What to do when a child has a stuffy nose without a runny nose

Difficulty in nasal breathing usually indicates the presence of a pathological process in the body. It is not always accompanied by mucus secretion, but this is not a sign of a mild pathology. Quite the contrary - problems associated with nasal congestion and occurring without liquid discharge or thick accumulations of secretion in the sinuses can turn out to be much more serious than a common runny nose. Therefore, if a child’s nose cannot breathe and there is no snot, it is necessary to find out the cause of this condition.

It would be wiser not to look for it yourself, but to turn to qualified specialists.

However, it is necessary to become familiar with the factors that provoke this condition. This will allow you not to miss the onset of serious diseases that can lead to complications that negatively affect the baby’s health.

Causes of dry nasal congestion in children

At different ages, a child’s nose may become blocked for various reasons. Thus, in newborn children, the nasal passages themselves are very narrow and do not allow the amount of air that the baby needs to pass through. Because of this, the child often breathes through his mouth in his sleep, which frightens parents and makes them think that the baby has a stuffy nose.

An open mouth during sleep in an infant is a manifestation of a physiological runny nose (this is not a disease and no treatment is required).

At almost any age, nasal congestion without a runny nose can develop in a child due to drying out of the mucus in the nose. Moreover, sometimes an excess of dry mucus can clog the airways, and sometimes, due to drying, the mucous membrane cracks and becomes inflamed and swollen in places of damage. In both situations there is no runny nose, but the child’s nose is stuffy.

Drying nasal mucus is the most common cause of nasal congestion in children 2 years of age and older.

Other possible causes of difficulty breathing through the nose:

1. Nose injury;
2. Deviation of the nasal septum;
3. Congenital anomalies of the nasal passages;
4. Foreign bodies entering the nose;
5. Polyps;
6. Inflammatory diseases of the oropharynx;
7. “Posterior” rhinitis;
8. Drug-induced rhinitis;
9. Side effects of drugs.

The main problem in identifying the cause of nasal congestion in babies is the similarity of the clinical picture in most cases: the child simply breathes through his mouth, speaks with difficulty, sleeps poorly, and even the doctor may often not understand whether the baby has something stuck in his nose or mucous membrane. swollen due to adenoids.

Adenoids are a pathological enlargement of the pharyngeal tonsil. They lead to difficulty breathing through the nose, as well as hearing impairment and other health problems.

The situation is complicated by the fact that sometimes there may be several causes of dry nasal congestion in a child, and for successful treatment it is necessary to identify and eliminate them all.

For parents, the only recommendation we can give here is: the best thing to do if your baby has a stuffy nose is to show him to a doctor. In this case, the specialist needs to be told as much as possible. For example:

1. Where the child walked, what new things he ate (he may develop allergies with swelling of the nasal mucosa);
2. With whom he communicated (he can pick up a virus, which in conditions of overheated indoor air will lead to dry nasal congestion);
3. What illnesses have you suffered (often after a runny nose, a child’s nose is blocked for several days due to drying of the mucous membrane by vasoconstrictor drops);
4. What medications did you take (there may be side effects from taking medications);
5. How long have the symptoms been observed (if these are polyps, then problems with congestion have arisen before);

   
   Polyps are pathological growths of the nasal mucosa and paranasal sinuses. Polyps are usually removed surgically.

6. Do either of your parents have problems with the nose (many people have congenital anomalies of the upper respiratory tract, which they inherit from their ancestors)…

...and other nuances. The more such details the doctor hears, the more confident he will make the diagnosis.

And now in more detail about each case.

What is the danger

1. Regardless of whether the child is a year old or older, the absence of snot with nasal congestion is fraught with atrophy of the mucous membrane of the nasal passages. This phenomenon occurs when no one pays attention to the problem for a long time, or parents self-medicate. Such actions can also lead to the development of secondary diseases of the nasopharynx, leading to irreversible changes in the tissues of the respiratory system.
2. Babies with a stuffy nose tend to have very poor sleep. Due to lack of sleep, neuroses develop, children become nervous and restless.
3. If nasal congestion is the result of untreated posterior rhinitis, the consequence may be hearing loss or loss of smell.
4. If you have dry nasal congestion, blood circulation in the brain may be impaired. If there is no nasal breathing for a long period of time, severe deviations in the functioning of the blood vessels in the brain may occur.

