How to treat white snot in a child

General information

The production of colorless mucous secretions in small quantities is a normal physiological phenomenon necessary to prevent drying out of the nasal membranes.

If there is a change in the consistency or color of mucus, and also the intensity of its production increases, this means one thing - damage to the respiratory tract by an infection of viral or bacterial etiology.

This is not the only factor contributing to the development of a runny nose. Not only respiratory diseases can provoke a pathological condition. It may result from the uncontrolled use of medications, violation of home hygiene rules, or failure to follow recommendations for caring for the baby.

It follows from this that the need for immediate treatment of a runny nose with drops and sprays does not arise in all cases when a child develops thick white snot.

It is recommended to take any measures to eliminate negative symptoms only after establishing the true cause of the disease . To identify it, you need to contact a pediatrician or otolaryngologist. This will prevent erroneous actions to rid the baby of an uncomfortable state.

Prevention

In order for the nasal discharge to stop and the condition not to worsen, you need to be attentive to the first symptoms. Compliance with preventive recommendations will strengthen the immune system and improve overall health:

1. Nutrition should be balanced, with moderate consumption of sweets, flour, semi-finished products and smoked foods.
2. Moderate gradual hardening of the body through physical activity, taking a contrast shower and walking.
3. The predominance of foods rich in vitamins in the diet - fruits and vegetables.
4. During the off-season, it is advisable to take additional pharmacy vitamins and supplements.
5. Maintain personal hygiene, especially after visiting crowded places.

White snot is far from a harmless symptom; in most cases, it indicates a severe pathology. Taking a responsible attitude towards your health and following the recommendations will allow you to quickly cure the disease and prevent the development of complications.

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Why is snot white?

Changes in the color and consistency of nasal discharge in most cases are the result of lack of proper treatment for the inflammatory process in the nasopharynx. This leads to a deterioration in the baby’s condition, and the snot becomes viscous, sticky, and stringy.

The cause of such manifestations is a wide range of pathological conditions. Among them:

1. Consequences of an acute respiratory viral infection. In this case, the child’s thick white snot continues for another 2-3 days after the general condition improves.
2. Complications of influenza, acute respiratory infections, chickenpox, or measles. The lack of qualified therapy causes a runny nose to become a chronic condition.
3. The addition of an infection of bacterial etiology due to the lack of a competent approach to the treatment of infectious rhinitis. Discharge of white foamy mucus indicates a chronic form of runny nose.
4. Sinusitis. White snot with this pathology is observed only at the initial stage. As the disease progresses, they become yellowish or greenish.
5. Allergic reactions. A more typical manifestation of allergic rhinitis is liquid, colorless discharge. Thick transparent snot due to allergies is a rare occurrence.
6. Neoplasms in the nose. If a child has a stuffy nose for a long time and white thick discharge is observed, polyps may be the cause of such manifestations.
7. Adenoids. Exacerbation of the inflammatory process in adenoids is accompanied by constant nasal congestion and thick white discharge.
8. The presence of teeth damaged by caries contributes to the penetration of infection into the sinuses. Snot like jelly is a consequence of infection of the maxillary sinuses.
9. Infectious mononucleosis. Thick and cloudy nasal discharge is a frequent companion to the pathology.

Domestic factors also act as provoking causes:

• exceeding the permissible room temperature – above 20°;
• insufficient air humidity – below 60%;
• no wet cleaning;
• low level of hygiene.

By eliminating these factors, you can, without the use of medications, relieve your baby from an uncomfortable condition that prevents him from breathing, eating and sleeping freely.

The self-confidence of some parents in their ability to independently determine the cause of a runny nose in a child, and even more so, to treat it without a doctor’s recommendations, leads to serious complications.

A responsible attitude towards children’s health requires mandatory contact with competent specialists who will determine the main cause of negative symptoms and choose the right tactics to eliminate them.

What causes a runny nose

Frequent snot from the nose means that an infection has entered your body. If a runny nose manifests itself seasonally, that is, during the flowering period of any plants or in the summer on poplar fluff, then you should consult an allergist. Attention should also be paid to the presence of dust in the house, animal hair and food.

