GIRL ILLUSTRATES MISERY OF ALLERGIES; DRUG COMPANY SELECTS DRAWING IN NATIONWIDE CALENDAR CONTEST.

Byline: Mary Schubert Daily News Staff Writer

Jessica Rifkind is a busy girl, with too much on her schedule to be sidelined by the symptoms of the pollen, grass and ragweed allergies she suffers.

That outlook, coupled with an artistic flair, helped the La Mesa Junior High student become a finalist in a nationwide contest that drew 1,000 entries. Sponsored by a New Jersey pharmaceuticals company, the competition solicited children's artworks about the pain and discomfort of allergic reactions.

The winning drawings have been published in a 16-month calendar that runs from this month through December 1998. Jessica's picture corresponds with July, which also happens to be her birthday month.

The 13-year-old artist, who described herself as ``obsessed'' with playing soccer for her club team, the Hurricanes, said she entered the contest because she has been plagued by allergies all her life. ``Around this season, I sneeze a lot. Then my eyes itch and water,'' Jessica said, noting allergies also have caused her to break out in rashes and hives.

Prescription drugs that alleviate those side effects usually come with their own down side: drowsiness. But Jessica said she found relief with Claritin, a nonsedating prescription antihistamine approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1993.

Claritin is made by Schering-Plough Corp., the Madison, N.J., drug company that sponsored the ``Young Artists Against Allergies'' calendar contest.

The competition was staged in part because autumn, along with being back-to-school time, also is a high season for allergies. Bob Consalvo, a spokesman for Schering-Plough said that as many as 42 percent of school-age children may suffer from allergic rhinitis, which is an inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane.

Allergies and their complications heighten student absenteeism, and affect the performance of allergy sufferers who come to school. Children have trouble concentrating and participating in the classroom when their allergies flare up, Consalvo said.

Allergy symptoms run the gamut from itchy and watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing and itchy palate to mood swings, irritability, temper tantrums, and decreased ability to concentrate. Allergic reactions often are misdiagnosed, as anything from the common cold to hyperactivity, Consalvo said.

The contest was open to allergy sufferers ages 6 to 12. Entries were accepted from March through June, and the winners were announced this month.

Besides the children's artwork, the calendar includes allergy management tips for children and parents. To obtain a free copy of the calendar, call [phone].

Jessica - who spent this summer in Fresno at a genetics camp sponsored by Johns Hopkins University - aspires for a career as a cell biologist and wants to cure diseases when she grows up. ``There's like 2,000 kinds of cancer, so I've got my work cut out for me,'' she said.

She figured her chances of winning her own month in the calendar contest were good because she put ``six or seven hours'' into her picture, which she titled: ``Flowery Breezes Mean Slobbery Sneezes.'' The pen-crayon-pencil drawing depicts the achoos of two kids in a grassy, floral setting.

``I tried not to be disgusting because it was (for) a calendar, and people have to look at it for a month,'' she said.

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PHOTO (color) Jessica Rifkind hasn't kicked her allergies to grass, but medication gives her enough relief that she can play soccer for a club team.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News