Mucous thinning foods and/or herbs?

[gabbyraja]

My 3 year old is finally getting over this crud, but he's now got the mucous-stuffed nose. This usually ends up turning into a sinus and/or ear infection, and we don't do abx... So it's just WAY easier if I can unclog it to begin with. Steam helps, but I can't keep him in the shower indefinitely. What can I give him that's "natural"? BTW, I know to avoid milk (we're allergic anyway).

[tanyalynn]

Any food intolerance can make it easier for congested sinuses to lead to an ear infection (I caused an EI in my son by letting him have one of the foods he's somewhat intolerant of, chocolate--he's usually fine with a moderate amount, but at that time, no, bad choice).  ... I'd avoid wheat and dairy, both are congesting.  Focus on homemade soup, with homemade stock if you can make some, congee should be easy to digest too--you can even just set it to cook overnight in a slow cooker.  My kids often don't digest fat as well when they've been sick, so more cooked veggies and meat, and less cooking fat makes it easier on them (normally high fat works well for us).  If dairy is already an issue, I'd avoid soy because they're so cross-reactive.

I'd think warm beverages, peppermint tea, ginger tea, like that, would help.  And massage around the ears proactively (vs waiting for signs of an EI), long downward strokes in front of the ears to the collarbone, and also behind the ears, going through that dip behind the earlobes, and again down to the collarbone.  That type of massage was really helpful one night when my son woke up at 10pm complaining of significant pain in his left ear (the chocolate incident). 

[springmum]

For my DS if he's at the end of a long cold, with thick mucous I use garlic ear drops as a preventative. Just a couple of drops in each ear at night for a couple of days.