no end to the snotty nose

[GoByTrain]

My 2.4 year old has a permanently snotty nose and has done ever since he was perhaps 10 months old - around the time he started eating a wide variety of foods. MIL says it's something he'll 'just grow out of'. And maybe it is.

But in the meantime what, if anything, should/could I do to work out the cause of it - and the potential remedy.

Background: He eats dairy but I hardly give him any cows' milk. (Had thought milk was the evil causer of the snot.) But still the snot continues.
Wheat may be the trigger and I did cut out wheat for a while, and did see a marked improvement. But I found it hard to go completely wheat-free, esp since I wasn't entirely sure if wheat really IS an issue.

Any advice on whether I should have this checked out and if so, how does one get it checked out? Blood tests? See a nutritionist? Anything else? Or is it really so bad to just let him 'grow out of it'.

Suppose my other main concern is that, while he's full of energy, strong and happy, he IS on the short-side so wondering whether his height is just genetic or whether food intolerances are causing growth problems I'm not even aware of...

Thanks for any feedback.

[eragon]

is the mucas always clear?

are there any other allergic conditions in family, asthma, ezcema , hay fever etc?

does your child any of those conditions?

if not, then remember small kids have around 8 colds a year, and this is a good thing. the more snotty they are when young, the better the immune system when they start school!

[GoByTrain]

Hi eragon, Yes, I'd say the mucus is clear. How's this significant?
Reassuring to know he might be building up his immune system! Mind you, not sure it's the result of a cold since not accompanied by coughs etc - plus the mucus seems to be a permanent state of affairs.
There is some exema & asthma (mild) in the family - how might these relate to a snotty nose?
Wondering whether I ought to speak to the GP - or whether to just sit it out.
Thanks again!

[GoByTrain]

Ps but he doesn't have asthma or eczema.

[MistyB]

Any recurrent ear infections, bowel issues, other immunity concerns?

If not, then I'm not sure that any intolerances are proving a big issues in your case. However, there could be an argument that says if wheat is the problem, it could be inhibiting his ability to absorb nutrients and therefore to grow and may result in more issues later in life. If dairy is a problem, I think you need to exclude fully for six months to see a real difference but any improvement could be masked if there are other intolerences involved.

On another track, DS2 had a constant runny nose that benefited from Cranial Osteopathis treatment (it was a highly skilled one, I have seen a few with the children and they are not all the same!). With one specific treatment, it was like his previously constant runny nose (clear mucus) was turned off like a tap. It was not the end of mucus altogether but was dramatic and within 24 hours.

[eragon]

mistyB thats only if you are looking at this with food as a culprit, normally a runny nose with clear stuff is an indicator of allergy, but without other problems related to intolerance allergy, i wouldnt dream of doing an exclusion diet on a small person, without medical support.

I agree with the cranial ostepath idea, worth a try if you have the spare cash. we tried it for last infant with extreme colic etc.

however, gobytrain, i would consider enviromental allergies as a culprit, and check with gp for enlarged adenoids ( not sure about spelling) or rhinitis.

hope this is helpful.

[MistyB]

Exactly!! We are saying the same thing, if there are no other immune issues, recurrent infections, bowel issues, it is unlikely that food is causing this. (perhaps poorly worded!)

[youarewinning]

My DS is permanently snotty (when not on antihistamines!). Sometimes he's fine one minute, sounds full of it the next and sounds clear again an hour later!!

He has raised eosinophils in his blood. The allergy markers commonly raised in people with allergic rhinitis etc. He has what they suspect are environmental allergies as he has hayfever and can react sometimes out of nowhere. This snottiness is part of his allergies we've learnt to live with as cannot irradicate the environment!

Perhaps they can check his blood eos levels? That would be a good start. They could also check IgE and CRP (allergy and infection) levels at the same time. Wouldn't hurt to have a look at whats going on before taking it further.

Its not recommended to exclude foods from a child's diet without dieticians advice.

[MistyB]

Might also be worth looking at Buteko technique to encourage nose breathing which will help clear his nose and reduce mucus production.

buteko

[youarewinning]

interesting! I have noticed DS gets out of breath when reading and have often wondered if it's because he breathes through his mouth!

I'll look into that technique - I rememeber when it first came out and was in the media.

[GoByTrain]

Thanks Misty - I'll take a look at that book.
Interesting that he snores when sleeping so there is probably more going on than just diet.
Also, was your osteopath in London (where I am) - if so, can you recommend a particular person or clinic? I never quite know what to make of cranial osteopaths - I had my DS looked at as a very small baby (for other reasons) and they worked on me too, though I can't say I noticed any great difference in me. However, clearly it worked with your DC.

[MistyB]

Have pm'd you though not sure it of any use.

[eragon]

snoring = dustmite common allergen. easily diagnosed by blood test by gp.

[GoByTrain]

Thanks very much Misty, for your helpful pm, will explore.
Eragon - I think I really must get DS to the doc for her to just take a look and check such things. I am (or was as a teen) rather allergic to dustmites...