Seeking Answers for Colds That Keep Coming Back...

Hi G.,

We have been keeping a sore throat and cold symptoms also. I finally went to the doctor after having it for
2 1/2 months and he said I had a respitory infection and sinus infection. After antibiotics, I was fine.

You may have the same thing. He said he had seen several cases of it.

Zink lozengers are suppose to help adults....I have only tried them once and from what I remember, they did help.

My families experiences with "repeating cold symptoms" were usually allergy symptoms. You may need to be tested for allergies.

G.,
Sounds like it might be allergies? Could be anything from, laundry detergent, carpet, dust, pets, mold or mildew inside the walls. Any number of things, I'm allergic to a couple of things, my brother went to get tested and found out he's allergic to almost 90 different things!! Good luck, I hope you both get better, V.

Hi G.

My name is T. and I am new to the Nashville area. I saw your notice and didnt know if this might help you. I had issues years ago with getting sick all the time and it was my general health and nutrition causing my immune sysytem to be weak. I was sick al the time until I started to see a naturopath and nutiritionist and learned how to get healthy and strengthen my immune system. Once did that so many things turned around for me. Vitamins are important but only the right type of vitamins help, hence a nutiritionist or naturopath can show you which ones that will help you specifically. Eating healthy and good vitamins helps SO much as you cannot clean your hands and run from every germ out there, your body has to be able to fight off some things. Also if you do have something that is wrong with your immune system so that it is not working properly a naturopath will be able to diagnose that for you, although that would be a very rare thing. Hope this helps and hope you are feeling better soon.
Kind Regards
T.

G.,

I use herbs. They work. We've had a nasty lung flu going around. I still got it, but while most people got it bad, mine stayed at a level 3 or 4. Sauted ginger root with garlic, onions, tumeric then adding yogurt at the last min. Keeps the flu from getting in the lungs so severly. Olive Leaf is a great immune system herb...so sore throats do well with it.

There really are lots of good herbs to experiment with and different ones will resonate with different people. I also find acupunture helpful.

I guess one last thing I think about is, there is nothing wrong with being sick even repeatedly. It is the body/soul's way of slowing down and being careful. It is a time of rest and space and inward journey. Being sick to can help our bodies learn to get stronger on their own...It is like exercise. If you never walk, you won't have good cardio health. Lifting weights helps people be strong. Coughing strengths the lungs, sickness teaches the body to be able to defend against sickness.

It really is all ok. So herbs and gentleness are my walk.

J.

There are lots of homeopathic options...build up your immune system. Are you eating right? Drinking lots of H2O? Health food stores and markets like Whole foods have very educated staff for products that can really help. Have you tried probiotics? Opposite of antibiotics? There are even some esp for children, FlorastorKids. Check w/ Dr for your son tho'. There are also teething tablets by Goody's...these helped both my little boys now age 5 & 3. When I get a sore throat, I gargle w/ warm salt H2O and a little H-peroxide. Sounds gross and yes it bubbles but it works for me! Fresh ginger has alot of great properties as well.

G., unfortunately there is little that you can do other than what you have already mentioned (along with keeping the little one hydrated with liquids. I went through that and my little one who is now 13 months. Just hold on. It will get better. As for you, if you are nursing, you can do chloraseptic spray, warm salty water, cough drops and tylenol.

We had this problem when my daughter was around 2 I think. I eventually narrowed it down to her "horsie" which she slept with, once I washed him, the illness stopped. I had cleaned everything, bleached, lysolled everything you could imagine I would even wash her sheets everytime she got sick and one day I threw horsie in as well, and it all stopped. Look for something close to your child, maybe something he sleeps with a blanket you have forgotten to wash. When you take the sheets off his mattress, (if he doesn't have sensitive skin) lysol the mattress even if it is a plastic crib mattress. There is most likely something small that is holding the germs. good luck

Try changing your air filters in your home. You should have two (main filter-square in shape and return vent filter-rectangle in shape). A lot of people forget to change them frequently (suppose to be changed every 30 days, yeah right) and we don't realize how dust can really effect the sinus which effects ears, throat and nose. Also, be sure there isn't a draft coming through your windows. Always keep your feet warm. After being sick you should change your tooth brush or at least sterilize it.

