My 4-year-old has always had "issues" that seem to be allergy-related, but never anything that seemed to fit the classic definition of allergies. Since the spring, though, she's been chronically congested. And I don't mean the runny slimy type of congestion, I mean like rocks in her nose. I started her on Claritin- I noticed a difference at first, but then it stopped being effective. At her check-up in August, I asked the doctor if she had allergies and he said yes, it was definitely allergies that was causing the congestion.
He gave us a prescription for an antibiotic (for a boo boo that had gotten infected) and encouraged us to keep using the Claritin. Here's the thing, though- when she began taking the antibiotic, her congestion went away. Completely. After the antibiotic, she was good for a while, but slowly the congestion came back and now we are back to having tiny boulders in her nose again. It's really awful.
When I think of allergies, I think of runny noses, snotty sneezes, watery eyes, etc. My daughter doesn't have any of this. She doesn't have any chest congestion, and she never ever sneezes. In the mean time, I can hardly keep her nose cleared, and now it's getting bloody. Poor thing! We use the saline drops to loosen up the congestion, but with her bloody nose, the salt on the wounds just hurts her. We've tried the humidifier, but she won't stay in one room for very long (even at night).
Does this sound like allergies? If not, what else could it be? If so, what else can I do?
Have her allergy tested or do a process of elimination. Take any carpet or draperies from her room along with stuffed animals and vaccum daily. Is her bedden hypoallergenic? What about food - Milk and wheat are two very common foods to be allergic to. It can be a very long process. V.
I have had allergies since I was a child and they never involved a bloody nose. I think I would have to get a second opinion. Congestion was and still is part of my problem, but you also have the runny nose sometimes.
I don't know what your daughter has, but my son had a lot of trouble breathing and was pretty much mouth breathing all the time. The doctor's first instinct was allergies so we tried allergy meds and that did not improve it so he referred us to an allergist who did the scratch test on his back. He only had a plus 1 to wheat. The allergy doctor did try to put him on a bunch of allergy meds and antibiotics and keep scheduling us to keep coming back, but since he didn't have any allergy reactions to the scratch test that was a red flag to me. It was nice to get the scratch test to rule that out though.
We were then referred to an ENT who looked at my son and said his tonsils were way to big so we had his tonsils and adenoids removed (not a fun surgery to recover from but very worth it). The night of his surgery he was already breathing better and now he doesn't have any trouble breathing through his nose and his sinus infections have greatly decreased although he does still get them (also could be due to a lower immune system from a liver transplant so it could be unrelated that he is still getting occasional sinus infections)
I hope you find a solution quickly although the medical field doesn't always work very fast. It is so frustrating to watch our children be so uncomfortable and not have a solution. Good luck finding out what works with your daughter
Let your doctor know that the antibiotic cleared it temporarily and that the Claritin does nothing any longer. Call his office and tell the nurse -- NOT the receptionist -- talk to the Nurse or the doctor himself, if possible. If you get no help, then find a new doctor. Your child shouldn't be made to go through this any longer without some help that works. Have you tried building up her immune system? Also, if she is allergic, then to what? Just to say "Oh she's allergic", is an answer some doctors give when they're too lazy or incompetent to find the real answer. No offense to doctors out there, but it's true! If you get no satisfaction from your doctor on this issue, maybe it's time to find a doctor who has the guts to say "I just don't know what is causing this. I'll refer her to a specialist". You deserve answers.
How about taking her to an ENT? We have a wonderful one who is great with children. My son also had been treated by our ped. for a sinus infection that wouldn't clear up. Our ENT looked at him and found, yes, a piece of foam up his nose. He's also been very helpful treating our other son's allergies. His name is Dr. Keith Jackson, and he has offices in Roswell and near Scottish Rite.
It sounds like she's miserable, and maybe he can help. Good luck!
Okay- here's a few things. Yes- it can be allergies and it canget better for awhile with Claritin... but over time Claritin can become less effective... so you might have to try some other allergy medicine or options ( ie. allergy shots).
As far as the antibiotic... she might have had an infection... these are very common with allergies.
Last but not least, if you are unsure of her doctor... get another opinion... not all doctor are equiped to deal with allergies and your doctor should not feel upset that you would like another opinion.
Best of luck!
Allergies manifest themselves in MANY different ways. I would suggest that you see a pediatric allergist and they can help you pinpoint the problem. I am surprised your pediatrician did not recommend that you see an allergist. My oldest daughter has several allergies and her reactions varied from time to time. Once I saw the allergist we were able to determine what she is allergic to and how to handle it. Good luck!
