How to cure snot in infants Komarovsky

Causes of a runny nose in a baby

According to Dr. Komarovsky, a runny nose in infants can occur for several reasons:

• 
  The most common of them is a virus or bacteria. Most often occurs in winter. The nose of a newborn baby is not yet fully formed, the mucous membranes are very delicate and vulnerable. For now, the baby breathes only through his nose, and all infectious attacks at this time fall on him.

• The baby may also develop an allergic reaction to some external allergen. This could be house dust, hair from animals living in the house, detergents used to wash children's clothes, and others.
• It often happens that parents notice that the baby has difficulty breathing through the nose. It is clogged and snot is leaking from it. Moreover, everything happens without fever or other signs of a cold. The cause of this phenomenon may be a foreign body.

Toddlers often put things in their noses and can do it so deep that nothing is visible from the outside. This is usually done by children who already know how to crawl and get something that they are not allowed to do.

• Too dry air in the room where the baby lives can also cause a runny nose, as a protective reaction of the body against drying out of the mucous membranes.

In any case, if your baby has a runny nose, he should be shown to a doctor. This symptom can later develop into a more serious disease.

Causes

The famous doctor calls ARVI the most common cause of runny nose in children . This type of runny nose can occur with or without fever. Excessive mucus, according to Komarovsky, acts as a protective reaction of the child’s body against viral infection . Firstly, viruses are removed from the nasopharynx along with mucus, and secondly, the mucus itself contains substances that can neutralize the infectious agent.

A doctor can help determine the cause of a runny nose in an infant.

Komarovsky names allergies as the second most common cause of runny nose in children . It can be caused by washing powder, flowering plants, dust, animal hair and other factors. If a child has a persistent, prolonged runny nose, the most likely cause will be an allergic reaction. In treatment, the main condition will be getting rid of the allergen , and any medications for such a runny nose, according to Komarovsky, should only be prescribed by a doctor.

Allergies are one of the main causes of runny nose in children.

To learn how to find the cause of an allergic rhinitis, how it differs from an infectious one, and how to treat a child, see Dr. Komarovsky’s program.

Symptoms of a runny nose

Every nursing mother will immediately notice when her baby’s nose is clogged and breathing is difficult. Symptoms of rhinitis in an infant are as follows:

• He refuses to take the breast or bottle. Or he tries to take it, but after a few seconds he turns away and cries.
• When breathing, the child makes wheezing sounds. Sometimes he sort of grunts.
• The baby is capricious, sleeps poorly, often wakes up, pulls his fists towards his face and nose, and turns his head.
• If the runny nose is allergic, the baby often sneezes.
• If the cause of a runny nose is an infection, your temperature may rise.

Discharge in the form of nozzles begins from the nose a little later, when the mucous membranes begin to secrete them.

Transparent snot in a baby indicates its allergic origin. If they are cloudy or green, it is an infection.

How to treat a runny nose in a baby

According to Evgeny Komarovsky, a runny nose should not be treated. It is necessary to cure the disease that caused such a symptom.

First of all, you need to find out with your doctor what caused the discharge from the baby’s nose. If it is a virus, the treatment is one, if it is a bacterial infection, another. Allergic rhinitis has its own treatment methods.

In addition to basic treatment, parents need to take measures to alleviate the child’s condition and help speed up recovery:

• 
  Until a certain age, a baby cannot blow his nose on his own. Therefore, mommy needs to make sure that excess snot does not fill the baby’s nasal passages and does not interfere with his breathing. To do this, she must get the hang of doing some procedures.

• To get rid of excess mucus in the baby’s nose there are special devices. For example, a nasal aspirator that sucks out mucus. It can be mechanical, vacuum or electronic. Some of them are equipped with a special device that moisturizes the mucous membranes of the child’s nose. Mom needs to master these devices and learn how to use them.
• To moisten the passages of the baby's nose, it is necessary to use a saline solution. Its composition is very close to human serum. A sodium chloride solution is used. It cleans the nose well and does not allow the snot to stagnate.

Saline solution softens dried mucus and moves it to the larynx. The child swallows and can continue to breathe normally. For children under one year old, drop up to 3 drops into each nasal passage.

