Teething and congestion?

[comet]

Who can tell me about this? My 15 month old has a horrible cold. Or so I thought. I took her to my doctor and he says she doesn't have a cold - but her runny nose and congestion is due to teething. I'm glad he didn't just push a prescription on me, but I'm also surprised about this. My dd is so congested she can hardly breathe sometimes or nurse.

[LaLaLuna]

Sounds totally familiar! Both ds's had runny noses and rattly coughs when teething. I could usually tell it was a teething issue because the runny nose was clear (tho copious) and they tended to rub their noses a lot. There are a lot of nerves through that area of their face that terminate in the teeth or jaw and i think they just get so stimulated with the teething that they kind of kick-start other local reactions. Plus all the mucus runs down their throat, plus with all the thick drool you get a lot of congestion.

OTOH, ds1 ALWAYS had a lot of congestion and it wasn't til I took dairy completely out of his diet that his chronic snotty nose cleared up. So there are always other possibilities: what are your instincts telling you?

[comet]

my instincts? Hmm, not much. I assumed she had a cold until I took her to the doctor. I could try taking dairy out of her diet, but she hasn't had a problem before now. But that is a good idea to keep in mind for the future. I do see one incisor working its way through.. maybe it is teething.