The child has a stuffy nose in the morning

Causes of nasal congestion in children

A child’s nasal breathing may be blocked for several reasons:

• runny nose, which can be caused by a cold, bacterial or viral infection;
• allergies, which can be caused by various factors;
• teething;
• swelling of the mucous membrane;
• abnormalities in the structure of the nose;
• dry or polluted air;
• foreign body in the nasal passage;
• feeding the baby with formula;
• unlimited use of antibiotics, due to which the microflora of the mucous membrane is destroyed;
• adenoids;
• polyps.

Runny nose

The cause of a runny nose may be the following:

• infection (viral, bacterial, fungal);

  

• hypothermia, leading to a decrease in the immune system;
• allergic reaction;
• a natural reaction to cold air.

Swelling without runny nose

The cause of swelling of nasal breathing without the presence of a runny nose can be:

• viral rhinitis;
• allergic rhinitis;
• inflammation of the sinuses (sinusitis, sinusitis);
• mechanical damage leading to edema;
• hormonal disorder;
• hypothermia;
• allergy.

Allergic edema

The causes of allergic edema due to nasal congestion can be the following:

• animal hair;
• bird feathers;
• dust mites;
• ordinary dust;
• tobacco smoke;
• chemical fumes from household products;
• intolerance to certain components of skin care products;
• intolerance to dairy products.

Crusts in the nose

The causes of crusts in the nasal passage can be:

• dry nasal mucosa;

  

• bad habit of picking your nose;
• nosebleeds;
• hay fever;
• herpes;
• rhinitis (viral, fungal, bacterial);
• sinusitis;
• oncology;
• Staphylococcus aureus;
• atrophic rhinitis;
• scleroma;
• stress;
• hormonal changes.

Prevention

To prevent the development or recurrence of a morning runny nose, you must:

• monitor the humidity and cleanliness of the air in the living room;
• avoid contact with powerful allergens: particles of household chemicals, plant pollen, wool, saliva, animal excrement, etc.;
• protect the nasal mucosa from hypothermia;
• monitor immunity;
• harden;
• consume large amounts of foods fortified with vitamins (in particular vitamin C).

When treating colds, you should not overuse vasoconstrictor drops. Getting used to them develops quite quickly, but getting rid of it is not so easy.

Author: Elizaveta Krizhanovskaya, doctor, especially for Moylor.ru

How to remove nasal congestion in a child

Nasal congestion in a child, which can be treated independently, can be treated using the following methods:

• rinsing the nasopharynx;
• inhalation using a nebulizer;
• plenty of warm drinks;
• nose massage;
• instillation of medicinal products into the nose;
• ventilation of the patient's room.

Inhalations: rules for using an inhaler, nebulizer, means

In order to administer inhalation to a child for nasal congestion, it is necessary to take into account some recommendations:

• The child’s body temperature should be normal;

  

• The session should be performed 1 hour after eating;
• The quantity of the solution for inhalation is not recommended to exceed 4 ml;
• inhalations can be done up to 3 times a day;
• medications should be alcohol-free, except for herbal tinctures.

You can use the following medications to inhale your child for nasal congestion:

• chlorophyllipt, 1 ml of the medicine must be diluted with 10 ml of sodium chloride;
• pure sodium chloride, for inhalation it will be enough to use 3.5 ml;
• tonsilgon, 1 ml of the drug must be diluted with 2 ml of sodium chloride;
• calendula tincture, 1 ml of tincture should be diluted with a physiological solution of no more than 40 ml;
• pulmicort, used only for allergic rhinitis, 1 cube of the drug must be diluted with 1 cube of saline using a syringe;
• interferon, 3 ampoules of the drug must be diluted with 4 ml of saline;
• Miramistin can be used by children over 12 years of age; 4 ml of the product is used for the procedure, and there is no need to dilute it with anything. For children under 12 years of age, Miramistin 1 cube should be diluted with 1 ml saline solution.

Salt rinses: rules for preparing and using the solution

Before flushing a child, the following rules must be observed:

• the baby's nose should be clean;
• for nasal congestion, a vasoconstrictor is instilled into the nose;
• You can’t conduct a session right before bed or before a walk;
• the prepared solution can only be stored for 4 hours;
• purchased rinsing medicine should be stored exclusively in a cold place;

  
  Rinsing the nose does not always help remove congestion in a child, but it helps fight pathogenic bacteria

• Do not put oil products into the child’s nose, otherwise pneumonia will begin to develop if it gets into the lungs;
• only a specialist can choose the right drug to treat your nose.

