How to rinse the nose of a 2 month old baby with a runny nose

Sea water solutions

Hello, dear hard workers of the farm. business!

Once upon a time on the blog we talked about how to choose Aqualor.

Today there are so many nasal washes in the pharmacy assortment that there is a need to return to this topic.

Let's remember the basic facts about sea water solutions, figure out when it's best to offer what, and take a closer look at individual products from popular brands.

Go!

Causes of a runny nose in a baby

Before rinsing your baby's nose, it is advisable to find out why it is blocked. To do this, it is better to see a pediatrician to accurately determine the diagnosis. Otherwise, treatment will not be effective unless the source of the problem is eliminated.

The appearance of mucus in a child’s nose can be caused by:

  • excessively dry air in the room;
  • allergic reaction;
  • teething;
  • cold.

If the discharge is not significant, then rinsing is not necessary. It is necessary to clear mucus from the nasal cavities only when it causes severe discomfort and interferes with normal nutrition and sleep.

Aqua Maris

Aqua Maris Baby spray (from 3 months) and Aqua Maris drops for children (from birth) – isotonic solution. Care, hydration, prevention of ARVI. The spray has a special children's nozzle with an injection depth limiter so as not to accidentally injure the nasal mucosa.

Aqua Maris classic - isotonic solution: cleansing, moisturizing, prevention of ARVI.

Aqua Maris Norm is an isotonic solution. Due to the different shape of the nozzle, it provides a deeper cleansing of the nasal cavity than the classic one.

Aqua Maris Strong is a hypertonic solution. Relieves swelling, facilitates nasal breathing with nasal congestion.

Aqua Maris extra-strong – hypertonic. Similar to the previous pair, Aqua Maris extra-strong has a different nozzle design compared to the “strong” solution and provides deeper rinsing.

Aqua Maris Plus is an isotonic solution with dexpanthenol . Cleansing, moisturizing + healing. It is especially recommended after surgical interventions, injuries to the nasal mucosa, long-term use of decongestants and local glucocorticosteroids, and dry nose.

Aqua Maris Ectoine – isotonic solution + ectoine . Ectoin is a substance that, by binding to water molecules, forms a protective film on the surface of the mucosa. It prevents allergens from settling on the nasal mucosa and triggering an allergic reaction. The remedy is indicated for allergic rhinitis.

How to properly clean your spout?

Before you begin the manipulations, prepare the preparation that you will use to rinse and the instrument suitable for this procedure. This could be a pipette, a small syringe, or, in extreme cases, a syringe without a needle. An aspirator bulb will not work, as the stream will be wide and powerful. The fluid may get in the wrong place and cause complications. The ideal option is special pipettes that come with some medications.

The procedure itself takes place in a certain sequence. To properly rinse your baby’s nose, follow these recommendations:

  • Using a cotton swab or aspirator, carefully remove mucus from the nose.
  • Apply the medicine while lying on your side. Make sure that the drug does not get into your mouth or ears.
  • Turn the baby on his back, then the solution will not flow out.
  • If your baby coughs, place him on his tummy and lightly slap him on the back.
  • To make excess liquid leave the nasal cavity faster, take the crumbs in your hands in an upright position. Use a handkerchief or napkin to remove any discharge.
  • Soak a cotton swab in Vaseline or other vegetable oil and remove any remaining medication.

If you still have questions about how to properly rinse a small child’s nose, consult your pediatrician. He will also tell you which drug is best to use.

How to clear a baby's nose

Many parents may be wondering how best to rinse their baby’s nose, because doing this is somewhat more difficult than for an older child, who can already be explained that they will need to be patient a little.
To rinse the nose you will need a pipette, a small rubber bulb, rinsing liquid, cotton wool, and Vaseline oil. The procedure for rinsing the nasal passages of an infant is as follows:

  • mucous secretions are removed from the nasal passages (for this you can use a syringe with a volume of up to 50 ml);
  • the child is laid on its side;
  • 5-10 ml of solution for rinsing the nose is taken into the pipette;
  • the solution is injected into one nostril, then the child is turned over on the other side and the rest of the medicine is instilled into the other nasal passage.