Physiological runny nose in a child

We talked in detail about this condition of newborns in a separate article.

For now, we only note that in the first weeks of life, with a high probability, nasal congestion in a child, especially incomplete, is caused precisely by the adaptation of the nose to new conditions. All that parents should do in this situation is to create conditions under which the mucus in the baby’s nasal passages will definitely not dry out. If the mucous membrane is sufficiently moistened, the physiological runny nose will go away without consequences by the end of the first or second month of life. If the mucous membrane dries out, the condition will drag on and may become more complicated.

Children's humidifier in action. With its help you can achieve optimal humidity in the room at any temperature.

Important!

With a physiological runny nose, in the vast majority of cases, the child’s nasal breathing is not blocked, but only slightly complicated. If the baby’s nose is so blocked that the child cannot breathe through it at all, then a consultation with a pediatrician is needed.

What causes swelling of the nasopharynx in children

Swelling of mucous tissues is a developed response of the body to an infection that has gotten inside. Together with the mucus that the nasal mucosa forms, harmful bodies are transported out without breaking the protective barrier. At the slightest disruption, the pathogen enters the respiratory tract. The inflammatory process begins, blood flows intensively to the tissues, and they swell.

• allergic syndrome;
• infectious diseases;
• penetration of chemicals into the nasal passages;
• mechanical damage;
• deviated septum;
• adenoid vegetations – enlargement of the nasopharyngeal tonsil;
• polyp growths.

It is not easy to find the cause that causes swelling of the nasopharynx: the younger the patient, the more difficult it is to recognize what the reaction is to. Natural protection against any pathogens is developed in the human body through direct contact with them, and in children under 1-3 months of age, the automicroflora is not organized at all. It is worth noting that newborns normally experience physiological swelling of the nose.

Nose injury

Mechanical injuries are a very common cause of nasal congestion in children. Before the age of 4-5 years, children often fall, hit swings or furniture, and stick various objects into their noses. All this can cause injury to the mucous membrane. At an older age, injury can occur due to a fight.

Nasal congestion can be the result of an injury received, for example, during a fight (this is especially dangerous due to a possible deviated nasal septum).

Such injuries are most characterized by swelling of the mucous membrane without excessive secretion of snot.

By what signs can this cause be determined?

1. Nosebleeds;
2. Visible bruising and swelling of the face;
3. Presence of crusts in the nose.

Associated dangers with such congestion:

1. Risk of deviated nasal septum after injury;
2. An object with which the mucous membrane was injured may get stuck in the nose.

What should parents do?

1. Apply cold to the nose;
2. If the damage to the mucous membrane is shallow, lubricate it with a wound-healing balm like Rescuer (if there are no contraindications indicated in the instructions);
3. Keep the child in an upright position (if he is laid down, the blood will rush to the head and the bleeding will only intensify);
4. If the bleeding lasts longer than 5-6 minutes, or the nasal septum at the site of injury is easily moved with your fingers, take the child to the hospital.

The nasal congestion itself will go away without special treatment immediately after the damaged tissue is restored.

Rescuer wound-healing balm is sometimes applied to the nose when bleeding.

Review

“Once we also had problems with our nose. I didn’t look after Misha while walking, and the swing hit him in the face. The bruise was terrible, everything that could swell was swollen, his eyes practically closed. The nose was stuffy and couldn't breathe. The blood flowed for a long time, but by the time I ran home with him, it had already stopped. I urgently called a pediatrician, she touched it, looked, and said that there was no fracture. They kept the ice and that was it. The nasal congestion was there for about three weeks, although the swelling on the face went away within a week, and after two there were no more bruises. I was still afraid that my nose had been broken. But then everything went away. Now Misha is already 5, even a hump has begun to appear, everything is fine...”

