Snot in a child? Treatment is perhaps one of the most common problems that new mothers have to face. If for us, adults, a runny nose is an unpleasant phenomenon, then for babies it is a huge problem that can affect the functioning of the whole organism with the ensuing consequences.
As a rule, the appearance of this disease is a manifestation of an inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa - rhinitis, and many novice mothers are immediately at a loss and stupor: how to treat thick snot in a child?
Etiology of rhinitis in children
In babies, the appearance of thick snot has good reasons, such as a viral or bacterial infection or allergic diseases.
If a child has thick snot, Komarovsky advises solving this problem immediately. He points out that infants are most susceptible to the occurrence of this disease, which is associated withlow secretory ability of the nasal mucosa, difficult and narrow nasal passages, as well as the absence of the cartilaginous part of the nasal septum.
These circumstances make it difficult to warm and purify the inhaled air and create quite favorable conditions for microbial and viral contamination. In other words, the occurrence of a runny nose in children is due to poorly formed immune defenses, and its complex manifestation is reduced to diseases such as rhinitis and pharyngitis.
If a child has snot, what should I do? Knowing certain features of the functioning of the baby's body and its growth, mothers cease to be surprised at the appearance of snot after a walk.
The main causes that can cause a runny nose are:
- infectious;
- vasomotor;
- hypertrophic;
- allergic.
According to Dr. Komarovsky, a medical cause should also be added to this list.
The occurrence of vasomotor rhinitis can be due to a number of factors, such as hot food, psycho-emotional experiences, smoke, etc. This cause is indicated by transparent thick snot in a child.
The occurrence of infectious rhinitis is usually associated with the presence of a microbial, viral or fungal pathogen, and it can appear against the background of various diseases: influenza, colds, scarlet fever, etc.
Especial attention requires an allergic component that causes thick snot in a child. How to treat, medical statistics can suggest, which speaks of a progressivean annual increase in the number of children suffering from various allergic diseases. It is quite clear that the cause of such a runny nose is contact with the allergen, and the presence of white snot is a distinctive feature.
Long-term use of vasoconstrictor drugs determines the appearance of a drug-induced rhinitis, or, in other words, drug dependence.
The appearance of various kinds of injuries of the nasal mucosa predetermines the presence of traumatic rhinitis. Causes may include mechanical injury, chemical or thermal injury.
When an overgrowth of the nasal mucosa appears, a hypertrophic runny nose is formed, and when it atrophies, an atrophic one.
Development of the common cold and its stages
Of course, the process of occurrence of rhinitis has certain stages in development.
- The appearance of swelling and swelling of the mucosa, which can last for several days.
- Increased secretory activity of the epithelium.
- Generalization of inflammation.
When primary symptoms appear, that is, when the development of rhinitis enters the first stage, it becomes difficult for the baby to breathe through the nasal passages. The peculiarity is that we, adults, easily begin to breathe through the mouth, but it is difficult for a child to do this. This determines the appearance of shortness of breath and the refusal of the breast or bottle of formula. After all, the baby simply does not know how to eat and breathe through a nose stuffed with snot at the same time.
How thick snot appears
A worrying problem for every mother is snot fromchild. Treatment may vary. In otolaryngology, the origin of white snot is often associated with the presence of an allergic reaction in a baby. But mothers should remember that with non-bacterial diseases, thick snot may appear in a child. How to treat them in case of establishing the allergic nature of the disease? The following measures need to be taken:
- regularly ventilate the room in which the child is;
- wet clean the room at least twice a day;
- take frequent walks in the fresh air;
- completely avoid contact with a potential allergen.
Often there may be a discharge of thick and transparent snot. According to parents, thick snot in infants is a mucous discharge that appears as a result of contact with an allergen, and they may not always be white. In this case, not only the allergic nature of the disease may take place.
Mucous secretions protect the baby's airways from getting into them the smallest particles that are in the inhaled air, and maybe the baby does not get enough liquid. If so, it is recommended to increase the amount of water you drink and consult a doctor about how to treat thick snot.
In chronic diseases such as bronchitis, or those that become protracted (pneumonia), there may be a discharge of thick green snot, which can also appear with a runny nose. Yellow-green color mucous discharge from the nose can take on bacterialinfection, which is due to the massive death of leukocytes and microorganisms.
Thick snot in a child Komarovsky considers the most insidious. The nature of the origin of these secretions may be the same as in older children. It is worth not delaying treatment, as this can lead to the development of complications, and babies at such an early age are not able to blow their nose on their own. Therefore, it is recommended to regularly inspect the nasal passages, for example, after each bath, and clean them as necessary.
What Dr. Komarovsky says about a runny nose
How to get rid of snot, everyone knows, but it is clear that every mother is concerned about the correct and quick elimination of a runny nose in a baby. It is worth saying that you do not need to engage in self-treatment.
Babies and children up to a year are completely different people, from the point of view of medicine. The processes that occur in their body are very different from those that occur in the body of an adult or older children.
How to get rid of snot, Dr. Komarovsky's advice will help you understand:
- When a child has a runny nose of an infectious nature, the main task of parents is to prevent the mucus from drying out. You should constantly provide the baby with a drink and carry out regular humidification of the air in the room.
- If this is not promoted, the mucus can thicken and gradually settle in the lumen of the bronchi, which, in turn, can lead to the development of bronchitis or pneumonia. Also thiscan lead to complications in the form of pharyngitis, otitis media, sinusitis and other diseases.
