How to get rid of green snot? This problem is faced by many who catch a cold with the onset of the first cold weather. When coughing and a runny nose, some encounter characteristic green snot, which can be a little worrying and even scaring. In this article, we will understand the causes of their occurrence, methods of treatment in adults and children, and recommendations made by doctors.
Causes
Of course, before figuring out how to get rid of green snot, you need to understand the reasons that could lead to their appearance. As a rule, this is due to the fact that during a cold snap the nose takes the blow first, as the initial link in the entire respiratory system. When the nasal mucosa is irritated, various viruses and bacteria end up in the paranasal sinuses. If all this is still accompanied by an inflammatory reaction, then mucus begins to stand out.
Isolation of green snot from the nose indicates the presence of a bacterial infection in the body. This is due to the fact that only leukocytes can overcome bacteria, which give the discharge the same green color. As a result, the more saturated the color of the discharge itself becomes, the more the infection in the nasopharynx develops for a longer time.
Dead white blood cells, as well as their decay products, color the snot green, which can also have a yellowish tint. It should be noted that a bacterial infection often develops against a viral background. At the same time, the main factors that contribute to this are stress, hypothermia, lowered immunity, heavy physical exertion, and chronic diseases of ENT organs.
Characteristic diseases
The appearance of green snot is characteristic of a number of diseases. These include adenoiditis, sinusitis, bacterial rhinitis.
In some cases, green snot pass independently without additional treatment, if the body manages to cope with them. However, you can not let such an ailment go by its own accord. If this is an adult patient, then, most likely, the cause of the appearance of green snot will be sinusitis. If this disease is not treated promptly and effectively, it is characterized by spreading to neighboring organs, including the brain. This can cause serious complications - encephalitis, meningitis, phlegmon, sepsis, tissue abscess.
In some cases, the active release of greenish mucus appears in diseases of the respiratory system, in particular tracheitis, bronchitis, pneumonia. Now we will deal specifically with each of the diseases for which such a symptom is characteristic.
Sinusitis
Sinusitis is also called inflammation of the paranasal maxillary sinus. This is one of the most common types of sinusitis among all existing ones. If the disease becomes chronic, sinusitis begins to worsen with enviable regularity as soon as the cold season comes. So it is very important to start the treatment in a timely manner.
You can recognize this ailment by characteristic signs. These include:
- nasal congestion;
- headache;
- green discharge from the nose, which at first could be yellow;
- feeling of general weakness and weakness;
- low-grade fever;
- feeling of fullness below the eye in the paranasal sinus.
With sinusitis, the most snot is secreted in the morning, since the mucus outflow is not disturbed during the night. During the day, mucus secretion is difficult due to swelling of the nasal mucosa. Sinusitis may be accompanied by increased body temperature, and may occur without it.
Bacterial rhinitis
In most cases, bacterial rhinitis is associated with several diseases of the respiratory system. These include tracheitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis and some others. At the same time, unlike sinusitis, it does not cause so many troubles, there are almost never dangerous complications, but this does not mean that its appearance should be ignored.
As a rule, patients with bacterial rhinitis do not take sick leave, continue to attend school or work, as the disease itself seems to them too trifling, rarely accompanied by fever. As symptoms, there is only nasal congestion and green snot.
Moreover, in some cases, red streaks may appear in the secreted mucus, which will indicate mechanical damage to the mucous membrane during blowing, which is why blood appears in the snot. If there is too much blood, then rhinitis can provoke quite serious diseases that will require surgical intervention. For example, tumors or polyps of the nose.
Adenoiditis
Adenoiditis, or proliferation of the pharyngeal tonsil, is usually found in juvenile patients.
The classic symptoms are:
- mucus running down the nasopharynx and sore throat;
- increase in body temperature to 39 degrees and above;
- copious discharge from the nose;
- significant deterioration in general condition;
- cough without sputum;
- fatigue and weakness.
In some cases, patients may complain of headaches and discomfort in the ears. It is worth noting that this is not considered a sign of the spread of the inflammatory process, but is only an irradiation of pain.
Treatment methods
There are quite a few ways to get rid of green snot. First of all, it is recommended to consult a otorhinolaryngologist in a timely manner for medical help. Only in this case you can be sure that the diagnosis will be made correctly, and you will receive the necessary therapy, which will not allow the deterioration of the condition, the occurrence of complications.
For diagnosis, the doctor will take a swab from the throat and nose from the patient to determine the type of bacteria that became the causative agents of the disease, their sensitivity to antibiotics.
After this, you will need to undergo a full course of treatment, following all the instructions that will be recommended by a specialist. In this case, there are several methods of treating green snot at home, which will help to significantly alleviate the condition of the patient. Here are some things to recommend:
- Flushing the nasal passages with the help of preparations containing sea water. This is Physiomer, Aqua Maris.