• Some doctors recommend rinsing your nose with breast milk. This is what our grandmothers did in their time. But Dr. Komarovsky is against such use of breast milk. He believes that milk is the best environment for bacteria to multiply. And burying it in the nose means adding nutrition for microorganisms.
• If the pediatrician allows it, you can instill a couple of drops of vasoconstrictor drugs. This is recommended when the baby has swelling in the nose.

A doctor should treat a viral or bacterial infection. He prescribes the necessary medications for the baby.

What does Dr. Komarovsky say about a child’s runny nose?

Many young parents have already heard about Dr. Komarovsky. He is a practicing pediatrician and opened his own clinic. In his free time from his main job, Komarovsky is engaged in research, which is reflected in his “creativity” - books, the main topic of which is infectious diseases in children. Read this article for advice from a famous doctor.

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Komarovsky's advice

Komarovsky advises not to treat snot in a baby. According to the doctor, the mucus secreted by a child’s nose contains a lot of different antibacterial agents that can independently fight infection. Therefore, you cannot get rid of them, but you need to make sure that the mucous membranes of the nose do not dry out and always remain moist.

To do this, you need to maintain humidity in the living room, as well as monitor the constant supply of fresh air from the street. It is important that during a runny nose the child receives plenty of fluids. It also contributes to the normal functioning of the respiratory system due to proper moisture in the mucous membranes.

To keep the baby's condition normal, you should regularly use saline solution. Komarovsky recommends using it in the treatment of rhinitis in infants. It is allowed to drip up to 4 drops of the solution into each nostril every 30 minutes.

Of the drugs, Komarovsky recommends Ectericide. This product, prepared on the basis of oil, can not only prevent drying of the mucous membranes, but also disinfects them. If there is no such drug, the doctor advises replacing it with olive or Vaseline oil.

Komarovsky's recommendations for the treatment of runny nose in infants

A runny nose in children is both a simple and complex problem at the same time.
The younger the child, the more vulnerable he is - the vasoconstrictor drops familiar to adults will not suit him, and he cannot independently voice complaints. Famous pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky, a TV show host and author of books on children's health, devoted several issues to the topic of runny nose. Treatment of a runny nose in infants according to Komarovsky includes moisturizing the nasal mucosa and improving the microclimate in the children's room. In fact, this is a set of measures, among which the most important role is played by the creation of optimal conditions for recovery, and not the use of pharmacological drugs.

The problem of runny nose in children was, is and will be - and it is pointless to expect that you will be able to cope with nasal congestion once and for all. According to Dr. Komarovsky, the average child experiences symptoms of rhinitis several times a year. A runny nose is not a reason to panic, but a reasonable reason to start treatment.

At the same time, parents can do quite a lot to alleviate the condition of their son or daughter - they just need to know how to act correctly.

When asked how to treat a runny nose in a baby, Komarovsky answers quite succinctly. It is necessary to eliminate not the symptom, but the root cause, that is, the disease that resulted in nasal congestion. There is no universal recipe, since there are different types of rhinitis:

• infectious;
• allergic;
• traumatic.

An infectious runny nose can be viral or bacterial, and a traumatic runny nose can be based on mechanical, chemical or thermal injury.

A special place is occupied by cold rhinitis, which occurs after hypothermia.

The nature of the runny nose must be determined by the attending physician during an in-person examination of the child - this is important, since sometimes impaired nasal breathing is not at all associated with an inflammatory process.

However, the most common causes of nasal congestion and discharge are ARVI (acute respiratory viral infection) and colds.

But in most cases, treatment of a runny nose in an infant is carried out at home and includes:

1. Improving indoor microclimate parameters.
2. Measures to cleanse and moisturize the nasal mucosa.
3. The use of symptomatic drugs for severe swelling.

It’s not for nothing that the list items are arranged in this order. Dr. Komarovsky often mentions that in many cases it is possible to cure a runny nose in children using a minimum of pharmaceutical products - a reasonable approach will help reduce the need even for symptomatic medications.

All a child with a stuffy nose needs due to a cold or ARVI is conditions in which the mucus will remain liquid.

Medicines should be used only for indications, which will be discussed in one of the subsequent sections.

Dr. Komarovsky pays a lot of attention to the requirements for the microclimate of the room where the child spends most of his time. Microclimate parameters are humidity, temperature and air speed.