Advice. During the procedure, you need to constantly monitor the position of the baby's head. It should be turned on its side and slightly tilted forward. If the solution gets into the child’s throat, turn him on his stomach and lightly tap him on the back. The medicine must be poured into the nasal passages slowly, without pressure, otherwise the solution may enter the ears and cause inflammatory reactions.

The pediatrician knows how to rinse a child's nose
The pediatrician knows how to rinse a child's nose

Basic medications for rinsing the baby's nose

You need to understand that rinsing a newborn’s nasal cavities means instilling a special agent into them. Children's medications include:

Otrivin

Nasal drops or spray. The active ingredient is xylometazoline. Constricts blood vessels, due to which mucus leaves faster and breathing improves. The medicine is used for colds and allergic rhinitis. Otrivin should be instilled into the baby's nose 2 times a day, one drop at a time, in some cases 2 drops into each nasal passage.

The course of treatment is several days, but not longer than a week. This drug can be used from the first days of the baby’s life; there are no contraindications to this. Prolonged and improper use can cause side effects in the form of increased symptoms of the disease. In some cases, tachycardia and other disorders of the cardiovascular system are possible.

Aquamaris

Sold in the form of drops and spray. To produce the medicine, purified water from the Adriatic Sea is used, which contains many trace elements necessary for the normal functioning of the mucous membrane. For example, such as magnesium, selenium, sodium chloride, iodine. Thanks to this composition, Aqua Maris helps quickly clear the nose of mucus, relieves swelling, and fights harmful bacteria.

In case of excessive dryness of the nasal mucosa, it restores the moisture balance. It is used during infectious colds, allergic reactions, and increased dryness. The medication can be used in infants, 2 drops in each nostril several times a day. Side effects are extremely rare in the form of allergies. Contraindications relate to the child’s high sensitivity to the components of the medicine.

Prevention measures

To achieve the maximum effect from nasal rinsing, you should follow some simple rules:

  • the solution for rinsing into the nasal cavity should flow by gravity, when using a syringe or syringe - under minimal pressure;
  • the baby's head should be tilted forward and 45° to the side;
  • The optimal temperature of the cleaning solution is 35-37 °C.

To prevent the recurrence of nasal congestion, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

  • regularly ventilate the room;
  • systematically humidify the air, especially in winter;
  • promptly treat ENT pathologies;
  • if you have allergies, use antihistamines;
  • take regular walks in the fresh air;
  • the child’s clothes need to be selected according to the weather, make sure that he does not overheat;
  • Make sure your baby drinks enough water every day;
  • in the autumn-winter period, irrigate the nasal mucosa with saline several times a day.

Nasal rinsing is an important preventive and therapeutic procedure. She is very popular all over the world. Pediatricians recommend rinsing the nasal passages for sinusitis, sinusitis, sinusitis, and simply for preventive purposes. When carrying out such manipulation, the immune system is strengthened, memory and sleep improve.

Contraindications

There are certain contraindications to the procedure of rinsing a baby's nose. You need to know about them before starting treatment:

  • Otitis (inflammation of the middle ear).
  • Pathological curvature of the septum in the nose.
  • Damage to the eardrum.
  • Polyps and tumors in the nasal cavity.
  • High probability of bleeding due to weak blood vessels.

If these points exist, it is better to trust a specialist and resolve the issue in an alternative way so that serious complications do not develop.

Folk remedies for runny nose in newborns

Many people are interested in the question: how to rinse a baby’s nose with a runny nose at home? There are a huge number of recipes for folk remedies.

Here are some of them.