To prepare the saline solution you will need the following ingredients:

• sea ​​salt, 3 tsp;
• water, 300 ml.

You can only rinse your nose with a solution at room temperature. It is taken with a syringe and poured into the child’s nose at an angle to the side. You can use 2 or 3 drops of the solution; what remains is removed with a cotton swab.

Nasal medications: drug groups, names, instructions

Nasal congestion in a child, the treatment of which is prescribed individually by a doctor, can be eliminated with the following medications:

Rubbing ointments: names, instructions

Nasal congestion in a child can be treated with warming ointments for rubbing, which help make nasal breathing free. All this is thanks to the essential oils contained in the medication. Due to the fact that the ointment promotes warming and irritation during rubbing of the temporal zone and bridge of the nose, the nasal passages are cleared.

Such medications include:

• Doctor Mom;

  

• Evamenol;
• Vishnevsky ointment;
• Star.

Antibacterial drugs

In case of an inflammatory process that continues for a long period, drugs with an antibacterial effect may be recommended. Such medications can destroy pathogenic microflora; they can also eliminate swelling, stop the development of microorganisms, and restore the nasal mucosa.

Such medications include:

• Polydexa is a spray, the drug contains 2 antibiotics and a component that constricts blood vessels;
• Isofra, the drug consists of 1 antibiotic;
• Pinosol, the drug has antibacterial properties.

Surgical treatment: indications, methods, preparation and recovery

Nasal congestion in a child, which must be treated immediately, is eliminated surgically for the following indications:

• nasal anatomy;
• acute infectious diseases of the nose;
• diseases of the paranasal sinuses of a chronic nature.

Methods include:

• plastic surgery for violations of the structure of the nose;
• antihistamines;
• immunotherapy;
• salt rinses and the use of hormonal agents.

If there are no positive results from medications, then surgical interventions (low-traumatic) are used:

• osteoconchotomy;
• laser photodestruction;
• ultrasonic disintegration.

The purpose of this operation is to destroy the submucosal vessels to eliminate edema.

Preparation for low-traumatic surgical operations:

• consultation with an otolaryngologist;
• rhinoscopy;

  

• CT scan of the nose;
• ECG;
• fluorography;
• all tests;
• consultation of additional specialists such as therapist, anesthesiologist, cardiologist.

Rehabilitation:

• individual observation in the clinic during the day;
• after 5–7 days, discomfort in the nasal region may appear, as well as a slight nasal sound of the vocal cords;
• For 14 days after the procedure, you cannot engage in physical activity, visit the pool, sauna or bathhouse. Do not contact sick people and avoid hypothermia. Exclude hot food and drink from the diet to avoid bleeding;
• Possible antibiotic therapy after surgery to prevent bacterial infection;
• full recovery occurs after 2 weeks;
• It is necessary to see a specialist more often.

Folk remedies for nasal congestion in children: recipes, dosage regimen

Folk remedies include:

• warming up;
• washing;
• drops based on Kalanchoe or aloe.

For heating, you can use any salt, as well as eggs. They need to be applied to the wings of the nose and warmed until they cool down. The eggs must first be wrapped in cloth so as not to burn the skin.

When using salt, you need to heat it in a frying pan and pour it into a scarf; you need to warm your nose with salt for 10 minutes. Thanks to this method, swelling can be eliminated.

To rinse your nasal passages with sea salt, use 1 tsp. salt and dilute it with 1 tbsp. warm water. The procedure should be carried out every 3 or 4 hours. This method will help flush out the sinuses from accumulated mucus.

To prepare drops from a medicinal plant, you will need to dilute aloe juice and boiled water in equal quantities. Instill 2 or 3 drops into the nasal passages up to 3 times a day. For each procedure, you need to prepare fresh medicine. Aloe juice can be replaced with onion juice.

Warming up your feet

Children over 3 years old can have their feet soared.

Rules for the procedure:

• You need to pour water with a temperature no higher than 38 degrees into a deep basin;
• Place a hot kettle next to the basin and add hot water as it cools;
• You need to warm up your feet for 15 minutes;
• After the procedure, wipe your feet dry;
• wrap the baby under a blanket and give him a hot drink.

You can steam your feet using essential oils, decoctions, and mustard.