They have a significant impact on the condition of the nasal mucosa, and are quite important for a child suffering from a runny nose.

Congestion is not always the result of infection; it can even occur due to too dry and hot air - and after a decrease in local immunity, ARVI is not far away.

What microclimate indicators are needed in the room of a child with a runny nose?

• humidity 50–70%;
• temperature 18–20 °C.

Regular ventilation is also required - it can be done, for example, twice a day, while one of the adults is with the child for a walk or in another room.

Of course, if the room is cool and humid, the child needs to be dressed warmly. However, you should not wrap him up - especially if his body temperature is elevated. Children have difficulty shedding excess heat, and when they have a fever, the risk of hyperthermia (overheating) is high, even without thick blankets. What are the benefits of microclimate correction?

• the discharge becomes more liquid in consistency;
• mucus does not dry out on the surface of the nasal mucosa;
• liquid mucus is much easier to remove, thereby facilitating nasal breathing.

Dr. Komarovsky reminds that small children do not know how to blow their nose, so it is very important to prevent the formation of thick, viscous secretions - they will not be able to drain into the throat and will block the nasal passages, blocking nasal breathing.

In addition, the inhaled air must be freed, as far as possible, from dust and chemical fumes.

To do this, wet cleaning is carried out without chlorine-containing products, and the use of cosmetics and perfumes in the form of aerosols near the child is excluded.

To combat a runny nose in infants, you must:

1. Avoid thickening of mucus.
2. Avoid irritation of the mucous membrane.
3. Correctly use methods of mechanical removal of secretions.

Liquid mucus, unlike thick mucus, can move from the anterior parts of the nasal cavity to the rear, after which it is swallowed.

Thus, secretions containing viruses or bacteria do not enter the auditory tube and do not cause the development of sinusitis.

Achieving comfortable humidity and temperature in the room is not enough; it is also necessary to begin directly moisturizing the mucous membrane.

You can also purchase a pharmaceutical preparation - for example, 0.9% sodium chloride solution, Aqua Maris.

What is the benefit of saline solutions when treating infants 2 months old, older, or younger? Firstly, they cannot be overdosed, so they can and should be used frequently - for example, every hour and a half. Secondly, salt remedies do not interfere with the action of other medications.

A suitable option is saline drops, which randomly flow down the mucous membrane, thin the mucus and moisturize the nasal cavity. If you prepared the saline solution at home, you can use a small pipette or pour the solution into a previously washed bottle of vasoconstrictor drops.

Dr. Komarovsky reminds that liquid discharge will flow out of the nose without any external effort, but thick discharge simply cannot be removed.

Meanwhile, inept or careless use of the aspirator can cause injury. Therefore, the best solution is to moisten the nasal cavity before cleansing with an aspirator, and do not try to suck out viscous, dried mucus.

The younger the child, the more difficult it is for parents if it is necessary to administer a pharmaceutical drug. The risk of overdose is not at all so illusory, which is why many adults prefer to make do with only saline solutions. There is, however, another approach - for a small patient, “children’s” dosage forms are purchased (for example, vasoconstrictor nasal drops).

How to treat a runny nose in a baby? According to Dr. Komarovsky, for the treatment of classic viral and colds in young children, in addition to correcting the microclimate, two drugs are sufficient:

• saline solution;
• vasoconstrictor drops.

In this case, the first of these remedies is the main one, and for vasoconstrictors (decongestants) there are clear indications:

1. Complete cessation of nasal breathing due to significant swelling.
2. Fever with values ​​greater than 38.5 °C in combination with impaired breathing through the nose.
3. It is difficult to breathe through your nose, and the microclimate in the room is unfavorable, dry and hot.
4. Presence of signs of respiratory failure, severe shortness of breath combined with a runny nose.
5. The presence of otitis media, inflammation of the auditory tube, sinusitis.

Contrary to doubts, decongestants can be used even in one-month-old children, since there really are “children’s” concentrations of active ingredients - for example, not 0.1%, but 0.05%.

But in this case, it is necessary to drip the drug only symptomatically (that is, if indicated, and not prophylactically every few hours), before administering the drug, clean the nose with a saline solution.