  1. A decoction of medicinal herbs. Take sage, calendula, and chamomile in equal parts. For a glass of water, no more than a teaspoon of the mixture. Boil and simmer for 3 minutes over low heat. Place 2 warm drops into each nostril several times a day. These herbs will help get rid of sniffles and infections, relieve excessive dryness and irritation. Continue treatment until the runny nose disappears. The decoction is contraindicated only in case of individual intolerance.
  2. Homemade saline solution. It can be prepared from sea or table salt. The solution will help eliminate the infection and get rid of mucus. Take 1 teaspoon of salt per liter of boiled water. Cool the water to room temperature before rinsing. Drip 3-4 times a day, 2 drops into each nostril. Use until complete recovery. There are no contraindications or age restrictions. It is not advisable to add soda and iodine for newborns, so as not to damage the mucous membrane.

Information on how to rinse a newborn's nose and with what will help you solve the problem if it arises. It is difficult to overestimate the benefits of this procedure; it shortens the recovery period significantly if it is carried out on time and correctly.

Source

What is the phenomenon of the healing power of the sea?

The healing properties of sea water have been known since time immemorial. Since the end of the 19th century, treatment by the sea has been called thalassotherapy. The nasopharyngeal mucosa is washed with sea water for the prevention and treatment of acute respiratory viral infections, sinusitis, adenoids and sore throats.

In thalassotherapy, sea water is considered as a means of healing, a storehouse of chemical elements that provide a healing effect. It kills bacteria, reduces inflammation, improves blood circulation and metabolism, and accelerates tissue healing. Swimming, baths and inhalations with sea water are prescribed for:

  • problems of the musculoskeletal system;
  • increased fatigue;
  • nervousness;
  • diseases of the respiratory system;
  • frequent colds.

The healing properties of sea water are associated with the unique composition of sea salt. Sea salt contains:

  • Sodium and potassium. They relieve swelling.
  • Magnesium. Reduces swelling and allergic reactions.
  • Calcium. Strengthens connective tissues and immunity, reduces inflammation, regulates blood clotting.
  • Sulfur. Affects immunity, blood clotting and wound healing.
  • Zinc. Regulates metabolism, heals wounds. With a lack of zinc, allergies and acute respiratory viral infections become more frequent.

The microelements bromine, iodine, silver, iron, copper, boron, nitrogen and phosphorus salts, radium and radon are also present in lower concentrations in the sea.

Washing technique: step-by-step instructions

To rinse the nose, children under one year of age are given pharmaceutical preparations in the form of sprays, saline solutions or decoctions of medicinal herbs (sage, chamomile, eucalyptus).

The use of such medications is safe for infants, since at this age the organs of the nasopharynx are well developed.

The main thing is to take into account the dosage of the medicine and follow the doctor’s instructions.

How to rinse a baby's nose:

  1. Before instillation, clean the baby’s nose from crusts and mucus collected in it.
  2. To do this, you can use a small rubber bulb, with which all unwanted accumulations are sucked out. Read how to choose the right aspirator for your baby here.
  3. Place the baby on the bed and use a blower to clean the nose.
  4. This procedure should be done quickly, as the baby will not like these manipulations, he will turn away and be capricious.
  5. You may not be able to do this without outside help. If there is no one nearby, you will have to hold it with one hand, in a horizontal position, and bury it with the other hand.
  6. After cleaning the nasopharynx, proceed to rinsing.


When the aspirator draws in the accumulated mucus, you will hear a characteristic stretching sound.
How to rinse a newborn’s nose with saline, and how much to drip the medicine in?

The dosage of the solution should be small, otherwise the baby may choke (1 ml in one nostril).

You can bury your baby's nose using a pipette . To do this, take the required amount of medicine into a pipette and drop the solution into both nostrils. After instillation, suck out the mucus again using a pear, and remove the remaining residue with cotton swabs or cotton swabs.

Flagella can be made from cotton wool; they should be no more than 3 cm in length, and their width should not exceed 5 mm . Using a twisting motion, you should insert a tourniquet or cotton swab 2 cm into one nostril, and then into the other.