G., it sounds more like allergies. Have you just recently moved and have you checked for mold or anything that might arouse your allergies? Otherwise, maybe an immune building herb or vitamin might help. I give my Granddaughter Claritan, an over the counter allergy med and only when she needs it. I would rather do that than put her on something she has to take every day. You might see your doctor about allergies. Just a thought.
K.

Make sure that whomever comes in contact with your son also keeps their hands clean. For example, if he has a sitter, dad, grandparent, etc...when they enter your home make sure they wash their hands before they touch him. I have a friend who has an 18 month old and an 8 yr old. She was in a similar situation. When she started having her 8 yr old wash her hands when she came home from school daily, the colds dramatically subsided...in other words the baby was catching germs from the older sibling.

Hi G.,

Sorry to hear about you and your son having colds all the time. Do what my sister-in-law does whenever her whole family comes down with something...get a can of Lysol,
spray every surface anyone has ever touched, then get out of the house for some sunshine. When you return, the germs don't have a chance!

Good luck,

L.

Boy am I right there with you. I got what folks are calling the "flu" (which I don't think it is the flu- just a really, really bad cold). That turned into every kind of infection you can guess- bronchitis, sinus infection, ear infection...) Two rounds of antibiotics later, I am still coughing my head off and it has been 6 weeks!
Now, my son brought a cold home and I have another cold on top of the junk I already had.
I think it is just the time of year that it is. Even going out in public exposes you to all kinds of germs. Not a whole lot to be done about it... I thought that since I took a multivitamin and other supplements that it would help. Ha! That was a joke.
I hope you get better soon!

I would see an allergist. You are describing me as a child and I had allergies and simply bad sinues. The sinus structure simply runs in my family. I have twenty something cousins on that side and about half of us as adults have had sinus surgery which finally gave us some long term results. Good luck.

S.

I am by no means a doctor, but I do have 6 children ages 5-16. If your child is teething that can cause your child to have cold like symptoms. My 5 year old is going in for surgery next week to have her adenoids removed and tubes put in her ears because she was constantly having colds. We thought it was allergies and she was on allergy medicine for a year...it helped some but her nasal problems and cold symptoms would keep coming back. We finally were referred to a specialist and was told that her adenoids were enlarged and she has fluid in her ears that won't drain. I have talked with many mothers who's children have gone through the same thing and had the procedure done and they all said that it was the best thing they ever did for their child. I don't know if this has much relevence to your situation; but you may want to keep it in mind....just in case.

G.,
The 'cold" may be allergens or chemicals in the house that you're getting more and more sensitive to. Something to think about. You might want to watch this video and see if you can relate
http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/media/cleaners_rm_0303...
Let me know if I can help you with this or with building your immune system. Hope this helps!

T.

www.livetotalwellness.com/T.
www.workathomeunited.com/T.

Hi G.. This the season for colds. I think this just happens the first year of life to build up their immune systems. It occured with both of mine the first year. The doctor told me that little ones have an average of 10 colds per year---that's almost one a month or several over a winter. I was so sick the first year of life of both of mine too b/c we just kept passing back and forth. Now, my younger one did end up having allergies and they didn't refer me to an allergist until 18 months. If he/she is only 6 months---it's probably hard to tell.
Good Luck.

It may not be just a cold symptom, the vicks and saline open up his mucus membranes and he may have an allergy to dust, air allergens and check about foods. Keep a diary of what causes these symptoms to appear. One food item at a time, my children had allergies from day one, I cleaned walls threw out stuffed animals and etc. I found if you build up their immune system with children vitamin C and Multivitamin it will cause the symptoms to subside. Dairy products and wheat are the foods that cause the head colds.

I had a similar thing, but it was me with Strep for about 2 1/2 years, so I feel for you!

