Stuffy Nose Every Night?

Hi A. - My son who is 14 months has very similar problems. He is also allergic to Eggs, Wheat, Peanut and mildly to Soy and Corn (Soy and Corn causes him to break out in a rash if he eats too much). He's also asthmatic. I was never able to really breast feed full time so he's pretty much a formula baby and I really think he has seasonal allergies. Especially right now because he's stuffed more now than ever. My allergy doctor has my son on Zyterk and Singular. The Singular seems to be helping more now but also using a saline mist spray at night also seems to help a little - it'll make his nose run a bit but at least it keeps his nose moist vs it drying out and he seems to breath a little better. I do warn you that my son hates this but if you get a fine "baby mist" it appears to be better and more gentle. I hope this helps and good luck.

I think a cool-mist vaporazor would help.

But what REALLY worked well for us last winter was an essential oil diffuser. We have a very simple ceramic diffuser that we got at a local health food store and used Olbas oil (http://olbas.com/olbasoil.htm). It was amazing how well it worked!!!

Good luck!

A.,
I do not know who your dr. is but you may think of getting another one if you need to see an allergist. All your food goes through your breast milk! Same as any medication you take. I am a mom who has Celiac disease with two sons who were born with the disease and milk intolerance and another son who has peanut and soy allergies as well as carrots and many fruits. With that, I can totally relate to you. My suggestion is that if you are going to breastfeed, you need to eliminate those foods your child is allergic to. He is getting everything you eat! This will cause a histamine reaction in his body just as if he is in a field of ragweed that he is allergic to. Please do not take this lightly. Food allergies/intolerances are very serious to his body and can make him feel very bad mentally and physically. Trust me I know first hand as well as with my boys. If you would like to chat some more, please email me back and I would be happy to. A.

During the preschool year, it seems my son has a stuffy nose all 9 months. We usually put Vicks baby rub on his chest, and I put just a touch under his nose. If I don't want to put Vicks on him (I don't like medicating more than needed), I'll turn on the humidifier we keep close to his bed. I'll usually start it an hour or so before his bedtime, then give him a steamy bath/shower and some warm tea before bed and have him blow his nose really well. I turn the humidifier back off in the morning.

A.,
I have a five month old son who has a protein intolerance to milk, eggs, dairy and soy. It's similar to an allergy except we hope he will outgrow it. I have not had any of these foods in my diet for four months now. Not even butter, or anything that has soy in it, which is pretty much all processed foods. His symptoms were a little different than your sons.. he had bloody stools, gas,and really fussy. The only time he got better was when I cut out everything. Everything you eat goes to him if you are breast feeding. I am shocked that a doctor would tell you it's okay to continue to eat food your son is allergic too. Coming from a family with many food allergies I know that the more you expose babies to the food the higher the chance he won't outgrow it. If you keep your son away from it as long as possible his levels could go down. I hope this helps, maybe try cutting out the food and see.

I have gone through this. Virginia is a state where lots of people suffer with allergies. We also have a lot of asthma. My daughter started with asthma symptoms at 18 months, but that is another story. The humidifier idea may work, it didn't do much for my family but raising the bed helped tremendously. I breastfed mine for a year and co-slept so I had to raise my head but it helped my husband and I both which we were not expecting. I have noticed that a warm bath loosens the mucus. Cool compresses (even spoons kept in the freezer) placed gently all around the sinus passages helps shrink them and opens the airways. You can make a game out of with the spoons...put one on your face then your son's and sing or count or make funny faces. My doctor said a little Benadryl (sp?)at night was safe but read the label carefully to make sure you dose properly. Well, that is my two cents. I have 3 kids, (9, 7, and 22 months) and I am still learning something totally brand new everyday as if I have never had one child!!!
Take care and God bless your family.

Our little girl is very stuffy too. I am also avoiding dairy because it made her so congested. We recently got a humidifier that we turn on at night and during naps, and it has one wonders for her congestion! We also regularly use saline mist and suction - in the morning and at night. It helps a lot too. I just ordered a nosefrida - it is supposed to work way better than the bulb.

Good luck!

