Only the nose knows...

This entry is intended as a reference point for information regarding Ofelia's ongoing respiratory puzzle - it is not intended to alarm or freak out the overly-worrisome ;) Interested family members are welcome to comment and contribute resources and ideas.

History

Fiki started daycare at 3 months and soon after began contracting colds, as expected. Of the vying points of view, we chose to accept that this would ultimately help her immune system develop, as exposure was inevitable sooner or later. The first Winter was difficult, as she was "snotty" most of the season and into the Spring. Her pediatricians assured us that this was common and she would eventually "grow out of it". We experimented with diet for a period of about 6 month during this time. I found that cow's milk contributed to her mucus production, soy milk (at the time) contributed to constipation, but other dairy products (specifically, cheeses and yogurt) had little effect. We have been successfully nourishing Ofelia with almond milk since that first year.
Her colds became less frequent that first summer, but as autumn came along, she began suffering a continuing string of colds, during which mucus build-up eventually led to ear infections, which were treated with antibiotics (azithromycin or amoxicillin, the latter generally working more effectively). To date, she has been on antibiotics 5 times. The second winter was very worrisome, as she was continually congested. Again, pediatricians reassured us about "daycare nose" and explanations that as she developed, so would her respiratory organs, tissues, passages, and immune systems.
As the weather warmed, her body did seem to become more resistant to viruses. She stopped contracting colds frequently, and through the Spring, Summer, and into Autumn of this year (2011), Fiki has been actually sick only 3-4 times. Nonetheless, she remains frequently congested with no other symptoms. I often consoled myself with the hope that teething was a major contributing factor to the general irritation and ensuing inflammation in the region, and that this led to excessive mucus production.
In recent weeks (since late August or early September), we noticed that there must be something else going on, since she was no longer even congested, yet continued to exhibit struggled breathing. This is particularly apparent when she sleeps, chronically mouth-breathing, snoring, and showing mild signs of apnea due to some constriction or blockage. We had this tested immediately after her birthday (around which time her night-time symptoms peaked). A pulse-ox test showed dips close to 70%, which resulted in her starting from a deep sleep in order to "catch" her breath and resume a normal pattern. It is not clear how this remittent lack of deep sleep affects overall physical, mental, and emotional development.
Our goal is to help her to breathe and sleep normally: meaning soundlessly, clearly, and peacefully.

What we're doing

The Ear-Nose-Throat specialist confirmed swelling of her tonsils, (most likely) adenoids, and nasal passages, but did not recommend T&A (Haha! sounds funny but it's not: Tonsillectomy and Adendoidectomy) at this time. He stated that she is still too small and too many things in her system are still changing. The general age for the procedure is 3-4 yrs. We were given Nasonex to try. I have to follow up regarding recommendations for continued usage. When I asked what is causing the swelling, the reply was vague: it could be anything, previous infection(s) may have started a process of irritation.
I also sought advice from a chiropractor, hoping to arrive at a "cause". Their focus is the nervous system, for which the spine is the "highway". I was told there are tensions in key areas of her spine that may be causing obstructions. The exact connections/correlations between these points of tension in her spine and her nasal cavity were not clearly explained, nor was the chiropractor's ability to detect them - it's just what they're trained to do.
Neither practitioner mentioned much about diet or allergies (although the ENT performs full-fledged allergy testing). The chiropractor recommended removing dairy, especially pasteurized dairy products, but stated that it would be best to observe whether several weeks of chiropractic care alone showed any effect.
So, our course of action:

1. Solicit recommendations from pediatricians: test oxygen, see ENT, see chiropractor
2. Solicit recommendations from ENT: try nasal spray (after three nights of treatment , it does seem like her nasal passages are more open, like she has "more room to work with". At the same time, she is still congested, and the mucus is still making it difficult for her to breathe. we will continue clearing and spraying her nose and watch for signs of apnea. After a couple of weeks, I will request another oxygen test).
3. Solicit recommendations from chiropractor: bring her system out of its current, albeit mild, "crisis reaction" through chiropractic adjustments (Ty has rejected this course - I'm on the fence)
4. Renew dietary experimentation:
   
   1. Remove all dairy
   2. Re-introduce slowly to confirm effect
   3. Repeat with other commonly allergenic food groups

Resources

Here is a list of articles I'm finding helpful (many out there that are not, they only add to the complexity and confusion of the problem):

• http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/the-truth-about-mucus
• http://allergies.about.com/od/noseandsinusallergies/a/pnar.htm
• http://www.mysinustory.com
• http://ezinearticles.com/?Sinus-Pressure-and-the-House-Dust-Factor&id=3618983 (same author as above)

Thank you, Babcia Cecylia, for the following info:

• http://www2.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab006286.html
• http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site1380/mainpageS1380P0.html

We will also look into the benefits of iodine on the respiratory system.

To Concerned Parties

Fell free to read through this documentation. Are we on the right track? Are we covering our bases? Please contribute your experiences, other knowledge, or ideas by commenting or contact us directly.