6 Steps to Help Control Allergic Asthma in Kids

Seasonal allergies are fairly predictable, therefore, they are relatively easy to manage and even prevent. However, allergic symptoms can manifest any time of the year because allergens occur everywhere, making treatment plans and strategies for children with asthma and related allergies more complex and challenging. Statistics say that at least 80 to 90% of children with asthma also have allergic tendencies. This is why it is important to seek the advice of an Augusta allergy and asthma specialist to help you better manage allergic asthma attacks year-round with the right treatment plan. Here are some critical steps that can help you control asthmatic attacks in children with allergic asthma:

1. Be familiar with your child’s symptoms. Every child is unique, and so are their asthmatic symptoms. Classic asthma symptoms include oral and nasal itching, sneezing, and watery eyes. Your child may or may not showcase all of these symptoms, but they are classic signs that an attack is ongoing. Other symptoms include a clicking noise, which often results from itching the roof of their mouth.

2. Know what they are allergic to. A pediatric allergist may prescribe different kinds of tests to help you determine what triggers your child’s allergy attacks. These allergic triggers can be determined through blood and/or skin testing.

3. Control indoor exposures. Once you know what your child is allergic to, it is easier to control their environmental triggers, be it the presence of dust mites, pet allergens, pests, or other indoor hazards.

4. Control outdoor exposures. Outdoor exposures are more challenging to control, but it is possible to avoid them through precautionary measures like using saline sprays, masks, and other tools to help combat outdoor exposure to allergens that occur outdoors.

5. Consider giving them allergy shots. Ask your pediatric allergist about possible allergy shots that can be given to your child to prevent allergic attacks that lead to full blown asthmatic episodes.

6. Ask about maintenance medication. There are certain allergy medications that your child could take in order to avoid the effects of allergens and reduce asthmatic attacks resulting from allergic reactions.

At Pediatric Partners of Augusta, you have access to the best pediatric allergist and general pediatricians who can help you take care of your children in the best way possible. If you are looking for an Augusta allergy and asthma specialist, Pediatric Partners has one board. Dr. Mary Anderson offers specializations in Pediatrics as well as in Allergy and Immunology. Your children will be in the best hands as they continue to grow and develop into healthy individuals.

How to Prevent Ear Infections in Children

Children get ear infections all the time, but this doesn’t mean that your child should suffer as frequently. An ear infection can be prevented if you know how to shield your child against common viruses that cause them. Everyone experiences general ear aches—adults and kids alike. Children, however, are more susceptible to them because they still haven’t fully developed their immune system, allowing them to fight off viruses and bacteria that cause ear infections. While you can’t always stop an infection from befalling your child, it’s important to know the steps you can take to prevent them and save yourself the trouble of emergency trips to your children’s doctor pediatrician.

Ear infections typically occur in the middle ear—the air-filled space just behind the eardrum, which holds small, vibrating bones responsible for picking up the sound waves we hear. Conditions like common colds, allergies, and the flu often cause swelling and congestion in the nasal passages as well as the throat. Fluid buildup in these areas increases your child’s chances of getting an ear infection, especially when these fluids don’t drain properly. Preventing these conditions is the best way to shield against ear infections. Here are some useful tips you can follow to keep earaches and infections at bay:

1. Boost your child’s immune system by breastfeeding them. Infants who nurse for at least 12 months develop a much stronger immune system and therefore have fewer infections. However, if you can’t breastfeed, your best defense is avoiding bottle-feeding your child lying down, as this makes them more susceptible to ear infections.

2. Keep the air quality in the room where your child sleeps high. Do not ever expose an infant to cigarette smoke and avoid air pollution.

3. Keep your child vaccinated and up to date on their shots.

4. Wean your child early from pacifiers, which increase their chances of developing ear infections.

5. Finally, keep your child’s hands clean to reduce their chances of catching colds and the flu and from spreading germs that cause these conditions.

