Allergies or Sick

I've had allergies to almost everything my whole life.

Rule of thumb: clear mucus/nasal stuff = allergies.
Cloudy/yellow/green, etc... = cold

We take 24hr Zyrtec EVERY DAY

We live in TX, on a wooded lot where there are tons of allergens. Claritin did not do the trick for our family. My pharmacist said that Zyrtec was better then Claritin. I have no scientific proof but I do know that Zyrtec works for my family whereas Claritin does not.

Our daughter routinely got a sinus infection in the Spring and in the Fall. Since we all started Zyrtec 24 hour every day, she has not had an infection in 4 yrs. When allergies are at the worst, we use the nasal rinse along with the Zyrtec.

A rule of thumb is to check the color of the mucus... clear = allergy and colored = cold.

Good luck

We like Allegra in my house. If you have seasonal allergies, take it every day during the season. It helps a lot. I take it year round and if my daughter has one of those - hum, which one is it, I'll give it to her for a week or more depending on how she feels. It does work pretty quickly to dry you up. She is a cougher, too, so it helps with the overnight coughing.

I would suggest that it's allergies, and that you need to see a pediatric allergist. After trying claritin, zyrtec, allergra, and singulair with our ped, we took our child to an allergist at the local Children's hospital, and he came up with a plan that actually allowed us to get our child's allergies under control - and no allergy shots, but a better med scheme.

We discontinued all the meds listed above, and now do a preventative nasal spray twice a day that keeps it under control. Keep in mind that the nasal sprays have to be given every day for 2 weeks before they start to work. They are not something you can give after allergies act up, you have to give it every day through allergy season to prevent the allergy attack from happening.

Sounds like allergies to me.

Claritin and Flonase doesn't work for my kids either. They get Zyrtec and it works great. Works great for me too.

This might help you to figure out if they are suffering from allergies or a cold. But keep in mind...they could have both. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-cold...

It sounds like allergies, but your pediatrician should be able to tell by looking at their nasal passages. If they look like saran wrap it is allergies. If it looks like ground hamburger it is an infection.

My one daughter's allergies spiral out of control at least once a year despite shots and daily allergy meds. In those instances the best defense is a dose of steroids.

I only give allergy meds when they're having an allergic reaction such as rash/hives, drippy eyes and nose, itchy eyes and throat and nose, etc...

If it's just goo in the sinuses I use real Children's Liquid Sudafed and give them half a dose. It makes the goo runny so it goes down the chute like it's supposed to. No more runny nose.

I buy my liquid Children's Sudafed at a local pharmacy. They order it from the warehouse themselves, it's a family style pharmacy.

Big chain pharmacies don't order their stuff, they get what they're sent when someone higher up on the food chain orders. They don't even know it's still made...lol.

I also vote allergies. Claritin doesn't always do the trick. My middle son takes two different kinds and he takes one in the morning and one in the evening. It seems to do the most good for him in fighting allergies. He is also outside playing baseball in the dirt and grass at least 2 days a week for him, and a spectator for his brother at least 2 more days per week.