Why does chronic runny nose occur in a child and how is it treated?

Today, a runny nose in a child is a common problem, known to all parents for its “simple” complexity. Grandmothers are the best at dealing with the problem, thanks to their experience and integrated approach. Young parents often unarmedly admit that their child is constantly sick and has to be constantly taken out of kindergarten.

The key problem lies in the fact that the final formation of the immune system in a child’s body occurs by the age of 10. Until this time, logically, one should count on regular pain, especially when communicating in groups. However, if you are armed with experience, treating a child’s runny nose can be quick, effective, uncomplicated and inexpensive.

Possible risks

Parents often believe that their child’s runny nose will go away on its own. But doctors have a different opinion. Impaired respiratory function inevitably leads to excessive load on the heart muscle and pulmonary apparatus. This can be the beginning of many protracted pathologies, respiratory infections of the upper and lower respiratory organs, and undermine the immune system. Only a qualified otolaryngologist can identify the objective cause of the ailment and prescribe adequate treatment.

Why does my child’s snot go away for a month?

Often, despite the treatment, it is not possible to rid the child of a runny nose. This, of course, worries parents, since the baby’s condition with a constant runny nose worsens significantly. It is difficult for him to breathe, eat, talk, he becomes restless and sleeps poorly. In addition, if a child has had snot for a month or even more, there is a risk of developing many serious complications. A doctor can determine the exact cause of this phenomenon, and he will prescribe the necessary treatment. Let's look at the most common causes of persistent snot in a child and possible ways to treat them.

Provocateurs

A constantly snotty nose is typical for children with a weak immune system. Their protective functions are still weak against attacking pathogenic microbes and other factors. Rhinitis often worsens after being in a group setting in kindergarten or school.

Allergies can be a significant cause of rhinitis. The reaction can be triggered by periodically recurring seasonal allergens (flowering plants) or by factors that are constantly present in the environment (household dust, pet hair).

Incorrect therapy or untreated acute lesions of the upper ENT organs can lead to chronic diseases of the maxillary sinuses and other nasal inflammations. A companion to these ailments is a lingering runny nose in a child, which does not allow him to breathe peacefully. Prolonged exposure to a cold, damp environment can aggravate the condition.

There may be other provocateurs of a prolonged runny nose:

• With dysfunction of vascular tone in the nose, the mucous membrane inappropriately and violently secretes secretions in response to any irritants. This condition is considered to be vasomotor rhinitis.
• Abuse of local vasoconstrictors creates immunity. Instead of narrowing the capillaries, we get hypersecretion of mucous secretions.
• Constant drying out and irritation of the nasal mucosa are caused by the dry air in the baby’s habitat.
• Hyperplasia of the adenoid vegetations narrows and blocks the nasal passage, causing problems with the ears and respiratory diseases.
• Morphological abnormalities of the nasal passages, formed as a result of a bruise or inherent in the child from birth, can also serve as a source of prolonged runny nose in children.

Symptoms of chronic rhinitis

The first signs: loss of appetite, moodiness, lethargy. In babies - restless behavior, decreased activity, drowsiness, sniffling. General signs:

• redness of the eyes, malaise, sleep disturbances;
• pain, itching and burning locally;
• difficulty breathing through the nose, congestion, sneezing;
• mucous discharge for more than 10 days;
• decreased olfactory function;
• temperature increase.

It is not necessary to have all the signs; several of them may be present.

Reasons for babies

Before you understand how to treat a long runny nose in a child, it would be good to understand the factors that cause it.

The vulnerability of the growing respiratory organs and low adaptation of the baby to the environment in the first months causes regular physiological rhinitis. There are no other painful symptoms. The baby is active, eats well, snores in his sleep with his mouth slightly open. Mucus is released from the nasal passages, but it is not dry and comes out easily. This feature of a newborn disappears after the third month of life.

Very low humidity in the baby's environment leads to drying of the mucous membrane and protective secretions, turning them into dry, flaky crusts. Breathing through the nose is difficult. But there are no separations as such.

Various allergens cause excess snot, sneezing, and watery eyes due to an allergic response of the body. In rare cases, a rash on the epidermis is added to them.

Infectious rhinitis develops due to improper therapy when the respiratory tract is damaged by bacteria or viruses. The condition is accompanied by weakness, hyperthermia, and reluctance to eat. Green purulent exudate can indicate the bacterial nature of the pathology.

