Allergy medications for children

Allergy is the most common autoimmune disease in our time, widespread among both adults and children.

[ 1 ], [ 2 ], [ 3 ], [ 4 ], [ 5 ], [ 6 ]

Indications for prescribing anti-allergy medications for children

Allergy is a condition of the human body in which it becomes sensitive to a certain type of components, reacts to some substances in such a way that various rashes (red dots, spots, cracks, ulcers), redness, itching appear on the body, the skin begins to peel. With allergies in children, the child becomes restless, he has insomnia, irritability is observed.

Allergies in children usually affect the arms, stomach, back, chest, and can then spread to the entire body. Usually accompanied by a runny nose, sneezing, bronchial asthma, and one of the most dangerous manifestations - Quincke's edema.

Allergies in children can be food, drug and skin. These types of allergies in children are the most common.

At the slightest suspicion of allergy in children, it is necessary to contact a pediatrician as soon as possible for diagnostics, analysis, laboratory studies and diagnosis. Self-medication in case of allergy in children is strictly contraindicated - the fact is that when using drugs for the treatment of allergies, children need to strictly adhere to dosages so as not to exceed the norm of drug use. In addition, contraindications to the use of drugs in children also appear more often and more intensely when doses are exceeded than in adults.

List of allergy medications for children

Allergies in children are treated with antihistamines. These are medicinal substances that belong to one large group of drugs. When a reaction to an allergen-irritant occurs in the human body, histamine, released as a result of these processes, causes all the observed allergic symptoms. There are three generations of antihistamines. The criterion for their conditional division into these groups are factors such as effectiveness and harmlessness.

List of first generation antihistamines for the treatment of allergies in children

• "Diphenhydramine" ("Diphenhydramine"), "Alphadryl";
• "Suprastin";
• “Promethazine” (“Pipolfen”), “Diprazine”;
• "Clemastine" ("Tavegil");
• "Diazolin" ("Omeril");
• "Fenkarol" ("Quifenadine");
• "Peritol" ("Cyproheptadine").

The peculiarity of the drugs of this group is that they are eliminated from the body quite quickly, so they must be taken in large doses and relatively often. They have a negative effect on the human nervous system, their effect causes inhibition, lethargy, apathy, coordination is impaired, dizziness is possible.

Typically, such medications are used when it is urgently necessary to remove the manifestations of allergy symptoms in children. The best first-generation allergy remedy is considered to be "Tavegil". Its effect is the longest, and the side effects are minimal. However, when treating allergies in children, "Tavegil" is contraindicated for newborns.

List of second generation antihistamines for the treatment of allergies in children

• "Claritin" ("Loratadine");
• "Zyrtec" ("Cetirizine");
• "Kestin" ("Ebastine").

The effect of these drugs occurs quite quickly and lasts for a long period (approximately 24 hours). An important feature is that they do not have a hypnotic effect and are relatively safe. They can be taken at any time without regard to food intake. According to doctors, antihistamines should be used to treat allergies in children, starting with the second generation. The most commonly used of this group are Zyrtec and Claritin.

List of third generation antihistamines for the treatment of allergies in children

• "Terfenadine" ("Terfen");
• "Astemizole" ("Gismanal").

Third generation antihistamines are used when long-term treatment is needed. They remain in the body for a long time and thus ensure maximum effect.

Treatment of allergies in children under one year of age

Parents of newborn babies should be especially attentive and prevent the development of allergic reactions. The baby should be limited as much as possible from the sphere of action of any of the main known allergens. It is important for infants and their mothers to follow a diet, maintain cleanliness in the rooms where the baby is, try to use cosmetics and medicines as rarely as possible and only when absolutely necessary.

Allergies in newborns are especially severe; Quincke's edema or asthma can cause a very serious condition in the child, so much so that he may even have to be hospitalized.

The peculiarity of using anti-allergy medications for small children is that it is necessary to choose medications that do not have a sedative effect and do not cause drowsiness. For children under one year of age, the presence of such side effects is undesirable.

Taking activated charcoal, which can absorb food allergens, helps relieve allergy symptoms in children.

The child's body becomes more sensitive to hormonal antihistamines, in addition, activated carbon improves the general well-being of the child, in addition, it helps to strengthen the immune system, restore blood composition, which leads to the production of antigens during the course of the disease. It can be safely used at any age, even for infants.

Eye drops such as Ketotifen, Olopatadine, and Azelastine help to alleviate the condition of allergic reactions. They help eliminate excessive lacrimation and itchy eyes. In the case of small children, experts strongly recommend carefully reading the instructions, and even better, consulting a doctor before using them to treat small children.

How to take allergy medications for children?

There are a great many medications available today to treat allergies in children. Let's look at the use and dosages of some of them.

Zyrtec dosages for treating allergies in children

One of the most common remedies for allergies in children is Zyrtec. It comes in tablets and drops, with the latter being the most popular. Of course, in each individual case the dosage is determined by the attending physician, especially in the case of allergies in a child. But if we describe the traditional recommendations for use, then children aged 6-12 months are usually prescribed 5 drops once a day, 1-2 years - 5 drops twice a day, 2-6 years - 10 drops once a day. Children from 6 years old can take 20 drops or one tablet once a day.