You can treat a runny nose in a baby with decongestants for no longer than 3, or at most 5 days; the drugs of choice are Phenylephrine or Xylometazoline in “children’s” concentrations.

Limiting the duration of use is associated with the risk of developing rhinitis medicamentosa. There is also addiction - to achieve the effect, you have to use more drops, which means the likelihood of an overdose increases. Classic symptoms are lethargy, low body temperature; If they appear, you should immediately stop taking the drug.

There is no need to overuse vasoconstrictor nasal drops when you can get by with saline solutions, ventilation and moisturizing. However, with high body temperature and shortness of breath, decongestants are necessary.

It is also worth remembering that a newborn requires an in-person examination by a pediatrician - especially if there are doubts about the nature of the runny nose or a significant deterioration in the condition.

Torsunova Tatyana

Caring for a newborn is considered one of the most difficult, as it can be difficult to provide the baby with the necessary help. When a baby's nose is stuffy, safe treatment is required, since the child's body is very sensitive to the effects of drugs. Treatment will be effective after determining the cause of the runny nose.

How can you tell if a newborn has a runny nose? In this situation, you do not need to have any special knowledge; just listen to the baby’s breathing. A child's nasal congestion is accompanied by the fact that he often cries, practically does not sleep and eats almost nothing.

The appearance of large quantities of fluid in the baby’s nasal passages requires prompt resolution, as this can alleviate the baby’s condition. At the same time, it is important to correctly understand the true cause of a runny nose in order to prevent the development of more dangerous consequences. As a primary diagnosis, you can resort to simple washing.

Why should infants not use vasoconstrictor drops?

Vasoconstrictor drops are contraindicated for newborns aged 1 month.
They have a detrimental effect on the cardiovascular system, and for a fragile body this is very dangerous. In addition, the use of such drugs is addictive. Therefore, they cannot be used in infants even at 5 months, because drug-induced rhinitis may develop.

Even in an adult, such drugs deplete the walls of the mucous membranes. And in infants, such destruction is most likely due to the very thin membrane. Subsequently, the child will suffer from constant rhinitis and problems in the nose.

Children cannot spit out mucus like adults do. Therefore, everything that is buried in the nose also ends up in the stomach. Vasoconstrictor drugs in the stomach can cause poisoning or spasms, which will affect the overall well-being of the child. While saline solution will not cause harm. That is why physiological remedies are recommended for infants, and not drops for the common cold.

Advice from Dr. Komarovsky on treating a persistent runny nose

Dr. Komarovsky insists on choosing a treatment method depending on the nature of the mucus and consistency. It is very important to maintain moisture and not allow the surface layer of the nasal gland to become too dry. This will provoke the proliferation of harmful organisms.

It is very important to carry out the following activities:

1. Constantly moisten the child’s nose, dribble and rinse.
2. Ventilate the room, regularly do wet cleaning and control the moisture level in the room.

The doctor strongly discourages the use of vasoconstricting drugs such as Galazolin, Nazol and Naphthyzin. These drugs will not cure the disease, but will only provide temporary relief. Side effects will soon begin to appear. This will cause complications and worsening of the disease.

Komarovsky advises children to use Ectericide oil drops. The drug is absolutely safe for health, as it has no side effects at all. The product actively envelops the mucous membrane, thereby maintaining the required level of moisture.

Ectericide is an antimicrobial and antiparasitic agent of natural origin, obtained from fish oil.

The doctor prescribes Tocopherol for infants. These are natural purified olive and vaseline drying oils. The product can be used no more than once every 3 hours . Add 3 drops .

The doctor knows quite a lot about how to treat a persistent runny nose in a child. Therefore, Komarovsky gives the following professional recommendations:

1. Regularly humidify the air in the apartment where the baby lives.
2. Using saline solution, regularly spray the child's nasopharyngeal mucosa. You can buy it at every pharmacy kiosk, or mix it yourself. To do this, pour 1 small spoon of sea salt into a container of warm water.
3. For children under three years of age, lubricate the nose with oils that contain vitamins A and E. This action can be effectively performed after using saline solution.

If you follow the doctor’s recommendations, you can not only quickly cure your baby’s rhinitis, but also strengthen his immunity.

In order to prevent suppuration of the nasal cavity from becoming chronic, it is necessary to begin surgical treatment of the acute form.

