Nasal Allergies in Children

Hi L.,

I have a 7 year old girl who also breathes through her mouth and has large adenoids.

I took her to my nutritionist about her poor growth recently and she recommended the following:

Drastic changes in eating (we are not even close to being there yet). Lots of fresh fruits and veggies and eliminating wheat, corn and dairy.

Lots of vitamin C

Cod Liver Oil - it now comes flavored (lemon and cherry) and it's not too bad.

Good luck to you!

L.

My son,age 5 as well,also has bad nasal/sinus allergies.
I keep him on Mullien herbal tincture...
http://www.localharvest.org/store/item.jsp?id=3104--I use something similar to this one here.Always be sure to give the right dose for your little one though.
I refuse to give my kids OTC/or pharmacueticals(sp?).
I also try and give him garlic daily.Luckily I found odorless gel caps he will chew up.This is them...http://www.herbalremedies.com/garod90cap50.html

I recently found out garlic naturally has Vitamin C in it which helps alot with allergies.
So best of luck to you!!
Oh and I give my kids chewable Acidophilus also which helps the immune system and the entire body in many ways!

--M. (____@____.com)

p.s -Also for helping breathe at night,or lying down and anytime really,put Eucalyptus herbal tincture on a cloth!!

My son constantly got sinus infections - the doctors wanted him to take an anihistimine & use a nasal spray. After a few months, when it didn't seem like these were working, we tried a netty pot. It's at the health food stores. You mix warm water & sea salt and rinse your nostrails. We have been using this whenver it seems like he's starting to get snotty and he has not had a sinus infection in over a year! Praise God! We ended up switching to a "sinus rinse" b/c he liked it better than the netty pot. We got it at Target by asking the pharmacist. It's completely natural and the key is just getting the kid to do it!

Dr. Oz showed how to use one on Oprah, here is the link.
http://www.oprah.com/health/oz/oz_20070426_350_105.jhtml

This is the one he ended up liking better
http://www.unimedprod.com/

I hope this helps!

L.,

I have a 7yr old boy, who is allergic to just about everything.
We had an allergy test, not good. Anyway, they suggested we put him on allergy shots, once a week. Which would cost with insurance about $100.00 a month. I have been searching for a natural whole food that would rebuild his immune system. I am a naturopathic at heart. And to me, shooting him up with what his body is fighting on the daily basis, sounds crazy to me.
I had talked with Dr. Cindy Russell who suggested to take a product called Vemma. My son has been taking it since Feb. 20th almost a month now. I can tell just from, looking at him he is doing good. His eyes are not purple and red looking. He tells me he is feeling way better.
He reminds me everyday, that he needs to take his magic juice. So far, I am very happy with the results. There are hundreds testimonials on this product.
There is 30 day 100% guarantee, if you are not happy with the product. By the way, my son loves the taste, it's juice with 72 vitamins and minerals. For a 5yr old, he would only need to take half of a adult serving. Which is only 1oz a day.
Check it out www.vemma.com
J. Lancrerot

L. what I suggest is you check out a air purfier. I had allergies very and had to take med everyday. But with this I have been able to quite taking my med.
Go to www.freshairliving.com/mgarrett and check this out.What couses allergies is bad air in our homes.
Hope this will be some help .
Thank you J. Garrett

Hi L.,

I understand what your son is going through, I've dealt with swollen tonsils most of my life due to allergies. My son especially, suffered with breathing and wheezing at night, eczema on 80% of his body...I tried all kinds of natural ways to alleviate his suffering and finally found something that worked for him and the rest of my family...maybe it will help your son too, here is a link to a website that explains all about this natural botanical, which God created and is helping people worldwide become and stay healthier. www.TasteOfGod.com God Bless!

L., I understand what you are going through.
I use to have to take 3 allergy shots a week. Plus all the meds. that go with my allergies.

If you want the best natural remedy for your angels or anyone. Please check this out...This will put your immune system in high gear..It is refered to as mother's milk. There are over 700 studies done on the main ingredient which is fucoidan. go to www.pubmed.org and put in fucouidan and any medical problem, like allergies.
It is a liguid food, that taste great. Or you can mix it in anything. For childern all you would need is 1 one ounce in the morning and 1 0ne ounce in the eveing..

Go to my web site and check it out.You will never know till you check it out. www.limunews.com
Or call me ###-###-####

Hi L.,
My son has severe allergies and asthma, I also grew up with a little brother who has the same problem. I know you mentioned your little boy can't breath at night, if sinus congestion is the problem then there is nothing better than a saline nasal wash(different than a spray). The home remedy is a mixture of salt, baking soda, and warm water squirted into the nostrils(with the child's head down and mouth open) with a syringe. You then let the solution run back out and you will be amazed by how well this cleans out the nasal passages it really works. However if you don't want to make the solution there is a really great kit you can buy at the pharmacy, which is basically the same thing, and it comes with a little squeeze bottle that works alot better than a syringe. It is called NeilMed Sinus Rinse($9.99 with 50 uses), it will be where the nose sprays are. I hoped this helped.
M.

