Green Nose Snot Question

suzanne2545 · #1 08-24-2007, 08:11 AM

Believe it or not, Parker has never even had a runny nose, let alone a green snot fountain. Yesterday he was a little snotty. Today he is more snotty. Not at all something I would even think about with my other kids unless it lingered for weeks and weeks. My question is: should trached kids with nose snot see their doctors? Can a sinus infection migrate quickly to the lungs? I still do not feel like I have a good grasp on when to act with the trach. By nature, I'm slow to act because I don't like antibiotics and I don't like needlessly exposing my kids to ER and doctor's office germs.

BTW- He is basically eating and acting normally there are no other big sick symptoms. Just the nifty green snot that he hates getting wiped away!

Suzanne

Mom2TwinsPlus1 · #2 08-24-2007, 08:22 AM

Our doctor told us that unless Emma was in great pain or had a fever, to let it go. He said that color of snot doesn't really mean much, although having had 8 sinus infections in 1 year, and 2 or 4 every year since I have to disagree a bit with that. But he is one with all my kids to try to let them heal a bit themselves and not just reach for an antibiotic, with Emma he is a bit more cautious but never the less green snot doesn't bother him

I would say follow your gut. It can't hurt to get things checked out.

JWorthington · #3 08-24-2007, 12:49 PM

As long as he is happy, eating and has no fever, I'd be inclined to wait it out for a few days. If it doesn't get better, or gets worse, call the doctor.

Good luck
Juliex

cariaad · #4 08-24-2007, 02:36 PM

If there is no fever I'd wait it out and try some OTC cold medicine. If a fever develops Id be going to see the ped or at least calling him. Hope your snot goes away soon (I really hate snot, sometimes I feel like a human kleenex if Allison has any). Deb

drct1245 · #5 08-24-2007, 10:04 PM

Up in Canada, can you bring in a culture yourself?? I have done that w/ Ayden a couple of times that way we don't have to 1) have the $$ of a dr visit 2) expose Ayden to other cooties 3) I don't have to haul Ayden all over Denver for just something simple that I can do.
Hope it's nothing and goes away.
Dawn

suzanne2545 · #6 08-25-2007, 08:27 AM

I don't think you can take a culture yourself. I talked to our ped's nurse yesterday and she spoke to him. As I suspected, he didn't need to see him unless his asthma flared up. So we are just blasting through tissues. No sign of anything unusual with the trach secretions.

Suzanne

Alethia · #7 08-25-2007, 06:50 PM

Since starting nursery 2 years ago, Angus has had a nearly constant runny nose. It varies from clear to yellow to green. Unless he is obviously unwell, I do nothing about it, other than wipe it. An upper respiratory tract infection can often become a lower one, but not always. I go more by his trach secretions than nasal. Angus doesn't get meds unless he's REALLY struggling, and even then, the docs at our local hospital will try and hold off giving him any antibiotics unless they can culture anything.

Hope Parker's runny nose doesn't amount to anything more major!