In this article, we will understand why the child has green snot.
People are used to having a runny nose as a result of viral infections. But sometimes there are cases of bacterial rhinitis, in which green snot appears in a child. This color is due to the release of protective blood cells and dead bacteria. The thicker the discharge in consistency and the richer their color, the more intense the inflammatory process takes place in the nasal cavity.
Many people are mistaken in believing that green snot should be treated with antibiotics immediately. But in fact, it is enough from the very beginning of the disease to simply change the lifestyle of the child. Sometimes, on the contrary, parents can underestimate the seriousness of such a process and eventually run a runny nose in their children. We will discuss further what are the reasons for the appearance of green snot in children and what treatment methods are used to treat babies against this ailment.
Why do children get such snot?
Green snot in a child may mean that the bacterial flora in the form of streptococci joins the inflammation. They appear normal towards the end of the common cold. The fact that they really are the norm and in fact recovery is coming is judged by the main signs. Usually, there is little discharge, they very easily leave the nasal cavity, and the child’s immediate health and appetite are quite excellent. The cause of green snot in a child may be different.
But in the event that the discharge is plentiful, and at the same time it is also difficult to clean it out, in addition, they can not blow out at all, have an unpleasant odor or impurities of blood with pus and constantly flow, then this may turn out to be a variant of bacterial complications of the common cold. In particular, one should be wary in case if on the fifth day of the disease there is no improvement, and the patient feels worse and he has new symptoms of the disease in the form of cough, sore throat and ears.
Green snot in a child can be observed with sinusitis, against a background of rhinopharyngitis or otitis media. Next, we dwell on these diseases in more detail.
Main reasons
Sinusitis in a child can develop if it is not enough to blow his nose, sniffing him constantly and thereby driving the snot inside. In this case, the temperature will increase, and in addition, soreness in the area of ​​the paranasal sinuses may be present. In addition, the child will constantly have a stuffy nose, headaches along with night cough and purulent discharge are not ruled out. Sinusitis in children is manifested in the form of the following variations:
- With sinusitis, the child is very worried about soreness in the region of the maxillary sinuses, along with swelling and gum pain. Soreness of the lower edge of the eye orbits may also be present.
- With ethmoiditis, there is pain in the nose.
- With frontal pain, soreness appears between the eyebrows.
- Against the background of sphenoiditis, the back of the head can be very sick, and in addition, the crown of the head.
The cause of green snot in a child should be determined by a doctor. Sinusitis can very often be isolated, combining inflammation of two or more sinuses at once. In addition, all sinuses can become inflamed at the same time, in this case we will talk about pansinusitis. The more sinuses are affected, the more pronounced the symptoms of the disease will be, and overall health will only worsen.
In the event that a cold is not treated or the therapeutic measures are not fully implemented, posterior rhinitis may develop or it is also called rhinopharyngitis in another way. In this case, the snot flows down the back wall of the pharynx, irritating it, and the mucous membrane, in turn, becomes very inflamed. A patient against this background may feel a burning sensation in the throat area along with pain. With rhinopharyngitis, snot with difficulty is removed, as if walking in the depths of the nose. A cough with a runny nose is mainly a concern at night or in the morning when the child is in a horizontal position.
In children, the communication of the nose and ear is wide and short, thanks to which the mucus can easily enter the ear, causing bacterial inflammation there. Otitis is the most common complication of the common cold in young children.
How can such snot be dangerous?
First of all, thick green snot to a child can cause great discomfort, especially when swallowing or during communication. Such a mass clogs the nose at night when the child is in a supine position. This markedly disrupts sleep, blocking nasal breathing. When the children have a stuffy nose, they do not behave as actively as the others, and eat poorly.
It is especially dangerous that green snot causes purulent complications in children in the form of cough, pneumonia, abscess and meningitis. In any case, pus always poses a serious danger to the body of everyone.
If a child has green snot, what should I do?
How to treat it?
The appearance of green snot in children must be treated. They are a neglected runny nose, in this regard, the therapy will not proceed as fast as we would like. Only purposefulness along with the implementation of all points of medical recommendations will lead to recovery.
To begin with, parents should create a suitable microclimate in the children's room with cool, and most importantly, moist air. It is necessary to regularly clean the baby's nose from accumulated thick mucus from five to twelve times a day. In the event that there are green snot in the morning in the child and there is no temperature, you should walk more.
Nose wash procedure
Treatment should begin with a rinse with saline. Such solutions can thin the mucus, facilitating its release, in addition, they are endowed with bactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties.
When treating young children, it is recommended to use isotonic saline solutions. For the treatment of older children, hypertonic solutions should be used. A hypertonic solution is able to better separate sputum from the nasal walls, it can cope with congestion much faster. When washing, saline can also be used. In addition, you should dissolve a spoonful of sea salt in one liter of water, and to better thin the mucus, soda will be useful. For children older than three years old, the nose can be washed with antiseptics, namely with "Sulfacil sodium" or "Furacilin".
Nasal cleansing as one of the treatment methods
After the washing procedure, the nose should be well cleaned of all kinds of secretions. In relation to newborns and babies, a syringe can be used along with a cotton flagellum, and mechanical or automatic nozzle aspirators are also suitable . Children who are already over two years old can be taught to compete.
Parents should pay attention to the fact that when a child begins to get sick and has a runny nose, then too much earwax is released in the ears. Using a cotton swab to properly clean your ears will not work, because it can damage the eardrum. In this regard, otorhinolaryngologists recommend cleaning their ears with hydrogen peroxide during treatment with cold children. In this case, it is necessary to instill a few drops in each passage, then the residues are removed with a cotton ball. You should know that clearing the nose with ears means halving the child’s recovery.