Larisa, Omsk

If the nose or other parts of the face are injured, the child must be shown to a doctor so that he can determine whether the nasal septum has been damaged.

Deviated nasal septum and congenital anomalies of the nasal passages

This situation is rarely observed in children. This is possible in three cases:

1. Congenital anomalies of the development of nasal cartilage - appear already in infants, and the child suffers from nasal congestion throughout his life. As a rule, such anomalies are noticed by the pediatrician during the first examinations of the baby;
2. Disproportional growth of the bones of the skull and nasal septum. It usually appears in adolescence when the cartilage hardens. It is extremely rare in preschoolers and usually does not cause nasal congestion due to the low rate of such curvature and the adaptation of the mucous membrane itself to it;
3. Injury. It can happen at any age, but the younger the child, the lower the likelihood - the cartilage in young children is soft and easily restored, and situations in which a child can receive such a serious injury are quite rare at a young age.

Associated hazards:

1. Hearing impairment, and, as a consequence, hearing loss; at a younger age - problems with speech, socialization, mental retardation;
2. Constant discomfort, sleep disturbance.

Deviated nasal septum, view through an endoscope. Various abnormalities in the structure of the upper respiratory tract often lead to a cascade of other health problems.

Parents are advised to show their child to a doctor. A deviated nasal septum is corrected by surgery. Very rarely, some anomalies in the development of the nasal passages cannot be corrected, but the doctor will prescribe therapy that will help avoid complications.

At home, treatment of nasal congestion associated with a deviated nasal septum is impossible.

Foreign bodies in the nose

In most cases, if there are foreign bodies in the nose, a typical runny nose develops with an abundance of pus, sometimes foul-smelling. Congestion without a runny nose can develop here for several reasons:

1. A foreign body completely blocked one nostril;
2. Or the child breathes too dry and warm air. Consequently, there is swelling of the mucous membrane, but the snot dries out and does not flow out;
3. Or a foreign object is stuck very deep in the nose, mucus forms, but flows into the throat.

A bead in the nose covered with epithelial tissue. A small foreign body usually causes snot to come out, while a large foreign body prevents mucus from leaving the nose at all.

By what signs can you recognize a problem in time?

The presence of a foreign body in the nose can only be detected by examining it. If nothing is visible, then there are no clear signs that there is something in the child’s nose. In such cases, doctors themselves often cannot find out the cause of the pathology and prescribe treatment that does not produce results.

Case study:

The girl is 4 years old, she has a constant runny nose and foul-smelling nasal discharge. For two years, the doctor at the clinic has been prescribing medications and nasal rinses. And only later, when examined with an electronic endoscope, a stuck seed is discovered in the nose, which caused constant inflammation of the mucous membrane:

The dangers of such congestion:

1. Otitis, hearing impairment, as a result - inhibition of speech development, mental retardation;
2. Chronic breathing disorders.

Parents are advised to immediately take their child to a doctor who can perform a nasal endoscopy. In any case, if a child has a stuffy nose, but there is no runny nose and treatment does not give results within 2-3 weeks, you can suspect that solid objects have gotten into the nose.

Review

“My friends had a terrible story. The child was playing with a felt-tip pen, stuck it in his nose, and the cap remained there. And deeply. At first no one noticed anything, and a day later the child’s nose was blocked, but without a runny nose. The child is 3 years old, it seems like he’s already an adult, but this is how it turned out. So, for a month his mother dripped everything into his nose, from aloe to antibiotics, and there was no effect. Only a month later I decided that it was time to go to the doctor, when something incomprehensible was flowing continuously. When the doctor pulled out this cap, she lost consciousness there. Just like that. So don’t count on drops especially...”

Olga, Odessa

Demonstration of foreign body removal from the nasal passages on a mannequin. A similar procedure in children can only be performed by a doctor and only with the help of a special instrument.

