Stuffy or Dry Sinuses

I highly recommend asking your doctor for the referral to the ENT! If his doctor won't refer him, you need to see a different doctor. The stuffiness could actually be part of the problem causing his sore throat, for one thing. It's possible your son might need his adenoids out, and from experience with my daughter, I can tell you that it could lead to sleep apnea if not treated. My daughter did benefit from Flonase as a temporary solution, but every time she was weaned off the spray, the problems would return. Also, it's possible that the stuffiness is resulting in some post-nasal drip, which is causing your son to feel the soreness in his throat. Both were problems my daughter experienced. In her case, it actually got to the point that she was barely eating, and she was losing a lot of weight. When my daughter was only five, I had people start questioning if she was anorexic. Both her tonsils and adenoids had to be removed. She is a completely different child now!

Hi C.,
Why would your son make up not feeling well? And for a year?? I would reevaluate your sons DR. Allergies, Asthma, & Sinuses are very serious. Myself & my kids live with these problems everyday! I would believe your son & take him to a specialist ASAP. Even if your sons DR is a nice guy, his job is to talk to you as the PARENT, treat your SON & if he can't, RECOMMEND ANOTHER DR... It doesn't sound like he's doing that... I'm sure your boy will be fine. Please let us know how it turns out!

Hi, C.. I am disturbed by your doctor's response to the situation. I would definitely be looking for another doctor. Trust your instincts about seeking a second opinion, because you are right to feel that a 4 year old isn't faking symptoms in his sleep. Ridiculous!!

As for the stuffiness, one of my children does the same during most of the winter and often complains of sore throat, plus she has a mild, dry cough along with the stuffiness. We find that simply using a saline nasal spray has helped. She can use it safely any time she feels she needs it and it moisturizes her sinuses without medicating her. She is 7, and had to get used to nasal spray (she still has me do it for her), but the comfort she feels from the moisture outweighs the "anxiety" of the
spray in her nose. We believe the dryness of the central heating system contributes to her stuffy sinuses since this appears to be seasonal with her (and it happens to me, too, only in the winter).

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.

My daughter is 22 months old and has that problem. We use a humidifier in her room and it helps quite a bit. He probably does get a dry, irritated throat from breathing with his mouth open, like one of the other moms said before. It also couldn't hurt to see an ENT specialist just to make sure there is nothing else going on in his sinuses. Let us know the outcome!!

Hi C.. YOu might want to keep a humidifier running all the time in hsi room. i have a 4 year old with the same sinuse issues. or at least he did have them until I got the bleach and other chemicals out of the house. and I run the humidifier all the tiem. He has not seen a doctor about sinus issues in a year. I do hope this helps. And as far as the allergies, you are allergic to a ton of things as a kid and you do outgrow a lot but mostly you buildup immunitiy to the toxins that you might be allergic to in your house. You can get more facts about this at www.saferforyourhome.com and let me know what you think. Trust you gut instinct with your kids. I would definitely go to another doctor if yours is not listening to you!!! I did. It is called the health food store for homeopatic remedies and my chiropractor.
K. S

i've had good luck using a cool mist vaporizor. i don't put vicks in it - just water but i've found this to clear adults as well as children.

good luck.

C.,

This is just a thought....but maybe your son does have a sore throat or what he thinks is a sore throat. It could be that he's breathing through his mouth at night and when he wakes up in the morning he thinks it's a sore throat because it's so dry. Or maybe he has some post nasal drip and that can cause a sore throat too. Also, remember that doctors are human too. Maybe your doctor missed something the first time. If I were you I would take him back to the dr. since he is still complaining about it. I have no doubt your dr is good but your dr doesn't know your child like you do. Good luck and i hope you find some answers soon!

S.

Trust your instincts and take him to a pediatric ENT. I don't know how a doctor can confidently tell you that your child doesn't have a sore throat and is faking it. At least get a second opinion from someone who specializes in this area.

I've never had this particular problem with my son, but his pediatrician did treat him for six weeks for a sinus infection that wouldn't clear up. Finally got fed up and took him to his ENT who immediately spotted the problem, my son had put a piece of foam rubber up his nose! He removed the object and all was well.

Second opinions are valuable.

I would check to make sure he is drinking enough water (not including juice or any other liquids) during the day. So many things are affected by dehydration, and for a small child, it does not take much to dehydrate. I'm not sure what the daily recommended amount of water is for your son's size, but just start out gradually adding more water each day. Chart how much your son has every day and see if this doesn't help.

HI C.,

Yes, we used to have that problem. Sometimes sore throats and dry noses aren't sicknesses, so to speak, but reactions to environmental stimuli. If this is happening mostly at night you might have a laundry detergent he is sensitive to. Chemicals in the home can cause a sore throat, even without making it look red and sore. Remember your little ones are smaller than you and their lungs are more sensitive and breathe more breaths per minute than an adult.

Chemicals are also heavier than oxygen so whatever is in your house is settling closer to the floor where he is. Chemicals don't just safely sit on a shelf. They outgas...right through the bottle whether it is open or not! And to complicate matters they contraindicate just like a pharmaceutical does. How many chemicals are in your house? Just like prescriptions, with any more than two you don't know what damage they are doing.

My kids and I no longer have allergies. Allergies are reactions to things because the immune system is not working at it's optimum. When we detoxified the house our immune systems started working properly. We now actually have a furry inside dog with no problem.

Check this video out. It's about 20 minutes but it will confirm what I just said. The video link is on the right hand side of the page about half-way down. www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/home/cleaners

Let me know if you would like to know more. Detoxing can be very inexpensive. I'd be glad to help any way I can.

Regards,

M.

sore throat may be true b/c while nose may sound dry he may actually have nasal drainage going to his throat.

Will sound odd, but have you tried saline nose drops?

I'd seek another opinion on the matter though, a specialist sounds like the way to go :)

~A.

I know my throat is sore and my sinsus are dry at night because of the dry air in the house. I use a humidifier and that helps. The heater and air conditioner can dry out the air in the house. One of my sons had that problem when he was little and now that he is grown he still drys out like that, so know he wasn't just saying that when he was little.
R. C.