Allergies Kids 092911

7/27/2019 Allergies Kids 092911

1/3

1 / FDA Consumer Hea l th In fo rmat i on / U .S . Food and D rug Admin i s t ra t i on SEPTEMBER 2011

Consumer Health Informationwww.fda.gov/consumer

Art should be large on the first

page, so it shows up clearly when

the PDF is made into a small JPEG.

Allergies may be seasonal or theycan strike year-round (perennial).In most parts of the United States,plant pollens are often the causeof seasonal allergic rhinitismorecommonly called hay fever. Indoor

substances, such as mold, dust mites,and pet dander, may cause the peren-nial kind.

Up to 40 percent of children sufferfrom allergic rhinitis, according tothe National Institute of Allergy andInfectious Diseases (NIAID). Andchildren are more likely to developallergies if one or both parents haveallergies.

The Food and Drug Administration(FDA) regulates both over-the-coun-ter (OTC) and prescription medi-

cines that offer allergy relief as wellas allergen extracts used to diagnoseand treat allergies.

Immune System ReactionAn allergy is a reaction of the immunesystem to a specific substance, or aller-gen. The immune system responds tothe invading allergen by releasing his-tamine and other chemicals that typi-cally trigger symptoms in the nose,lungs, throat, sinuses, ears, eyes,skin, or stomach lining, according

to the American Academy of Allergy,Asthma and Immunology.

In some children, allergies canalso trigger symptoms of asthmaadisease that causes wheezing or dif-ficulty breathing.

If a child has allergies and asthma,not controlling the allergies canmake asthma worse, says AnthonyDurmowicz, M.D., a pediatric pul-monary doctor in FDAs Division of

Children are magnets

for colds. But when

the cold wont go

away for weeks, the culprit

may be allergies.

Allergy Relief

for Your Child


2/3



Find this and other Consumer

Updates at www.fda.gov/

ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates

Sign up for free e-mail

subscriptions at www.fda.gov/

consumer/consumerenews.html

Pulmonary, Allergy, and Rheumatol-ogy Products.

Avoiding the CulpritIf your child has seasonal allergies,you may want to pay attention to pol-len counts and try to keep your childinside when the levels are high. In the late summer and early fall,

during ragweed pollen season,pollen levels are highest in themorning.

In the spring and summer, during

the grass pollen season, pollenlevels are highest in the evening.

Some molds, another allergytrigger, may also be seasonal.

For example, leaf mold is morecommon in the fall. Sunny, windy days can be

especially troublesome for pollenallergy sufferers.

It may also help to keep windowsclosed in your house and car andrun the air conditioner when pollencounts are high.

Allergy MedicinesFor most children, symptoms may be

controlled by avoiding the allergen,if known, and using OTC medicines.However, if a childs symptoms arepersistent and not relieved by OTCmedicines, it is wise to see a healthcare professional to assess your childssymptoms and see if other treat-ments, including prescription medi-cines, may be appropriate. Five typesof drugs are generally available (seetable on page 3) to help bring yourchild relief.

While some allergy medicines are

approved for use in children as youngas six months, Dianne Murphy, M.D.,director of FDAs Office of PediatricTherapeutics, cautions, Always readthe label to make sure the product isappropriate for your childs age. Justbecause a products box says that it isintended for children does not meanit is intended for children of all ages.

Children are more sensitive thanadults to many drugs, adds Murphy.

For example, some antihistaminescan have adverse effects at lowerdoses on young patients, causingexcitability or excessive drowsiness.

More Child-Friendly MedicinesRecent pediatric legislation, includ-ing a combination of incentives andrequirements for drug companies,has significantly increased researchand development of drugs for chil-dren and has led to more productswith new pediatr ic information intheir labeling. Since 1997, a com-bination of legislative activities hashelped generate studies in childrenfor 400 products.

Many of the older drugs were onlytested in adults, says Durmowicz,but we now have more informationavailable for the newer allergy medi-cations. With the passing of this leg-islation, there should be more confi-dence in pediatric dosing and safetywith the newer drugs.

The legislation also requires drugsfor children to be in a child-friendlyformulation, adds Durmowicz. So ifthe drug was initially developed as acapsule, it has to also be made in a

form that a child can take, such as aliquid with cherry flavoring, rapidlydissolving tablets, or strips for placingunder the tongue.

