Totally blocked nose

[Mintysmoons]

My son (10) has had a totally blocked nose for the past couple of weeks, maybe longer.

I’ve tried all the usual methods using salt water, etc and have resorted to children’s otrivine. This gives him temporary relief but I don’t want him using it long term.

I’ve also just bought smelling salts off Amazon to maybe try.

Has anyone got any other ideas before I head to the dr (for what seems trivial but is driving us all mad!)

Antihistamine?

Thanks Pixie. Tried that too. Sigh...

My son started with the same and in the end we took him to the GP who gave him a steroid nasal spray which works wonders. GP said he will have a dust mite allergy which is so common in winter (I have this too) and we've noticed in summer he has hay fever so this works well all year round and the amount of steroid they actually absorb is tiny. We also tried saline sprays too at first but they achieved nothing other than irritating his nose and causing nose bleeds.

Good luck!

Has he always had issues with a blocked nose? Or is this a recent thing?

I ask because I was given every nasal spray under the sun as a kid and they worked for a matter of weeks and then it just went back to me not being able to breathe through my nose. People used to say I sounded like I was talking through my nose at times. I've been fobbed off with all sorts. Allergies, colds, narrow nasal passages...

As an adult, if I had a cold and went on an aeroplane, I used to get terrible headaches. Sometimes really bad toothache too. In my 20s, I'd finally had enough and told my doctor I'd take whatever it was that they wanted me to take and how how long they suggested but that I wasn't prepared to put up with it any longer and they needed to refer me to the hospital.

They did. And told me that septoplasty and turbinate reduction were my options but that it might not work 🙄.

I told them to get on with it as it couldn't be any worse. I did not like the consultant who imo was rude and dismissive.

That was 9 years ago. I had the surgery and it was brilliant. I've been able to breathe through my nose for the most part the majority of the time. I fully expect I will need it doing again in the future but it's been wonderful.

I hope that this is just an allergy for your son but if any of the above resonates then feel free to message me. I wouldn't want anyone to have to suffer permanently blocked nose and have it fobbed off. It's shit.

Thank you both for taking the time to reply.

No, he hasn’t always had a blocked nose. Just over the last couple of months on and off but mostly in the last two weeks.

He has a drs appointment for next Monday. I think it probably is an allergy but antihistamines are not working.

Thanks again though. I’ll ask about the steroid spray.