Schoolboy saw his face TREBLE in size after swallowing pollen while playing football: 7-year-old was rushed to hospital after severe hay fever left him battling to breathe
- Jay-Jay was rushed to hospital after his reaction left him struggling to breathe
- Doctors warned the reaction could have been deadly but managed to control it
- After spending a night in hospital, Jay-Jay’s reaction calmed down
- He now takes allergy tablets every day and has not suffered another incident
- Jay-Jay’s mother Leanne wishes to raise awareness of the risks of hay fever
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A schoolboy with severe hayfever saw his face treble in size, with doctors warning his pollen allergy could have been deadly.
Jay-Jay Reid, seven, from Chester, was unrecognisable after he accidentally swallowed some pollen while playing football with his friends on June 3.
The youngster started struggling to breathe, with his worried parents Leanne, 26, and Andrew, 29, saying doctors initially thought he had been beaten up.
Screaming in pain, A&E medics used steroids and Piriton allergy tablets to prevent the youngster going into anaphylactic shock.
After spending a night in hospital, Jay-Jay’s reaction calmed down enough for him to return home, with the youngster not suffering another incident since.
Leanne is speaking out to raise awareness of how dangerous hay fever can be.
Jay-Jay Reid saw his face treble in size after a severe hay fever reaction (pictured after)
The youngster (before) was playing football with friends when he swallowed some pollen
At risk of a life-threatening anaphylactic shock, Jay-Jay spent a night in hospital
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WHAT IS HAY FEVER?
Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen, a fine powder which comes from plants. There is more pollen in the air in the spring and summer when plants are flowering.
The reaction usually happens when pollen comes into contact with someone’s eyes, nose, mouth or throat.
Hay fever symptoms include coughing and sneezing; a runny or blocked nose; itchy, red or watery eyes; itching throat, nose, mouth or ears; headaches and tiredness.
People suffering from the allergy can put Vaseline around their nose to trap the pollen, wear wraparound sunglasses to keep pollen out of their eyes, wash clothes regularly and vacuum and dust indoors.
Avoiding grass, cut flowers and smoke can help reduce symptoms, as can drying clothes indoors where pollen is less likely to stick to them.
Source: NHS Choices
‘Hay fever can be life-threatening’
His mother said: ‘Jay-Jay was playing football when his dad noticed he was rubbing his eyes in pain.
‘I couldn’t believe how swollen his face was, I’d never seen hay fever look that bad before, it was shocking.
‘I was worried as Jay-Jay said he was struggling to breathe and after calling 111 an ambulance was called.
‘He was given oxygen in the ambulance and in A&E everyone thought he’d been beaten up as he was so swollen.’
The youngster was covered in a rash that left him crying out in pain.
Leanne added: ‘It’s heartbreaking as all he wants to do is play with his friends but the pollen is making it unbearable for him.
‘Thankfully Jay-Jay’s hay fever flare up didn’t cause him to go into anaphylactic shock but doctors did warn that although it is hay fever it can be life threatening if their airway is restricted.
‘Doctors seem to think that because he was playing football he could have swallowed some pollen which is why his reaction was so bad.’
As well as his swollen face, Jay-Jay’s parents became concerned when he struggled to breathe
Everyone in A&E thought Jay-Jay had been beaten up due to his severely swollen face
Jay-Jay was screaming in pain in the ambulance due to a rash that covered his body
Jay-Jay (pictured recovering at home) now has to take allergy tablets every day
‘Hay fever is so common people don’t realise it can be serious’
Leanne, who is also mother to two-year-old Noah, claims Jay-Jay only developed hay fever last year.
She said: ‘It started quite mild and only affected one of his eyes and nose but it has progressively gotten worse.
‘We have been warned Jay-Jay could have another reaction like this but the only thing we can do is keep him topped up with allergy tablets.
‘It’s impossible to keep a seven-year-old indoors when the weather is this lovely but we do try and restrict how long he has outdoors if he starts displaying worse symptoms.’
After the incident, Jay-Jay spent three days off school and was prescribed Piriton to take during the day.
Leanne said: ‘Before Jay-Jay was prescribed Piriton allergy tablets I had to go into school several times per day to give him them but now as the tablets have his name on them the teachers can help.
‘I think people hay fever is so common people don’t realise it can be really serious, especially if they have an allergic reaction like our son did earlier this month.’
Jay-Jay’s mother Leanne (pictured) is speaking out to raise awareness of hay fever’s risks
She says people assume hay fever cannot be dangerous due to it being so common
Jay-Jay (pictured left with his brother Noah) only developed hay fever last year
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