“What is the best children's medicine for a runny nose?”
My daughter has a runny nose. What is the best children's medicine for a runny nose?
3 Answers
It depends on how long the running nose has been going on, color of the drainage, what is causing the running nose and your child's age. For purposes of my response, I am going to assume that your child has had clear running nose for less than a week. Vitamin C and honey may be helpful. Saline rinses and nasal decongestants are alternatives in older children.
Running nose may also be due to environmental allergies which may include dust mites in mattresses and pillows and animal dander. You may consider covering the mattress and pillow with vinyl covers. Presence of sneezing, itchy nose or eyes or watery eyes will lend support to an allergic cause. Consult your physician if any of these symptoms are present with the
running nose.
I hope this helps.
Running nose may also be due to environmental allergies which may include dust mites in mattresses and pillows and animal dander. You may consider covering the mattress and pillow with vinyl covers. Presence of sneezing, itchy nose or eyes or watery eyes will lend support to an allergic cause. Consult your physician if any of these symptoms are present with the
running nose.
I hope this helps.
Hello,
The only recommended "medicine" for a child's runny nose is nasal saline spray or saline gel. You may have noticed that runny nose, cough medications have been removed from pharmacy shelves by the FDA as there is no evidence of benefit and because occasional serious side effects have resulted from accidental overdose. We've known for decades that such medications have been generally placebo, but they were "grandfathered" by the FDA originally and permitted on the market. It is very unlikely that pharma will undertake the necessary research to prove these medicines are safe and effective for children's runny noses and cough control. Azelastine (Astelin) nasal spray is sometimes used for control of runny nose from a cold, but this medication is prescription and you must seek advice from your child's doctor for this use. The runny nose from an uncomplicated cold should not last longer that 3 weeks, 4
weeks maximum. Should it last this long, other causes should be suspected, e.g., sinus infection, allergy, foreign body in the nose, physical airborne irritants, exposure to passive cigarette smoke, swimming pool chronic nasal irritation, etc.
Best regards,
Marc Tanenbaum, MD
The only recommended "medicine" for a child's runny nose is nasal saline spray or saline gel. You may have noticed that runny nose, cough medications have been removed from pharmacy shelves by the FDA as there is no evidence of benefit and because occasional serious side effects have resulted from accidental overdose. We've known for decades that such medications have been generally placebo, but they were "grandfathered" by the FDA originally and permitted on the market. It is very unlikely that pharma will undertake the necessary research to prove these medicines are safe and effective for children's runny noses and cough control. Azelastine (Astelin) nasal spray is sometimes used for control of runny nose from a cold, but this medication is prescription and you must seek advice from your child's doctor for this use. The runny nose from an uncomplicated cold should not last longer that 3 weeks, 4
weeks maximum. Should it last this long, other causes should be suspected, e.g., sinus infection, allergy, foreign body in the nose, physical airborne irritants, exposure to passive cigarette smoke, swimming pool chronic nasal irritation, etc.
Best regards,
Marc Tanenbaum, MD
Saline Nasal Spray e.g. Ayr or Simply Saline