What to do

First of all, if a child’s snot does not go away for a long time, he needs to be shown to a doctor. Treatment is selected depending on the cause of the disease.

If a runny nose is caused by a viral or bacterial infection, the child is prescribed antibacterial and antiseptic agents such as Collargol, Miramistin, Protargol, Isofra, Polydexa.

In the case of an allergic nature of the runny nose, after stopping contact with the allergen, the baby is recommended to take Clarotadine, Zyrtec, Fenistil tablets, Vibrocil, Nasonex nasal drops or sprays.

To cleanse and moisturize the nasal passages, use nasal drops based on saline or sea salt. You can prepare your own sea salt solution at home (dissolve a teaspoon of salt in 200 ml of boiled water).

If a child’s snot does not go away for a month or more, you can use traditional methods along with medications, of course, after consulting a doctor. The following recipe will be effective in this case. Take mint leaves (10 g), linden flowers (10 g), willow bark (5 g), St. John's wort herb (5 g), oak bark (10 g). 20 g of the collection is poured with boiling water (200 ml), left for 3-4 hours. Then filter and add fir oil (3-4 drops). Place 3-5 drops into each nostril of the child 3-4 times a day.

Source

Warning signs

Certain symptoms should attract attention and raise doubts about their harmlessness. If snot has been coming out of the baby’s nose for more than a week, preventing sleep with wheezing and worsening cough, the baby is weakened, lethargic, gets tired faster than usual, take the situation seriously. Difficulty breathing through the nose, irritability, and uncontrollability should also indicate possible problems. Infants cannot fully suck breast milk or formula from a bottle. The acuity of perception of smells and taste buds may decrease. Nasal secretion comes in different shades and thickness, from transparent to cloudy yellow. The latter circumstance should awaken vigilance, since this is a direct indication of the bacterial nature of rhinitis. The eyelids may become inflamed, red, swollen lymph nodes, and a sore throat.

How to put nasal drops correctly

Nasal drops are the most common treatment for a runny nose. However, not everyone knows how to put drops into the nose correctly.

3 simple rules for nose drops:

1. Before instillation, be sure to clean your nose.
2. The head and body should be in the correct position. To properly instill drops, the child needs to sit on a chair with his head slightly tilted back, or lie on his back. A small child can be placed on your lap.
3. Place the number of drops prescribed in the instructions into the right nostril and, pressing it with your finger against the nasal septum, tilt your head to the right. We wait 30 seconds and repeat the same with the left nostril.

Diagnostics

To discover the objective cause and the possibility of effective treatment, you must definitely visit an ENT specialist. After interviewing and collecting complaints, the doctor examines the nasal cavity using special mirrors. An examination will reveal lesions in the lining of the nose and the presence of polyps. To clarify the inflammatory processes, you will have to take an x-ray of the paranasal sinuses.

If an allergy is suspected, tests and samples are taken to determine the irritant. The blood is examined for various indicators, and bacterial culture of nasal secretions is performed.

Elimination of causes and therapy

How to treat a child’s persistent runny nose depends on its source and the child’s general well-being. Medication may be needed, or changes in environmental conditions may be sufficient. Very young children are helped to recover by creating favorable conditions and strengthening their immunity with the help of natural immunomodulators.

Inhaling a herbal mixture infused in boiling water through an inhaler for a quarter of an hour will help dilute thick mucus and relieve dry cough. St. John's wort, marigold flowers, and mint will be effective. It is useful to let a little pine essential oil inhale in an aroma lamp or drop it on cotton wool. Oils of aniseed femur and creeping thyme are used successfully. For three-year-olds and older children, you can acupressure the areas of the nasal wings, applying the same oil.

Other methods to combat a runny nose

If a child has persistent rhinitis for a long time, the doctor may prescribe a course of physiotherapeutic sessions, which take place in a medical institution. Or acupressure of the wings of the nose, it can be performed by both an experienced nurse and the baby’s mother.

Massage should be performed twice a day, for 10 minutes, using essential medicinal oils. Use gentle movements, so as not to cause discomfort to the baby, on the main massage points.

• Wings of the nose on both sides
• Point between eyebrows
• Points on the outer edge of the eyes.

Allergic factor

When the body responds to exposure to an allergen with swelling of the nasal lining, clear discharge, constant sneezing without fever and other ailments, it is extremely important to remove the influence of the irritating factor. Wash and dust floors regularly, and avoid carpeting. Tobacco smoke is a harmful irritant. Therapy consists of taking antihistamines and steroid hormones.

