Every year since I was in my early teens, I’ve had mild seasonal allergy issues. But though I refer to my allergies as mild, the truth is that I only use that term because my symptoms are fairly infrequent. I may just have three or four really bad instances of sneezing, stuffiness and itchy eyes in a year but when those moments occur, I’m one unhappy woman.

Knowing how frustrating seasonal allergies can be, I was pretty sad when my oldest son developed the same symptoms. But what makes me feel even worse about my son’s battle with seasonal allergies is that there really aren’t a whole lot of treatment options for children. I always like to choose natural solutions for our health issues when possible, and so I developed some strategies to help alleviate my son’s symptoms. These are the three methods that I’ve found most helpful:

Improve Air Quality

While there’s not much I can do about potential allergens in the air when my son is outside, taking steps to ensure the air quality in our house is as good as possible has been very helpful at preventing allergy issues for both of us. Changing the air filter in the furnace as soon as allergy season arrives ensures that I’m not circulating dust and allergens in the house. And an air purifier in the living room helps remove any other potential irritants. It’s an easy way to ensure that my son has as few outbreaks as possible. [Read more…]