When to seek medical advice

Seek immediate medical care if your child has nasal congestion accompanied by:

A fever in a child younger than 3 months
Fever that lasts more than five days in a row
Chills or sweating
Difficulty breathing
Nausea or vomiting
Greenish or bloody nasal discharge
Unusual sleepiness
Severe headache
Persistent crying
Ear pain

Nasal congestion in children

Find possible causes of nasal congestion in children based on specific factors. Check one or more factors on this page that apply to your child's symptom.

Problem is

New or recent
Ongoing or recurrent

Recent and worsening

Nasal discharge is

Clear or watery
Mainly from one side ("unilateral") only

Yellow or greenish

Accompanied by

Bad breath
Blue-colored skin under the eyes
Cough
Decreased energy or fatigue
Delayed growth
Ear pain
Enlargement or rounding of fingertips or toes
Failure to thrive (infant and toddler)
Fatigue
Fever
Foul odor or bad breath
Foul-smelling stools
Headache or facial pain

Itchy eyes, nose, mouth or throat
Mild body aches
Nosebleeds
Object in nostril
Recurrent, severe respiratory infections
Reduced sense of smell or taste
Runny nose
Sneezing
Snoring
Sore throat
Upper jaw or tooth pain
Watery eyes

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When to seek medical advice

Nasal congestion in children

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