Allergy ShotsChildren who dont respond to eitherOTC or prescription medications, orwho suf fer from frequent compli-cations of allergic rhinitis, may becandidates for allergen immunother-apycommonly known as allergyshots. According to NIAID, about 80

percent of people with allergic rhinitiswill see their symptoms and need formedicine drop significantly within ayear of starting allergy shots.

After allergy testing, typically byskin testing to detect what allergensyour child may react to, a health careprofessional injects the child withextractssmall amounts of theallergens that trigger a reaction. Thedoses are gradually increased so that

the body builds up immunity to theseallergens.

Allergen extracts are manufacturedfrom natural substances, such as pol-lens, insect venoms, animal hair, andfoods. More than 1,200 extracts arelicensed by FDA.

Some doctors are buying extractslicensed for injection and instruct-ing the parents to administer theextracts using a dropper under thechilds tongue, says Jay E. Slater, M.D.,director of FDAs Division of Bacte-rial, Parasitic and Allergenic Prod-ucts. While FDA considers this thepractice of medicine (and the agencydoes not regulate the practice of medi-

cine), parents and patients shouldbe aware that there are no allergenicextracts currently licensed by FDAfor oral use.

Allergy shots are never appropriatefor food allergies, adds Slater, who isalso a pediatrician and allergist. Butits common to use extracts to testforfood allergies so the child can avoidthose foods.

Transformation in TreatmentIn the last 20 years, there has been a

remarkable transformation in allergytreatments, says Slater. Kids used tobe miserable for months out of theyear, and drugs made them incred-ibly sleepy. But todays products areoutstanding in terms of safety andefficacy.

Forgoing treatment can make foran irritable, sleepless, and unhappychild, adds Slater, recalling a mothersaying, after her childs successfultreatment, I didnt realize I had anice kid!
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdateshttp://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdateshttp://www.fda.gov/consumer/consumerenews.htmlhttp://www.fda.gov/consumer/consumerenews.htmlhttp://www.fda.gov/consumer/consumerenews.htmlhttp://www.fda.gov/consumer/consumerenews.htmlhttp://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdateshttp://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates


3/3



FDA-Approved Drug Options for Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis (Hay Fever) in Children

Drug Type How Used

Some Examples of Over-the-Counter

(OTC) or Prescription (Rx) Drugs (manyare available in generic form) Common Side Effects

Nasal

corticosteroids

Usually sprayed in

nose once a day

Rx:

Nasonex (mometasone furoate)

Flonase (uticasone propionate)

Stinging in nose

Oral and

topical

antihistamines

Orally (pills, liquid,or strip placed under

the tongue), nasally(spray or drops), oreye drops

Oral OTC:

Benadryl (diphenhydramine)

Chlor-Trimeton (chlorpheniramine) Allegra* (fexofenadine)

Claritin* (loratadine) Zyrtec* (cetirizine)

Oral Rx:

Clarinex (desloratadine)

Nasal Rx:

Astelin (azelastine)

* non-sedating

Some antihistamines may

cause drowsiness

Some nasal sprays may

cause a bitter taste in

mouth, headache, and

stinging in nose

Decongestants Orally and nasally

(some-times takenwith antihistamines,

which used alone

do not treat nasal

congestion)

Oral Sudafed (pseudoephedrine*), SudafedPE (phenylephrine)

Oral Rx:

Allegra D, which has both an

antihistamine (fexofenadine) and

decongestant (pseudoephedrine*)

Nasal OTC:

Neo-Synephrine (phenylephrine) Afrin (oxymetazoline)

* Drugs that contain pseudoephedrine are

non-prescription but are kept behind the

pharmacy counter because of their illegal

use to make methamphetamine. Youll

need to ask your pharmacist and show

identification to buy these drugs.

Using nose sprays or drops

more than a few days may

cause rebound effect,

in which nasal congestion

gets worse

Non-steroidal

nasal sprays

Nasally used 34

times a day

OTC:

NasalCrom (cromolyn sodium)

Rx:

Atrovent (ipratropium bromide)

Stinging in nose or

sneezing; can help preventsymptoms of allergic

rhinitis if used before

symptoms start

Leukotriene

receptor

antagonist

Orally once a day

(comes in granulesto mix with food,

and chewable

tablets)

Rx:

Singulair (montelukast sodium)

Headache, ear infection,

sore throat, upper

respiratory infection

Documents

Allergies Kids 092911