11 Smart ways to reduce allergens in your home

Having allergies is never fun. I remember when my son was 3; he had a terrible time with allergies during the month of December.

Poor little guy was so miserable and we felt so helpless. When we finally got into our trusted pediatrician, she asked if we had a live Christmas tree. We did. She told us to get rid of it immediately as the dust and pollen from it were the root of his current problem. We went home and took the tree outside immediately and celebrated Christmas without a tree that year.

Prior to that visit, we had washed the bedding, put a cover on his mattress, put an air filter system in his room but we never thought about that tree being the problem! We had felt so helpless that none of the tactics we used had worked. How silly we felt that the beautifully decorated tree, that was right in front of our face, was the problem.

Thankfully he started to feel better soon after but he continues to have allergies to this day. Over the years, we’ve learned a lot about helping him deal with his allergies.

Here are some tips to help you and your child reduce their exposure to potential allergy triggers:

1. Keep animals well-groomed and furniture/carpet vacuumed. Don’t allow pets on the beds.
2. Minimize outdoor time when pollen counts are high.
3. Clean your air conditioner and heater filters.
4. Keep home and car windows closed when pollen counts are high.
5. Wash bedding in hot water once a week.
6. Shower before bed whenever there is outdoor play.
7. Encase the mattress with a mite proof cover.
8. Don’t bring real Christmas trees into the home.
9. Dust your home weekly.
10. Replace carpet with hard floors like wood or tile (to reduce dust mite problems).
11. Give allergy medication to help relieve allergy symptoms like itchy eyes and nose, running nose, sneezing or an itchy throat.

When our son was younger, we would give him medication in the form of syrup. As he got older, we switched to chewables but now he takes a rapidly-dissolving tablet. Claritin® RediTabs® are allergy relief tablets that melt in the mouth, with or without water. The tablets have a non-drowsy formula, with 12 or 24 hour relief. The Claritin® RediTabs® are for older kids, ages 6 and older.

Knowing how to treat allergies can be tricky. If needed take your child to the pediatrician, and possibly an allergist, so you know exactly what triggers the allergy symptoms. This information is vital to learning how to best help your child reduce their allergen exposure.

Claritin, the #1 pediatrician recommended non-drowsy oral allergy brand, offers a great resource on their website called, Claritin’s Children’s “Smart Allergy Mom® Toolkit”. The information will help you understand allergies and how to help your child deal with the symptoms. They even have an “allergy forecast” so you can learn what the pollen count is based on your zip code. The toolkit is a wealth of information, including tips from other moms!

Do you have any allergy relief tips for children?

Disclosure: This post is part of a sponsored collaboration between Claritin and SheKnows