Ever pick your child up from day care or a church nursery and see other children with “green gook” running out of their noses? This isn’t simply a runny nose. It’s a good indication of a sinus infection.

Children can suffer from sinus infections from very young ages, just as many develop ear infections soon after birth (two-thirds of sinusitis cases caused by bacteria are due to germs that may also cause middle ear infections - “otitis media” - in children). Although tiny, two sets of sinuses are present from birth; the ethmoid, which are between the eyes, and the maxillary, located behind the cheeks.

Many of the same symptoms will appear in children as listed on our sinus home page:

• Yellow to green, thicker than normal drainage
• post-nasal drip with cough, sore throat, bad breath, maybe nausea or vomiting
• pounding headache, which may be difficult for very young children to express
• extreme tiredness or irritability
• puffy eyes

In addition in children:

• a cold for more than a week
• low fever - usually with hot, dry skin but can be sweaty

These symptoms can be mistaken for respiratory infections and it must be determined whether it is bacterial or viral in nature to avoid wrong or ineffective medication.

A “traditional” physician will undoubtedly prescribe an antibiotic for any or all infections, but in this case it could lead to other complications. Plus, the reason for the infection may not be diagnosed.

Reasons for Sinus and Ear Infections in Children

The yeast buildup that can come from antibiotics, because it does not allow the “cilia” (tiny hairs lining the sinuses) to perform their function, can cause respiratory infections like asthma and bronchitis, to which children are particularly susceptible.

The reason could be dairy! Most baby formulas are milk- based and contain lactose, a common allergen. Milk makes the mucus thick, and thick mucus is more likely to trap mold, fungus and bacteria, in turn becoming a yeast-like substance in the nasal passages and ear canals of very young children.

The traditional solution is antibiotics. The child then goes into a vicious cycle of need for antibiotics because it just encourages more yeast! Ear tubes could possibly be avoided if the child is switched from lactose-based formula to something else like vitamin-fortified rice milk or a straight colostrum formula which closely resembles mother’s milk and replaces milk nutrients for children and even adults.

See our Homeopathic and Natural Remedies page, and our article on Ear Infections and Treatments, for non-antibiotic children’s treatments. Resist antibiotics unless there has been a positive bacterial analysis.