How to relieve swelling?

It is important to relieve swelling in a short time. This problem needs to be approached comprehensively

Treatment must be prescribed by a specialist. The choice of means for these purposes is huge. All of them are aimed at eliminating the causes and clinical manifestations of the disease. An individual approach to each child is of great importance.

Medication method

What pharmaceutical drugs can relieve swelling of the nasal mucosa in a child? If swelling of the baby's nose and nasopharynx is caused by an infectious agent, it is preferable to use vasoconstrictor and anti-inflammatory drops. Their selection depends on the age of the child and the individual characteristics of the body:

• Rinofluimucil. Not prescribed for children under 3 years of age. From three to 10 – 1 press into each nostril (no more than 4 times per day). The course of treatment is 7 days.
• Vibrocil. Suitable for swelling caused by viruses. Contraindicated for babies under 12 months. From 1 to 6 years – 1-2 drops. up to 4 r/day.
• Sanorin. Apply when the child reaches the age of two, 1-2 drops of a 0.05% solution 2-3 times a day.
• Sanorin-Xylo. Children under 6 years old – 1-2 drops. 0.05% concentration three times a day.
• Nazivin. Helps relieve severe swelling and neutralize an allergic reaction. From birth to 1 month – 1 drop of 0.01% 2-3 r/day. From 5 weeks of life to one year - 0.01% 1-2 drops. 2-3 r/day. 1-6 years – 0.025% solution, 1-2 drops. 2-3 r/day.

For swelling of an allergic nature, it is advisable to use antihistamines (for oral administration):

• Fenistil. Divide into three doses: from 1 month to 12 – 10-30 drops, from 1 year to 3 – 30-45 drops, 3-12 years – 45-60 drops.
• Zyrtec. Drops are recommended from 6 months. 6–12 months - 1 time per day, 5 drops, 1-6 years - 5 drops. two times a day, from 6 years – 20 caps. once a day.

Swelling of the mucous membrane in a child can be relieved by inhalation. Unlike drops, the medicine does not flow down the throat, but is securely fixed to the mucous membrane. Such procedures are performed using a regular pan or nebulizer. The drugs used are saline solution, eucalyptus, Miramistin or another agent. For the procedure to be effective, you need to breathe deeply and smoothly. Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth.

ethnoscience

Swelling of the nasal mucosa in a child can be relieved not only by traditional medicine, but also by folk remedies. They are resorted to in cases of refusal of medication. It is better to use them under the supervision of a pediatrician.

The following recipes exist:

1. Inhalations with a composition of finely grated onion, garlic, horseradish root. Relieves swelling during infections. The mixture is placed in a jar and a paper funnel is inserted into it. The baby needs to inhale the vapors. For dry inhalations, dried lily of the valley is used. It is ground to a powder and stored in a jar.
2. Wash with infusion of chamomile flowers. A decoction is prepared from dried inflorescences. Take a tablespoon of the plant and pour boiled water at room temperature. Place in a water bath, simmer for 15-20 minutes, strain. The procedure is performed 4-6 times a day.
3. Drops based on aloe juice. Take a fresh sheet (at least 3 years old), wrap it in parchment paper and put it in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Then the leaves are squeezed out and mixed with water 1:4. Instill 1-2 drops.

How to restore the nasal mucosa after treatment?

The use of vasoconstrictor drugs leads to atrophy of the nasal mucosa, a feeling of dryness, nosebleeds, and addiction to the drug. All these conditions require separate treatment.

Tissue restoration consists of:

• the use of healing agents,
• corticosteroid therapy,
• carrying out physiotherapeutic procedures,
• moisturizing the mucous membrane,
• use of immunostimulating agents.

Healing preparations include: Lanolin and Naftalan ointments, Solcoseryl, Vaseline. Tampons are soaked in the medicine and placed alternately in each nostril. Sea buckthorn, olive and peach oils help soften the mucous membrane.

