Runny nose in a child: how and what to safely treat

Quite often, young children have a runny nose. It may indicate that the baby has a respiratory illness or be the result of an allergy to something. The method of treatment must be chosen depending on the cause that caused it.

Causes of the common cold in children

Various factors can lead to a runny nose in a child, but in general they can be divided into two large categories - these are infectious and non-infectious causes:

• Viruses, having entered the child's nose, penetrate the cell membranes and begin to develop there for several more days. A runny nose appears during a period of sudden changes in temperature. Indeed, at this time, the probability of hypothermia of the baby's body is high, and the ability to infect microbes also increases. Especially often a runny nose occurs due to hypothermia of the legs, since the feet are reflexively connected to the person's nose.
• Non-infectious reasons include all mechanical damage to the nasal mucosa and allergy on various environmental factors.

How to treat a runny nose in a child

In the treatment of a common cold, it is important to take into account its symptoms, stage and form of the disease. You need to focus your efforts on combating the cause of the common cold, but at the same time do not forget about alleviating its symptoms.

The stage of the common cold can be determined by the nature of the discharge from the nose:

• The initial stage is characterized by dryness of the mucous membrane.
• In the main period of the disease, transparent discharge can be observed.
• And at the stage of recovery, the discharge becomes thick and scanty.

Each stage of the disease needs its own method of treatment.

In the initial stage, the child feels a burning sensation and dryness in the nose, so it is important to moisturize the nasal mucosa. For this, various saline solutions and herbal decoctions are suitable. Prefer saline solutions such as Aquamaris or Salin are the safest for the child.

If you decide to use herbal teas, then prepare them from herbs that have an antibacterial effect. These are sage, calendula, chamomile.

For the acute stage of the common cold, choose drugs that have a vasoconstrictor, antiviral and anti-inflammatory effect. You can use vasoconstrictor drugs only for 5 days, so that there is no addictive effect. To suppress the activity of viruses, drugs such as Arbidol, Viferon, Remantadin are used. They come in the form of capsules, suppositories, or solutions.

If a child has a runny nose caused by an allergy, then first of all eliminate its cause and get rid of the allergen. Then the treatment is carried out with antihistamines: Claritin, Zirtek Telfast.

At the stage of recovery, it is important to ensure the removal of crusts from the nasal cavity, suppress the action of microbes, restore the activity of the nasal mucosa and strengthen immunity child.

To remove the crusts, the child's nose should be rinsed with a 2% baking soda solution. Then the mucous membrane must be lubricated with antibacterial ointment.

Inhalation for a cold for children

Inhalation or inhalation of drugs has long been used to treat various diseases. This method is especially popular for the treatment of the respiratory system.

To get the maximum result from the procedure, you need to carry it out correctly. The best time for the procedure is an hour and a half after eating. It is forbidden to do inhalation to children with a high temperature (over 37.5 degrees) and leave the room after inhalation is also not recommended. The water for inhalation should not be very hot so that the child does not get burned.

Inhalation is best done with herbal decoctions. In this case, chamomile, calendula, all conifers, lemon help very well. Cover the child's head with a cloth over a container with a healing broth and ask him to breathe through his nose for a few minutes.

You can use a modern device called a nebulizer for inhalation. This inhaler atomizes the healing solution in small droplets. The size of the solution particles can be adjusted. So the smallest size is used to treat the bronchi, and larger particles will settle in the nasal cavity. For inhalation with a nebulizer, infusions of medicinal herbs are suitable. It can be a collection of pine buds, eucalyptus leaves, calendula or chamomile flowers.

Drops from the common cold for children

For small children, under five years old, for the treatment of a cold, it is allowed to use pharmaceutical preparations only in the form of drops. The use of sprays is dangerous for them, due to the imperfection of the nasal passages.

Most often, the doctor prescribes Aqua Maris for a cold. This preparation contains only pure seawater with trace elements. Children are prescribed it to get rid of the common cold, allergies, adenotitis and for prevention in the autumn. The agent is instilled into the nose, 2-3 drops in both nostrils.

Another preparation created with salt water is Aqualor Baby. It also contains sea water of high purity, enriched with microelements. These drops relieve inflammation, cleanse the nasal cavity and help increase the child's immunity. It is used for both treatment and prevention of infection.

To reduce mucosal edema, use Nazol Baby. It is a vasoconstrictor with the active ingredient phenylephrine. It will make it easier for the baby to breathe by reducing swelling. You can use it for allergies and colds. You should not take this medication for more than three days to avoid addiction.

Folk remedies for the common cold for children

Since a runny nose can be treated with drugs for only a few days, it makes sense to turn to folk advice. For children, you can use the following recipes:

• Aloe juice. Cut off the aloe leaf and keep it cold for 24 hours. Then squeeze the juice out of it and dilute with boiled water in a ratio of 1:10. Bury the baby's nostrils with this solution up to 5 times a day. Do not store the solution for more than a day.
• Honey... Dilute 1 part honey with 2 parts water and bury the baby's nose.
• Honey and beets. Boil the beets and squeeze the juice out of them. Now dilute honey with beet juice in a ratio of 1: 2, stir and instill each nostril with this composition.
• It is permissible to bury the baby's nose with a decoction of herbs. To do this, take calendula, coltsfoot, plantain and sage in equal amounts and boil for 5 minutes. Then leave to infuse for an hour, strain and use for nasal instillation.