Attention! Only timely identification of symptoms will help avoid complications.

Nasal rinsing

If a runny nose does not go away for a long time, then doctor Komarovsky insists on treatment in combination with washing the passages.
It is worth using a saline solution, as it disinfects and rinses the nasopharynx.

To prepare a solution for 1 liter, add 9 grams of salt. It is still recommended to use medication.

For washing you need:

• prepare a 20 ml disposable syringe without a needle;
• draw medicine into the syringe;
• first insert the syringe into one passage, then into the other;
• at the moment of introducing the solution, the child should try to retract it through the nostrils.

Perform all actions very carefully. Liquid should not come out of the second nostril. In this case, complications can be avoided. After completing these steps, take a specialized device and suck out the drained pus.

How to pump out mucus with an aspirator?

To make it much easier for the child to breathe, the doctor advises using an aspirator. This is an artificial way to facilitate the outflow of mucus. This method will help you quickly get rid of dried crusts and unpleasant mucus.

An aspirator is a syringe bulb and a plastic tube. Before automatically cleaning the canals, you need to clean your nose very well with saline using a syringe without a needle.

It is possible to purchase an electronic aspirator that runs on batteries. The kit comes with different attachments. This will greatly facilitate the process of suctioning snot.

Nasal drops

A runny nose can be cured by nasal drops. Parents can prepare their own saline solution. To do this, add per 1 liter . Stir the whole mass well and drop 2-3 drops .

At the same time, tilt the baby’s head in a different direction. After instillation, pump out mucus from the nose using a special device. An older child may close one nostril and independently blow mucus out of the other. Repeat the same with the other nostril.

A regular pipette is used to instill liquid medications into the nose.

ethnoscience

What should you do if your child has a wet nose and can only see a doctor in the morning? And there are no suitable medications at home. In this case, traditional medicine advice can help:

• You can drop a drop of fresh aloe juice diluted with water into each nostril. This will clear the nose and relieve inflammation.
• Kolanchoe juice helps a lot. But after instillation, a strong sneezing occurs, clearing the entire respiratory system of mucus.

During this time, you need to keep an eye on your child and regularly wipe away snot. It is also recommended to first dilute the juice with water.

• Drip some oil into the nose - sea buckthorn, fir, olive, 2-3 drops into each nostril. This lubricates not only the nose, but also the neck and protects against drying out the mucous membranes.

A runny nose in infants is far from uncommon. Children at this age breathe mainly through their nose, so any cold starts from here. All they have to do is breathe in cold air, and their nose becomes snotty. You shouldn’t ignore this, because after the nose, problems with the neck will begin, and then it’s not far from the lungs.

When is it necessary and when not to eliminate discharge?

Pus cannot just appear from the nose. The root cause may not be medical in nature. Discharge may begin due to irritants entering the nostrils:

• allergens;
• dust;
• viruses and microbes.

There is no need to get rid of snot using conservative methods if the increase in the amount of discharge is physiological in nature. Examples of such phenomena:

1. The mucous membrane of newborns has not yet developed and has not adapted to the air. Therefore, when a child under 1 year old has a runny nose, self-cleansing occurs.
2. Clearing the nostrils of tears that were there at the time of crying.
3. Reflex to dry air. In such a situation, the mucous membrane itself tries to compensate for the lack of moisture.

In case of acute respiratory viral infection in a baby, the discharge does not need to be cured. In this case, they perform a protective function.

When eliminating a runny nose, the normal functioning of the gland is disrupted, the functioning of which is aimed at preventing the penetration of viruses and bacteria inside.

Thus, treatment of a runny nose in children according to Komarovsky is not required if:

• high temperature does not rise;
• the discharge is clear and quite liquid;
• discharge flows calmly from the nose.

Attention! If thick discharge with a pungent odor and a yellowish tint is detected, then urgent action must be taken.

Prevention of runny nose in infants

To prevent a runny nose in a baby, you should follow simple rules:

• 
  Monitor the air humidity in the room where the baby is. Do regular ventilation and daily wet cleaning.

