Even though our routines are vastly different than this time last year, one thing for sure is that most of us are suffering from the elevated pollen count. Itchy eyes, scratchy throat, dry cough are some of the symptoms that accompany seasonal allergies. Usually the pollen rises somewhere around the end of March, but it seems like our local season is a bit later this year.

In the health office, I rely on www.pollen.com to send me a daily pollen count for our area. Additionally, so much information on allergies and treatments can be found on this site. It is very helpful to subscribe to this website to receive your daily pollen count.

In past years, what I have done for your child who has puffy, itchy eyes (without drainage) is to rinse their eyes with a sterile eyewash. A simple, over the counter remedy. If you don’t have that, try having your child lie down with a cool compress over their eyes. For single individual use only, you can store a wet washcloth in the refrigerator for this use. You may also use an over the counter eye drop, or a prescribed drop from your doctor, but please be sure to follow the directions. Overuse can cause even worse symptoms than the original problem. 

Some of the children will have an allergic type asthma reaction. Make sure to stay in contact with his/her doctor, to relay symptoms and see when and which inhalers your child may need. You might already have an allergy plan in place and should follow what the doctor has planned for your child.

For those who are worried about allergies vs covid-19 vs flu, Harvard Health has a short, succinct article to help you review the symptoms comparatively. The link is: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/allergies-common-cold-flu-or-covid-19-2020040919492

 Please be safe practicing social distancing, hand washing and use of masks.