Question
Male, 4 years old. My child caught a cold at kindergarten this year, and it was not noticed by the elders and developed into allergic rhinitis. Now it flares up every now and then. The child always needs to get shots and take medicine, which is not a long-term solution. What should we do about children’s allergic rhinitis?
Answer
The causes of children’s allergic rhinitis are the same as those in adults. However, great caution is needed when administering medication to children, as some drugs are not suitable for children or may pose problems if used long-term. For example, some decongestants and nasal corticosteroids are commonly used in pediatric otorhinolaryngology but are more suitable for children and are safer. We do not recommend giving children medications commonly used by adults because the concentration of adult medications is higher, which may cause some side effects. In our department’s treatment of children’s allergic rhinitis, we use traditional Chinese medicine, which has proven to be very effective.