Rhinitis cannot be called a full-fledged disease, it is rather a symptom. Most people tolerate it easily, without bed rest. But there are also more serious cases where treatment is simply necessary. Runny nose in children is very common, and therefore parents should always be ready to deal with the disease. Sometimes situations arise when a child has clear mucus from the nose flowing out for a month, until adults come to their senses and finally take action. Inaction in this case can lead to unpleasant consequences, up to the development of chronic diseases.
What is this?
Rhinitis, or, in other words, rhinitis, is a condition in which there is excessive secretion of mucus from the nose. This happens due to inflammation of the turbinates and passages. Runny nose in children can be expressed in varying degrees. For example, under the influence of the virus, the mucous membrane becomes inflamed, outwardly it looks edematous and tense. If the patient has allergic-type rhinitis, the mucosa does not change color, but there is an abundant release of transparent substances.
As you know, the shell of the nose in only one way can react to irritations of a different nature - the release of mucus. Before starting treatment, it is necessary to determine the cause, and for this you should carefully study the symptoms. For example, if in addition to a runny nose, a child has pain in the throat, then there is a possibility of nasopharyngitis. This disease is quite serious, as the virus infects the nasal mucosa and the walls of the throat.
What not to do?
Many parents take the wrong action as soon as rhinitis is discovered. You need to immediately determine what is forbidden to do with a runny nose (especially in a one-month-old baby):
- Take antibiotics and other medicines without a doctor's prescription. Firstly, the antibiotic counteracts bacteria, not viruses, and in most cases they are the cause of rhinitis. Secondly, the medicine passes through the nasal passage, which means that swallowing is inevitable. In this case, dysbacteriosis may develop due to a violation of the normal intestinal microflora. Young children are especially susceptible to such diseases.
- Start treatment with a vasoconstrictor. Such drugs as Naphthyzin and Galazolin are quite popular among the people. Do not give them to a child with the onset of rhinitis without consulting a doctor. Medicines of this kind dry out the mucous membrane, which can lead to spasm.
- Rinse the nasal passage with a rubber syringe. When looking for an answer to the question of how to quickly cure a runny nose inchild, many parents stumble upon this method. This can not be done, especially if rhinitis is found in the baby. The force of pressure provokes trauma to the eardrum, and if fluid gets into the ear, otitis media may develop.
Causes of rhinitis
The vast majority of ailments of this kind are associated with a common cold, but this is far from the only possible situation. How can a child cure a runny nose at home? The cause must be found and eliminated. Consider the most common:
- Virus. Oddly enough, this is the most common cause of rhinitis. Viruses are formed in the mucous membranes, and begin their reproduction. Sometimes the immune system can cope with the pathogen on its own, you just need to wait. Often the infection gets as a result of hypothermia, for example, wet feet. Walking with a child with a runny nose is not recommended, especially in rainy, damp weather.
- Bacteria. This is a consequence of the viral process in case the baby has a weak immune system. Rhinitis of this kind often appears in frequently ill children. So the weakened mucous membrane is attacked by bacteria, resulting in inflammation, and purulent mucus is released from the nasal passages.
- Allergy. This type of runny nose is easiest to determine: if it is regularly repeated as a result of contact with any substance or object. If this happens for the first time, pay attention to the distinguishing features - a large amount of transparent mucus secreted, the presence of edema, conjunctivitis, etc. Allergies may be accompaniedcomplications, the most serious of which is anaphylactic shock.
- Drugs. This happens when parents use cold remedies for children too intensively. You do not need to give the baby vasoconstrictor drugs, because they greatly dry the mucous membrane. As a result, a chronic form of rhinitis may develop.
- Deformation of facial organs. It is possible that the child was born with skull defects, for example, a deviated nasal septum. Difficulty breathing on an ongoing basis sooner or later develops into rhinitis. This moment needs to be controlled by parents so that the problem is solved as quickly as possible.