I don't have any brilliant suggestions, but these may help;
* Make sure the humidifier is disinfected regularly... those things are notorious for being germ breeders.

* Don't go overboard on the germ killing around the house, a totally (or close to totally) germ free home isn't always the best solution to avoiding colds & such. Everyone needs to build up resistance to everyday germs, and sure, babies need some added protection the first 2 years, but not the totally sterile environment that most first time moms think they need. Ask any mom of 3 or more kids... Kids need some germies in their lives, but good basic cleaning is usually the best way to go. It gives you more time with the baby too!

* Are there new pets or other things that changed suddenly in your living arrangements? Pets, carpet, air ducts, or other places dust & other allergy irritants could be hiding? Check with your doctor to see if that is what is giving you the sore throat (nasal drainage), or perhaps it is as simple as a sinus infection that isn't totally clearing up on its own.

I'm betting you figure out what is making you sick, and the baby will get well shortly there after.

Good Luck getting to the root cause!
D.

I'm a proud mommy of 2 near perfect boys, 11 & 15, and the wife of a great guy for 17 years, 3 months & 20 days!

put vicks on his feet when he goes to sleep at night, cover with socks.

if that doesn't work research juice plus gummies for kids, my daughter takes them, they are fruit and veggies as gummies. she loves them and they have built up her immune system, she rarely gets colds.

It sounds you keep getting it from him. And then you give it back. This is just an suggesstion. A cold or bacteria to me tends to attact the mouth and the nose. And coldwind into the ear makes the ear become soar. I do this myself. If I am around anyone with a cold or sneezes. I try to remember to gargle with Salt water or an Antiseptic Mouth Rinse. You can water it down a little so it is not strong. It seems to be working for me. Continue to keep the house clean of bacteria that is a good thing and keeping the air moist helps too. The teething also could be a problem for him too. I hope this helps.

I have always had really good luck with ear candles. You can get them at GNC or any health food store for around $10. My son, 13, suffers from severe allergies so we remove all the impurities left behind from soap or dust or whatever with the candles. He says that he can actually feel the pressure being relieved on his sinus cavaties leaving his head while the candle is burning. The instructions are on the package and even though it may seem very different it is very effective and very helpful. I highly recommend them!!!!!

good luck!
J.

Vitamin C. I swear by it and it works. My daughter is now 5 and before she went to school I could count her colds. Now she takes 1000 mg a day. That may be too much for a baby but try 200mg. You and your wonderful husband should try 2000 mg. A tablet in the morning and a tablet at night.

I rub my sick children's chest and feet with castor oil.

I usually get one cold a year. My husband has asthma. Use to get colds every winter and need breathing treatments. That was before we got married. I can't remember the last time he was sick.

Good luck.

Try using (for you) Zicam at the FIRST sign of a cold. It really does help the cold go away faster and be less severe!!! There is also a trick I use to get over colds faster. It helps your immune system fight the fight of the cold and not whatever else you put in your body. If you were to leave all of your grocheries out on the counter for 4 or 6 hours, which items would you still be willing to eat. And I don't mean twinkies! Only put healthy foods that don't spoil rapidly in your system. Foods that spoil quickly have a lot of bactreria in them. Your body will uses a lot of energy to digest these foods. Give it a break when you are sick and let it focus on the cold. Rest!!! Be well.

Have you ever visited an allergist??? Often times the root of these problems are allergies....... mold tends to grow in the winter and is a source of many allergies....... I saw one in Hazard..... hope this helps........

Sorry I'm so late getting a response to you. Could it be that all the cleaning and personal items you use are having an affect on your immune system? I truly don't mean to advertise or come off like a "saleslady" but I buy all my cleaning and personal care items from an on-line store. They don't contain any harsh chemicals like bleach, ammonia or formaldehyde and can irritate or actually cause damage. My family has been shopping there for a little over a year now and our allergies and colds have dramatically improved. If you'd like more information you can contact me at livetotalwellness.com/powston. Hope this was helpful to you.

