When the summer rolls around, children are often itching to play outside and be with their friends. Children who are allergic to insects may be itching for yet another reason. If your children are allergic to insects, you will need to make sure that they are properly protected from stings and bites during the summer months. Keeping children inside is not a plan that will work if your children enjoy summer activities. To allow your children fun but keep them safe, here are some ways to help control insect bites and allergic reactions.
Purchase linen long sleeves
For areas that heat up past 80 degrees in the summer, comfortable and cool clothing is a must. Though it is common to wear short sleeves during the summer, there are better clothing options for children that suffer from allergies. If your child has allergies, purchase long-sleeve linen shirts and pants. Linen is a cool fabric that will permit air to easily pass through. Linen clothing will keep the arms and legs covered, which can stop insects from being able to easily land and bite.
Have your children carry their EpiPen
If your child tends to go into shock when they are bitten by an insect, they will need to know how to give themselves a shot with their medicated pen. Give each child a demonstration on how the pen works and how to administer it to themselves or to one another. Prior to your child going to any camp or going over to a friends house, let the adults in charge know about your child's allergies, and let them know about the pen. Training your child how to behave before they go into shock will make taking care of themselves easier.
Take preventative baths
If your child tends to have skin itching, redness, and inflammation due to a stinging insect allergy, they should take preventative baths in the summer evenings. Before bed, they should bathe in oatmeal in order to soothe their skin. After the bath, they can check for redness or sores that persist. After the bath, they should apply a soothing lotion to the skin to make sure that they have not missed any bites. If your child has any skin issues during the day, they should take the same bath in order to calm their skin. Be sure to help younger children with scrubbing their scalp to make sure that they do not have any bites in their hair that can become sores.
Share12 February 2019
When was the last time you went to an optometrist? If you are like most people, you only go when your glasses break or you run out of contact lenses. Very few people actually follow the guidelines of having their eyes checked each year. Not sure why it is necessary to visit your optometrist each year? You can learn all about the different exams and tests that your optometrist runs and why they are done. Knowing what can go wrong with your eyes and what can be done if the ailments are detected early could help to encourage you to get to the optometrist more often.