Snot in a child? Treatment is perhaps one of the most common problems that young 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 beginning 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 there are thick snot in a child, Komarovsky advises to solve this problem immediately. He indicates that infants are most susceptible to the occurrence of this ailment, which is associated with a low secretory ability of the nasal mucosa, impenetrable 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 very favorable conditions for microbial and viral contamination. In other words, the onset of a runny nose in children is due to poorly formed immune defenses, and its complex manifestation boils down to diseases such as rhinitis and pharyngitis.
If the child has snot, what should I do? Knowing certain features of the baby’s functioning and growth, mothers are no longer surprised by 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, the medical reason is still worth adding 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. Transparent thick snot in a child indicates this reason.
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.
The allergic component that causes thick snot in a child. What to treat, medical statistics suggest, which indicates a progressive annual increase in the number of children suffering from various allergic diseases. It is understandable that the cause of this common cold is contact with the allergen, and the presence of white snot is a distinctive feature.
Long-term use of vasoconstrictor medications determines the occurrence of a runny nose, or, in other words, drug dependence.
The appearance of various kinds of injuries of the nasal mucosa determines the presence of a traumatic runny nose. Among the causes may be mechanical, chemical or thermal injuries.
With the appearance of proliferation of the nasal mucosa, a hypertrophic rhinitis is formed, and with its atrophy, it is atrophic.
The development of the common cold and its stage
Of course, the process of the appearance of rhinitis has certain stages in development.
- The appearance of swelling and swelling of the mucosa, which can last several days.
- Increased secretory activity of the epithelium.
- Generalization of inflammation.
When primary symptoms appear, i.e. 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 our mouths, but it’s difficult for a child to do this. This determines the appearance of shortness of breath and the rejection of the chest or bottle with the mixture. After all, at the same time, the baby simply does not know how to eat and breathe through the nose blocked by snot.
How thick snot appears
An exciting problem for every mother is a snot in a baby. Treatment may be different. In otolaryngology, the origin of white snot is often associated with the presence of an allergic reaction in the baby. But mothers should remember that with diseases of a non-bacterial nature, thick snot in a child may appear. How to treat them if the allergic nature of the disease is established? The following measures should be taken:
- regularly ventilate the room in which the child is;
- carry out wet room cleaning at least twice a day;
- spend frequent walks in the fresh air;
- completely eliminate contact with a potential allergen.
Often there may be a release of thick and transparent snot. According to the parents, the thick snot in the baby is a mucous discharge that appears as a result of contact with the allergen, and they can not always be white. In this case, not only the allergic nature of the disease may occur.
Mucous secretions protect the baby's airways from getting into them the smallest particles in the inhaled air, and maybe the baby does not get enough fluid. If this is the case, it is recommended that you increase the amount of water you drink and consult a doctor than treat thick snot.
In chronic diseases, such as bronchitis, or those that become protracted (pneumonia), there may be a release of thick green snot, which can also occur with a running cold. The yellow-green color of the mucous discharge from the nose can be taken with a bacterial infection, which is due to the massive death of leukocytes and microorganisms.
Komarovsky considers thick snot in a child to be the most insidious. The nature of the origin of these secretions may be the same as that of older children. It is worth not delaying treatment, as this can entail 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 audit the nasal passages, for example, after each bath, and clean them as necessary.
What doctor Komarovsky says about a runny nose
Everyone knows how to get rid of snot, but it is clear that every mother cares about the correct and quick elimination of the common cold in the baby. It is worth saying that you do not need to engage in self-treatment.
Breasts and babies 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, will help to understand the advice of Dr. Komarovsky:
- When a child develops a runny nose of an infectious nature, the main task of parents is to prevent mucus from drying out. It is necessary to constantly provide the baby with drink and conduct 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. It can also lead to complications in the form of pharyngitis, otitis media, sinusitis and other diseases.
