Pollen allergy in children shows up as itchy, watery eyes, sneezing and a clear runny nose that comes back the same weeks every spring or summer, without a fever. It is rare before the age of three and becomes more common in the school years. Relief is available over the counter for children, and the pharmacy will advise on what suits each age. Your child goes to förskola (municipal preschool, from age one) as usual, and what helps most day to day is rinsing the face, changing clothes and washing hair after days outdoors.
Late April in Stockholm. The birches in Hagaparken have come into leaf and your five-year-old comes home from förskola with red, puffy eyes, sneezing ten times in a row. It was the same last year, and you put it down to a cold. Pollen allergy creeps up over a few seasons and is often mistaken for a common cold in the early years. Here is how to recognise it, what the season looks like here, what brings relief and what to tell the preschool.
Signs of pollen allergy
- Itchy, red, watery eyes. This is the clearest sign: a cold does not make the eyes itch.
- Sneezing in bursts, especially in the morning and outdoors.
- A clear, watery runny nose and a blocked nose, without it ever turning thick and yellow.
- Itching in the nose, the roof of the mouth and the ears. Your child rubs their nose upwards with the palm of their hand.
- Tiredness and trouble concentrating, which is often overlooked. A child who sleeps badly with a blocked nose in May will be grumpy and tired during the day.
- Coughing and wheezing in children who also have asthma. Pollen season is a common time for asthma flare-ups.
- It comes back at the same time every year, and gets worse on sunny, windy days. Rain brings relief.
Pollen allergy or a cold?
| Pollen allergy | Cold | |
|---|---|---|
| Eyes | Itchy, red, watery | Rarely affected |
| Runny nose | Watery, clear, goes on for weeks | Thicker, yellow after a few days, gone in one to two weeks |
| Fever | No | Often at the start |
| Sneezing | In bursts, especially outdoors | Occasional |
| Timing | The same weeks every year | Any time, mostly autumn and winter |
| Pattern | Worse outdoors, on sunny days | Unrelated to the weather |
The pollen season in Stockholm
| Pollen | Approximate timing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hazel and alder | February to April | The earliest, often as soon as the snow melts |
| Birch | Late April to late May | The big season, and the most trouble |
| Grass | June to August | Peaks around midsommar (Midsummer), worse in meadows and in parks that are mown |
| Mugwort | July to September | Grows along roadsides and on waste ground |
What brings relief
- Over-the-counter medicines for children: antihistamine as a liquid or tablet, nasal sprays and eye drops are available from different ages. Ask the pharmacy what suits your child and follow the packaging. Start a few days before the season begins; it works better than starting once the eyes are already swollen.
- The vårdcentral if over-the-counter remedies are not enough, if your child has asthma, or if you want an investigation with testing. For severe symptoms there is a treatment that reduces the allergy over time, available for children from school age.
- Rinse the face and eyes with water when you come indoors, and wash hair in the evening so pollen does not come to bed.
- Change clothes after a day outside. Do not dry laundry outdoors during the season.
- Air the home early in the morning or after rain, not in the middle of the day when pollen counts are highest. Keep the bedroom closed during the day.
- Sunglasses outdoors, if your child will wear them. They keep some of the pollen out of the eyes.
- Plan your outings: a birch wood in May is the wrong place for a child with a birch allergy. The sea, a bathing spot or the city centre are better bets.
Preschool
Your child goes as usual. Tell the staff what your child reacts to and what it looks like, so they do not assume it is a contagious cold, and ask them to rinse your child's face after time in the playground during the worst weeks. If your child needs medicine during the day, leave it labelled with their name and written instructions from you, and ask how the preschool prefers to handle it, as routines vary. Many children manage on one dose at home in the morning. Outings to the forest during birch season are worth mentioning, because staff usually do not know which children are affected.
Cross-reactivity: when apples make the mouth itch
Children with a birch pollen allergy sometimes get an itchy mouth and lips from raw fruit and vegetables such as apple, pear, peach and carrot, and from hazelnuts, especially during pollen season. It happens because the proteins resemble those in birch. It is unpleasant but rarely dangerous, and the fruit is often fine if it is cooked, baked or peeled. If your child's throat swells, they struggle to breathe or become drowsy, that is a different kind of reaction and needs urgent assessment. We have a separate guide on Food allergies in children.
How we do it with our families
Nike is with a family in Vasastan three afternoons a week, and in May she moves their outings from Hagaparken to the open lawns of Rålambshovsparken and to Stadsbiblioteket on days when the pollen forecast is high, because the family's seven-year-old is allergic to birch. When they get home, the first stop is the bathroom: rinse the face, fresh top, and hair washed before bed during the worst weeks. On her note she writes whether the eyes were red in the afternoon, so the parents know whether the morning dose was enough or whether they should call the vårdcentral.
This text is general information and does not replace advice from BVC (the child health clinic every family is enrolled in), your vårdcentral (local health centre) or 1177 (the national healthcare helpline). If you are worried about your child, call 1177. In an emergency, call 112.
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Read more: Food allergies in children · Eczema in children · Parks in Stockholm with great playgrounds · FAQ
Frequently asked questions
At what age do children get pollen allergy?
Rarely before the age of three, because it takes a few pollen seasons for the body to become sensitised. It becomes more common from preschool age and is most common in the school years and the teens. A two-year-old with a runny nose in May almost always has a cold, not a pollen allergy.
How do we know it is pollen and not a cold?
Pollen allergy gives itchy, watery eyes, sneezing in bursts and a clear runny nose that arrives the same weeks every year, without a fever, and gets worse outdoors on sunny, windy days. A cold gives thicker mucus, often a fever at the start, and passes in one to two weeks. If the symptoms return at the same time every year, suspect pollen.
What medicine can children take?
There are over-the-counter antihistamines, nasal sprays and eye drops approved for children from different ages. The pharmacy will advise on what suits your child's age, and the vårdcentral if that is not enough. Never give adult products or improvised doses. Ideally, start a few days before the season gets going.
Should my child stay home from preschool?
No. Pollen allergy is not contagious, and your child usually feels just as well indoors at förskola as at home. Tell the staff so they know why your child is sneezing, can help with medicine if needed and remember to rinse the face after time outdoors.
What is cross-reactivity?
It means that children with a birch pollen allergy can get an itchy mouth from raw fruit and certain vegetables, such as apple, pear, carrot and hazelnut, because the proteins resemble each other. It is rarely dangerous and often disappears if the fruit is cooked. Swelling or difficulty breathing, however, is a reaction that needs to be assessed by a doctor.