Bacterial runny nose

It is extremely important to know how to help your child and cure a persistent bacterial runny nose. The provocateurs of illness in this case are staphylococcal, pneumococcal, streptococcal parasites. Sometimes these are microorganisms such as influenza, enterobacteria, anaerobic gram-negative bacteria. It is easy to determine the bacterial nature of rhinitis by viscous, foul-smelling yellow mucus, elevated body temperature, a red throat, and a cough is often observed. In case of acute damage to the paranasal sinuses, pressing on them causes pain, and it is also painful to bend forward. There are classic signs of general poisoning with bacterial secretions.

Antimicrobial therapy is used, initially local. It acts locally in the nasal area, bypassing the stomach. The active substances enter the blood in a minimal volume, without burdening the liver and excretory system with unnecessary stress. And if the condition worsens, - in the form of injections, solutions or capsules. Medicines that cause capillary narrowing can be used for no longer than a week. Homeopathy acts against microbes and reduces inflammation. Doctors use a nasal lavage procedure, popularly called “cuckoo”. The nasal cavities are irrigated with disinfecting compounds, and purulent exudate is sucked out.

Viral nature of the disease

If the body is attacked by a rhinovirus or adenovirus, ARVI develops. The secretion from the nasal passages comes out colorless, the nose is clogged, there is aching, powerlessness throughout the body, the temperature fluctuates, the eyes are red and watery. Within a week, the body usually copes with the illness. It is useful to strengthen its resistance with immunomodulators, vitamins, and hardening. For complex cases, antiviral drugs are prescribed.

Therapy should be carried out by the treating otolaryngologist. Untimely or incorrectly selected treatment leads to serious health consequences in the form of inflammatory processes in the lungs, maxillary sinuses, bronchi, and ears.

As a rule, the transition of a runny nose to a chronic form is caused by improper use of antibiotics and vasoconstrictors. A runny nose cannot be treated with antibiotics. But they can cause harm to health by making the body immune to this class of drugs when they are really needed. And vasoconstrictors deceptively easily eliminate symptoms, but do not address the cause, cause cardiac complications, and delay healing. After all, they eliminate local protective mucus, disrupting blood circulation in the capillaries. Their use is allowed in rare cases of necessity, strictly under medical supervision.

Acceptable non-traditional recipes

You can add auxiliary support with some traditional medicine recipes to the arsenal of basic therapy. Be sure to share your concerns with your doctor and get their approval before using these tips.

1. Drops of beetroot and carrot juice, Kalanchoe leaves, agave, and chamomile decoction can provide symptomatic relief from a runny nose. Consuming onion juice mixed with sugar strengthens stamina.
2. If you are overcome by a cough, applying mustard plasters moistened with warmed water with the back side to the chest area and back of the baby will help. The baby is wrapped in warm clothes and warms up for up to twenty minutes. After removing them, smear the skin with baby cream and send the baby to sleep in a warm place.
3. You can warm your feet for a couple of hours with mustard plasters, placing them in dry, warm socks. The first time you need to wait up to five minutes, making sure that there is no allergic reaction. Otherwise, you need to stop the procedure immediately. This method cannot be used with babies under one year old. It is also prohibited during hyperthermia. The epidermis should be healthy, without wounds.

Treat all respiratory ailments of your child, strengthen and harden his growing body.

Traditional methods of treating children

Before trying alternative medicine treatments, the mother should consult with her pediatrician.

Safe methods of treating a three-year-old child:

1. Mustard plasters. If you have a cold, apply it to your chest on your back or feet. You can pour mustard into your child’s socks after steaming his feet. Mustard plasters can be used if there is no high temperature.
2. Rubbing your feet with badger fat.
3. If there is no swelling, but there is a runny nose, you can warm your nose with a boiled egg, salt or potatoes in a rag bag.
4. Rub with essential oil. It must be diluted with water and rubbed on the chest and back. Pure ether cannot be applied; you can dilute it with regular baby or herbal ether.
5. Drops from a decoction of eucalyptus leaves are effective against infectious viruses.
6. Rinsing with a solution of table salt. The procedure is carried out carefully; if the child behaves incorrectly, the manipulation should be stopped.
7. Lubricate your nose with oils. If the mucous membrane dries out, you can humidify the air in the room and give plenty of fluids. Olive, Vaseline and peach natural oils work well with a dry nose.