Nasal congestion is a common concern for children and their parents. To understand how to cure a baby, you need to know about the possible causes of the condition. Correct and timely action will help to avoid dangerous consequences.
Baby
Why does a stuffy nose
A nasal congestion occurs in a child for a number of reasons:
- Physiological rhinitis that manifests itself in newborns and goes away on its own without treatment. Its main reason is the baby's reaction to an unfamiliar environment, its adaptation to temperature conditions, smells, and dust. At the same time, the baby feels well, does not refuse to eat, and sleeps peacefully. The discharge is liquid and transparent;
- Allergy to odors, pollen, animal hair. To treat congestion, you first need to find a factor that provokes it and eliminate it. Otherwise, the allergy can be chronic and accompany throughout life. The baby usually sneezes, red eyes and watery eyes are possible;
- Teeth growth. The child pulls everything into his mouth: hands, things, toys. His salivation increases, he becomes capricious, refuses to eat. The body temperature may rise slightly. In this case, transparent abundant discharge should not frighten the parents. They will pass by themselves when the next tooth erupts;
- Viral infections. Mucus reacts to the development of the disease, is produced in large quantities to protect the body. When it is liquid and transparent, it contains useful substances that are harmful to viruses. It also removes dust from the nasal cavity. It is important to keep it in this form, providing the child with plenty of drink and creating comfortable conditions at home. If the mucus thickens, turns white, loses its salutary properties. When a child's snot becomes greenish, it means that a bacterial infection has joined. In this condition, it is necessary to start drug treatment to avoid complications;
- Foreign body in the baby's nose. The danger is that it is not always possible to immediately understand that the child has thrust something into the nostril, especially if the object is deep;
- Frequent and unreasonable use of antibiotics that can destroy beneficial microflora.
Symptoms of a stuffy nose in a child
When a child has a stuffy nose, he feels discomfort. The baby cannot fully breathe, eat and sleep. It is important to pay attention to the accompanying symptoms in order to establish the cause of this condition. It's bad if the child becomes restless, his behavior changes.
Restless kid
Congestion without snot
When a child's nose is not breathing, there is no snot; most likely, he reacts in this way to dry or polluted air. Perhaps for a long time he was in a gas-polluted or smoky room. Children almost immediately begin to sniff, reacting to extraneous odors, for example, perfume or pollen, especially if they encounter them for the first time. It is important that the air is clean and moist. It is necessary to regularly ventilate the room, not to be afraid of drafts.
Note! It is better to dress the child warmly, but create comfortable conditions at home. Remember that the room temperature should not exceed 22 degrees.
Also, if a child has a stuffy nose, but no snot, the work of blood vessels may be disrupted. These are usually the consequences of injury or allergies.
Vasomotor rhinitis
With vasomotor rhinitis, the nasal mucosa becomes inflamed, the reason for this is a change in vascular function. The epithelium grows, which provokes edema. The disease is accompanied by periods of abundant mucus and congestion, replacing each other. Snot usually appears in the morning. The nose clogs up on one side or on the other, depending on the position of the head in a dream.
Vasomotor rhinitis leads to breathing problems, can affect lung function and can even provoke asthma. In children, it can develop with improper use of vasoconstrictors. They need to be used only as directed by a doctor and in a course not exceeding 5 days. If the disease is the result of malfunctioning of blood vessels or the development of allergies, then first you need to eliminate the root cause. Only then will it be possible to get rid of the congestion. In some cases, they resort to surgery.
Foreign body
There may be a foreign body in the child's nose. The main symptoms of this condition include:
- Congestion and mucous discharge from only one nostril;
- The appearance of an unpleasant odor, blood or pus in the snot;
- Constant sneezing and watery eyes.
The child has watery eyes
In this case, the toddler can become restless. If the object causes him inconvenience, he reflexively sniffs. If you find such symptoms, it is better to consult a doctor, especially if the object is not visible.
Why you can't get the item yourself:
- Actions can lead to the fact that a foreign body is displaced into the respiratory tract, which threatens suffocation;
- When sticking sticks into a child's nostrils, there is a danger of pushing the stuck object further.
Small, light details, such as a piece of paper, can be blown out by breathing air into your baby's mouth. It is extremely difficult to get the balls, it is impossible to pick them up and pull them up. This procedure should be entrusted to professionals.
To avoid such situations, you need to monitor the safety of children's toys, check the markings that allow use from a certain age. If you are not sure that the child will not harm himself, do not leave him alone. It is better for pets to control the actions of the crumbs.
Dry air is the cause of congestion
For children and adults to feel comfortable in the room, it is necessary to maintain the humidity between 50 and 70 percent. Otherwise, the mucous membrane dries up, and even a healthy person feels itching in the nose, sneezes.
What to do to create the necessary conditions at home:
- Carry out wet cleaning daily. Simply sweeping or using a regular vacuum cleaner is not enough;
- Purchase a humidifier or hang wet sheets in the room. You can arrange jars and plates of water. Gradually, it will evaporate and increase the humidity;
- Get rid of things that accumulate dust: these are carpets, soft toys. You can remove and wash the curtains. If the child spends a lot of time on the floor in the nursery, then it is better to dress him warmly or purchase rubber covers that resemble travel rugs. They are quite soft and warm. It is a great replacement for dusty carpets.
Toddler mat
Be sure to ventilate so that the air does not stagnate at home. If the child is sick, such actions cannot be canceled.
Why is nasal congestion dangerous?