Hi G....if his drainage is clear it probably is the teething. Perhaps you need a humidifer in the home for your sore throat. Or it could be allergies. If the baby is not running a temp. Not to worry.

Try swabbing your noses with Zicam. Two of my children caught this ugly flu, but we have managed to keep the other 4 sympton free keeping their noses treated. We also have had to learn to keep our hands away from our face and touching things everywhere we go. And are wasing hands more than ever and keep hand sanitizer handy when on the go. You may also want to lysol pillows, bedding and other cloth surfaces as the germs stay even after their sympotns are gone.

My daughter had the exact same thing at that age...got colds for a few weeks at a time, every few weeks or so. The doctor finally thought it may be allergies, and to treat her for that. She has been on zyrtec for a few months now (I give her the dose every other day) and she hasn't had a cold since! Maybe you could explore that option with the doctors.

Make sure that when you clean you wipe everthing down with a disinfectant and spray all your beds and pillows with Lysol or some other type of spray. Use glass instead of plastic cups unless you are using disposible. It just seems like you just keeping passing it around.

G., I think you have allergies. I have allergies and it's just like a cold. My nose itches and runs, my throat is sore and itchy, my ears itch, I sneeze, sneeze and sneeze some more. My eyes water like a head cold. Try some claritin and see if it works. It may just be allergies. Good luck and I wish you all well.

if you have indoor plants get rid of them have your home checked for molds... that all i can think of right now but deff get rid of any house plants

We get lots of colds too. I think ours are from my husbands job. Germs everywhere. Anyway try and get some vitamin C to help boost your immune system. Disinfect everything you can toys,light switches, door knobs everything. I keep disinfectant sray all the time spray it in the air. What you all are doing is passing it to each other constantly. Make sure you keep washing your hands. We stay in NC but are in MI right now and we developed some colds due to the weather change. But good luck!

It's just that time of year, really. Have you considered that these are allergies and not colds? And make sure you don't give your baby any cold medicine. They don't work for kids and can cause serious side effects and even death.

the cold symptoms could be b/c of teething with your son. stick to what you are doing (humidifier, hand washing, etc) and try teething tablets for him. they disolve on contact and seem to work for my son. with you it could be allergies, maybe you should consider allergy testing? good luck, i think a lot of people are ready for warmer weather to come and stay b/c that could have a lot to do with it too, the continuous change!!

Ok, it is probably your tooth brush. When you have had colds or flu or anything you need to get rid of the toothbrush or disinfect it with alcohol or something. Also, get clorox wipes and just go around the house and wipe down all that is touched, counters ,door knobs ,handrails everything. Take a pro-biotic from the health food store, just ask for it and they will know what it is. That will build up all of your immune systems. It comes chewable and vit. C too.

Hi G.,

Boosting yours and your son's immune systems is better than using any medications that will only conceal the symptoms but will not remove the cause. Medications, even Zicam, have side effects and they actually decrease your immune system strength because now your body has to fight off the chemicals from the medication on top of whatever you are dealing with. Do a search on Zicam, It's not as safe as you'd think!

I went through this with my son for years. He would be stuffy and then get a croupy cough that sent him to the emergency room on many occasions. We changed his diet, and ours,
and removed most chemicals from our home. We have avoided the doctors office for over 5 years now. Thank God!

It does sound more allergy related to me. My son's condition was set off by an allergy to foods with galic acid (sp?) in them. Foods like cantelope, califlower, garlic, foods that you would never think would be bad. I had him tested by a Kinisiologist which is muscle reflex testing (totally non-invasive). We learned to limit the foods he was sensitive to and give him foods that would help his body (his liver) keep clean so the toxins wouldn't accumulate. With a clean body he stays healthy and cough free. When he gets too much sugar, or the foods he is sensitive to he will get stuffy and cough. I can always tell when he's had too much junk!

If it's not allergy related and you truly have a cold then sugar and artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners will contribute to a weak immune system. As will chemicals in the home.
Boosting your immune system by avoiding junk and supplementing with vitamins and pro-biotics should help that.

