It is that time year again parents; you know when those old familiar school playground and pollen allergies begin to flare-up in our children. The symptoms are clear to distinguish. Our children experience the runny nose, red eyes, sneezing, itchy throat or skin rash and occasionally a bad attack triggering asthma.

As parent’s we all want our children to be able to play outside on the school play ground and participate in outdoor physical education with other students and physical education teachers. When school starts in the fall there are outdoor sports such as football, cross-country and golf just to name a few that give our children the chance to get fresh air and exercise. However, what happens when your child suffers from school playground and pollen allergies? More and more children each year react to tree pollen in the fall and spring.

When children are in the elementary school the best part of their day is recess, the prospect of being able to go outside is something they look forward too. The playground gives the children a chance to move around and play releasing built up energy from sitting still. Yet, some children do not have the luxury of experiencing the wind in their face as they run or breathing the fresh air without triggering serious reactions to school playground and pollen allergies.

School playground and pollen allergies affect the body in the same way any allergic reaction would, in that your cells are flooded with histamine that creates an inflammatory reaction. However, because school playground and pollens allergy triggers are larger then they often seem they affect the body in different ways. As a result, your child could experience any of the following symptoms:

• Joint pains
• Cramps, stomach or back pain
• Feeling of anxiety and increased heart beat, hyperactivity or dizziness
• Skin sensations such as itching, burning, flushing or shivering
• Headache

Often, school playground and pollen allergy sufferers describe their symptoms as “feeling like they are coming down with a seasonal cold” or “feeling like they have a bad case of the flu.”