Go to a health food store, like Whole Foods, Sprouts, etc. You might call first to see if they have a natural nasal wash called XLEAR Nasal Wash(pronounced Clear). It is great! You can check it out on their website www.xlear.com. They also have other products as well.
~~Made with Xylitol, Xlear (pronounced "clear") is a patented, non-addictive nasal wash designed to aid in the relief of irritation caused by pollutants, allergens and infections of the nasal passages.~~

I found out about this product when we thought I was pregnant a couple years ago (turned out to be a false pregnancy). I got on & researched their website. I've been using it ever since! I even use it on my almost 4 year old daughter.
Good luck!
D. :-)

Hi L., lots of good responses! I've had some of the same struggles with my little guys. Here are some things I think are helpful, in no particular order:
1. When allergy season is high and I feel like I need to give them something, I use "Herbs for Kids" brand homeopathic drops - Nettle & Eyebright. I love it. One likes the drops directly in his mouth, the other I put in a small amount of OJ.
2. We recently got something called a NAsaline Jr. which is a syringe type device which you use to squirt water and a salt saline solution into one nostril and out the other! It really cleans out the sinuses. I got it from my chiropractor.
3. Chiropractic care helps to relieve nerve blockages to sinuses, throat, ears, etc...
4. I also agree with the no-dairy... although have had a hard time completely pulling it off in our house.
5. Good nutrition and lots of fruits and veggies. We also use Juice Plus+ - a whole food based fruit and veggie concentrate (17 raw fruits and veg in capsule, chewable or gummie). Works wonders in improving immune response, which is what an allergic reaction is! Many studies to show its benefits! It is fabulous! You can read more at www.HamreHealth.com if you are interested. This is our first line of defense!
Good luck L.!
Feel free to email me if you have any questions or give me a call! ###-###-####
Krystal

Contact Tonja Wells, christian holistic therapist
She is FANTASTIC and in NRH area

____@____.com

Let her know how you got her email address...
Michelle Greenwood

Hello L.,

(sorry this got kind of long)
have him/her gargle w/ just plain water before going to bed and throughout the day (it will help loosen some phlem).
Go to sprouts or wholefoods they can point you to some of the products they have there.

--NO MILK... (whey, lactose, etc)

--Also, if your child is allergic to ragweeds... chamomile, echinacea, sunflowers, safflower and lettuce are ragweeds! so read every label of what he/she eats.

check the book: smart medicine for a healthier child (sprouts/wholefoods) it has lot's of great info about regular meds, herbal, homeopathic treatments. you can buy a used one at amazon.com.

Also if you have a fan w/ an ionizer... run it 20-30 minutes in his/her room before going to bed (I would not run the ionizer while they're sleeping)

~~peppermint oil
4 - 5 drops of peppermint oil on a paper towel in his/her room at night will help w/ the stuffy nose. **warning, do not apply directly to skin ... it needs to be diluted in a carrier oil first before puting on skin)

skip all the heavy chemicals at home. 1/2 alcohol + 1/2 water will do wonders... mirrors, counters, sinks, door handles, toilet seats.... that way you don't have to use bleach every time. like someone else said: audit all the things you use at home: dish washing detergent, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, etc. I have not used dryer sheets nor rinse on my clothes for a long long time. I also cut in 1/2 the amount of clorox I was putting on my towels. I also use essential oils to clean counters, sinks, etc.

Here are some links about essential oils:
note: I guessed some the spelling of these oils =)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8479435537623601064

~~cypress --cough, edema (soak your ankles and feet w/ cypress & epson salt) bronchitis, calming --very powerful against bronchitis!!!

~~cedarwood atlas
cough, calmin, anti-inflamatory, bronchitis, antibacterial, good for skin - renewing skin

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6305768170638733228

~~eucalyptus smithy -- safe for 2yrs and older -- smells like valerian. great preventative. kills airborn cold and flu viruses

~~eucalyptus globulus - most popular - antiviral, antibacterial. too powerful - NOT FOR KIDS, not for frail/elderly people.
eucalyptus radiata - good expectorant. pulls things out of skin... like splinters, etc.

~~eucalyptus citradora (eucalyptus lemon) it is not 2 oils mixed! very powerful antimicrobial
very good bug repellant. very powerful antiviral/antibacterial.

essential oils kill germs
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8960522012496686774

Good luck!

I will second these responses:
~change the toothbrush
~get a neti pot! It has saved me from any medicine & my 6 yr old dtr uses it too. We finally realized she should close her mouth while pouring the water in and there's less chance of swallowing the water. It goes in one nostril and comes out the other, and then you gently blow your nose and keep doing it until the pot is empty. I bought mine and the saline packets from www.sinucleanse.com. We do it every night and sometimes in the morning too. You can do it as often as needed.
~go to the chiropractor

We're fighting all the crud at our house too. Good luck and I hope you find something that works for you!

Eucalyptus oil is a natural way to open passages. You can find it at herbal and organic food stores.