The smaller the child, the more dangerous a lingering rhinitis. In infants, the infection quickly spreads throughout the body. Mucus descends into the nasopharynx in a few days and leads to the development of tracheitis, bronchitis. If you do not resort to the right actions, the condition can worsen with the onset of pneumonia - a dangerous disease for both children and adults.
Note! The wrong treatment leads to chronic rhinitis and sinusitis. Frequent runny nose and mistakes in nasal hygiene cause inflammation of the middle ear, which leads to otitis media.
A baby who is unable to breathe at full strength eats less, sleeps poorly, and becomes restless. Lack of oxygen and nutritional deficiencies lead to weight loss and developmental delay. Therefore, it is important to take timely measures to eliminate congestion. If the actions taken do not lead to a positive result, and the baby's condition worsens, it is necessary to call a pediatrician. If necessary, he will refer you to a narrow specialist - ENT.
Principles of Newborn Treatment
Depending on the diagnosis, they turn to different treatment tactics.
Remember! Some conditions, such as physiological rhinitis, go away on their own. It is dangerous when the child's behavior changes, the body temperature rises, and other symptoms of the disease appear. Then it is necessary to take measures and seek medical attention.
Inhalation
Babies are often prescribed saline inhalation using a nebulizer. Comfortable nozzles are suitable for children of all ages, and different spray modes allow you to moisturize the nasopharyngeal mucosa or act on the bronchi and lungs. After the procedure, the discharge becomes liquid and begins to flow on its own. When there are crusts in the nose, they soften. If the baby coughs, it could be a reaction to moist air. It also happens when mucus from the nose comes down and irritates the throat.
Nebulizer inhalation
Important! Inhalations can be used if the child has a normal body temperature.
Surgery
Surgical treatment is required when no other method is effective. It is usually used to treat adenoids - these are the tonsils in the nasopharynx. With frequent colds, they enlarge and make breathing difficult.
At the initial stage, nothing disturbs during the day, and at night the child snores through his nose. If a similar symptom is observed for a couple of weeks, then you should not worry. Especially if the baby snores lightly and not constantly. When the condition does not normalize within a month and against the background of treatment, then it is worth contacting the ENT.
At stage 2, breathing problems arise and in the daytime, the baby often grunts. If he is constantly with his mouth open, there is swelling of the face, circles under the eyes, snoring intensifies, then surgery is usually required. It is necessary to provide oxygen access and relieve the child's condition.
Previously, the operation was carried out live, blindly cutting off the overgrown tissue. Now they usually carry out the endoscopic method, observing the progress of the process. The child at this time is under general anesthesia and does not feel pain. In this case, the adenoids are cut to the very root, which reduces bleeding and the risk of their re-growth. There is also the possibility of a laser procedure. After a few painless sessions, the tonsils disappear. But such influences are rarely required by children of the first year of life.
Ethnoscience
The safest and most effective way of traditional medicine is to use aloe. You need to cut a leaf of the plant and squeeze out the juice. It must be diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 10, otherwise there is a risk of getting a mucosal burn. Place 2-3 drops in each nostril.
Aloe
Drug therapy
Drug therapy depends on the cause of the congestion:
- with an allergic rhinitis, antihistamines are prescribed;
- when green snot appears, they resort to topical antibiotics;
- with adenoids, hormonal agents are used.
Vasoconstrictor drops will help get rid of edema. Usually they are used in extreme cases and do not exceed the prescribed dose.
Note! Salt preparations are suitable not only during the period of illness, but also for prevention. They can be used after visiting public places.
Rinsing the nose
It is recommended to rinse the nose with saline or saline solution. A few drops are enough to moisturize the mucous membrane. Salt also relieves swelling and softens crusts. Children under one year old should not rinse their nose with sprays, so as not to provoke the reflux of fluid into the middle ear. In addition, a strong jet can injure delicate mucous membranes.
After moistening, remove the discharge from the nose. To do this, use:
- aspirators of various actions: mechanical, electrical or vacuum;
- pears;
- special syringes;
- cotton filaments.
Doctor Komarovsky about the problem
Komarovsky believes that congestion is often the result of excessive parental care. A caring mom and dad protect the baby from every draft and wrap them up excessively. As a result, a child who grows up in greenhouse conditions is constantly sick.
The pediatrician recommends walking with children if they do not have a fever and are doing well. Humid air is only beneficial. Even if the baby coughed and began to squelch, you should not run home. This is a reaction to the necessary hydration, a way to get rid of excess mucus.
Also, the doctor says that it is necessary to rinse the nose. You need to get rid of mucus, and modern aspirators are excellent assistants in this matter. The main thing is to take precautions and moisturize the mucous membrane in advance.
Note! The sooner the baby learns to blow his own nose, the better. Until that time, parents should help remove snot.
Mom removes snot
Prevention after illness
Prevention consists in maintaining a comfortable temperature at home and hardening the child. He must be dressed for the weather, make sure that it is not hot. Overheating is much more dangerous than hypothermia. The immunity of a frozen child is slightly weakened, therefore, if a meeting with a sick person is superimposed on this condition, there is a chance of infection. Hypothermia alone does not lead to a clogged nose.
Do not be afraid of snot - perhaps this is just the body's defense against viruses. They appear more often if the child visits public places. This is a normal reaction necessary for the formation of the baby's immunity.
A nasal congestion in a child can be caused by physiological processes or various diseases. Do not ignore the symptoms and treat yourself. In some cases, emergency medical attention is required, for example, when a foreign body enters the nasal passage. In order not to provoke the development of colds, you need to create a comfortable microclimate in the apartment and temper the child.
