05.29.2025

Hay fever in Children: Prevention, Treatment, and Management

Hay fever, also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, affects millions of children every year, particularly during spring and summer. As a parent, managing your child’s hay fever can feel frustrating and even upsetting, making its management essential.

In the following article, we’re breaking down what hay fever is, its symptoms in children, and the best treatments available.

What is Hay fever?

Hay fever, medically known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, is an allergic reaction where the immune system mistakenly identifies airborne substances as a threat, triggering the release of inflammatory compounds.

The release of these chemicals (histamine is one of them) causes symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, and itchy eyes.

There are two main types of hay fever — perennial hay fever and seasonal hay fever. Indoor allergens like dust mites, pet hair, and mould cause perennial hay fever, which can occur all year-round.

Seasonal hay fever is more common and usually occurs during spring and summer, when plants release pollen into the air, and these particles act like allergens for people suffering from hay fever.

Today, we’ll be focusing on seasonal hay fever in children and ways to manage and treat this type of allergy.

Hay fever in children

Hay fever not only affects adults but many children also experience this condition, often without a proper diagnosis. While some children only show mild symptoms, others can suffer from significant discomfort, which can affect their sleep, concentration, school performance, and everyday well-being.

Are some children predisposed to develop hay fever?

Children with a family history of allergies, such as asthma and eczema, are more likely to develop haynfever than others. Hay fever can also be part of a group of allergic conditions (hay fever, asthma, and eczema) known as the atopic triad.

At what age does hay fever start?

Hay fever can develop at any age, but it typically begins after the age of two or three, when the immune system becomes more reactive to environmental triggers.

Most children who are likely to develop hay fever start showing symptoms by the age of 10. The allergic reaction is rare in infants. However, if your child has other allergies or allergic conditions like eczema, it’s important to watch for early signs as they get older.

Why is diagnosing hay fever in children important?

Hay fever can cause anything from mild irritation to extreme discomfort in children. Aside from reducing hay fever symptoms, a proper diagnosis is essential to reduce the risk of your child developing health complications. These include sinus and ear infections or worsening asthma.

How do I know if my child has hay fever?

Determining the difference between a common cold and seasonal hay fever can prove tricky, as some symptoms overlap. However, there are many signs you can watch out for to determine whether your child has hay fever.

Common hay fever symptoms in children include:

Flare-ups during spring and summer – Trees, grasses, and plants release more pollen over spring and summer due to increased pollen count. Therefore, you may notice symptoms appearing during the warmer months.
Itchy eyes and nose – Experiencing itchy eyes and nose isn’t typical of a common cold, and is usually due to an allergy.
Symptoms improve indoors or during rainy weather – Pollen count is lower when it’s raining and indoors. During these times, you may notice milder symptoms or symptoms that clear up altogether.
A stuffy or clear, runny nose – A runny nose during colds causes yellow or green mucus, whereas hay fever mucus is clear. Inflamed sinuses can also consistently block your child’s nose.
Allergic salute or irritated eyes – “Allergic salute” is when a person continuously rubs their eyes and nose in an upward motion to relieve itching and irritation. This action can cause red or watery eyes.
Recurring sneezing – If your child keeps sneezing or has sneezing episodes, it may be a sign of hay fever.
Other common hay fever symptoms – Your child may have an itchy throat or ears, a postnasal drip (which can cause a cough), tiredness (due to poor sleep), and headaches.

Common hay fever allergies in spring and summer

There are multiple triggers of seasonal hay fever, which can vary depending on the child. The most common triggers include:

Tree pollen – There is a higher release of tree pollen during spring, which is particularly prevalent in oak, birch, maple, and cedar trees.
Grass pollen – An increase in grass pollen occurs late spring to early summer, with ryegrass, Timothy, and Bermuda grasses being the biggest culprits.
Weed pollen – Weed pollen is highest in late summer to early autumn and is mainly released by ragweed, sagebrush, and pigweed.

How to reduce exposure to seasonal allergies

Reducing your child’s exposure to allergens can significantly decrease symptoms and reliance on medications. Below are effective strategies you can follow to minimise pollen exposure.

Monitor pollen levels

You can easily check the local pollen count during spring and summer. On high pollen days, keep your windows closed and use air purifiers or HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filters indoors. You can also limit your child’s outdoor activities, especially in the morning when the pollen count is highest.

Change clothes and shower

Showering after being outside helps remove pollen from your child’s skin and hair. Ensure they also change clothes to prevent them from breathing in pollen after they’ve come inside.

Keep indoor air clean

Although it’s tempting to use fans and open windows to keep your house cool, doing so can worsen hay fever by letting pollen inside, allowing it to circulate throughout the home. Use air conditioning if you can and regularly vacuum to remove pollen. Washing bedding weekly in hot water can also keep your child’s room fresh and reduce hay fever symptoms, helping them sleep better.

Create an allergen-free zone

It’s tough keeping the entire house clear of seasonal allergies, so focusing on your child’s bedroom is helpful to ensure a good night’s sleep. Ensure they don’t bring clothes from outside into their bedroom and keep their windows shut. Don’t let pets inside the room as they may bring in pollen, and wash the bed sheets regularly.

What are the best hay fever treatments?

Reducing exposure to pollen is vital. However, it’s not always enough to prevent severe or consistent hay fever symptoms. If that’s the case, there are a number of hay fever treatments available.

Over-the-counter hay fever remedies

Over-the-counter hay fever remedies are often suitable for milder hay fever symptoms. These include:

Antihistamines – Antihistamines block the histamine the body releases from the hay fever. Non-drowsy options include cetirizine, loratadine, and fexofenadine.
Nasal sprays – Nasal sprays are a popular option to ease stuffy noses by unblocking congested sinuses or reducing inflammation to clear nasal pathways.
Eye drops – A common and uncomfortable hay fever symptom is itchy, red eyes. Using eye drops can help relieve irritation to ease itchiness.

Prescription hay fever treatments

Over-the-counter treatments aren’t always effective for severe or consistent hay fever in children. If that’s the case, your paediatrician may recommend prescription treatments

Stronger antihistamines – Some prescription antihistamines provide longer-lasting relief or are more suited for children with multiple symptoms.
Prescription nasal sprays – These may include a combination of antihistamines and decongestants, which work well for persistent nasal symptoms.
Allergy immunotherapy – If your child struggles with severe, persistent hay fever, your Paediatrician may suggest allergy shots or tablets. These treatments help desensitise the immune system to specific allergens for hay fever relief.

How we can help

Our private Paediatricians at The Clinica are passionate about providing your child with effective allergy symptom treatments and essential immunisations and vaccinations.