For the last 2 weeks my ds's eye lids have been swollen. He is four and has never had allergies before. But friends of ours said that is what it looks like to them. He has also been doing swim lessons for four weeks. They are everyday except Fri. This was to be his last week. So I assumed the eye thing may be from that. Since He had really no other symptoms of allergies. That was until today. He woke up with a stuffy nose and he sounds awful. You can also tell he does not feel well. He has no fever.

I guess I am wondering who has expierence with this. I am right now just going to try Benedryl since I am not really ready to rush off to the doctor for a first time occurrence. I also want to see how he does after a week of no swimming. Does the Benedryl usually clear such things up? What else will they or can they give a kid his age? I always thought I was so lucky my kids didn't have any food allergies or asthma ect... Now its coming back to haunt me! LOL! Any advice appreciated. Dh and I don't have allergies and just don't really know what to expect.

By Jodes on Wednesday, July 2, 2003 - 02:29 pm:

I don't really have any experience with allergies that produce the symptoms that you mention, but I do have experience with contact allergies, and food and medicine type allergies, my older son is allergic to many soaps and also is severly allergic to amoxocillin. Anyways, it sounds to me like it could be from the swimming, or maybe, a cold was coming on and it affected his eyes...my older son also tends to get pink eye with almost every cold, and that also causes swelling. Benedryl should help those symptoms, there is also claritin that you can buy over the counter that I think kids can take. I guess I am not really helping much here! i would just keep an eye on him and keep giving the benedryl and see how the symptoms progress, and if the eye swelling doesn't go down, that would be my main concern.

By Karen55 on Wednesday, July 2, 2003 - 02:58 pm:

Beth, it could be from the pool water or the chlorine/chemicals in the water. Benadryl, Clariton or Tavist should work on that. But check with your ped., there are some other things for kids, like Rynatin.

I am living on Benadryl this week. With all the rain we've had in June, everything is blooming/growing like wild here, and I'm having the same symptoms as your DS - swollen/puffy/teary eyes, stuffy/runny nose, which is making me cough, and I am hoarse. Just overall makes you feel kind of cruddy, but it's allergies for sure.

By Debbie on Wednesday, July 2, 2003 - 03:20 pm:

Unfortunately, both my dks have allergies. If the problem started at the same time as swimming, then it may be something in the pool that is bothering him. I did give both my kids Benadryl which helped in the beginning, but eventually I had to put them both on Zyrtec. They take it once a day during allergy season or when they start to show symptoms...itchy - watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing. We haven't had any problems since their ped. but them on the Zyrtec. I would just start him on Benadryl and see how he does. One thing to be aware of... with my oldest, Benadryl made it hard for him to sleep. The exact opposite happened with my youngest, it made him very sleepy.

By Babysitbarb on Thursday, July 3, 2003 - 12:07 am:

Both my kids and my husband and I have allergies. My Youngest daughter seems to have the worst of it. She gets the puffy eyes, red blood shot, white puss loooking stuff and wakes up lots with crusty eyes. Both of my girls are on Allegra-D, I'm on Zyrtec-D and hubby doesn't take any allergies medicines. Benadryl is great for sleeping but, otherwise it makes me sleepy. The problem could be from the clorine and swimming but, if it doesn't go away it could be allergies. My youngest daughter has suffered since about 4 years old, my oldest just in the last couple years.I have had problems as long as I can remmeber.

By Beth on Thursday, July 3, 2003 - 08:08 am:

Thanks all for the advice. I actually am going to take him to the doctor today. He sounds worse. It almost sounds like his tounsels in his mouth our swollen. When he woke up he asked for a drink of water an he seemed to choke on it. It just looks like his whole face is puffy. I am actually fighting the urge not to take him to the emergency room but I know the doctor's office will open in a couple of hours. So I guess I would just feel better if he went and got checked out. Poor guy has to miss his last two days of swimming and he was just getting the hang of it. All let you know how it goes.

By Beth on Thursday, July 3, 2003 - 12:02 pm:

Okay a little premature and the allergy questions. The doctor actually thinks he has strep throat. His tonsils were very swollen and pussy. She didn't think allergies had anything to do with it. Boy do I wish I would have taken him yesterday now. So hopefully he will be better in a few days and dd does not get sick. My dk's are supposed to go to my parents house for two weeks. You don't know how I was looking forward to this!

By Bobbie on Friday, July 4, 2003 - 12:13 am:

Hope it clears up fast Beth. I have allergies, my main one is Pine sap/tar. My grandmother is also allergic to it.... When we are exposed to Pine sap/tar it presents it self as Strep/throat infection. Fever, throat feels raw and then it starts to swells up, gets pussy, ears generally end up infected and my larynx swells to the point that I can't speak. My Dr I have now (have had for 10 years) had never heard of an allergy reacting that way. And apparently none of the Dr I had seen prior to the Dr I was with before my current Dr had ever seen it either. So we scheduled a follow up and I exposed my self two days prior so he could see.. Now I just call him and say I have been exposed to pine and I don't even have to go in any more. The reason I am telling you this...... His other symptoms are presentation of an allergy... Take note of his symptoms and watch for them to reoccur. If there seems to be a pattern to the illness have him tested for Allergies. I went through so much pain as a child and if we would have known I could have been treated after exposure and never got to the point I did. Treatment is antibiotics so you are fine for now either way but... because I know I am allergic. If I end up in a situtaion that I am exposed I can get myself treatment before I end up to sick... And another clue could have been NO one ever ended up sick with it besides me.....