- Control the humidity level and temperature in the room where the patient is located. In the treatment of green snot optimal indicators: temperature - from 18 to 22 degrees, air humidity - from 50 to 60 percent.
- If the nose is blocked, you can use vasoconstrictor drugs. Drops from green snot - Tizin, Rinofluimucil, Xylen, Nazivin. Please note that the duration of use of such drugs should not exceed one week, and before giving them to minors and pregnant women, consultation with a doctor is required.
- An effective way to get rid of green snot is through regular inhalations based on essential oils and herbal decoctions. For example, it is recommended to use sage, chamomile, and calendula flowers.
Here's how to get rid of green snot in adults. These methods demonstrate effectiveness in the early stages of the development of the disease, if they do not give noticeable results, you should seek the help of a doctor.
Pregnancy assistance
We should also dwell on how to get rid of green snot during pregnancy. In this case, the fight against the disease will have certain features. For natural reasons, immunity in pregnant women is reduced, so they are more likely to catch a cold.
When a woman expecting a baby develops a runny nose with green snot, it is strictly forbidden to self-medicate, this can lead to the disease worsening and complications that can affect the baby’s health.
This is explained by the fact that pregnant women are forbidden to take most medications because of the high probability of negative effects on the fetus. In this case, nasal congestion, as well as the difficulty in breathing associated with it, can lead to hypoxia, that is, the baby in the maternal womb will be catastrophically lacking oxygen, which will negatively affect its development in the future.
It is for this reason that a pregnant woman, when a similar symptom appears, needs to seek professional help. The only thing she can take at home, until she gets to the doctor, is washing her nose with saline.
Prevention
To prevent the appearance of green snot in an adult patient, prevention will help. To do this, it is recommended that you follow just a few simple rules.
Lead a healthy lifestyle, abandoning bad habits, spend more time outdoors. It is also recommended to regularly clean the nasal passages from dried secretions.
Green snot in a child
Green snot in children is a symptom of a cold, with which you must begin to immediately fight. Of particular concern is this ailment in babies up to a year old.
The danger of a cold for a child lies in the fact that pus at the same time flows not only outward, but also inward. Favorable conditions are created in the body for bacteria, which greatly complicates the fight against the disease. If you delay the treatment, side effects may appear. For example, ear otitis media or sinusitis. In some cases, you should be wary of inflammatory processes in the tissues of the brain.
It is important to understand the cause of the appearance of green snot in a baby before proceeding with treatment. This may be the flu, an allergic reaction to certain external irritants, acute respiratory viral infections, or another catarrhal disease.
In infants, green snot can appear as an allergic reaction to breast milk. To prevent this, a young mother should carefully monitor her diet. Also at this age, a phenomenon known as physiological rhinitis is likely. It is believed that this is a natural process of adaptation of a newborn to its environment, in the near future it should go on its own and without consequences.
Doctors Recommendations
It is important that parents know how to get rid of green snot in their child. Panic should not be done before, but if the runny nose does not go away within three days, treatment should be started. If the baby is not yet six months old, you should immediately seek advice from a pediatrician who will advise you on what to do, write out the appropriate prescription.
Today, the pharmaceutical industry is so developed that even if a child is a year old, than to treat green snot, so that it is effective and safe, they will immediately tell you.
Are antibiotics needed?
If it turned out that the baby has a serious illness, antibiotics may be prescribed, but it is better to do without them so as not to have a detrimental effect on children's immunity and intestinal microflora ahead of time. If a runny nose is triggered by an allergy, antihistamines, nasal drops and the exclusion of patient contact with the allergen are necessary.
When studying how to get rid of green snot in a child, it is important to remember: so that pus does not spread to other organs, you should reduce its amount by any means. Therefore, very young children periodically manually clean the nasal cavity from snot, and older ones should be taught to blow their nose as often as possible. An effective way to get rid of thick green snot is to wash your nose.
Tips by Dr. Komarovsky
For advice to a popular pediatrician who leads his own show on television, young parents turn to almost any issue. This was no exception.
With green snot Komarovsky recommends using all possible folk remedies to stop the spread of the inflammatory process. The main thing is to rinse and clean your nose on time and regularly, use medicinal drops, physiotherapy.
Folk remedies
There are quite a few popular ways to deal with a runny nose in children. A common remedy is mustard. With its help, it is possible to retain heat for a long time and warm up the legs.
Of the methods for heating the maxillary sinuses it should be noted warm potatoes, eggs, hot sand or salt, which are applied to them. In folk and official medicine, a recognized effective method is rinsing the nose with saline.