Polyps

The presence of polyps is a fairly common cause of nasal congestion without snot discharge in children over 5 years of age. If detected early, treatment can be carried out with medications, and in a later stage - only with surgery.

The main sign of this pathology is the lack of response to the use of vasoconstrictor drops. Moreover, if with medicinal rhinitis the congestion goes away at least for a few minutes, then with polyps this does not happen at all. Other signs of polyps:

1. Sneezing;
2. Headache in a child.

Surgically removed polyp. If you suspect nasal polyps, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. The sooner they are removed, the less trouble the patient will have.

The dangers of this pathology:

1. Loss of smell;
2. Chronic rhinitis, including allergic;
3. Asthma.

The sooner the child gets to a good doctor, the greater the likelihood that it will be possible to do without surgery.

Inflammatory diseases of the oropharynx

Sore throat, laryngitis, pharyngitis very often cause swelling of the nasal mucosa without the appearance of a runny nose. However, in the case of these diseases, nasal congestion is the last thing parents pay attention to (which, in principle, is correct). Swelling of the mucous membrane in this situation develops due to blood flow to the oropharynx area and is not a pathology, although it complicates the child’s condition.

These diseases can be suspected by the presence of a sore throat and fever.

Congestion will go away when the inflammatory disease is cured.

With such inflammation of the tonsils, the patient is likely to develop a runny nose.

What should parents do?

Treat the illness that caused nasal congestion, if necessary, with a doctor. In this case, the use of vasoconstrictor drops in the nose is often indicated, since it is difficult for the child to breathe even through the mouth.

Important!

You can use vasoconstrictor drops for no longer than 5 days in a row. Violation of this rule may result in the development of medicinal rhinitis.

Physiotherapeutic procedures for rhinitis, swelling of the mucous membrane.

Ultraviolet irradiation

It is carried out with the development of a chronic form of runny nose, with prolonged nasal congestion. During the procedure, special emitter devices are used. Treatment is carried out for 2-3 days, preferably in the morning. The duration of the procedure is 1-2 minutes.

UHF therapy

The therapy is carried out using special devices that affect the body with a high-frequency electromagnetic field with different frequencies, depending on the age of the patient. In simple terms, we can call it heat treatment.

Laser therapy

This procedure can be performed in a hospital setting or even at home. Laser therapy is a kind of treatment with light radiation of a narrow range. The rays can destroy formations, help speed up processes in organs and tissues, and have a healing effect. 4-6 procedures are carried out in the morning. Several procedures per day are possible.

Blue lamp

Used to warm the sinuses.
5-7 procedures are carried out. Perhaps after a severe runny nose, the swelling of the mucous membrane has not subsided; in this case, additional consultation with an ENT doctor and the prescription of the necessary medications are necessary.

Posterior rhinitis

Posterior rhinitis is an inflammation of the deep areas of the nasal mucosa, in which a typical runny nose develops, but snot flows into the throat. Outwardly, it looks like nasal congestion without snot, but with some additional symptoms.

By what signs can this pathology be determined:

1. Cough - those same snot in the throat cause a reflex urge to remove it;
2. If rhinitis is caused by infection - high fever and malaise of the child;
3. If there is a foreign body in the nose, there is the presence of pus in the coughed up mucus.

An RNA measles virus that causes a serious infectious disease. It is accompanied by high body temperature, rhinitis and other symptoms.

Dangers:

1. If rhinitis is caused by an infection, then with a high probability, when infected snot drains into the throat, inflammation will develop in the pharynx and larynx, and can spread to the bronchi with the development of bronchitis;
2. If there is a foreign body in the nose, there are consequences that we have already considered for this situation.

It is important for parents to show their baby to the doctor in a timely manner. Without a reliable determination of the cause of rhinitis, its effective treatment is impossible; both antibiotics and surgical intervention may be needed. Or maybe you won’t need anything, and the illness will go away on its own in a few days.

Examination of a child's nose using a special device.

How to relieve swelling of the mucous membrane?

Swelling in a child can be eliminated using both medication and alternative methods.

