Young parents often panic, not knowing what to do with a runny nose. In babies, nasal discharge can be permanent, and even therapies do not have a therapeutic effect. Drops, sprays, alternative methods may be ineffective. What to do in this case, which doctor to contact? Effective treatment for the common cold in children always requires an integrated approach.
Reasons for a constant cold
Most often, the main reason is the inflammatory process in the mucosa, sinuses, nasopharynx. In babies from birth to three years of age, immunity is formed and a way to respond to external threats to the immune system. Therefore, it is at this age that frequent runny nose in children becomes the No. 1 problem.
The problem usually worsens when the child begins to attend kindergarten. In the nursery group there are many babies from a year to three. All immature immunity. Therefore, a cold in such a team develops instantly - it is worth getting sick alone, as other children suffer immediately. This process can be mitigated by the use of special drugs - immunomodulators and interferons. An optimal medicine can be prescribed by an immunologist. But this is a double-edged sword: if at such an early age to intervene in the immunity of the child, supporting him pharmacologically, he will not get strong enough. As a result, the child will be more susceptible to colds than peers.
Allergic reactions occupy a special place: this is also a common cause of frequent runny nose in a child. A special analysis should be carried out - allergen tests. In the conditions of modern laboratories, it is almost painless and does not take much time.
Classification of a common cold in children
Pediatrics distinguishes between two types of runny nose in a child: acute and chronic. The first type can go away by itself and most often is the cause of either a cold or temporary intoxication with an allergen. Chronic runny nose is more complicated. There are five varieties of this pathology.
- A catarrhal cold in a child occurs due to inflammation of the nasal mucosa and nasopharynx. In some cases, problems with the larynx can cause this form of pathology. Partially, vasoconstrictive drops help to solve the problem. But they are forbidden to use on an ongoing basis due to the development of addiction. The optimal method of treating a catarrhal cold in a child is alternative methods of treatment and drugs that restore local immunity.
- Hypertrophic rhinitis is a serious pathology in which the sinus congestion is palpated. Most often, this process is accompanied by painful sensations. You should certainly consult an otolaryngologist and not self-medicate.
- The atrophic type of the common cold in a child is characterized by thinning of the mucosa. In some cases, this is a consequence of the catarrhal form in the absence of treatment. A cold in a child does not go away for a long time, pain in the nose, migraine - all these are symptoms of an atrophic type of pathology. It is imperative to show the baby to the otolaryngologist. The independent use of vasoconstrictor drops in most cases only exacerbates the pathology.
- The allergic type of rhinitis in a child is provoked by the action of antigens and is subject to treatment with general and local antihistamines.
- The vasomotor type is in no way associated with the inflammatory process of the nasopharynx, mucosa or sinuses. This is an injury to the ENT organs or a mechanical obstruction to normal breathing. Vasomotor runny nose usually occurs due to objects that the child quietly thrusts into his nostrils. Parents should carefully monitor their child and prevent such incidents.
Symptoms of a constant cold
Frequent runny nose in children is accompanied not only by discharge from the nostrils, but also by the following symptoms:
- low-grade fever;
- bad sleep - heavy falling asleep and frequent awakenings in the middle of the night;
- pain in the nose;
- migraines with a classic aura and without;
- a sore throat;
- hoarseness of voice;
- violation of diction;
- pain when swallowing;
- tearing.
Depending on the characteristics of the common cold, these symptoms may vary. For example, if the cause of the problem is inflammation of the nasopharynx, sore throat and swallowing can be expected. If the cause is problems with the mucous membrane (its moisture and microflora), migraines, pain in the nose and temples, and dizziness are possible.
The consequences of an untreated runny nose in a child
Young parents are often worried by the question: the child often has a runny nose, what should I do? But experienced mothers often relate to this problem through their sleeves: somehow it will pass by itself. Chronic runny nose is a rather serious symptom that indicates a possible ill health and immunity.
Possible consequences of untreated runny nose in children:
- sinusitis and rhinitis;
- worsening of sense of smell;
- adenoids;
- decreased attention;
- tonsillitis, pharyngitis;
- swelling in the area of Eustachian tubes;
- sinusitis, frontal sinusitis.
Stages of the common cold in a child
Depending on the degree of the problem, the methods of therapy will differ:
- The reflex stage, the most initial. In a child under ten years of age, it can take only a few hours. The blood vessels of the nasal mucosa and nasopharynx narrow and expand, microdamages are formed. At this stage, measures to increase local and general immunity are effective. The goal is to prevent possible viruses and infections from joining microtraumas and mucosal lesions.
- Lasts a child on average for a maximum of a week. The most common cause is the effect of viruses and infections, in some cases allergens. The child cannot breathe through the nose, the nature of the discharge is dense, in some cases with blood and a red blood (if the capillaries are weak and burst). At this stage, all the usual cold remedies for the common man are effective - inhalations, drops, sprays and so on.