Complications
It would seem that what difficulties can be with a cold in children. However, some situations are fraught with very serious consequences and complications. Consider the main ones:
- as soon as the virus enters the body, the infection begins to spread, it can quite easily reach the lungs and bronchi;
- occlusion of the auditory tube with thick mucus in addition to the development of otitis media;
- appearance of sinusitis and other diseases of this kind involving the sinuses of the skull;
- babies have a hard time with nasal congestion, because of this they cannot breathe fully, as a result they are malnourished, choke on milk, etc.
The above complications suggest that the simplest disease should not be underestimated. If ignored, it can develop into a chronic pathology of a serious nature.
Key Features
Severe runny nose in a child is manifested by various symptoms. It is inappropriate to consider the signs of the whole organism, we will focus only on local ones:
- nasal congestion;
- mucus secretion. Often has a gray color (if not associated with allergies), pure pus very rarely comes out of the nose, only with sinusitis;
- sneeze. Of course, we are not talking about a standard process here, because every person needs to clear the airways. If sneezing occurs frequently, and it is preceded by burning and scratching, then this can be considered a symptom;
- if a child has atrophic rhinitis, then instead of mucous secretions, dry crusts can be observed in the sinuses of the nose;
- hyposmia - the inability to distinguish odors.
Rarely, children may have coryza with blood. This indicates, first of all, the unreliability of the blood vessels, because they are damaged when sneezing or wiping the nose. If the baby has a nosebleed, do not panic. You just need to put the child on his back, tilt his head back and apply something cold. The bleeding will stop in five minutes.
Rhinitis stages
Rhinitis is a cyclical process consisting of certain stages. They are defined in time and expressed quite clearly. Let's take a closer look at them:
- Reflex. The shortest of all, lasts a few hours at the very beginning of the disease. At this time, one can observe primary swelling, dryness and itching in the nose, difficulties withbreath.
- Viral rhinorrhea. Viruses that have entered the body are already activated here. This stage is fraught with the consequences of infecting others. Therefore, when a runny nose in children, it is advisable to wear a mask.
- Final. It most often indicates recovery, the symptoms are slowly decreasing. However, another option is also possible, when the child's immunity is weak, and the mucous membrane cannot defend itself. In such a situation, germs spread, prolonging the rhinitis indefinitely.
Based on this, to the question - how long does a runny nose last, there are at least two answers. If the baby's immunity is in order, then in a week the body will cope with the infection. Otherwise, rhinitis can continue as long as you like, because over time it becomes chronic. The speed of recovery also depends on the frequency of the onset of the disease.
How to quickly cure a runny nose in a child?
The most important thing is to do no harm. Ideally, when rhinitis occurs, it is necessary to act according to a certain scheme, without the use of antibiotics and vasoconstrictor drugs. On the fourth or fifth day of illness, it will be clear whether additional specialist help is needed, or the body has coped with the viral infection on its own.
There are several principles to follow. It is worth noting that the approach to therapy in infants is somewhat different from that in children aged five or six.
- It is better to wash the nasal passages immediately after the appearance of dischargemucus and difficulty in breathing. Babies need to do this procedure before feeding.
- For young children, it is recommended to put one drop into each nostril of mother's milk. As you know, this product contains many useful substances, among which there are immunoglobulins.
- In the absence of milk, you can use drugs that increase the level of immunity.
- Mucus should not remain in the nose, it must be ensured its discharge. Viruses come out with it, which is why it is so important. The mucous membranes should not dry out, give the child enough fluids to drink.
- Also, saline and sea water are an excellent solution when dealing with dryness. They are absolutely harmless, so they are suitable for treating children, you can drip them at any time. If the house does not have a humidifier, it is better to do it more often.
Drug therapy
In fact, there are a huge number of drugs that are used to treat rhinitis in a child. In our material, we will not dwell on each of them, but highlight several of the most effective in each group of medicines.