However, no matter what treatment method is chosen by parents, it must be used very carefully. To relieve nasal swelling in a child, it is better to consult a specialist who will determine the cause and prescribe the correct treatment.

Drug treatment

The main means for relieving swelling are vasoconstrictor nasal drops and sprays. For children prescribed:

• Vibrocil;
• Nazol Baby;
• Naphthyzin 0.05%;
• Sanorin;
• Tizin;
• Adrianol.

Vasoconstrictor drugs should not be used for more than 5-7 days. Before using these products, you must read the instructions to make sure that there are no contraindications for the child, to know at what age they can be used, and to prevent possible side effects.

When a bacterial infection occurs, drops of Polydex or Isofra are chosen, which have not only a vasoconstrictor, but also an antibacterial effect. For allergic edema, treatment consists of the use of antiallergic drugs. For local use the following is prescribed:

• Allergodil;
• Levocabastine;
• Cromohexal.

Severe swelling of the nose, which does not help with regular drops, is relieved with hormonal agents:

• Flixonase;
• Avamis;
• Nasonex.

For any swelling, even not of allergic origin, you should take antihistamines orally:

• Fenistil;
• Fenkarol;
• Zyrtec;
• Suprastin.

If swelling of the nasal mucosa is caused by injury, it is necessary to visit a traumatologist and ENT specialist to make sure that there is no fracture or curvature of the septum, as well as internal bleeding. In this case, use vasoconstrictor drops and apply ice to the nose.

To relieve nasal swelling in a child, alkaline and oil inhalations are used if there are no contraindications to them. You can also relieve swelling in the child’s nose by rinsing with saline solutions:

• Aqua Maris;
• Aqualor;
• Dolphin.

Grade 2-3 adenoids and polyps in the nasopharynx, which cause severe swelling, are not treated with conservative methods. In this case, an operation is prescribed, after which the mucous membrane quickly returns to its normal state.

Depending on the reasons that cause swelling of the nasopharynx, treatment may be accompanied by:

• immunomodulatory drugs (IRS-19, Imudon);
• antibiotics (Amoxill, Cefotaxime);
• antiviral agents (Grippostad, Proteflazid, Derinat, Interferon).

Alternative medicine

Parents often have questions about how to relieve nasal swelling using folk remedies. Homemade recipes help cure a swollen nose, but they are not used for allergic inflammation.

The following folk remedies will help relieve swelling in a child’s nose:

Prepare a solution that relieves swelling: add 2 drops of iodine and ¼ tsp to a glass of boiled water. salt

Rinse the nose carefully so that the child does not swallow the solution. Squeeze the juice from aloe leaves and instill two drops into each nasal passage of the child. For the first time, it is advisable to mix it with water in equal proportions to check the reaction. Mix a spoonful of chopped onion and honey with a glass of water and let it brew

Strain and instill 3 drops 3 times a day. Juice from fresh beets has a bactericidal effect. Instill 2-3 drops three times a day. Insert cotton swabs soaked in the following product into your nose: mix equal parts lemon juice and boiled water, add a pinch of salt. It is enough to insert for 2 minutes twice a day.

Taking pine baths has a beneficial effect on the nasal membrane and immunity. For them, you can use solutions and briquettes purchased at the pharmacy, or prepare a pine decoction yourself. To prepare, take a kilogram of pine needles and cones and boil for 20 minutes in 3 liters of water. Leave for 12 hours, then pour into a bottle. Can be stored for a month. For one bath for a child, 1 glass of solution is enough, you can add a handful of sea salt.

Only he will explain how to relieve swelling of the nasal mucosa in a child using safe methods. Self-medication can worsen the child’s condition and provoke the development of more serious pathologies.

Drug-induced rhinitis

With this pathology, a stuffy nose in the absence of a runny nose is the most characteristic symptom. As in the case of drying out mucus in the nose, drug-induced rhinitis is a consequence of parental violation of treatment rules, in particular the use of vasoconstrictors. This is an indicative situation when parents want to help the child, but only make things worse.