Try "Greening" your home with safer products, I switched to Young Living all purpose spray. It cleanse EVERYTHING (even glass) and smells like cinnamon and cloves. LOVE IT! But I don't recommend that you use hand sanitizer or Lysol or any other chemicals. They are poison!

If you would like to speak with me about what a Kinisiologist does I will be happy to share my story with you. Having this info changed our lives - and there were no needle pricks!
Feel free to call me at ###-###-####

Be well soon! T.

Hi G., have you tried honey and lemon juice? I hear it helps. You might also consider getting some rest when the little if asleep. So a tablespoon of honey to table spoon of leom juice. Hope it works!

Do you keep your house too warm? I think that's usually why people get sick over and over...the warm temp is like an incubator for germs...that's why most doctor's offices are kept chilly.

Lots of Vitamin C, it boosts the immune system like steroids! I take about 6,ooo mg per day when I am sick and my colds last only a few days. Drink lots of water and orange juice. Green tea helps too.

for the sore throat try 1 TBSP of apple cider vinegar, a 1/2 cup of water, then sweeten to taste. You may want to use more or less water and can add honey if you want. I grossed out when my sister told me about it, but I kept getting sick or couldn't shake the stuff, either way it worked for me. You should try to drink some every day or maybe a few times a day.

best of luck

check your house for mold. you can use echenachia and golden seal. lots of garlic tabs, and high vitamin C. Garlic is a natural antibiotic. Use a capfull of bleach when doing dishes.

Have you tried getting new toothbrushes? It's an often overlooked easy fix. Good Luck!

Try getting Chiropratic care. It alowws the body to fuction properly, inturn allowliny your imune system to truly get rid of the cold. Also Vitamon C works well for helping your body fight off stuff.

Be sure your humidifier is clean!

I do Immune support supplements for my children (2 & 5). I guess your babe is too young, keep it in mind for 18 mos down the line. Spring is early, I don't care what the freakin' groundhog says... allergies are a good guess, especially if you are new to this area. My son had a ton of asthma symptoms from early on & was onthe nebulizer for a few years (as needed). Sring & Fall are the worst SO, keep an eye out around late aug early Sept, Ragweed starts & goes into November. I am not a huge fan of Over Counter stuff, but Lortadine (Claritin - generic @ walmart is super cheap & works fine) Also Nettle Tea is good for helping allergies. Good luck to you.
IF indoor allergies are a problem & changing your flooring is not an option, invest in a good air purifier, at the very least one for each bedroom.

Good luck!

It sounds like the things you are doing are right continue to do them. My suggestion would be on a nice day open all your windows and claen your home. I call it venting out my house and I try do it once or twice a month weather permitting and more in the summer. Make sure you are changing your sheets and pillow cases and other items that you use often. As a woman of faith I have to throw in that a little prayer goes a long way. Congratulations on your new marriage and baby. God bless.

28 year old stay-at-home Mom of three

First, I hope you are feeling better by now. I rarely get sick. I believe it has to do with my hand washing. I always wash my hands when I come in from outside no matter what and obviously after the restroom, and sometimes just because with a good soap and warm water. But I also clean all the door knobs in my house frequently with a disinfectent wipe like clorox but recently I have switched to a toxic free disinfectent that works just as well and costs less. Also, after you get better get a new toothbrush. I hope this helps and you don't think I have OCD LOL

Hi G.,

Are you SURE that it's a cold? Could be allergies.

I too suggest you try Ziacam nose swabs. My husband gets really sick every about this time. He has been using them for about 2 months and has avoided the worst of it.

It's worth a try!

It may be allergies. There are lots of allergens that will give you many of the same symptoms.

It may be allergies. My daughter had constant colds or at least we thought that is what it was. Ended up being sinus infections that were being caused by allergies.

Vitamin C! take one 500mg every hour-2 hours all day. (I know this is gross) but you want to make sure you count how many you take until you get diarrea. The the next day back off 1-2 so you do not get diarrea. this is what dose of vitamin C your body needs.