Loratadine dosage for allergy treatment in children

Another popular drug is Loratadine. Children aged 3 to 12 years take half a tablet or one teaspoon of syrup once a day. Children weighing 30 kg or more (usually aged 12 years and over) take one tablet of Loratadine (10 mg) or two teaspoons of syrup once a day.

Suprastin dosages for the treatment of allergies in children

A drug such as "Suprastin" is also prescribed for the treatment of allergies in children. Children under one year of age are given "Suprastin" in the amount of a quarter of a tablet two or three times a day (depending on the doctor's recommendations). Children aged 1-6 years take either a quarter of a tablet three times a day, or a third of a tablet twice a day. Children aged 6-14 years can take "Suprastin" for the treatment of allergies, half a tablet two or three times a day.

Tavegil dosages for the treatment of allergies in children

The drug "Tavegil" is used to treat allergies in children. It comes in the form of tablets, syrup and injection solution in ampoules. Most often, "Tavegil" or, as it is also called, "Clemastine" is prescribed in the form of tablets for oral administration before meals. "Tavegil" is not used to treat allergic reactions in children under one year old - it is contraindicated for them, this should be remembered. Children from one year to 12 years old are prescribed "Tavegil" in a dosage of half a tablet twice a day. Children over 12 years old take one tablet twice a day (in especially severe cases, the doctor can increase the dose to six tablets a day).

Sometimes, in case of severe allergic reactions, Tavegil is administered to the patient intravenously. In this case, the dosage for children is 0.025 mg per 1 kg of the child's body weight.

Diazolin dosages for the treatment of allergies in children

Allergic reactions in children are treated with the drug "Diazolin Children's". It is available in the form of tablets and dragees, which contain 50 or 100 mg of the active substance mebhydrolin. "Diazolin" can be used to treat allergic diseases in children from 3 years old. Children from 3 to 6 years old are prescribed the drug 25 mg one to three times a day; children from 6 to 12 years old - 50 mg one to three times a day; children from 12 years old - adult dosage, 100 mg twice a day at intervals of 12 hours for no more than five days in a row.

[ 7 ], [ 8 ]

Terfenadine dosage for allergy treatment in children

"Terfenadine" is available in the form of tablets of 60 mg and 120 mg, suspension for oral administration (in 5 ml - 30 mg), and also in the form of syrup (in 5 ml - 30 mg). For children from 6 to 12 years old, "Terfenadine" is prescribed 30 mg twice a day. Taking into account body weight, the daily dose for children is 2 mg / kg. Children over 12 years old can take 60 mg twice a day or 120 mg once in the morning.

Astemizole dosage for allergy treatment in children

"Astemizole" for the treatment of allergies is prescribed: to children over 12 years old - 10 mg once a day on an empty stomach (if necessary, increase the daily dose to 30 mg, the maximum period of taking the drug is 7 days); to children aged 6 to 12 years - 5 mg once a day; to children under 6 years - a suspension of the drug at the rate of 2 mg per 10 kg of body weight once a day. To dose the drug for children under 6 years old, use a special pipette included with the drug.

[ 9 ], [ 10 ], [ 11 ], [ 12 ], [ 13 ], [ 14 ], [ 15 ]

Side Effects of Allergy Medications for Children

The most pronounced side effects are in first-generation antihistamines. This group is characterized, for example, by drowsiness, decreased attention, memory impairment, and complication of learning processes. First-generation drugs have a sedative effect. They act as sleeping pills, sedatives, promote sleep, but unnatural sleep, after which a person feels heaviness in the head, constant drowsiness. In children, when treating allergies with first-generation antihistamines, there is a decrease in perception in school classes, which can naturally affect academic performance. This occurs due to the effect on the flow of cognitive functions in the human body (such as memory, concentration, and other components necessary for learning processes). A feature of the sedative effect of first-generation antihistamines is its duration - it is much longer than the duration of the antiallergic effect. Reactions are usually inhibited the next day after you took the drug, even one dose.

Unlike adults and older children, first-generation antihistamines can have the opposite effect on babies: the child becomes more excitable, hyperactive, and sleep is disturbed. In addition, if you take drugs from this group for, say, ten to fifteen days, the drug can cause addiction. In this case, its antiallergic effect becomes less intense, and then you need to replace one drug with another from this category.

Another unpleasant side effect is that the mucous membranes of the mouth, eyes, and bronchi become dry. At the same time, the viscosity of sputum increases, making it difficult to cough up, which is why bronchial asthma often worsens.

The second, and especially the third, new generation of antihistamine antiallergic drugs have fewer side effects, which are also less intense. But even they can lead to such side effects as headache, dry mouth, increased fatigue.

In case of allergies in children, it is important to be especially careful when taking antihistamines and be sure to consult with your doctor first. The main thing to understand is that a child's body is especially sensitive, so it has its own dosages, and the side effects may be more intense than in an adult taking the same drug. Doctors recommend using only the latest, third-generation antihistamines to treat allergies in children, as they act more gently, eliminating symptoms, but at the same time are more gentle in terms of side effects.