children's allergy: snorting

My 8 year old son has allergies and he often has sneezing attacks and snorts, while he sleeps and awake. Is there anything I can give him for this?, Benadryl doesn't work.

Thank you

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

What your son seems to be having is allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis is a collection of symptoms, predominantly in the nose and eyes, caused by airborne particles of dust, dander, or plant pollens in people who are allergic to these substances.

When a person with allergies breathes in an allergen such as pollen or dust, antibodies are produced. When the antibodies are stimulated by pollen and dust, histamine and other chemicals are released. This causes itching, swelling, and mucus production.

Pls contact an allergic specialist and get skin tests like skin ***** test done. In this a small amount of allergen is introduced into the skin of the forearm and the reaction of the skin is noted. If there is any redness then that person is allergic to the allergen introduced.

You can also get blood tests like RAST done for your son.

Your son is already takin benadryl. Longer-acting antihistamines are also helpful which are available by prescription.These medications include fexofenadine (Allegra), and cetirizine (Zyrtec).

You can also use nasal corticosteroid sprays like nasocort or flonase. Decongestants may also be helpful in reducing symptoms such as nasal congestion, but they should not be used for long periods. Cromolyn sodium is a nasal spray (Nasalcrom) for treating hay fever. If the symptoms are intense then your son can go in for immunotherapy.Pls consult an allergist in that case.

Hope this helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how your son is doing or if you have any additional queries.Kind regards.