The baby got thick snot
If there are thick snot in a child, than to treat, the recommendations given above will tell. Namely, you need to: regularly ventilate the room in which the baby is, and conduct wet cleaning. In a situation where hyperthermia occurs, you should give your baby boiled water as often as possible. In addition, it is recommended to adhere to such rules:
- do not force-feed the baby;
- regularly inspect the nasal passages and suck out mucus;
- take the baby often in your arms;
- gently talk to the child.
Every mother is worried about the treatment of the common cold with any medication. According to Dr. Komarovsky, it is possible to treat a runny nose in a child with medicines, but you should adhere to the recommendations of pediatricians regarding their purpose.
So, 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 Nose” (0.05%) and children's “Otrivin”, which are indicated for infants.
If necessary, the use of antiviral and antibacterial drugs, you can use the following:
- drops "Protargol";
- Grippferon nasal drops;
- Drops on an oil basis "Retinol", "Etericide", "Tocopherol";
- rectal suppositories "Viferon";
- Isofra spray for children.
When using these drugs, you should carefully read the instructions for use, and it is better to consult your pediatrician.
From antihistamines it is possible to use a drop of “Vibrocil” or “Aquamaris” or “Aqualor baby” washing sprays.
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 coordinate 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 mucus;
- apply vasoconstrictor drugs;
- some time after this, flush the sinuses;
- continue local procedures;
- use antihistamines;
- if necessary, use broad-spectrum antibacterial agents;
- it is possible to use 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.
The main activities in the treatment of green snot
After the diagnosis has been established by the attending pediatrician, both medications and folk remedies can be prescribed. In especially severe cases, when thick yellow snot appeared in a child, antibacterial drugs for bacterial infections and antiviral drugs for viral infections may be recommended.
Treatment of the disease should begin with the maximum release of the nasal sinuses and strokes from the mucus to ensure comfortable free breathing of the baby.
To clear the nasal passages when there are yellow thick snot in a child, you can use a regular pear-douche. By the way, this procedure is recommended to be carried out before each washing of the nose or instillation of drugs.
You can rinse your nose with the help of special solutions that are sold in a pharmacy, or with the help of independently prepared salt water. In the latter case, the solution should not be stronger than one teaspoon of salt per liter of boiled water. You can use both sea salt and ordinary table salt. For babies, it is recommended to take special solutions for washing, which can be bought at the pharmacy. The microelement composition is observed in them in the most optimal proportion.
The 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 cleanse it of mucus and microorganisms. It is possible to use vasoconstrictor drops, which should not be used more often than 3-4 times a day. To combat inflammation, you can use Protargol, Collargol drops along with anti-allergic or antibacterial drugs. Thick white snot in a child responds quite well to therapy with the anti-inflammatory ointment Viprosal.
Nose wash procedure
In order to rinse the nose of the baby, it must be put on its side, and pour the solution for washing into the nostril that is located above. After this, the child is turned on the other side and the procedure is repeated. The solution is infused very carefully. You can also rinse 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 washing the spout is completed, you can drip therapeutic drops.
Proper nasal 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 2-3 drops of the drug should be instilled. It is necessary that they fall on the mucous membrane - in this case, the effect will develop as quickly as possible. After that, 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 that our mothers and grandmothers used to help ease the baby's condition.
So, for washing the nose, you can use not only salt water, but also freshly prepared and chilled decoction or infusion of chamomile at the rate of two teaspoons per glass of water.
To carry out "disinfection" in the room, you can put the onion, cut in half or 4 parts. Inhaling the phytoncides secreted to her will help pierce 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 when crusts form.
You can lubricate the baby’s feet with Zvezdochka balm from three to five times a day, combining this procedure with massage.
You can dig in aloe juice or Kalanchoe. Freshly prepared carrot or beetroot juice diluted with boiled water in equal proportions also helps well from a cold.
Cold Prevention
As you know, the disease is better to prevent than to treat it. Following a few simple rules, you can prevent the development and appearance of a runny nose. So, from a very young age, a baby needs to create and maintain a daily regimen, ensure proper nutrition, conduct physical education classes and ensure the adoption of 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.