7 Year Old Runny Nose

My mom and little brother (now 18) can blow their noses anytime of day or night and have always been this way. Some people are just that way.

I would check on allergies but have you tried the neti pot? I have neighbors and friends who swear by them. Dr. Oz on Oprah has told her audiences about them (http://www.oprah.com/health/oz/oz_20070426_350_106.jhtml). It is a natural and inexpensive solution.

Good luck!

Hi B.,
My son had the same problem from about the time he was 3 until he was 5 when I took him off of cows milk and switched to soy milk. His sinuses cleared up within a week. It took awhile to get used to the soy milk, started with the flavored, chocolate and vanilla Silk milk brand and slowly added the plain (has less sugar) to the flavored ones until he was ok with the plain. I like the silk, costco carries it and also carries a kirkland brand that doesn't need be refridgerated until open that we have found even better. He stayed on the soy milk for about 2 years and with school started back slowly onto cows milk and has been fine, he drinks both now. May be worth a try with your son. The soy milk has all the calcium and actually more vitamins than the cows milk. Also took him off of yogurt for that time, just had it for a treat occasionally.
Good luck,
SarahMM

Constant running noses can be allergies. If that is what caused the runny nose, changing your diet to eliminate the allergy and eat whole grain, organic, non-processed foods should be a good permanent fix, but it takes a lot of time.

K. Loidolt
Author, Shopper's Guide to Healthy Living

It sounds like allergies to me. One of my sons uses the Claritin Redi-Tabs, they are over the counter now and Wal-Mart has a pretty good price on them. It helps a lot.

have you considered allergies? I found that out with my son after seeing him runny for 4 years. We took him to national jewish hospital here in denver & discovered he was allergic to dogs (we had 3 in the house at one time....) The test didn't hurt him, he didn't even flinch. Now we know & no more runny nose!

our chiropractor told us it is because they are not eating enough red meat...try some good grass fed burger and see if it helps!!!

Go to a chiropractor, take sugar out of diet, and add vitamin C daily.

I'm glad you posted this! I have the same problem with my youngest son. I have four boys and my baby just turned a year old. He has had a runny nose ever since we moved to Colorado from Texas, when he was a month old. I've taken him to the Dr over it a few times and he always says it's allergies and it will go away. Well, it has never gone away except one time for a week. He has a runny nose nonstop, everyday. It's thick and greenish and so bad that as SOON as you wipe it, it's already runny again! It's that bad nonstop, everyday. One Dr gave me liquid Zyrtex for him but that doesn't phase it; it does nothing for him. He shows no other allergy signs- no watery, itchy eyes, no hives, etc. I know that some mothers have suggested that you take him off of dairy. Well, that's not the case with my son because he's always been nursed until a week ago. He'd never had any dairy until then, except for breast milk. The Dr suggested taking him off of juices or acidic fruit like oranges, etc. I tried that for two weeks and nothing. I've tried everything and nothing makes it go away.

Have you thought about a chiropractor? A friend of mine has a son with the same issue and the chiro cleared it up with in weeks. His upper spine was out of alignment causing his whole system to get out of whack. They even have x rays for the sceptics to show improvements. It sure beats pumping your child with meds too.
Best of luck.

Hi B.,

Sounds like allergies to me, my daughter suffers runny noses too and she is 17 yrs old now! Benadryl for kids works well...and you can get it in a non drowsy formula. My daughters got so bad though that the doctor prescribed a nasal spray for her. You might try an OTC spray and see if he gets any relief from that. Hope this helps some! I'd also make an appt. with an allergist and have the scratch tests done! Good luck!

I agree with everyone else, it really sounds like allergies. I would contact your dr again and tell him since this has been going on for so long, you want to have him tested. I have six kids with allergies. Not all the same allergies or same symptoms. We use mostly Zyrtec 10mg, which is now OTC. If you have pets, this could also be a problem.

Hi, B., it sounds to me like your son has allergies. I'm surprised your doctor didn't suggest having him checked for them. Your son could be allergic to the carpeting in your house, the grass in your yard, or the milk he drinks for breakfast (food allergies are not always life-threatening...sometimes they just cause really annoying symptoms). Really it could be anything in his environment that he comes into constant contact with. I would ask your doc about having your son tested for allergies and see where that takes you. Good luck!

I'd say he has allergies. My kids had the same thing when they were that age. My advice would be to go to Vitamin Cottage or Whole Foods and ask about allergy meds for kids that are safe. You'll be amazed what a difference that makes. I'd also check into getting a new doctor if he keeps telling you that your son will 'grow out of it'. I'd go to a doctor that really listens to my concerns and doesn't just brush me off. Hope that helps.