I did this when I was pregnant too. It really helps kick the cold. For the baby Hyland's has a C-plus Cold in little powdered sugar tablets that are great for babies. Also if you are nursing the baby will get C though your milk. (I only found C-plus cold on the internet: http://organicpharmacy.org/products/C-Plus.Cold.Tablets this is a very good price! $3.17! Plus you and dad could take this too, there is not an age limit on it.

Another thing to do is to take a few peeled cloves of raw garlic and put it into olive oil. Then massage everyone feet at night and put on socks until you are well. Garlic in the raw state is SO good for the immune system. You can also go and buy garlic capsules too.

Hi G.,
I suggest asking your pediatrician how to treat your son. There's been a bunch of hoopla in the news recently about how cold medications are not safe for infants. The effects of cold medications have only been studied in adults and some infants have gotten very sick and even died from taking cold medication. My son's pediatrician told us to use a humidfier and saline nose drops only!!
Good luck.

hi G., i don't know if you are still checking for responses. but for our family it was food sensitivities, not allergies. sensitivities will not show up on allergy testing but will be symptomatic and cause many health issues. i teach people how to eat a whole foods diet and what things to avoid in food. the things to focus on first are the most common irritants, wheat (so all flour products) and dairy. no, you nor your child needs milk. it isn't as hard as it sounds. when you remove these things the symptoms might get a little worse before they get better. the body will just be having a healing crisis and getting rid of the junk inside. we have been eating this way for 17 years. if you do take antibiotics then make sure you and the baby get on some probiotics. it is actually good to take them daily anyway to boost our immune system. stay away from sugar as it will feed anything going on and lower the immune system. good books are eat to live by dr joel fuhrman find books on biblical nutrition that explain what animal products to stay away from (extremely beneficial). dr. fuhrman has a website, drfuhrman.com check out holisticmoms.org and and mercolla.com. do research on the negative side effects of vaccines. congrats on your marriage and new baby ! my 'baby' is 22 yrs old....so don't blink or you'll miss it ! God bless. D.

you might have allergy problems. taking up the carpet and putting hard surface floors will help reduce dust and air allergins significantly

hi G.,
im ninabe a yoga therapist....
the element that most energizes the body is air....and deep breathing through the nose.
if your house is full of carpets, pets, anxiety, the breath and air are sompromised and the immune system is taxed by trying to get some decent 'fuel' into the body to supply the cells with nutrients....so...long story short...
try getting a hepa air filter and have it by your childs bed. this should help him to get a good supply of clean air at nite and give his immune system a boost.
also, try to stop the medication. this addresses symptoms, but these chemicals get dumped into the kidneys and liver and the body gets over-taxed by trying to rid the body of them as fast aspossible.
cut out sugar and make sure this child has a good solid sleeping schedule....lots of water:)
good luck,
ninabe

Hi G.. I'm D., a 55 yo retired RN. I suggest you think about allergies. There are lots of elements in our food and air causing allergies; things that did not affect us before. The body also builds up tolerances to your environment, such as your dog, cat, certain foods, detergents, etc. If you have mucus draining in the back of your throat,(if caused by allergy), it can be painful, feeling like a sore throat.

Is it just a sore throat? With it being so dry around here, I wake up every morning with a horrible sore throat. Chances are its just the weather affecting you. Make sure you drink lots of water and every morning gargle with warm salt water. It cleans and disinfects! Always works for me.