I would definitely cut out wheat (anything with flour in it- crackers, breads, cereals, etc) and dairy, and see if this continues. Wheat and dairy are the 2 most common allergens in this country, for lots of different reasons. It just means that your child doesn't have the enzymes some other people do to properly break down these foods. Therefore her body sees them as irritants, and provides mucous to protect the body and rid it of these irritants. There are lots of great alternatives out there to wheat (spelt and rice products are the best- Whole Foods labels everything that is "gluten free" in the store, so it makes shopping easier.) Also, at only 4 years old, you could get her used to rice or soy milk pretty easily, and there are great rice and soy alternatives out there too for milk, ice cream, yogurt, etc. I would definitely eliminate those from her diet, either together or one at a time, for 2 weeks and see if that makes a difference. My personal opinion is that medicating her with allergy medicine should be the last resort b/c we really don't know- these drugs haven't been around long enough to know without a doubt that it won't have a harmful affect 30 years down the road.
Hi M..
First, the vapor rub on the feet DOES NOT work. I tried that with both of my children. However, the rub on the chest does. Second, try Zyrtec. My 2yr old has alergies. Her Dr. said as long as it works, she can continue to take it for as long as she needs it. You should give it to her at night, it will help her sleep too. There has been times when I ran out and not made it to the store for more, the runny nose instantly comes back. She could also have food or pet allergies. Just continue to keep watch and she will be fine. A childs mother is the best Doctor.
It sounds like allergies to me. I use Zyrtec with my children for their allergies,and it seemed to help a lot. I also alternate with Zyrtec and Clariten. One week I will do Clariten and the next week I do Zyrtec. Give Zyrtec at bedtime because it can make them sleepy. You might want to try taking her to an allergist to see what she is actually allergic too.
Hi, my son had a similar situation and he was put on zyrtec. It helped for a while then it all came back again. He isnt around any other kids, im a stay at home mom so i didnt know why it kept comming back. Another mom reccomended me switching my cleaning and laundry products. I was desperate. I did, and he will seldom have the clear runny nose but no wheezing and big boogies like before. I was amazed!! I switched to ecosence products. I can tell you how to get them if your interested. They cost the same as the grocery store and had a money back guarantee. I couldnt believe that i was contributing to his "allergies" every time i moped the floors or cleaned the counters! Good luck!!
I agree that an ENT or an allergist may be worth a try. She may have more sinus problems than allergy problems. Something else to think about though is that Claritin is only for outdoor allergies. If your daughter has issues with pet dander or dust (which I do), Zyrtec may be more effective for her. I would definintely try the Zyrtec first and then maybe a specialist if it doesn't get any better.
My son had some problems like that when he was about 1 1/2. He also had constant ear infections. However it would start out as allergies. turn into a sinus infection and repeat. He had tubes put in and when they did that they removed his adenoids and he hasnt had the nose problem (where it gets clogged) since he takes clartin every night before bed and he does have nose bleeds (not bad just where the blood clots in his nose and when he blows it it comes out), but he is only 4 and the doctor doesnt want to send him to get tested for allergies just yet. I would suggest asking about taking adenoids out.
M.,
There are GREAT alternatives to the traditional, over-the-counter remedies that are often more harmful than they are helpful! I ALWAYS look for a homeopathic remedy when the symptoms are not life threatening!
For runny noses, esp those that are related to allergies, I use Allium Cepa. It can be found at the health food store and is quit inexpensive. I would also recommend a spray that has Xylotol. Xylotol keeps the membranes slippery and does not allow the "stuff" to stick to it and irritate the nose.
Since you have had her on antibiotics, you should get the good bacteria in the gut balanced again! Get a good probiotic, like Udo's infant probiotics. You must keep them refrigerated!
Take you child off ALL dairy!!!! It causes mucus. Also, if you have her on dairy, you may want to watch the video on my website about milk! www.PassionParent.com goto the blog and then"their food". It WILL make an impression on you I am sure!
Antibiotics are not always necessary to clear infections. For earaches, I use olive oil with garlic infused in it (I do my own so the antibiotic properties are still in there), I also have use a product called "Ear Drops" it has tea tree oil and grapeseed extract in it.
Always! when your child starts to feel sick with anything, get them on a week of probiotics. You can google any of this and get more information.
Here's to being a Passion Parent!
C. Hiebel
www.PassionParent.com
I just read the rest of the responses... Yeah Mimi! Please take her up on her offer to help! What a great woman!
PLEASE... part of the detoxifying from the synthetics are also the synthetics you are putting in her little body. Those drugs are so harmful and as one mother said, they used Claritin and it starts to become less effective. Homeopathy is completely non-toxic. My daughter got hold of a tube and eat the whole thing once. I never worried about it as it is completely safe (other than she could have symptoms of whatever she eat at that dosage). Antibiotics should be used when they REALLY need them!