Hi B.,
Allergies are a very good possibility. It can be food, pollution, home environment, etc.
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B.,

I first of all want to encourage you to ALWAYS be "proactive" for your child. No one knows your child like you, a runny nose for that long - even if it's not due to illness, has got to be miserable and distracting when at school I'm sure. Do every thing you can at home to obsreve if something seems to make it worse at times (like a trigger). I think some children have minor allergies to so many things - like pet dander, dust, plants in bloom - perfumes, and people confuse it for a cold or "just a runny nose". But could it also be he has an overactive gland that causes something like this? If you have insurance find an ear, nose, throat doctor - just to get assurance. But make sure you take care of it for your child.

I took my 6 year old daughter to the doctor because she had started this eye blinking thing and wouldn't stop. My doctor wasn't sure what it was but suggested that it might be allergies. She recommended that we try Children's Claritin -tablets that dissolve. I gave my daughter 2 of them, once a day (early in the afternoon when her eyes would start getting worse). Slowly over the next several weeks the blinking lessened and eventually stopped. Maybe your son has seasonal allergies and this might help. Or you could take him to an allergist and see what they say.

Sounds like allergic rhinitis. Does he rub or itch his nose a lot? Does he have dark circles under his eyes? Those would also be consistent with allergies. Either way, that seems like the most likely cause. I would talk to your doctor about trying a steroid nasal spray. It's a tiny steroid dose and is basically limited to the nose, so it has minimal, if any, side effects. Kids do really well with it. It takes about 1 week to work, but after that, I would bet he would be much better.

I would recommend the Neil-Med Nasal Rinse. Our son has severe allergies and it works very well for him. You can get it at any Walgreens. I also use it with great success. In fact, I'm not using any allergy meds so far this Spring and I'm doing just fine. We do it morning and evening. Our doctor at National Jewish recommended it for us. It does sound like your son has allergies, but this should help within a day or two even if the allergies aren't dealt with. You may still need medicine, but it's a good first step.

When my daughter was younger she also had a runny nose all the time. I took her to a natuapath/MD. She wasn't allergic to milk, but had a sensitivity to milk. We took her off milk and it cleared up. It took a while though. Medication items will only cover up a symptom not fix it.

I totally agree with all the others who have suggested taking him off of dairy products. I had the exact same thing happen with one of my kids. I took him off of dairy products and it has made a huge difference.

There is a homeopathic remedy called nasal support that really helps. You will also want to reduce sugar, dairy, and wheat. If you can afford it a blood test for allergies will be a good way to go. Stephanie

have you gotten a second opinion or gone to an allergist to rule out allergies?
L.

It sounds like allergies to me. You can try benadryl or claritin and see if it helps. If not, take him to a good allergist and have him tested. My sister and husband had a "cold" for years. It turned out to be allergies. They both eventually got allergy shots and have loved the results.

Hi B.,

My 4 yr old had some of the same symptoms but as an infant early on. Our doctor prescribed Zyrtec. We have been giving it to her at night because it does make them sleepy but it does seem to help and now they sell it over the counter.

Good Luck!
I completely understand since I have suffered from seasonal allergys most all my life.

It sounds as if your 7 year-old may have allergies. Two that come to mind are allergies to house dust, and to cleaners or scented items in the home. These are two things that make my nose run--if someone has a heavily-scented home (e.g., candles, air fresheners, strongly scented cleaners and soaps) my nose will run like a river. You might try eliminating things like this in his environment, and see if he doesn't feel better. Good luck!

You may want to treat with an allergy medicine. They have claritin for children. Look at the dosing directioins and see if he needs 5 mg or 10. Loratidine is the generic for this and is cheaper. Good luck.

Try a Neti pot....you can get them at most natural grocerie stores

B.,
Just a question, has your doctor tested him for allergies? It sounds like he does. If it's constant it may be he has several different allergies. I personnally have year round different allergies, My son has problems in the
spring, summer, and fall, mainly grass, and dust. If your doctor hasn't done an allergy test maybe you need to ask them for one. My son takes over the counter allergy pills once in a while basically only when his are really acting up, and they seem to help.
Hope you get it solved.
E.

Cut back on sugar. Get more sleep. Check for allergies. Drink more water.

Sage is an herb that helps dry up runny noses. It's good in breads and meat dishes.

Hello I have two boys and my youngest has allergies and last year we took him to National Jewish and for his runny nose she recommended doing a saline nasal rinse. You can purchase this at any pharmacy they have smaller ones for kids and you can buy the premade saline packages or make it yourself, you fill it up with water and the package, put the childs head to the side and as the are breathing out you squirt it up the nostril, you will be amazed all the mucus that comes out, then switch sides etc. My baby and older son have both been treated with this method instead of cold medicine and it has always taken care of all nasal problems, even for me and my husband. Your child will hate it the first couple of times but the relief that comes from it is definitely worth it.

Does he have allergies???
Have you tried any kind of allergy medicine!!