I bet you that you all have allergies instead of colds.
Make sure that the baby doesn't have asthma. My oldest had a cold 24/7. When he was in kindergarten I took him to an asthma dr and they ran tests and said he had sports induced is what they called it...even though he wasn't doing sports at the time.
Go get you some over the counter clariton. Get the generic brand... it is so much cheaper and is the same exact stuff.
For him, ask your pediatrician or at least see if it helps you any. If it does then you can call the dr.
You are probably saying that it isn't allergies if your throat is sore. Not so! If you have allergies that causes sinuses to run which goes down your throat and makes it sore.
Hope that helps and hope you all get better.
Also....if it works out that it isn't allergies... you can blame it on the weather. 15 one day and two days later 60's or 70;s .... that is rediculous. I wish that it would make up it's mind.
Get well

I am a mom of two and my youngest (now 1 1/2) got her first cold before she was a month old. Since then we have had nothing but colds (she has only had about 2 months where she wasnt sick) i went to the doctors, even went and saw a Pediatric allergist. What it basically came down to is she is getting more colds than the average kids. She has been tested for allergies and came up negative for everything she was tested for. I was told kids with allergies will not show syptoms until they are a couple months old. To try to keep the number of sinus infections down I use the saline spray in her nose a couple times a day when she is getting very congested. Let him play in the bathroom while you take a hot shower, that will also help him "clear out". Teething can make him stuffy too. I was told kids can get more than 10 cold a year (lasting approx 2 weeks). My daughter is getting more and they are lasting longer. For each of my kids it never fails that if one of them get a cold or a virus you will get it to so plan on getting sick everytime he does and many times it will be worse for you than for him. Try to strengthen your immune system and look on the bright side. With all the colds he is getting now he should catch fewer colds later :)

If you are all getting sick very often then it is your home. Check your house for MOLD! attic, central heat and air ducts, and basements. My son keep gettin gsick and anyone who stayed there keep gettin gsick with colds and flu's and other stuff, turned out there was horriable mold problem. Most people don't think about this. sometimes the mold is in the walls were there might be a roof leak or bathroom from steam from the shower. You can call the health departemtn and ask them how to go about checking your home just to feel safe.

Have you tried an allergist for yourself? My children were both stuffy when they were teething, but you both could be suffering from allergies. I have chronic allergies and my 7 year-old has some of the same symptoms.An allergist will help you eliminate indoor/outdoor things to help you narrow it down. Good luck!

We have the same things going on here. For about a month. Then I started to wash everything. Toys, car, carseats. Cloroxing everything I could get my hands on. I put all the toys away but a few that were easily to clean up. I bought new tooth brushes. My 14 month old still has a bit of a running nose after having flu, and chest infection. She is also cutting 4 teeth at once. I have been giving her 1/3 regular Tussin every 6 hours to keep it moving and not settling in. Today is the first day that when she sneezed nothing came out. One more day of meds and then it stops. I do run a humidifer at night. There is more than on cold virus too! I have a 3 year old and they share a room. My 3 year old has nothing going on so, I know it is her teeth at this point. I hope this helps. It is so frustrating to be at home with sick little ones who just not getting better.

M.

That's not an easy one But, two things really contribute to cronic colds. They like to stay on things like plastic toys door handles etc... They also love to cling to grocery carts!!My girls are 3yrs old and were way premi but I keep them healthier in flu season by sending my husband shopping, keeping well meaning relatives away that have colds or even a good sniffle and using bleach cleaners (I use clorox cleanup but any will do) on fixtures like inside door handles and bathroom faucets just once or twice a week is fine. I keep a lot of sanitisers even in sommer. We give vitamines with extra C. When one of us does get sick we stay off from the girls a bit and don't pick them up as often til we're better. It can also be an infection that just hasn't gotten the right antibiotics. Strep, upper respatory or ears all have different doses of different meds.
Signs of infection: Check for a low grade fever, any redish throat, white spots on throat, red or pink "tired eyes", or any yellow from nose or throat when he caughs or sneezes. Trust your instincts, if you think it may need checking by a dr. do it! Some infections hide and don't produce a fever til they get really established, even babies can have sinus trouble... We did a lot of nose cleaning with a suction bulb too.. We also drink gobs of watered down grape or grape/cranberry juice. A splash of juice the rest water in a cup several cups a day. These Anti oxidents keep immune systems going. We get the frozen cheap juice. Twins..., I hope this helps. I stay home now but in my former life I was a nurse for over 20 years. Good luck, hope it works. S. Q