What else to treat green snot in a child up to a year?
The use of astringent drops
Often, parents may have difficulty digging babies in the nose to cleanse this organ. At the same time, children very often turn out, not allowing a cleaning procedure. Astringent drops are the most reliable and effective tool that will help quickly cure a child of viscous green snot. Among such funds, it is worth mentioning Protargol, which is a silver colloid dissolved in water. This drug is very cheap.
"Protargol" is endowed with an astringent property, silver ions are able to penetrate the bacteria, destroying them immediately. This drug also has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects. Protargol can constrict blood vessels, which immediately restores breathing through the nose. Means "Protargol" is considered safer than antibiotics, and can replace them. Among the analogues it is worth mentioning the drugs “Collargol” and “Sialor”.
Use of vasoconstrictor drops
Such drops can be instilled only if the child has a stuffy nose. For children under the age of one year, drops that contain xylometazoline are used, and starting with six months, the drug "Phenylephrine" is suitable. After one year of age, naphazoline drops can be added. And from three years old, children are allowed drops that contain oxymetazoline. All these drugs constrict blood vessels, relieving swelling along with congestion. The effect is achieved immediately after instillation.
It should be borne in mind that it is very important first of all to get rid of edema. The fact is that the swollen mucosa causes a blockage of the sinus anastomosis, which can lead to the appearance of sinusitis. The elimination of edema is a good prevention of otitis media.
What other remedies for green snot in children are used?
Antibiotic use
Against the background of sinusitis or another type of sinusitis, patients are shown the appointment of antibiotics as the most reliable drug in the treatment of the common cold. In the presence of a mild form, the disease can be cured with Isofra drops or with a combined spray called Polydex. These are very effective remedies for green snot in children.
In more severe cases, antibiotics are indicated for internal use, for example, Amoxicillin, Cefotaxime or Ceftriaxone is prescribed for this. In the absence of the effectiveness of the above drugs, treatment is carried out by Sumamed. Small children are allowed to drip sodium sulfacyl, as it is more harmless compared to certain antibiotics.
An ENT specialist may prescribe a special prescription for the preparation of combined drops for green snot in a child. Complex drops prepared in physiological saline, as a rule, contain vasoconstrictive, antibacterial and hormonal components.
Homeopathic Treatment
An untested, but often highly effective way to treat and prevent green mucus is homeopathic remedies in the form of Sinupret, Sinuforte, Euphorbium, and so on. They are developed exclusively from natural components, in connection with this they do not have any contraindications, are not able to have side effects, therefore they are completely safe.
In the presence of green nasal discharge, infants should not be prescribed antiviral drugs, as they can be effective exclusively against viruses. And with respect to bacteria, they have no positive effect.
What will help quickly when a child has a stuffy nose and green snot?
Physiotherapy as a method of treatment
Physiotherapeutic procedures are allowed to be used exclusively for the treatment of a thick cold in the event that the child has no temperature and other contraindications. So, it is recommended to treat the pathology using the following physical procedures:
- Ultraviolet technique for treating the nose.
- Conducting electrophoresis with a medicine.
- Performing inhalation with green snot in children over a salt lamp.
Treatment with traditional methods and inhalations
The child’s body is very vulnerable, and at the same time susceptible, in this regard, alternative methods in the treatment of children are not recommended. In particular, it is forbidden to treat, through folk methods, allergic children who suffer from bronchial asthma.
The safest home treatment methods are inhalation over decoctions of chamomile with soda or jacket potatoes. Steam inhalations with decoctions and infusions of eucalyptus, calendula, linden or sage are also suitable. The temperature of the treatment solution should not be more than fifty degrees. Higher temperatures for inhalation can cause burns to the mucosa.
Folk remedies with green snot in a child can be very effective.
School children can dig in the nose the juice of Kalanchoe or Aloe. Fresh squeezed carrot juice can quite well remove thick green mucus. But it is worth noting that for children under three years old, it should be diluted with boiled water. Such juice can have an astringent, and at the same time irritating effect, as a result of which children squeeze out all the accumulated mucus.
In order to prevent the manifestation of the disease, it is required to treat any runny nose in time, without starting a cold. A very important requirement is the washing of the nose with saline solutions. We recommend this procedure for various forms of the common cold, at all stages. Any complications of the common cold, which are accompanied by a profuse runny nose, can easily turn into a chronic form. Children should always be treated, and not hoped that their body will cope with the disease itself.
Prophylaxis
Since children often suffer from a runny nose, in order to prevent the occurrence of green snot, the following preventive measures are required:
- Try to exercise frequent walks in the fresh air.
- You should give the child to some kind of sports section so that he can engage in physical exercises and develop his body, and at the same time the health of the whole organism.
- It is very important to take care of a full nutritional diet of the child, which will include products with all the necessary vitamins and minerals.
- It is also necessary to increase the baby's immunity with foods that are rich in amino acids and various beneficial enzymes.
Is it possible to walk with green snot in a child?
If the child has a runny nose with green snot, you should not go for a walk with him if he is not feeling well. At this time, the disease usually goes through an acute stage. Therefore, with especially poor health, it is best to stay at home. In particular, you can not walk if the child has the following symptoms:
- Fever.
- Presence of chills and fever in the baby.
- Feeling of malaise and weakness.
It is also undesirable to go out for a cold if the weather outside is bad and a piercing wind blows. And immediately when the child is recovering and he has no temperature, you can safely go out into the street even if there are still residual phenomena in the form of a slight cold.
Thus, any runny nose in a child requires compulsory treatment. In no case should you let the disease go by its own accord and not attach importance to such a seemingly harmless phenomenon.