If your baby has a runny nose and you don’t know what to wash it with, it’s better to call your pediatrician and make an appointment, otherwise the illness may develop into a more acute illness. Don't self-medicate!

What's the benefit?

The natural mineral composition eliminates side effects and is optimal for anti-inflammatory therapy. Sea water for rinsing the nose has a complex effect on the mucous membrane, improving its functions. Among the most significant influences are the following:

  • Natural antiseptic: it is destructive to pathogenic flora.
  • Improves blood supply to mucous membranes as a result of slight local irritation.
  • Reduces and eliminates inflammatory processes thanks to its unique mineral composition.
  • Restores the natural functions of the nasal mucosa.
  • Increases local immunity, which means improves resistance to respiratory diseases.

How to rinse a newborn's nose

Pediatricians prescribe a nasal rinsing procedure for children using sea water, which can be purchased at a pharmacy or done at home. To do this, you need to dissolve 2 tsp in 200 ml of boiled water. sea ​​salt and let it sit for about an hour.

Sea salt medicine disinfects, relieves inflammation and does not irritate the nasopharyngeal mucosa.

Experts recommend making decoctions of medicinal herbs for some parents. For example, you can use sage, calendula, St. John's wort, eucalyptus or chamomile.

To do this you need to take 2 tsp. any herb and add water (300 ml), boil for 5 minutes and let it brew for about an hour. Strain the finished broth through a sieve or cheesecloth. The herbal decoction does not contain harmful components, so it can be used to wash the baby’s nasopharynx starting from 6 months.


Aqualor baby, Humer and Aquamaris

Most parents wonder whether it is possible to rinse a baby’s nose with saline? Doctors are convinced that rinsing the nasopharynx with saline is an effective, safe and affordable method.

What medications are there for runny noses for children under one year old, and what is the difference between them?

A popular remedy for the common cold is Aquamaris; it is harmless and can quickly get your baby back on his feet. How to rinse a newborn’s nose with Aquamaris is written in the instructions; the dosage depends on the age of your newborn.

How do seawater solutions differ from each other?

I looked at several brands: Aqualor, Aqua Maris, Quicks, Marimer, Rinostop Aqua, LinAqua.

And here are my conclusions:

First. All of them are approximately the same in composition. Most manufacturers draw healing water from the Atlantic Ocean. And a strange thing: basically, everyone is from the same Bay of Saint-Malo in northern France. I wonder how they negotiate with each other there?

True, for some reason I didn’t find such a bay. But there is the city of Saint-Malo. Apparently, where there is a city, there is a bay.

And only the manufacturer Aqua Maris extracts water from the Adriatic Sea in Croatia. So this is truly sea water, while its competitors have ocean water.

Then, using special technologies so as not to remove what is necessary and useful, this water is filtered, diluted with fresh water and... voila - the solution is ready.

Now it needs to be poured into bottles. And the bottles should be such as to prevent impurities and microbes from the air from getting inside. And so that the water does not come into contact with the walls of the cylinder. Then you won't have to add preservatives to it.

All the solutions that I reviewed are in bottles that ensure the solution is sterile and do not contain dyes or other harmful additives.

All that remains is to equip the bottle with a device for spraying water, attach a nozzle and put it on sale.

There are different nozzles: round (reduces the risk of damage to the mucous membrane), long, with a restrictive ring (for children), shorter (for regular rinsing), longer (for deep rinsing).

Second. Lines of different brands differ from each other in the number of positions.

Aqualor came in first place . Creative producer. He comes up with something new all the time.

In second place is Aqua Maris.

Next come Rinostop Aqua , LinAqua , Marimer , Quix .

Third. The products of the two brands I analyzed, according to the government. register of drugs, registered as medicinal products.

These are Aqua Maris and Marimer .