A common occurrence is snot from the nose in the autumn and spring seasons. This is explained by low immunity and a high morbidity threshold at this time.

Other causes of snot:

• inflammation of the maxillary sinuses;
• inflammation of the adenoids;
• dental caries: through carious lesions, infections can penetrate into the body and cause inflammation;
• sinusitis;
• infections of staphylococcus, streptococcus, etc.;
• chronic diseases of the nasopharynx and ears.

Any disease can be treated by professional doctors. An otolaryngologist deals with diseases of the nasal cavity. If the examination is not enough, the doctor will prescribe an additional test - an x-ray or a puncture of the sinuses.

How to treat white snot in a child

The arsenal of medicines used to treat runny nose in children whose age is no more than 3 years is relatively small. This is due to the lack of clinical studies of nasal vasoconstrictors and antihistamines.

To avoid side effects, medications for nasal congestion and mucous discharge are prescribed to young children in cases of severe runny nose.

However, you should not ignore your doctor’s prescriptions or refuse treatment with drugs approved for use in young children. Strict adherence to the recommended dosage allows you to avoid the negative effects of medicinal components on the child’s body.

How and with what to treat thick white snot at home?

If the infection has not yet developed into a serious disease, you can try to cope with it yourself. Home remedies help well in the initial stages of viral and bacterial diseases.

Why is a fungal infection more difficult to treat? To suppress it, special antimycotic drugs are needed that will act against a specific type of pathogen:

• "Fluconazole";
• "Mikosist";
• "Clotrimazole";
• "Natamycin";
• "Nystatin"

They are discharged after a laboratory examination and determination of the sensitivity of the microbe to the antibiotic.

If the cause of an endless runny nose is a polyp or a deviated septum, the problem can only be solved surgically.

Folk remedies

Rinsing is the most effective way to combat a runny nose. For home treatment, it can be carried out using a teapot with a long curved spout:

• You need to pour the medicinal solution into the container.
• Tilt your head slightly to the side.
• Insert the tip of the teapot spout into the nostril that is on top.
• Tilting the container, gradually pour in the medicinal solution so that it flows out of the free nostril.
• Carry out a similar procedure with the other nasal passage.

As a healing liquid, you can use an infusion of chamomile, string or calendula, after brewing a tablespoon of dry herb in a glass of boiling water. Or prepare a soda-salt mixture (a teaspoon of both) and dilute it in 200 ml of warm water.

It is advisable to carry out a similar procedure 2 times a day, morning and evening.

Beet juice

According to popular belief, beetroot juice helps in the treatment of thick white snot in adults. It is pressed from fresh root vegetables. Dilute half with water. Instill 2 drops into each nasal passage three times a day for the first five days of illness.

Peppermint ointment

Traditional medicine suggests treating the nose with a mixture of honey and mint oil. The ointment is prepared from two parts of a sweet product and one part of a plant extract. The nasal passages are lubricated with the resulting mixture before bedtime.

Peach oil

Peach oil is considered one of the most effective folk remedies against the runny nose. It is dripped into each nasal passage, 2 drops up to 4 times a day. Peach oil can be used in combination with drug therapy to treat types of sinusitis.

Drug therapy

Important! If a person breathes through the mouth with nasal congestion, air circulation in the sinuses is disrupted, which provokes the formation of even greater swelling of the mucous membrane, stagnation of fluid and the development of the pathological process.

Therefore, the first actions should be aimed at eliminating congestion and restoring normal breathing through the nose.

Swelling is relieved with vasoconstrictor drops:

• "Naphthyzin";
• "Nazivin";
• "Otrivin."

They must be taken strictly according to the dosage. To avoid addiction, you should not use such medications for more than 3 days.

For allergic rhinitis, oral antihistamines are additionally prescribed:

• "Loratadine";
• "Fenistil";
• "Suprastin";
• "Loragexal";
• "Claritin."

Washing with a saline solution helps to wash the allergen from the mucous membrane.

