Runny Noses

As another poster mentioned, consider food allergies. IgE is for allergies and IgG testing is for food sensitivies. Both are blood tests. You doc will be more hesitant doing the igG testing but you can get a kit and get a 90 food test from Alletess for $85. Other labs do the test but it is more expensive. Milk is the number one allergen according to nutrition books.

My son is the "runny nose kid" right now too:) I don;t think there is a whole lot to do other than to keep wiping the nose. I think most moms "get it"!

My friend's daughter ALWAYS had a snotty runny nose and it turned out she had food allergies. Once she stopped eating corn or wheat or whatever it went away. It is interesting how everything in our bodies is connected somehow. I found out I have a major food sensitivity to a bunch of ingredients that are in packaged foods and once I stopped eating these things my allergies and sinus issues completely went away!

My daughter was constantly congested and the humidifier & allergy medication (zyrtec, singulair, claritin) never really worked--until she was diagnosed with a milk allergy. As soon as all milk was cut from her diet, her congestion disappeared. You could try to cut out cows milk/diary from their diet for just a month and see if they improve.

When her congestion was really bad, we gave her a salt water sinus rinse (in each nostile). Had to promise/bribe her with candy rewards because she hated it so much, but it definitely cleared out her nasal passages. Neil Med makes a pediatric sinus rinse kit and has pre-measured pediatric salt packets. You can ask your pharmacy if they carry the Neil Med kits. Our local grocery store pharmacy carries it.

(Of course, you don't mention if their congestion tends to plague them with secondary ailments: sinus infections, post nasal drip coughing & eventual bronchitis, pink eye, ear infections... You might want to consider a food allergy if they have secondary ailments in addition to runny noses)

have you had them tested for allergies? My 3.5 yr old has the constantly runny nose and takes zyrtec daily which generally keeps it at bay but he was bad this spring and the allergist added flonase and he has not had a runny nose sense then but he does not take it every day just when he needs the extra. It does help to know what he is allergic to though. Both of my boys have bad dust mite allergies so we have plastic coverings on matresses and pillows and we pulled up the only carpet we had in the house, I dust and vacuum daily and during the tree pollen season which they are also allergic to they shower every night to help eliminate the allergens they go to bed with and we bathe the dogs more often during that time.

I'm sure it's because you said you'd never have snot nosed kids. I'm sure because I said the same thing and I've got one too. :)

For my son, it's this time of year and the doc has said there's really nothing to do.

Just buy stock in Kleenex maybe?

Hey, T. -

Have you considered using a nasal rinse? It's really not scary at all - promise. The NeilMed bottle makes it really easy - sells for around $12 at Walgreens? A huge box of saline packets are about the same.

The trick to doing it: when putting it up one side, blow out through the mouth ("blow out the candles").

My son had the same problems - took him to National Jewish. No allergies at all, but chronic nonallergic rhinitis. He was so miserable - couldn't even breathe through his nose, snored. Poor guy. He does his twice a day now.

Regardless of the problem, his pulmonologist said that everyone should do a rinse daily - keeps down sickness, too. It has made a HUGE difference.

Good luck!

He was so miserable - couldn't even breathe through his nose, snored. Poor guy. He does his twice a day now.

try a dose and a half of the benadryl.. my 3 year old has to take 1 1/2 teaspoons of benadryl. get a bulb nose sucker thing and suck them out before they leave the house.

when you get your paycheck - not sure how old your kids are, but Mucinex works good for my boy, but he's on it for a month at a time! (more runny nose than goopy when he's on it, so it's easier cleaning and not so gross)

Try the sinus rinse! It works wonders! My 4 year old had horrible congestion issue so I tried it on him. He was a little nervous at trying it because he had seen me do it and it is kind of freaky but I found a couple videos on you-tube of kids his age doing it and then he wasnt afraid to try. It cleaned him out so well, he was actually asking to do it every night and morning because he himself noticed such a difference. It should not be uncomfortable if you use the premeasured saline packets and the right temperature of water. I'm sure you will be happy with the results!