Fourth. The Quix hypertonic solution (Classic and Eucalyptus) differs from its competitors in its increased salt concentration - 2.6%, while in other hypertonic solutions it is at the level of 2.1-2.3%. With severe swelling (severe nasal congestion), this may be good, but with minor swelling, not so much, because will dry out the mucous membrane.

Let me remind you of the basic facts about seawater solutions.

What not to do when rinsing a baby’s nose

The procedure for rinsing the nose of children under one year old helps to effectively cleanse the nasopharynx of mucus and harmful microbes. However, this method of treatment is not suitable for all children. In what cases should infants not rinse their nose:

  1. Before going for a walk, under no circumstances should this procedure be carried out, especially in frosty weather.
  2. If not all the liquid comes out of the nasopharynx, there is a risk of hypothermia, so it is better to rinse the newborn’s nose 2 hours before a walk.
  3. You cannot do the procedure before bedtime . After rinsing, liquid may come out of the nose for another half hour, and the baby may suffocate in his sleep.
  4. If your child is allergic to some components of the medication, carefully study the composition of the solution before the procedure.
  5. If there is a deviated nasal septum or tumor formations in the nasopharynx, the medicine will not come out.
  6. If there is swelling in the nasal cavity, fluid will not be able to pass through the nasal cavity.
  7. In case of otitis media and other ear diseases, you should not rinse the nasopharynx, since fluid entering the eardrum will lead to an exacerbation of the disease.
  8. To avoid blockage of the upper respiratory tract, the procedure is contraindicated for children who are prone to nosebleeds.

Read our next article about how else to care for a newborn in the first month of life.

LinaAqua

LinAqua Baby Unidose is an isotonic solution in disposable tube droppers. Convenient to bury, convenient to take with you.

Unidose

LinAqua Baby – isotonic solution, soft shower. Cleansing, moisturizing, nasal drip.

LinAqua Soft - isotonic solution, shower. For sensitive and injured mucous membranes.

LinAqua Norm – isotonic solution, jet. Rinsing, moisturizing, reduces nasal runny.

LinAqua Forte – hypertonic solution, spray . For nasal congestion. Suitable for sensitive and irritated mucous membranes.

LinAqua Forte – hypertonic solution, jet . It differs from the previous one in the nozzle. More intense impact. Recommended for nasal congestion.

Reviews from parents

Marina, 27 years old, Moscow

For a long time I suffered from a stuffy nose in my baby. After some time, we developed our own method for rinsing a baby’s nose with saline solution.

We laid the little one on its side and poured 1 ml of liquid into each nostril.

We closed one nostril with our finger, and poured medicine from a syringe, then sucked out the snot with a bulb.

Elena, 23 years old, St. Petersburg

Saline solution is not suitable for us, we made a saline solution according to the prescription prescribed by our pediatrician: for 1 glass of boiled water - 1 tsp. salt.

The liquid was poured in using a pipette; the amount of saline solution was 1 pipette per nostril. After the solution was poured in, the baby was turned over on his tummy. His snot immediately flowed out, and there was no need to suck it out.

Svetlana, 38 years old, Tula

We didn’t know how to rinse the nose of an infant, so we went to see a doctor, and the pediatrician advised us to buy Aquamaris at the pharmacy.

The same salt water, which needs to be instilled 2 drops into each nostril 3-4 times a day.

They sucked out the snot with a rubber bulb. Before this we tried a herbal decoction of calendula, but my son developed an allergy.

Quicks

Quix Aloe – isotonic solution of sea water + aloe (healing, anti-inflammatory effect). Children from 6 months.

Kwix Classic is a hypertonic solution. Salt concentration – 2.6% (higher than competitors). Relieves swelling, reduces nasal congestion. It is recommended for children from 3 months, although the attachment is inconvenient for such babies.

Quicks Eucalyptus – the same as classic + eucalyptus oil (antiseptic, anti-inflammatory effect). It is especially good for bacterial rhinitis (yellow-green snot), sinusitis accompanied by congestion. Children – from 6 years old.

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