Bacterial infections are treated with specially selected drugs that are prescribed individually. Drops are administered into the nose as local solutions:

• "Dioxidin";
• "Okomistin";
• "Ciprofloxacin";
• "Isofra";
• "Polydex".

Viruses are fought by strengthening local immunity and prescribing immunomodulators in the form of drops:

• "Derinat";
• "Grippferon"
• "Nazoferon".

If the disease is accompanied by pain and aches, you can take paracetamol or acetylsalicylic acid.

Drug therapy in combination with other drugs

It is not always possible to cure a runny nose without the use of medications, so it becomes necessary to follow the instructions of qualified specialists. An experienced pediatrician will select medications with a minimum concentration of the active substance, which will avoid side effects and addiction.

Taking into account the child’s condition and the characteristics of the disease that is the root cause of the runny nose, the doctor prescribes the following treatment regimen:

1. Consequences of respiratory infections. Treatment of a runny nose of an infectious nature involves the use of antiseptic solutions to rinse the nasal canals. The most effective is the pharmaceutical solution Miramistin, Aqualar and Aquamaris drops. They can be used for a runny nose, even for infants. In addition, a saline solution prepared at home will be a worthy alternative to ready-made drugs. To prepare it, you will need to dilute 0.5 tsp in 500 ml of warm boiled water. salt. Interferon and Grippferon are also prescribed for viral infection.
2. Bacterial rhinitis. There is a need to use antibacterial drugs. In this case, the antibiotic Augmentin is prescribed, which has proven itself to be an absolutely safe remedy. Nazol Baby and Nazivin drops relieve a serious condition caused by a runny nose that does not go away for a long time. Nazivin is convenient to use, as it is available in different dosages - 0.01%, 0.025% and 0.05%. It is necessary to strictly adhere to the recommended dosage, frequency and duration of administration.
3. Sinusitis. Broad-spectrum antibiotics and antihistamines are prescribed. It is recommended to rinse the nasal cavity with a weak solution of Furacilin or calendula infusion.
4. Adenoids and polyps. Rinsing the nose with antiseptic solutions and using nasal drops have little effect, so surgical removal of the formations is considered a more effective method.
5. Allergic rhinitis. Antihistamines improve the condition for a short period of time. Zyrtec and Fenistil drops quickly relieve swelling of the mucous membrane, but contact with allergens must be avoided.

The use of these drugs without a doctor’s prescription is strictly prohibited. An unclear reason for the appearance of negative symptoms and uncontrolled use of medications often cause a significant deterioration in the baby’s condition, a protracted course of the disease and the development of serious complications.

Features of the treatment of runny nose in infants and older children

White snot in a child under 6 months of age is less likely to develop due to adenoids and sinusitis. In all other respects, the reasons are the same as for older children. It is important to note that if a runny nose in infants is not treated correctly, the risk of complications is quite high. That is why treatment must be carried out under the strict supervision of a pediatrician.

A physiological runny nose in a child does not require any special treatment. As for mucous discharge from the nose of a viral nature, the main thing is not to let the mucous membrane dry out. To do this, it is important to maintain optimal humidity and air temperature in the child’s room. To maintain humidity, bowls of water are used, which are placed in different corners of the room. Or you can buy ready-made humidifiers in the store.

The nasal mucosa of children is moistened with saline solution. If you have a severe runny nose, you can buy a special small enema at the pharmacy to clear your nose of thick mucus and crusts.

It is important to remember that with physiological or mucous discharge from the nose, infants do not need to drip vasoconstrictor drugs. They are used only in extreme cases as prescribed by a doctor. The body of newborns is still weak, so such medications can cause a number of side effects, including severe swelling of the mucous membrane.

White snot in a child, which is caused by an allergic reaction, needs to exclude the baby’s contact with the allergen. To do this, you need to buy only organic products for washing clothes, bathing your baby, cleaning carpets, regularly carry out wet cleaning, use air humidifiers, and ionizers. For severe runny noses, children are prescribed warming tinctures and ointments.