The baby has thick snot
If thick snot appeared in a child, than to treat, the recommendations given above will prompt. Namely, it is necessary: regularly ventilate the room in which the baby is located, and carry out wet cleaning. In a situation where hyperthermia occurs, boiled water should be given to the baby as often as possible. In addition, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules:
- do not force feed the baby;
- Regularly inspect nasal passages and suck out mucus;
- take the baby more often;
- speak softly to your baby.
Every mother is concerned about the issue of treating a runny nose with any medication. According to Dr. Komarovsky, a runny nose in a child can be treated with medicines, but you should follow the recommendations of pediatricians regarding their appointment.
Thus, vasoconstrictor drugs should be prescribed in the minimum dosage and only in the first two days of the development of the disease. To do this, you can use tools such as "For the Nose" (0.05%) and the children's "Otrivin", which are shown to babies.
If you need to use antiviral and antibacterial drugs, you can use the following:
- drops "Protargol";
- Grippferon nasal drops;
- oil-based drops "Retinol", "Ectericide", "Tocopherol";
- rectal candles "Viferon";
- Isofra baby spray.
When usedthese drugs should carefully read the instructions for use, and it is better to consult with your pediatrician.
From antihistamines, it is possible to use a drop of "Vibrocil" or washing sprays "Aquamaris" or "Aqualor baby".
Yellow snot treatment
Let's say that even with an accurate determination of the cause of the disease, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician to agree on the treatment and its stages. If there is no opportunity to consult, then, as Dr. Komarovsky says, a runny nose in a child can be treated by following these recommendations:
- actively blow your nose;
- apply vasoconstrictor drugs;
- after some time after that, flush the sinuses;
- continue local procedures;
- use antihistamines;
- if necessary, apply broad-spectrum antibacterial agents;
- possible use of antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drugs based on paracetamol.
It is worth remembering that in the absence of the effect of the ongoing medical treatment, you may have to resort to surgical intervention in the form of a puncture, which will remove the collected pus and ensure adequate ventilation of the sinuses.
Basic measures in the treatment of green snot
After the diagnosis was made by the attending pediatrician, they can be prescribed asmedicines, and folk remedies. In especially severe cases, when yellow thick snot appeared in a child, antibacterial drugs may be recommended for a bacterial infection and antiviral drugs for a viral one.
Treatment of the disease should begin with the maximum release of the nasal sinuses and passages from mucus to ensure comfortable free breathing of the baby.
You can clear the nasal passages when yellow thick snot appeared in a child with a regular syringe pear. By the way, this procedure is recommended before each nasal lavage or instillation of medicines.
You can wash your nose with special solutions that are sold in a pharmacy, or with self-prepared s alt water. In the latter case, the solution should not be stronger than one teaspoon of s alt per liter of boiled water. You can use both sea s alt and ordinary table s alt. For infants, it is recommended to take special solutions for washing, which can be bought at a pharmacy. They contain the microelement composition in the most optimal proportion.
Main recommendations for the treatment of white snot
Thick white snot in a child is recommended to be treated after establishing the cause of their appearance. Initially, as in the treatment of any type of snot, it is recommended to rinse the nose to clear it of mucus and microorganisms. Perhaps the use of vasoconstrictor drops, which should not be used more than 3-4 times a day. To combat inflammation, you can use the drops "Protargol", "Collardol" along withantiallergic or antibacterial drugs. Thick white snot in a child responds well enough to therapy with the anti-inflammatory ointment Viprosal.
Nose wash procedure
In order to rinse the baby's nose, it must be put on its side, and the solution for washing should be poured into the nostril that is located above. After this, the child is turned over to the other side and the procedure is repeated. The injection of the solution is done very carefully. You can also wash with an ordinary pipette. It should be remembered that the washing procedure is unpleasant for the baby. It can also be carried out using a medical syringe with a solution volume of not more than 0.5 ml.
After rinsing the nose is finished, you can drip therapeutic drops.
Proper nose instillation
In order to properly drip drops into the baby's nose, it must be laid on its side, similarly to the washing procedure, and then drip 2-3 drops of the drug. It is necessary that they hit the mucous membrane - in this case, the effect will develop as quickly as possible. After that, you should gently press the nostril with your finger so that the drops do not leak out, turn the baby on the other side and repeat the procedure.
Folk ways
Some folk methods used by our mothers and grandmothers will help alleviate the baby's condition.
So, for washing the nose, you can use not only s alt water, but also freshly prepared and chilled decoction or infusion of chamomiletwo teaspoons per glass of water.
To carry out "disinfection" in the room, you can put an onion cut in half or into 4 parts. Inhaling the phytoncides secreted by her will help break through a stuffy nose. After a while, the swelling of the mucous membrane will decrease, and the baby's breathing will become easier.
You can also lubricate the nasal passages with sea buckthorn oil, which will have a preventive effect on the formation of crusts.
You can lubricate the baby's feet with Star Balm three to five times a day, combining this procedure with a massage.
You can instill aloe or Kalanchoe juice. Freshly prepared carrot or beetroot juice, diluted with boiled water in equal proportions, also helps against a runny nose.
Rhinitis prevention
As you know, it is better to prevent a disease than to treat it. By following a few simple rules, you can prevent the development and appearance of a runny nose. So, from a very early age, a baby needs to create and maintain a daily routine, ensure proper nutrition, conduct physical education classes and ensure air baths. You can also wipe the baby with a damp towel and take contrast baths. In the latter case, the difference between the initial and final temperatures should not be more than 2-3 degrees.