• Make sure that mold does not form in the corners. If it appears, actively fight it.
• Do not drag your child around crowded places during periods of viral epidemics. If a child is sick, it is better to call a doctor at home than to take the child to a clinic, where there are many sick people, and he can catch the virus.
• Avoid contact with people sick with a viral or bacterial infection.
• Do not allow relatives and strangers to kiss the baby; in this way, he can catch an infection even from a healthy person.
• Make sure that in the room where the child lives there are no things that can cause allergies in the baby.
• Pets should not come into contact with the baby. They need to have a separate place in the house.
• There is no need to keep your child in a locked room all the time. You need to take him for walks in the fresh air regularly. It is useful to place the stroller with the child on the terrace during lunchtime nap. Just wrap it up well.

When it's frosty outside, you don't need to cancel your walks. They can be carried out, but at the same time use a scarf. Do not allow the child to inhale too cold air.

• It is necessary to clean your child's nose regularly. To do this, make cotton wool, insert it into the nostril and, scrolling, clean out the boogers from the nose. Children do not like this procedure; they twist and turn their heads. You must be careful not to damage the nasal mucosa and cause nosebleeds.

Such activities will help protect your child from breathing problems. If a child can breathe well, he will calmly eat and get enough sleep, and will not be capricious.

Treatment of a runny nose in infants should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor. You should not achieve a completely dry nose. Enough so that the baby can breathe normally. And the mucus in the nose will protect it from infections.

Classification of the runny nose

The physiological type of discharge can occur within 1-10 weeks from the birth of the baby . A clear liquid flows from the spout, which is dealt with by rinsing, then blotting with soft napkins. It is associated with the adaptation of the cells of the nasopharyngeal mucosa to the composition of the environmental air. Does not require treatment, just cleansing the nose.

During the period of teething, the child often begins to leak clear fluid from the nose (lasts 3-4 days). There is no cure for a runny nose. Parents need to sharpen their monitoring so as not to miss an increase in temperature or the onset of the disease (respiratory infection).

Vasomotor rhinitis is caused by changes in the capillaries located in the nasal mucosa and blood vessels in general . The difference from other types is that when a baby is lying down, only one nostril is blocked, the one that is closer to the bed. If the baby turns his head to the right and lies down, he plugs the right hole; if he turns his head to the left, he plugs the left one.

Allergic rhinitis is associated with the individual characteristics of the child’s body in “communication” with his environment. For allergic rhinitis in infants, Komarovsky recommends starting treatment with eliminating the allergen. To facilitate breathing through the nose, rinsing the nose and using vasoconstrictor nasal drops (up to five days) are optimal.

Treatment of allergic rhinitis in infants should begin with elimination of the allergen

First of all, fumes or residues on household chemicals are dangerous to the baby’s health. While the little man is growing up and gaining strength, Evgeniy Olegovich recommends stopping disinfecting everything in the house . Get rid of dirt and dust with soda (in the kitchen!), laundry soap, hot water, and wet daily cleaning .

It is believed that pets “harden” a child’s immunity to environmental allergens. According to statistics, children do not have allergic reactions if there is a dog or cat in the house, and adults do not use aggressive chemicals.

The infectious nature of a runny nose appears after contact with a sick person (viral or bacterial pathogen). Evgeniy Olegovich warns that if you have a runny nose due to a virus, you should not instill vasoconstrictor nasal drops. They do not relieve swelling of the mucous membrane or congestion of the nasal passages. They are treated with antibiotics in difficult cases; for infants they are used only in emergency (advanced) conditions.

It happens that a child begins to make grunting sounds through his nose, without the presence of snot . Pay attention to the level of air humidity, moisturize the mucous membrane. Other cases of a similar phenomenon: pathology of the nasal septum or a foreign object in the nose.

To remove mucus from a baby's nose, it is better to use an aspirator rather than a blower.

Komarovsky E. O. insists: “ Drug treatment of a runny nose in infants should not be carried out without a doctor’s prescription. The pediatrician must clearly determine the cause of its appearance, refer it to other pediatric specialists for examination, wait for the test results, and only then prescribe medications that treat a specific disease, and at the same time, a runny nose.

During the initial examination, light nasal drops are prescribed , which help ease the baby’s breathing, parents are advised on how and with what to rinse the nose, and the general condition of the child is monitored. No heavy artillery in the form of antibiotics. They are useless for viral diseases, and even more so for allergies.

Wait for examination results and treat a specific disease».