At Pediatric Partners of Augusta, you’ll find the best group of children’s doctor pediatrician specialists and professionals to help care for your child’s health and wellbeing, be it a simple ear infection or perhaps a more serious illness. Their goal is to build strong partnerships with parents so that children grow into healthy, happy, young adults.

Flu Vaccine for Children: What You Need to Know

Babies and children younger than nine years of age (especially children younger than 2 years old) are at a high risk of facing complications arising from the flu. Flu vaccine for infants offers the best protection against the flu and and prevention of spreading it to other children. Getting timely flu shots for children can prevent flu-related hospitalizations, missed work and school days, flu illness, and pediatrician visits.

Parents must remember that the flu can be more dangerous to children than the common cold. Each year, thousands of infants and children get sick with seasonal flu and are hospitalized, sometimes leading to death. Complications that can arise from influenza include:

• Dehydration
• Ear infections
• Sinus problems
• Pneumonia
• Long term medical problems such as asthma or heart diseases
• In very rare cases, even death

Flu signs and symptoms:

•    Abrupt onset of fever
•    Headache
•    Body aches and fatigue
•    Respiratory-tract symptoms including a cough
•    Sore throat and an irritated nose

How to protect your child from the flu

The best way to protect your little one is with a flu shot for children. It is imperative that children and adults get a flu shot before the season kicks in, usually by the end of October, and ideally as soon as the vaccine is available each year.

What is the proper dosage?

Children from 6 months to 9 years of age require two doses of the vaccine during their first season to optimize the treatment. However, each subsequent year, children might only need a single standard dose. It is best to consult with your pediatrician to decide the best course of treatment.

Remember that like any other vaccine, a flu shot for children does not guarantee complete protection. It does greatly reduce the risk of developing severe symptoms.

How To Lower The Flu Risk

Remember that the flu vaccine for infants is the best way to control the risk, but you can minimize the uncertainty in the following ways:

• Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water
• Covering coughs and sneezes
• Avoid those who might be sick 

If your child exhibits flu symptoms, consult your pediatrician immediately. Remember, a flu shot each season can save lives, especially for the very young and elderly.

When Your Baby is Sick – Tips on How to Care for Your Baby’s Cold

A sick baby is never a happy sight. If there’s anything that you can do to take their suffering away and make them feel better, you will go to any length to bring them back to full health. Here is a simple guide to help you soothe, comfort, and speed up the healing of your sick child with a cold:

Let the Cold Run its Course

Common colds typically don’t require treatment, given that your baby’s symptoms are mild and easily manageable at home. When your child is only showing signs of a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, cough, reduced appetite, restlessness, and slight fever, calming down their symptoms is really the best thing you can do to combat colds until the cold passes. To help your sick baby feel better, you can (and should) give them extra fluids to keep them from getting dehydrated. Offer to nurse more often in case of an infant, but for babies older than 6 months, you can offer water or natural fruit juice. In addition to preventing dehydration, this will also help keep baby’s mouth and nose moist, making it easier for them to cough and sneeze out mucus.

If your child is suffering with a stuffy nose, they may need help getting rid of mucus. By spraying a few drops of saline solution into their nostril and using a bulb syringe to remove mucus from their nose, you help clear their breathing passages and keep them from the discomfort of mucus buildup. Creating an environment that promotes better rest is also important as a sick baby needs more sleep to help their body recover.

Listen to the Experts

At Pediatric Partners of Augusta, you can be sure that your sick child is in the best hands. For a cold that doesn’t go away after more than a few days and after you’ve done all you can to soothe baby’s symptoms, it is time to seek treatment from a pediatrician who can perform the right diagnosis and prescribe the right remedy to restore your child’s health. This is especially true when they have persistent fever, nausea, and diarrhea. Pediatric Partners of Augusta is a private practice group consisting of Board-Certified pediatricians and specialists who are well versed in keeping children at optimal health and free from disease. They have on-site diagnostic testing, which makes finding the right treatment for your child’s relentless colds easier and more convenient, as you seek to bring your precious bundle of joy back to good health.