Hi Lannette,

Since your son has chemical sensitivities I hope you have already switched your cleaning products, laundry soap, body lotions, etc to some non toxic products. That helps alot. Then improve his immune system with a natural molecule called transfer factor. My husband had asthma and life threatening allergies until he started using this product. He is a Naturopathic doctor so he has researched and tried many products on the market. You can learn a little about this transfer factor from our website www.clive.my4life.com or you can call me ###-###-#### and I will give you a discount. I can also suggest some great replacements for any toxic products in your home that can be a contributing factor.

I don't know about treatments but when your child has recovered, make sure you get he or she a new toothbrush. My sons Dr. recommended that because he kept getting reinfected.
Something simple I would have never have thought of on my own.

First off a humidifier in his room at night will make a huge difference.

Secondly audit the stuff you use in your house. Anything that has a bunch of scent throw away. Don't use air freshener spray and even better would be to use natural cleaning products (clorox just came out with some as well as method at target)

Before I was a SAHM I was an ENT nurse for 12 years. When their tonsils are that enlarged and they are snoring, the tonsils really need to come out or it will cause a lifetime of problems. Trust me when I tell u that I am not one for surgeries but in that situation you need to take your child to an ENT doc and get their opinion.

J.

Hi L.,
What I have done lately is given my 5 yr old 1/2 tsp. of bee pollen and I mix it with honey (to make it taste better)a day to help out with allergies, and give him a multi-vitamin. The key to eliminating allergies is that the immune system needs to be really strong. This is going to take a while for it to work since it requires daily intake and it is more natural. I have even noticed my allergies and sinus problems have lessened, but remember this is not a cure it is a daily routin for life.

Hi L.,
I use/sell Young Living Essential oils and you could get a diffuser (which is something that is electric and sends out little steam/sprays of the oils all night which would help him breathe better) Or put the oils in a spray bottle and put some on his pillow at night but the diffuser would last all night. I love using essential oils it has opened up a whole new "healthy" way of handling lots of life's issues with sickness or prevention. Let me know if you want more info. I would be happy to help you find what would help your son and family.
Blessings,
Sharon

My daughter was a mouth breather also. She had many ear infections and sinus infections starting at the age of 3. A ear, nose and throat doctor put tubes in her ears (at age 6)which helped until they fell out (about 9 months later.) He wanted to put tubes in again, but I felt we were just putting a bandaid on a bigger problem. I then took her to an allergy doctor who could not find anything that she was significantly allergic to although he did find from a scan of her head and sinuses that her adnoids were in the 90% for her age (very large!) That was the reason for the mouth breathing. When I took her back to the ear, nose, and throat doctor he just wanted to do the tubes again. I took her to another doctor for a second opinion who agreed that the large adnoids were a problem. He also said that tubes work for small kids that start out with ear problems and eventually grow out of them. My daughter had grown into her problems. She had her adnoids removed and has not had a ear infection since and is no longer a mouth breather (she is now 9).

I find that regular saline, several times a day does help. I have had the same problem with my 4 year old.

I have heard that if you take ginger crystals and boil them in water and serve it like tea, it helps to calm, soothe and correct coughing/throat/nasal problems. Several mothers in my son's preschool have tried this and say it works wonders.

Hi L.:

My little guy apparently likes "giving up breathing through his nose" for Lent each year, since he is always stopped up for the months of February and March.

First, I recommend at least rinsing his hair at night to get rid of any pollen that might be hanging around. Then we use a plain saline spray in his nose each night for the same reason - to rinse out any allergens. Then I use a humidifier in his room, along with the "vapor plugs" made by several companies (Vicks is one.) I also rub mentholatum on his chest and neck after bath.

There are many homeopathic remedies at Whole Foods you can try. We have had some luck with them, but you just have to try them out to see which one will work best.

Good Luck!

My mom can't take allergy meds due to other meds she takes and the doc told her to eat a TBS of honey -- preferably from local bees. Honey contains pollen and when ingested it actually helps you to build up an immunity to the local pollens.

Also, a great thing to use is just a saline squirt. It's less than $2 at Wally an is really good to help with allergies.

If you do use a humidifier, just make sure it is a cool mist one. The warm mist ones can actually aggrivate breathing issues.

The netti pot is a great idea - everyone in my family uses one. Also, have you checked out food allergies? Since discovering my food allergies and eliminating those food from my diet I can breathe 100% better. Just a thought.

My son had his adnoids removed a few years ago. And he breaths much better at night. I'm glad we had it done. B.

Try using what is called a netty pot. You can buy it at wal-mart and also at pharmacies. It uses saline solution, what your tears are, and rinses and soothes the nasal passages, helping with allergy sinusitis.
You might look into some immune system boosters such as pro-biotics. They help your body to naturally fight off infections and do other great things. Also, boost his vitamin C intake with chewable vitamin C. You can't take too much, it will come out in your urine. Hint-don't get any of these from wal-mart, some things you can't skimp on.

if it turns out to be the tonsils instead of allergies, dr.rohn at plano presby is an amazing e.n.t.(so good with kids). he did surgery on 2 of my kids.

For the problem that you were talking about with opening his moth when he breathes and this irritating his tonsils,a cool mist humidifier would be good there are no chemicals and all it does is moisten the air he is breathing. Good Luck to ya!!

A.