- Bacterial inflammation develops. Rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis - all these serious diseases develop already in the third stage. For the treatment of a child, there are few familiar remedies for a cold. Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory therapy is required. The exact course of treatment can be prescribed by an otolaryngologist.
Medicines
How to treat a prolonged runny nose in a child so as not to provoke complications? The following medicines are used:
- vasoconstrictive sprays and drops;
- moisturizing preparations;
- homeopathic remedies;
- antibacterial and antiviral are the most effective.
If the cause of a common cold in a child is an allergy, then you should get a prescription for the optimal antihistamine in your allergist or immunologist. This is a separate group of medicines, and the medicine should be selected carefully: side effects are common.
"Protargol" for children
This is one of the most popular remedies for the common cold in a child (it lasts a week or more - drops will help at any time). "Protargol" is a silver proteinate. It has a pronounced antimicrobial local activity. It is a solid tablet, which must be dissolved in distilled water, in a special bottle, which also comes in a package with the drug.
Some parents avoid using this remedy, as it has many side effects and can be addictive. However, if you miss the first and second stages of a cold in a child, Protargol is almost the only remedy that can quickly and effectively help.
"Polydex": instructions for use for children
A popular remedy, not inferior in effectiveness to Protargol. Instructions for use "Polydex" (for children it is often prescribed) reports that the main active ingredient of the drug is neomycin sulfate. The composition also includes auxiliary components: thiomersal, lithium chloride, dexamethasone methyl sulfobenzoate, polymyxin sulfate.
Polydex can be used not only for the nose, but also for the ears. It has a local anti-inflammatory effect, slightly reduces pain, has a beneficial effect on the mucous membrane.
Vasoconstrictor drops for the treatment of colds in children
This is the most common treatment for the common cold in children. Rarely do any of the parents know that they cannot be used on an ongoing basis. The vessels get used to the effects of the drug, and without it they simply refuse to function normally. This is how drug dependence develops.
Any vasoconstrictor drops, sprays, ointments for the baby’s nose (Naphthyzinum, Otrivin, Nazivin, etc.) should be taken no longer than four to five days. If a longer exposure is required, the advisability of therapy with an otolaryngologist should be consulted.
Saline Nasal Rinse
Alternative treatment of the common cold in children is often more effective than pharmacological agents. In particular, regular washing of the nose and nasopharynx with a weak saline solution will help prevent the common cold from entering the third stage.
You should prepare the weakest solution possible - half a teaspoon of fine salt per glass of pure distilled water. The child must draw it through the nostrils and spit it out. This method is suitable only for older children, preferably from seven years. Kids may not understand the principle of washing, and the solution will go to the lungs.
Using aloe to treat a cold
Aloe juice has an excellent moisturizing and anti-inflammatory effect. You should collect the juice of the fleshy leaves, pipette and drip two or three drops into each nostril.
If the juice is not completely liquid, but clot-like (in young aloe plants this often happens), you can do without a pipette. Collect thick mucus from the leaf into a small spoon and place in the nostril, very quickly (within a couple of minutes) the juice will dissolve in whole or in part. If some clots from the aloe leaf remain in the nostril, you can throw them away, since in two or three minutes the beneficial substances will have a therapeutic effect.
Nebulizer with a runny nose in children
A nebulizer (inhaler) is a device that turns a drug into an aerosol. Thus, metabolites of the active substance enter the respiratory tract, inaccessible to conventional drugs.
Such a device costs about a thousand rubles. There are more expensive, but they are equipped with many unnecessary features. For example, a timer or sound tracks. The inhaler may be compression, ultrasound or membrane. The cost of the device also depends on the principle of action.
A variety of inhalation solutions for a child can be used:
- mucolytics;
- bronchodilators;
- antibiotics, anti-inflammatory;
- antiallergic.
How to treat a prolonged runny nose in a child with a nebulizer? Usually enough daily procedures for one week are enough to get rid of the symptoms of chronic runny nose.
Allergy-induced Cold Therapy
Allergy in a child is a complex condition, for the treatment of which it is first necessary to determine the antigen. What specifically causes a cold in a child? It can be pollen of plants, poplar fluff, chemical flavoring, any food product. You can accurately determine the allergen after conducting special tests in the laboratory.
Therapy is most often carried out with the help of antihistamines. If for one reason or another the child can not take them, you can get rid of local manifestations of allergies (tearing, runny nose) with the help of vasoconstrictor drops. Alas, it is impossible to apply them on a permanent basis because of possible addiction.
Prevention of the common cold in children
Most parents primarily try to minimize their child’s contact with their peers. This is a common mistake. The faster the baby develops local immunity, the better. If a child is constantly infected with a cold in kindergarten, it makes sense to visit an immunologist.
The main principles for preventing a cold in a child is to protect it from hypothermia (especially the legs, head, neck, lower back), monitor the diet and the amount of vitamins in the diet, and protect it from excessively long periods in the cold. If a runny nose does begin, it is worthwhile to resort to methods of folk or pharmacological therapy as soon as possible so that the pathology does not become chronic.