The cause of drug-induced rhinitis is atrophy of the nasal mucosa with constant exposure to vasoconstrictors. As addiction to the medicine develops, instilling such drops first ceases to have an effect, and then itself leads to difficulty in nasal breathing. At the same time, the drying effect of decongents is preserved, and snot does not flow.

The only significant sign of medicinal rhinitis is the constant instillation of vasoconstrictor drops into the child.

Nazol Baby - nasal vasoconstrictor drops for children. Such drugs do not cure the disease, but only temporarily relieve swelling of the mucous membrane. With prolonged use, they also cause complications.

Dangers of rhinitis medicamentosa:

1. Transition to chronic atrophic rhinitis;
2. Irreversible changes in the nasal mucosa;
3. Permanent loss of smell.

If a child develops medicinal rhinitis, parents should stop giving their baby vasoconstrictor drops. It won’t be worse anyway - the mucous membrane is already swollen, the nose is stuffy due to the drops. But within a few days (up to a week), the functioning of the mucous membrane will be restored. It is possible to discontinue decongestants gradually, reducing their quantity and frequency of use, but such treatment will be quite long, although less severe.

Review

“Irina, if neither vasoconstrictor drops nor medications with interferon have helped your child with a runny nose for three weeks, why are you using them at all? You write that you took Tizin for a week, Nazol for a week, and now you’ve been pouring Sanorin for another week. It seems that you yourself brought the child to such a state that he developed medicinal rhinitis. Moreover, you yourself write that his health is quite normal. The best thing you can do now is to stop using the drops and take your child to the doctor. In any case, continuing self-treatment in your situation is a crime...”

From correspondence on the forum

A child’s prolonged runny nose and/or difficulty in nasal breathing is a reason to consult a doctor. Prolonged self-medication can cause serious health problems in the future.

Why is nasal congestion dangerous?

The most important danger is that due to the lack of nasal discharge, atrophy of the mucous membrane of the nasal passages may develop due to congestion. These consequences arise if the parents ignored treatment for a long time, or the doctor made an incorrect diagnosis and the wrong treatment was prescribed. Also, these are disturbances in sleep in a child, normal nutrition in infancy, absolute malnutrition and, as a result, weight loss. Neuroses and anxiety. Decreased sense of smell and hearing loss. Up to cerebrovascular accidents. Disturbances of cerebral vessels.

Side effects of drugs

This cause should not be confused with drug-induced rhinitis. In this case, the nasal mucosa only becomes inflamed, but its functions are not impaired. If a doctor prescribes medications that cause such a problem, he usually warns about possible nasal congestion.

On a note

Mostly, the nose gets stuffy after using intranasal medications - drugs with antiseptics, immunomodulators, plant extracts, etc. It is noteworthy that even some drugs designed to fight inflammation of the mucous membrane provoke exactly this problem. But in general, swelling of the mucous membrane can occur in response to the use of drugs of almost any group - hormonal, antibiotics, sedatives, and so on.

Otrivin is a spray with eucalyptus and menthol. Sometimes medications intended to combat a runny nose or its symptoms themselves provoke nasal congestion.

The only significant sign of such nasal congestion is taking medications.

Severe consequences from short-term use of medications are extremely unlikely. If medications are used for a long time, the consequences will depend on the effect of the medication itself.

If a side effect of the medication is suspected, parents should stop giving it to their child. If the medicine was prescribed by a doctor, then consult him. With a short course of treatment, it is possible to relieve congestion with the help of vasoconstrictors. If long-term use of medications is necessary, the doctor can replace them with analogues.

Summary

If a child does not have a runny nose, but the nose is stuffy for a long time, a consultation with a doctor is almost always necessary. Even if the parents know the reason for the swelling of the mucous membrane, it is the doctor who will prescribe the safest and most effective treatment. If treatment is not needed, a good doctor will protect you from it.

Useful video: what does nasal congestion mean?