To cure a runny nose in a child at home is possible only with the help of medicines. The following preparations turned out to be the most effective:
- Antihistamines. In this group, such medicines as Zirtek, Fenistil and Allergodil significantly outperform their counterparts. The drugs do not have side effects, so you can safely use.
- Vasoconstrictor. Good remedies for a cold for children in this category are Nazol and Nazivin. The latter is characterized by the duration of exposure, up to twelve hours. "Nazol" is divided into two types: "Baby" (intended for babies from birth) and "Kids Spray" (for children over the age of six).
Antibiotics and effective drops
As already noted, taking antibiotics at the first stage of the disease is prohibited. However, it will be useful to know which drugs of this kind are the best:
- "Bioparox" is prescribed for children from two years old, the product is available in the form of a spray, which is quite convenient.
- "Isofra" is a good antibiotic prescribed for babies from the age of one and a half years.
As for nose drops for children from the common cold, two strong drugs stand out here: Pinosol and Ekteritsid. The first can be applied to a child aged two to three years. Means perfectly softens and moisturizes the nasal passages, also causes an antibacterial effect. The content of fat-soluble vitamin E only benefits patients. "Ekteritsid" literally translates as "killing dryness", with which he successfully copes. Made on an oil solution, a good antiseptic. Pediatricians and other children's doctors love to prescribe this remedy, as it does not pose any danger to babies.
New solution
Before starting therapy, each parentchooses a way to fight the disease. Most stop at medicines, others focus on traditional medicine. As a result, inhalations with a runny nose with a nebulizer for children are ignored. What it is? A method of treatment based on the inhalation of dissolved substances in gas and vapor. This is a modern method, which has recently been increasingly used for diseases of the respiratory type.
As for the advantages of this technique, we can single out the possibility of carrying out therapy for both the elderly and infants with similar diseases. It should be noted that substances in dissolved form quickly penetrate into the mucous membrane and exert their effect. The positive effect extends immediately to all parts of the respiratory tract. Inhalation has minimal side effects and does not affect other organs.
How to deal with persistent rhinitis?
Situations often arise when, against the background of weak immunity, the child does not get a runny nose, and the virus attacks with renewed vigor, not wanting to retreat. In such cases, the doctor should prescribe immune preparations, which include substances that protect against infections.
Genferon-Light would be a good option. These are interferon-based nasal drops with the addition of taurine for more powerful immune support. Preparations of this type will help to cope with a long runny nose in children. How to quickly deal with the virus, we described above. It is not recommended to bring the disease to such a stage, because the more time the virus is inthe body, the harder it is to remove it from there.
Traditional medicine
As you know, traditional medicine is aimed at relieving symptoms, stopping the development of the disease. Full treatment with the help of such means is almost impossible. However, if the initial stage is observed, effective methods will help to cope with a runny nose in a child. There are a lot of folk ways, so we have identified the most effective ones:
- Mustard in socks. The meaning of this method is to pour mustard powder into the child's socks to improve the circulation of the feet. This causes an increase in the level of immunity, which leads to the fact that the body successfully copes with viruses and infections.
- Beet juice. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to drink it. The point is to use the liquid as nasal drops. The result is hydration of the nasal passages. However, it has not been scientifically proven that beetroot juice is better than s alted water in this case.
- Honey and radish. This is probably the best folk remedy for raising immunity. You will need black radish and, accordingly, honey. In the radish, you need to cut off the top, and make a hole in the center. Honey is put there, and the top is put in place. Then all this is infused for several hours in a warm place, such a procedure is necessary in order for the radish to secrete juice. This mixture should then be taken one tablespoon at a time.
Rhinitis in children is a common occurrence, and parents need to know how to deal with it. No need to immediately rush with medicines toThe child needs to be given the opportunity to cope with the virus itself. Only in case of a negative result within four to five days, it is worth taking the advice of a doctor.