What you eat really wouldn't affect him at this age. It does to some extent when younger but not at this age. I have a 21 months old that still nurses and is allergic to some things and me consuming them or not makes no difference and hasn't since he was about 8 months old. It's probably the weather changing that is making it worse so you can try a couple of things. You can get a cool mist humidifier that also has an ultra violet light that kills germs like this one http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2501391 you have to change the filter every month or two and you can get the filters online or at Walgreens/CVS and such. We pretty much use it all year round.
You can elevate his head. He is old enough for a firm pillow but you can also put a wedge under his mattress (though he won't stay like that all night). We use a pillow for our son. In addition, you can also use something like this http://www.natlallergy.com/product.asp?pn=1672&sid=GO...
you can get that at any pharmacy and just replace the vapor pad every night. But honestly, if it's seasonal allergies, all of these things will help but not completely solve the problem. Good luck!

My son would get a stuffy and runny nose whenever he was teething. I thought he was catching a cold, but it was completely unrelated. It's not something you always hear, but sometimes when infants are teething this happens. This may or may not be the case with your son, but I thought I'd mention it. It may be happening at night because this is when he's on his back so he's more likely to stuff up. Have you noticed if he's biting on his fingers using the side of his mouth? This is an indicator his molars are coming in. I hope this helps.

Have you looked into dust mite control? Dust mites are the most common human allergen according to our allergist and they live in bedding. Encasing mattresses and pillows in mite-proof covers and washing all bedding (including quilts & comforters) in HOT water every week drastically reduces dust mites. Also wiping everything in the bedroom down with a damp cloth weekly is really important.

Making these changes made all the difference in the world for our son.

T.

I haven't had to go through the allergies to foods. First, I would recommend talking to your doctor to see what he suggests and the second piece of advice would be to get a humidifier and keep that in his room at night.
Mom - to a 10 year old and 2 year old

My daughter and I have both been terribly stuffed up at night for the last week or two. I wouldn't be too concerned.

My recommendations a infant saline nose spray (and the nose suctioner, if required) and a humidifier. Also, warm baths help decongest.

Fall allergy season will pass.

Please heed the other humidifier advice -- get a good-quality one, like the Holmes brand or another reliable, sturdy one that you can clean easily. They cost more but are worth it. I use them frequently for my daughter. You will also have to learn to clean it well (and ensure it doesn't get musty) but again, worth it all. A good humidifier is something you will use for years--for allergies, colds, plain old dry air. One piece of advice: Get a "cool mist" one, not a warm mist one. The latter make the room warm and steamy-feeling and if a kid has a fever that is not what you want. Cool mist doesn't feel "cold" but is better for the kid and the room. Good luck!

I also suffer from allergies. If your child is only allergic to foods, he is lucky. If he doesn't eat the allergens he will be fine. But if he is allergic to airborne stuff, Lord have mercy. An allergy doctor told me if I can stay away from my allergens at night, my body will be stronger to fight in the day. I was very allergic to house dust. I had to sleep in an uncarpeted bedroom and wear a mask when I vaccumed the house (due to the dust mites in the carpet). Now I am much stronger. After a few years I am able to sleep in a carpeted bedroom again. Did your doctor test for airborns? Give your child some time. If he is not bombarded by the food allergens, he may get stronger to tolerate other things. Time heals some things. AF

My daughter (currently 18 months) had problems sleeping because of her stuffy nose too but this is what helped us:
1. Warm bath.
2. Infant Saline Spray/Mist and suction gently.
3. Humidifier.
4. Elevated head. (I put a pillow under her bed sheet.)

Yes, we did that every night when she was younger. But she's better now and she knows how to blow her nose, so I just help her wipe up after a warm bath.
A year ago, my doctor was recommending a restricted diet to see if my daughter was having problems because of what I ate, but recently, he is saying the same thing as your doctor because of some new research that said that what a breastfeeding mother eats does not make a big enough impact when it comes to allergies.
Personally, I did notice reactions to nuts, soy, dairy and spicy foods (that I ate) when my daughter was younger but recently, I could eat anything and she's not affected.

My first daughter had/had this and hers just started up this week too. her whole face is swollen and her voice is scratchy.
I think he is allergic environmentally too.

You may ask the allergist or pediatrician if you can give him anything like benedryl yet.

We used a humidifier in her room, raised her pillow to relieve the coughing.

or you might have to use the saline spray in his nose and a little ball aspirator to remove the mucous from his nose after the saline spray. If you do it thoroughly you can give him relief for quite a few hours, though they HATE it.

I don't about the air quality in the area of VA that you are in, but I am in VA also and for the first time in my life have had to take 3 allergy pills a day for over a week now. I normally do not even need to take allergy meds this time of year. My doc said it is due to the lack of rain we have had in this are that the pollen count is through the roof. I would try to give him some benedryl if your pediatrician approves.

My son had the same problem about the same age for a while, we just got a humidifier and it cleared it right up.