Advice and Tips Needed for Nasal Congestion

I, too suffered from horrible nasal congestion due to allergies and tried everything. I would be congested from Oct-Apr every year! For me, the neti pot was useless because I found out that I wasn't actually "congested"; my nasal passages were so swollen that I couldn;t breathe. The only thing that helps is that now I am on a steroid nasal spray (Flonase generic) that I use to prevent the problem in the first place. I know you said no more meds, but for me, it has been the only solution and well worth it.

Try NeilMed Sinus Rinse. I have found that It is very good at relieving the symptoms of allergies and colds that affect the sinuses. I have kids with allergies/asthma/sinus infections and their symptoms are relieved quite a bit by using it twice a day. Have you tried allergy shots? Two of my kids have been getting them and have seen a big decline in symptoms.

neti pots are awesome- also have her use saline spray in her nose a few times a day and just before bedtime.

I would use the spray instead of the neti. Same concept but much easier to do IMO.

I started to do a nasal rinse this year to try and minimize the use of meds. What a difference! I didn't like the neti pot. It was too messy, more solution on my face than in my nose. I found a great suggestion on-line to use a syringe bulb (the kind you use to clean out a babies nose). You can either buy the pre-made packets of saline solution and mix with warm water or what I did was to buy baking soda & salt (but I can't remember if it was iodized or non) and made the saline mix myself. If you google nasal rinse solution you will find the "recipe". Use the bulb to suck up the solution and put the end of the bulb towards the upper back of the nose and squeeze the bulb. It may take a few times to figure out where to aim the bulb but once you feel it coming out the other nostril you'll know you found it. The easiest place to do the rinse is in the shower and let her know that afterwards she may feel stuff draining down the back of her throat. Kind of gross but at least you know all the congestion is draining. Good Luck!

All of the medications only help alleviate the symptoms and not the underlying cause. If your daughter is allergic to mold then she should try avoiding cow's milk dairy products and bread. Those foods both have high mold counts. I didn't realize this until I met with a nutritionist. She suggested my son and I both avoid bread n dairy. We changed our diet and now we are not nearly as congested as we once were. My sister did the same for my niece who was plagued with sinus infections. She hasn't had one since. Good luck!

The claritin is drying her out so she needs the moisture you are talking about with the Neti Pot. I would think that might be hard for a 12 year old to do by themselves so it would have to be explained very well. I am sure together you both can accomplish the task.

Definitely try the sinus rinse. I would recommend the Neil Med Sinus Rinse over the neti pot. We have used both. With the neti pot, it helped, but was basically a slower pour. With the sinus rinse, you squeeze the bottle and I think it squirts up higher and cleans out more. My 8 year old manages it herself twice a day, and I do think it helps a lot. It is a quick, easy, non drug intervention that will definitely get results. View a quick video about it with your daughter to make sure it goes smoothly. It is a little weird sensation until you get used to it.

http://www.neilmed.com/usa/adword_sr.php?gclid=COK93LrFjK...

Also, our pediatrician told us that zyrtec was more effective than claritin for many people, so perhaps experimenting with a different antihistamine may show some benefit.

My daughter's allergist thought irritants may bother her as much or more than allergens. There is no test for these, but if your daughter is particularly senstive to smells (cleaning products, scented candles, detergents), you may want to look for other alternatives. My daughter was prescribed a liquid medicine called Dallergy, which is supposed to be better for irritant induced congestion than either claritin or zyrtec. However, I can't say we've personally noticed a difference.

One other medical intervention that may help is a prescription nasal spray (Veramyst, fluticasone, etc.)

I definitely recommend a consult with an ENT. There may be a structural issue that prevents proper drainage, and so everything backs up. They may want to do a CT scan of her head. Read up on the benefits and risks and make sure they satisfy any concerns you have about the level of radiation, because they are subjecting a growing brain to radiation. The imaging may potentially identify any structural problems, exceptionally large adenoids, etc.

Good luck to you and your daughter. It is so sad to see them miserable and not feeling well all of the time.

As a nurse practioner, mom and one who has allergies, I highly recommend the Neil Med Sinus Rinse. It is just like the neti pot, but easier to use. I recommend using it in the morning in the shower and in the evening over the sink. It is a saline nasal rinse. You can read about it on-line and can be bought at any drug store. Hope she gets better.

