My 6-year-old son was diagnosed with nose allergy when he was 3-years-old. Whenever he has an attack, his nose will run and he will have a severe coughing fit. He coughs a lot especially when he is lying down.
He took many kinds of medicine, e.g. Singuair, which only gave him temporary relief. He also uses nose sprays and ventoline. I do not have pets, soft toys and carpets at home. I do not understand what are the causes of his condition and why no medicine seems to work.
Dr Stephen Lee, Specialist in Ear, Nose & Throat Surgery, Raffles Hospital:
I agree that your child is likely to have allergies. Allergies could cause the cough and runny nose symptoms. However, as he has not experienced good relief after taking various allergy medications, I would suspect that there could be additional reasons to account for his problem.
Very often young children with allergies have associated adenoid enlargement and or sinusitis. These when present, and depending on the severity of each condition can cause significant and prolonged "flu" like symptoms. These children may well have a perpetual runny nose, nose block, heavy/ audible breathing and may also snore. It is often the case, that the history elicited would be one of multiple clinic visits and poor response to many different medications.
The way to resolve this problem is first to make the correct diagnosis. It would be best to visit an Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor. The optimum and preferred method of confirming the diagnosis is made on the basis of a direct view into the nose and throat. On occasion for some children, this is difficult to achieve and the alternative method is to use an X-ray. With the correct diagnosis, the most appropriate treatment for allergy and/or enlarged adenoids and/or sinusitis can be given. In virtually all cases, excellent improvement in the child's condition will be achieved.