases.

If there are any doubts with symptoms your child or children are experiencing, please don’t hesitate to contact your pediatrician’s office and schedule an office visit. We hope the transition from summer to fall weather is easy for all of you. Good luck to all kids beginning school for the first time or entering another school year!