I had a friend whose daughter has cystic fibrosis. That girl is now in her early thirties and only been on a handful of antibiotics!! she did it with homeopathy. Most of that girl's friends are dead because they became antibiotic resistant...then they died of the next bad infection. You want those antibiotics to work when they need them!
Best of luck! The internet is a great place to get some great info (and mis-info). You could google things like probiotics, homeopathy, natural remedies....
Feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance!
Hello!
It sounds like her Immune system really needs a boost. I would start by seeing a Chiropractor asap! This will quickly boost her and when combined with cleaning her diet, eliminating harmful chemicals in the home (as Mimi mentioned), and adding some probiotics she will be better in no time. Chiropractic helps SOOOOO much with allergies! Please consider this so your little girl can get some relief. Best of luck:)
M.,
Sounds more like sinus infections/issues than allergies. I would ask for a referral to a ENT.
I had surgery for a deviated septum and enlarged turbinate. (I'm not suggesting in ANY way your daughter needs this, but please keep reading).
After surgery, the doctor said I could use the saline spray, just add 15 drops of sesame oil to it. It works wonders! And the best part is, I can use it as often as I want, whenever I want, because by adding the sesame oil to it, it becomes a moisturizer. It has signifigantly reduced the amount of bloody noses I get (which was just on one side).
The top of the saline bottle does come off with a little bit of effort. A teaspoon is about 15 drops. You just have to make sure to shake the bottle before each spray.
yep that's allergies, it sounds like the allergies lead to a sinus infection. Have you given her a decongestant? and have you tried putting vicks vapor rub on her feet then socks? it does work , sounds weird but it does.Also johnson and johnson makes a vapor bath its in a blue bottle you can add that to her bath. and I know this is gross but she may have something stuck in her nose. last year I took my son to the Dr with what I thought was nose congestion and his face had started to smell funny (I thought it was the dog licking his face) and he had a piece of styrofoam stuck in his nose. and Bring her in the bathroom when you take a hot shower the steam will help loosen up the gunk. You can talk to her while she sits in there with you that could keep her busy.
And a good way to prevent allergies is to give her a teaspoon of local un pasturized honey , it will still have the pollen in it and will get her immune system built up against it,in the same way immunizations do. You can get it at a farmers market.
vapor rub and steamy hot baths before bed work for me. As for the saline hurting her nose, the nose and mouth heal really fast. So once the scabs are gone try again. Or use warm water.
I agree, talk to the DR's nurse and tell them that the antibiotic helped her nose and the claritin isn't working. OTC stuff for allergies and colds that don't help is generally a good sign that something stronger needs to be used or an infection is present.
Good luck!
S.
All of the previous responses had some very helpful suggestions. I do think in addition to many of those, you should seriously consider seeing a pediatric ENT. If she has always had these problems, then it could very well be structural. A simple thing like a membrane that has grown over a place that is supposed to be open (as happened with my son) or a duct that is too small, or the foreign object stuck up a passage is a strong possibility. You owe it to her to rule out structural or congenital factors.
Also, fungal infections are much more common than we know, which an antibiotic will clear up for a time, and then it will come back worse. Masking this with an antihistamine will only work for a time. And detoxifying and lifestyle changes can help, but you may need those in combination with some stronger medicine to get it under control.
Antifungals and antibiotics have their place, but a doctor should take a sample of the infection and culture it to identify the SPECIFIC antibiotic that will work. Generalized medications are lazy medicine. I have found ENTs to be more apt to recommend gentler treatments and not rely so heavily on drugs as do MDs.
My son had the exact same problem. Every time he'd clear up with antibiotics but after a few weeks the infection would set in again. We finally went to an allergist and he started immunotherapy injections for mold and tree pollen allergies. He is now pretty much allergy free (he's 12) and has been for a few years. It's good to know what's causing the allergies which the testing will tell you. It wasn't as bad as it seems either, I don't even think he cried at all. Chances are your daughter has a year round allergy like dust or mold.
The saline drops are such low salt -- it's the level of salt that's in tears -- or in boogers -- or in blood... I'm surprised the salt is causing her pain. If anything, the saline should be comfortable on her raw nasal passages. Truly. Saline should be soothing. -- In fact, my advice would be to rinse her nose out with Ocean spray -- she may be too young, though, to get the timing down -- not have it going down the back of her throat...
I might seek a pediatric ENT. Would hesitate to keep my child on antibiotics all the time. Also, the humidifiers may be causing more problems than they solve -- more stuff grows in those things -- and then blows into the air (ugh) than we like to think about.
Use pre-made saline drops in case you're putting too much salt in your own formula? I think if I were you, my next step would be to get a referral to a pediatric ENT.
Good luck!
