Allergies happen when a person's body releases a chemical called histamine, and that can cause sneezing, itchy eyes and congestion. There can be more extreme reactions, but usually it is more a matter of discomfort. Pollen from plants is the most common cause of allergies, though there can be any number of things that can cause symptoms. Food allergies are also fairly common, especially with children. The treatment of allergies is normally done anti-histamines, and the treatment for children is the same as for adults, but at a lower level of medication. There are over the counter anti-histamines for children, and in strong cases, there are prescription level anti-histamines. When there are dangerous levels of allergies, there is epinephrine, which is only available by prescription.
Claritin for children is a solid choice for normal allergy symptoms. This is a 24-hour dose that provides relief from common symptoms like sneezing and itchy eyes. It has a non-drowsy formula, which has been the biggest complaint against allergy medications. There are also flavors available which will appeal to kids.
There are two types of anti-histamines. One causes drowsiness, and one does not. The non-drowsy formulas are best for children. The age of the child matters as well. Drowsy inducing formulas are not recommended for children under the age of six.
Children's Rhinocort is a nasal spray which is good for a stuffy nose, which is the most common and the most easily treated allergy symptom. This should be used just once per day. This is for children over the age of six. This is a non-drowsy formula for kids over the age of six.
Children's Zyrtec is available as a tablet or a syrup. This formula is mild enough for children between the ages of two and six. It can cause drowsiness though, and can be given at bedtime. It lasts 24-hours and should allow the child to wake up without allergy symptoms.
In some cases allergies can be so bad that they become life threatening, and usually these are from foods or insect bites. Doctors may prescribe epinephrine. These can be carried with the person if they have a history of this type reaction and can be used if symptoms start to show up. Auvi-Q has an auto-injector system that is a great way to administer this product. It has to be injected into the skin when needed, and this product is small enough to carry inside a pocket.
The simple answer is to avoid the thing causing the allergy, but that can be complicated until you determine exactly what is causing the allergy. If a child had pollen allergies, maybe avoiding the outdoors during spring is a good idea, and to replace filters in furnaces and air conditioners. If a child consistently gets sick after eating a specific food, that could be an allergy showing up.
You may try simple trial and error. Symptoms usually show up very quickly when exposed to the thing causing the allergy. Food is a bit more tricky. There are tests doctors can do to determine what a child is allergic to, and there is a branch of medicine that uses shots to build up tolerance to what is causing the allergy. The battery of tests are usually a very good way of determining what is causing the allergies. Shots are still controversial as a preventative.
Itchy eyes are another common symptom of allergies. Zatidor, Visine or Opcam are all good choices for eye drops that can relieve the symptoms. There are children's versions of all these, and they are better for kids that adult products.