My little guy gets sick a lot, with all sorts of different things, from mean colds that give us a 105.6 fever, runny nose and cough, to cocksaki, to strep, to enterovirus. However, one things seems consistent. Within a day or two of developing a cold with a runny nose, even those without fevers, he gets green snot. Does this mean the virus never left his system (even though it may be a few weeks or even a month since he had his last runny nose and seemed PERFECTLY fine since then), or is this just his way of dealing with runny nose and clearing the phlegm out?
Addition: We've been to the ENT who said his adenoids looked fine; we've had three ear infections to date, so no serious concerns there, either. The green snot comes at the ONSET of the cold, not the tail end. We call our pedi each time he got green snot before and he said he didn't need antibiotics - it just needed to be washed out of his system.
Thanks!
Lana
Although I have read recently that green is NOT a sign of infection, as once commonly thought--it seems to me that if the green is accompanied by some fever--it's a sinus infection.
My son seems to get the 10 day "cold" followed by sinus infection shortly thereafter. It's his pattern.
A cold should not last more than 10-14 days, so if it's longer than that & green, I'd bet sinus infection.
I just read on the CDC website that non-fever green snot is normal body stuff - it's the bacteria in your nose re-establishing itself.
Green doesn't always mean infection - according to my Ped. It's just a sign that your nasal passages are irritated. If there isn't a fever or any other sign of infection (colorful discharge from eyes, bad breath, coughing) then I wouldn't worry - ESPECIALLY if it clears up on it's own in a few days.
I've googled this before. Here's the link: http://health.families.com/blog/the-secret-language-of-bo...
My doctor always has told me that green meant infection. As long as it is clear or a little tinted I never worried, but as soon as it goes green we go to the doctor.
I would take him to an ENT/ORL doc and have them check his sinus' and ears. We had so many illnesses and ear infections over a 6-8 month period they put tubes in. He hasn't been sick since. The tubes went in last Summer.
A pediatrician is good for common things but I always take the kids to the doc for a particular body part when they need it. For example, an adult would not go to a cardiologist when they are pregnant and need help delivering the baby. They would go to an OB/GYN. The same is good for kids. They have sinus, throat, or ear issues they go to the ENT/ORL.
It sounds like it has moved beyond virus and is now a full blown sinus infection. If it hasn't cleared up by now then I would definitely take him into the pediatrican's office for some antibiotics.
I'm not a doctor but I can tell you everything you are saying is what we have had here and it lasts about 5 days then you are left with the cough and runny nose, here it has been 2 weeks so far, my daughter who started with is still has it but says other than the cough and runny nose she feels fine. Now it is my turn, I'm a nursing student and can't afford to get sick right now. If I were yo and was concerned I would call your pediatrician, but my gut instinct is it is "the flu" or whatever they are calling this. One other thing green is not always bad, my ENT told me that a long time ago. Hope your little guy feels better.
i was told that green is an infection. take to the doctor.
