DS constantly blocked nose - ideas or advice please?

[TitsalinaBumSquash]

My DS is about to turn 6 and he has always had problems with his nose and congestion. He is a mouth breather and cannot eat/drink/move around without grunting and groaning because there is so little air movement through his nose so his mouth is always wide open.

I took him to the GP who referred him to ENT after 6 months waiting for the appointment the Dr said there is air moving (she held a metal thing up to his nose and asked him to blow out of his nostrils as hard as he could) and it showed there is movement so it's not a medical issue and that was it.
They tested his ears and said one side the tube that goes from ear to nose is under developed but that it will catch up as he grows.
She then suggested twice daily sinus rinses with Sterimar which we've been doing but it's had no effect.

Other children have noticed and had commented that they don't want to sit with DS at lunch because he makes so much noise when eating.
He sleeps poorly because he constantly seems to be gasping for air in his sleep and he wakes up with a sore throat.
He's had multiple ear and throat infection every ear since he was a baby, he had severe RSV and bronchitis when he was 6weeks old and was in hospital for weeks on O2 being NG fed so I don't know if it's off the back of that.

I'm not sure what else to do though or if I can help in anyway? I don't want him to become a social outcast because he's such a noisy breather and eater and I want him to be able to exercise in comfort and not constantly be sniffing and grunting all the time.

Hi op, I'd be back to the gp and tell him the rinses are not working and that actually you would like another referal to ENT. It sounds quite obvious to me that it's his adenoids and I'm surprised this wasn't mentioned at all in the appointment?

Likely it's allergy
We were like this every night, he used to wake up every hour in the night from blocked nose. I stopped dairy and gluten and he's been fine for last 3 years
Try stopping for a week see how it goes

There was no mention of adenoids, the dr said to video him at night if we were concerned about sleep apnea and that was it.
We have another follow up appointment with her later this year so I'll ask about adenoids.

I'll try dairy and gluten exclusion too, thanks.

This is an exact description of my (now 11 year old) ds. He had enormous tonsils (but never ever had an infection). When they were removed aged 6 they also removed the largest adenoids his consultant had ever seen.

We tried all sorts of dietary changes and nothing helped.

Unfortunately it had left him with sensory issues around food and he is now extremely fussy with chewy foods or foods that can get stuck in his throat. Suggest pushing for a second opinion, OP as sounds very much like adenoids issues.

My son is a mouth breather and I always wondered why. We were given nasal sprays for night time but didn't do much

Sounds like my sister- dairy allergy

Have you tried anti histamine for a couple of weeks to rule out allergies? Does he suffer from eczema or asthma? I'd be pushing hard for an ENT and allergy referral

This sounds like me as a child. ENT couldn’t work out the issue. Our cat died and I was cured over night.

Not quite the same but I was similar as a child and it was mostly allergies, especially cats but also other things including some trees.

Try giving antihistamines for a few days and see if that helps.

If you think it might be an allergy it is worth seeing an allergy specialist- unlikely to be available on the nhs but a specialist can do this skin test which pinpoints exactly what you're allergic to which was a bit of a revelation in my case. My allergies are better now but are directly related to the trees that live at certain altitudes- go up a mountain and I'm fine!

I was thinking allergies and/or adenoids too.

Bemused by what happened with the doctor too. Yes, he may be able to snuff air out of his nostrils, but that doesn’t mean his nasal airways aren’t restricted, surely? How frustrating. I’d definitely ask for a second opinion.

My son has similar but it is his ears that were suffering from his ent passages being blocked.
The doctor ummed and ahhed about rinses but then prescribed a steroid nasal spray which has been miraculous-he started hearing better after the first couple of doses and although it’s unpleasant he asks for it straight away each day as he’s so pleased to be able to hear!

Either allegies and/or sinus issues - I had to have some work done on my septum as an adult to help my sinuses to drain better.

I had this, it was adenoids for me

There is allergy testing in the NHS but not widely known about, generally in Dermatology departments

They should have done an X-ray. He could have nasal polyps. I'd also take him to a respiratory specialist and request a sleep study.

It’s def adenoids - go back to a different and better ent Dr and say what you’ve said here

Ps I believe rsv can cause enlarged adenoids

My son had blocked nose. Turned out to be a milk intolerance, but milk protein rather than lactose.

My 11yr old DS had a permanent blocked nose and was also having issues at school.

Had the same issue that he could just about get some breath to show on the metal instrument.

I echo what others have said about getting another ENT referral.

My son was given two different nasal sprays to try which had no effect.

He also had allergy testing and it was positive for dust mites.

He had a camera put up his nose in clinic and it showed small adenoids but large inferior turbinates.

He was commenced on antihistamines too but it still didn't help.

He underwent surgery at the beginning of the summer for Reduction of inferior turbinates +/- adenoidectomy.

When they got in there they found surprisingly moderate adenoids too that became more obvious as he was lying down.

He had them and turbinates removed and can now breath easily.

Surgery will be the last option and it took me a couple of years to get to this stage but just keep going back and don't let them discharge you from clinic.