Worry over runny nose?

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Jeannie85

Guest
It is fair to say that I am overly anxious when it comes to my daughter's health. I would most likely be like this even if she didnt have cf. With that being said, she just started with a runny nose today, so as usual, I am nervous. Does the anxiety ever go away? I guess I always worry that the a cold will turn into my worst nightmare which is having to take her to the ER. My question is should I relax more because kids get colds? Or is every runny nose worrisome because of her cf?
 

Gammaw

Super Moderator
Most all of us are hypervigilant. There's a difference between unnecessary worrying and paying attention! You want to respond quickly to any bug in a CFer. It's ok - feel free to call the CF Clunic.
CF kids get viruses too. If she has no other symptoms, I wouldn't call yet but that's me. If you think you need more guidance, then call. It's that simple. I used to vassilate between calling the pediatrician or calling the CF team. I discovered that a lot of things I thought were unrelated to CF are actually related. Now, whenever my kiddo gets something in the chest which makes me think his little body has been invaded by a bacteria or virus, I usually call the CF team. If they think it's unrelated they will tell me and they will tell me to call my pediatrician. Sometimes I called both simultaneously for good measure. I always let them know that I called the other as well so no one thinks that I'm shopping diagnoses. They have learned to help me coordinate , & I have learned how to coordinate.
An interesting aspect of all the treatment CFers get is that I feel my kiddo gets over viruses and even bacterial infections sometimes even faster than the other kids. I will see his sister come down with a school acquired bug, and suffer for 3 to 5 days. Meanwhile her brother is doing chest therapy, inhalers and nebulizers. He'll start to get the same thing and it'll disappear in 24 hours. I've often said we should all do the vest and inhalers. We'd stay healthier!
You're worried. So call!
 

Rebjane

Super Moderator
It is hard not to worry isn't it? One doctor told me your child has CF; they will get CF related things as well as just regular kid stuff related things like colds, strep throat, perhaps even appendicitis. Great!

My personal opinion is to avoid the ER unless it is a true emergency. ER's are full of sick people, just what CF'ers need to avoid; plus CF can be complicated so the ER staff may be clueless on CF.

Since prevention is key in CF; ask your CF clinic what their "sick plan" is for your child. For example, when my daughter starts coming down with a cold/cough I increase her VEST and or chest therapy, give her an extra breathing treatment. I have her drink lots of fluids and use saline nasal spray for a congested nose. It is always ok to call the CF clinic for input and or questions. If my daughter's cough keeps her up at night, she starts getting wheezy or "tight", runs a fever; I know I need to either call her CF doc or bring her in to see him.

How old is your child? It's harder when they are babies and can not talk, you are sort of guessing how they feel. my daughter is almost 12 so she is so good at telling me what is going on so I can help her.

As far as you anxiety, it's important to figure out a way to deal with it. For me, I exercise or read. An embarrassing but kind of funny thing I remember, when my daughter was around 3 months old she had a booger in her nose. I said to my husband"I am really worried about that booger" I was totally serious. My husband looked at me like i had 3 heads..But truly, my daughter had so many issues at birth, meconium ileus, bowel obstruction requring surgery at 5 days old. In my mind this booger was a big deal.....Can't explain it.....
 
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Jeannie85

Guest
My daughter is 19 months. Right now she is just stuffed up and runny nose. No fever, no cough, still wants cookies :)
she is eating and drinking per usual. I probably wont call yet. They have told us to increase her vest and albuterol if she has a cold with cough. I would probably worry about a booger too lol!!!! Thank for the input gammaw and rebjane!
 

nmw0615

New member
I'm 24 now, diagnosed at 10 weeks. I've always had a slight runny nose, even when I'm not sick. The rule of thumb in my family is that if the snot is clear, it's not an issue. As soon as there's any color to it, we up treatments and start watching, or call clinic.
 

Rebjane

Super Moderator
Jeannie85. No fever No cough. That's good! Her appetite is good. When my daughter was a toddler and had a cold I would also give her a warm bath; kind of helps the boogers flow. Make sure she gets rest/naps. Warm salty soup is good. Keep up with extra breathing treatments and VEST. I would call the doc for fever, increase in cough, coughing at night, wheeze shortness of breath. I also used Simply Saline nasal spray as I found my daughters boogers to be stickier and harder for her to get out.
 
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Jeannie85

Guest
Her snot is clear so far! Im thinking I will add an extra treatment today and tomorrow just for peace of mind.
 

Aboveallislove

Super Moderator
Totally LOL at the booger. I too am on the anxious end, but the # of things that cause the worry seem to lessen over time. In some ways, it is totally "rationale" worry. For instance, if we knew a mom who had a little one with severe food allergies who was stung by a bee, I would expect them to rationally be worried (maybe even panicked) that the child would have a bee allergy and would be watching like a hawk until the danger was gone. So too we watch like a hawk until the runny nose is gone. Of course, if the worry because consuming, then yoga, prayer, whatever needs to check it. Strangely, given all the rationale worries with CF, the ones I likely would have had over typical childhood things are gone! DS ran full speed into the corner of a wall and had a melon lump and another time fell off the top of the couch on his back. First checked out for concussion with the doctor and second just wanted, but was completely calm. Now, if he ran head first into a cloud of bacteria, that would be a panic! Also, like you said, peace of mind often comes from "doing" something, so extra treatments, or extra exercise, etc. Hang in there and hoping it goes quickly!!!
 
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Jeannie85

Guest
Thanks for all responses! I love reading and learning on here. Don't you wish you could see the "cloud of bacteria" LOL!!! Life would be so much easier ;) I hope this passes quickly. What is worse the baby sick or the husband.........Tis the season!
 
I would consider sinus rinses - then you'll know if it's just clear or something more...we are recommended to see a goog sinus doc who know cf on regular bases - maybe you have one as part of you cf team
 
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