"First with Kids" | Vermont Children's Hospital


	"First with Kids"
	Fletcher Allen Home > Departments & Services > Vermont Children's Hospital > "First with Kids"

-First Photo Journal

Lewis First, MD offers parents and children tips for staying healthy and safe in his weekly First with Kids segments. Always delivered with enthusiasm and humor, First with Kids can be found on WOKO radio 98.9 FM, WCAX-TV Channel 3 and in the Chittenden County Newspaper Group papers.

Dr. First is Chief of Pediatrics at the Vermont Children's Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Vermont College of Medicine.

This week Dr. First offers tips on:

Allergy Season

May 05, 2008

Allergy Season

With spring here, parents have been itching to ask me how they can tell the difference between an allergy and a cold. It is easier than you might think.

Colds are usually caused by germs called viruses and are usually accompanied by fever, while allergies are due to the body overreacting to an environmental trigger such as pollen from grass, ragweed, trees, mold spores, dust mites, animal dander, and even foods and medications.

Colds are most common in the fall and winter, whereas allergies occur in the spring, summer, and early autumn. Allergies can run in families, especially families who also have eczema or asthma. Colds will last 7-10 days, while allergies can last for weeks or even months.

If you think your child has an allergy, remember that the best treatment may be to identify the irritant and remove it as much as possible from the home environment. For example, air conditioning, or at least keeping windows closed, will reduce pollen counts in the home and decrease the growth of molds and even dust mites, which can trigger an allergic attack.

Allergic children are also particularly sensitive to pollutants in secondhand tobacco smoke and pet hairs, so keeping pets and cigarettes outside your home as much as possible can go a long way to helping your allergic child.

If you suspect your child has an allergy, talk to your pediatrician, who may want to refer your child to a pediatric allergist for further testing to see just what they are allergic to, as well as recommend a medication that can treat the problem.

Hopefully you'll find tips like these will put you in the nose, or, I mean, in the know when it comes to recognizing when your child has an allergy rather than a pesky cold.

Lewis First, M.D., is chief of Pediatrics at Vermont Children's Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. You can also catch "First with Kids" weekly on WOKO 98.9FM and on WCAX-TV Channel 3. Visit the First with Kids archives at www.vermontchildrens.org

Lewis First, MD is chief of pediatrics at the Vermont Children's Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Vermont College of Medicine. You can also catch "First with Kids" weekly on WOKO, 98.9 FM and now on WCAX-TV, Channel 3. Visit www.vermontchildrens.org to access all of this year's First with Kids segments.