Neti pots work very well for nasal congestion, I would also check with her MD to see if it is o.k to use a little Vicks Vapor Rub, it works great.

You might get better results from a Neil Med bottle. Walgreens sells them right by the Neti pots.

Oh boy I am dealing with similar issue with my boys. They are 7 & 4 and it's tough to control this but I was told by their pediatrician to give them plenty of warm water to drink to keep them moist & to rinse their noise nightly with a kit. Also they gargle warm water after brushing teeth I guess to clear throat? It's kinda working but ofcourse they still need the meds!! :/ Good luck

I have similar issues with my 6 year old son. Endless congestion due to allergies - nose blowing, coughing no matter what medication we used - zyrtec, nasal wash, veramyst... His allergist looked at his nasal passages and they were almost swollen shut. We had a break through this past week when someone suggested vicks vapor rub. Sounds too easy to be true but his turn around has been unbelieveable. The first night we started with a nasal rinse - Neil Med Sinus Rinse - and used Vicks on his chest and his feet (rub on the bottom of her feet and cover them with socks) after two nights we just used it on his chest. We stopped using it after about 4-5 days but have it on hand should another flair up occur. Now we find that we can manage his alleriges with less medicine. To me, it seems like the medicine can actually work now as the swelling, congestion is under control. Best of luck to you!

If you are using the humidifier in her room on a regular basis, pull all the furniture away from the wall and check behind it for mold.

She should be at an ENT and a different allergist and if it is true asthma she could even been seen by a pulmonologist. Please get her to one, is she on any nose sprays? Astepro is helpful or astelin is the safer one I think and she should be using sinus rinse or neti pots or there aer salt caves she can sit in to help, I think you need to tweak the meds she is on they are obviously not helping. who is the allergist? I sugesst a second opinion. poor girl, your a good mom knowing to get the right help.

neti pots work wonders and would be easy for a 2 year old to use!

My daughter's allergist added zyrtec recently (she also takes singular and advair). He also wanted to try a nasal spray but she hates those so we're trying this first. You might want to try something instead of the claritan. I've used neti pots too with some success.

What about an air purifier? There are ionic and filter type ones available. You may also be able to get a combo air filter and humidifier depending on your price range. Also if your daughter has trouble with the neti pot there are other options for doing a saline rinse. My ENT recommended doing a saline rinse 2-4 times a day. I use a nasal spray bottle with saline in it. You can get them in the pharmacy for under $5. It really helps in dry winter weather or for thick, sticky congestion and post nasal drip.

I have sinus problems and I use the Neil Med sinus rinse kit. It works GREAT! It takes a little getting used to (it feels like when you get water up your nose at the pool), but it rinses away allergens and clears congestion. It's much more effective than just a saline mist / spray. I would try that before any more meds. I have never used a neti pot so I don't know about that, but I think it's made by the same company that makes the sinus rinse kit. Good luck!

I don't know what a neti pot is. Saline spray is something that your body can tolerate a lot of unlike meds, I believe, without side effects. Have you considered a chiropractor to see if she is out of alignment? It could be causing problems with getting her passages to drain properly.

I suffered from chronic nasal congestion for about 10 years; took all kinds of different meds, had allergy shots, nothing helped. It was so bad I could not taste my food. I also developed asthma around this time. Mind you, I was in my 20s when this started up. Finally I saw an ENT and found out I had nasal polyps. I had them surgically removed 2 years ago and have not had one cold or sinus infection since. Not saying this is what your child's problem is, but it might be something to rule out. I still take a nasal steroid to prevent them from coming back, and use a neti pot daily. BTW, prior to the surgery, a neti pot did not work because of the blockage. The saline would come right back out the same
nostril.

Hi Sandy,

I would recommend that she try Neil Med Sinus Rinse. I started using it during my first pregnancy, and since then I haven't needed to take as many allergy meds/decongestants. It's really gentle and SO MUCH EASIER than using a netti pot (and much more effective than a spray). I think she's probably old enough. Basically, it's a squeeze bottle that you fill with warm water, add a pre-mixed saline packet, and shake. It may take her a while to get used to it, but I use it twice a day, every day, and I definitely notice a difference. You can buy it at most pharmacies (Walgreen's, Jewel, CVS) and Target.

Best,
R.