Massage: rules of execution, frequency

Massage rules for nasal congestion in a child will help make nasal breathing easier:

• The main thing is not to massage the eyebrows and temporal area;

  

• you need to press gently and carefully;
• You need to massage the points no more than 5 times;
• Rotate the movements 10 times, first in one direction, then back;
• paired areas need to be massaged together at the same time;
• It is recommended to massage with the middle and index fingers;
• During the massage, the baby should not experience any unpleasant sensations, otherwise the baby will cry;
• the procedure should begin from the wings of nasal breathing and move towards the forehead;
• end the session in the crown area.

The most important points on the face for massage are:

• bridge of the nose;
• sides of the nose;
• just above the nostrils.

The procedure can also be performed on the body:

• head (crown, above 1 vertebra in the neck, in the middle of the auricle, outer corners of the eyes);
• legs, arms (heels, area under the knees, between the index and thumb, wrists).

Diagnostics

A runny nose in the morning cannot be ignored - you must immediately contact an ENT specialist and undergo:

• rhinoscopy;
• allergy tests;
• radiography;
• spiral computed tomography;
• MRI.

If sneezing is accompanied by green mucus, bacterial culture for pathogenic microflora and antibiograms are necessary. If a malignant nature of the tumor is suspected (if one has been identified), tissue is collected for further cytological examination.

How to treat morning runny nose? It is best to entrust this issue to a specialist, since therapeutic approaches for an adult and a small child are different. But there is something in common between them: treatment depends on what causes the patient’s rhinitis.

Adult patients

The general principles of treating morning runny nose in adults come down to:

• avoiding contact with the allergen;
• taking antihistamines (Suprastin, Loratadine, Tavegil);
• the use of antibacterial drugs (tablets, drops, or even injections: Penicillin, Bicillin, drugs from the macrolide group, etc.);
• rinsing the nose with saline solutions - NoSalt, AquaMaris, Pshik, Quix, Humer, Dolphin.
• taking antiviral drugs - Novirin, Combiflu, Flucolda.

A runny nose in the morning, caused by dry air, requires the use of special devices - humidifiers, which can be purchased in the store. Physiotherapy, in particular UHF, also gives good results.

For polypous sinusitis, a course of hormonal intranasal drugs (Flix, Dexamethasone, Beconase, Nasonex) is prescribed, and if they are ineffective, surgical removal of the overgrown mucosal tissue is prescribed.

The principles of treating snot that occurs in the morning in a child are similar to those in adults - only the medications and their dosage differ. So, if we are talking about allergies, then antihistamine syrups are suitable for a baby from 6 months to 5 years: Tavegil, Loratadine, Ketotifen, Alerdez, L-Cet, etc.

To facilitate nasal breathing, children's vasoconstrictor drops or sprays are used: Nazol Baby/Kids, Farmazolin, Naphthyzin, Rinazolin. At the same time, the nose is washed with saline or hypertonic solutions based on sea salt (HumerU Quicks, Dolphin).

As in adults, it is possible to use GCS: Flix, Nasonex. But if adenoiditis occurs, children are advised to remove the overgrown mucous tissue.

For sinusitis that is not accompanied by suppuration, they resort to warming physiotherapy. Tube-quartz, UHF, and electrophoresis also have a good effect on the condition of the paranasal sinuses and nasal mucosa.

Creating comfortable breathing conditions in the room

Nasal congestion in a child, the treatment of which will help free nasal breathing, can be eliminated with the help of breathing exercises.

In the room where breathing exercises are performed, the conditions should be comfortable:

• you need to thoroughly ventilate the room;

  

• the air temperature should not exceed 20 degrees;
• you can turn on the humidifier;
• It is best to carry out breathing exercises in the morning and evening;
• the session should be carried out for 20 minutes;
• do not eat food 1 hour before training.

Exercises for nasal congestion in children:

• “mill”, while standing, place your hands with your palms up, move your hands in a circle, cross them in front of your face and pronounce the sound (zh-r-r-r), perform 6 times;
• “warm up”, spread your legs to the sides, place your hands with scissors in front of your chest, then clap your palms on your shoulders and pronounce the sound (u-h-h-h), spread your arms back to the sides, perform 10 times;
• “skater”, place your legs wider, put your hands behind your back, you need to bend your right and left shins alternately, while turning your body to the sides, as a speed skater does, and make a sound (k-r-r-r), repeat 8 times ;
• “frogs are jumping”, connect the limbs, place your hands on the waist, while inhaling, jump with your feet forward, and immediately exhale, pronounce the sound (k-v-a-k), do 8 times;
• “sit down in a lump”, spread your limbs a little, lower your arms down, sit down on your entire foot, lean forward strongly, grab your knees with your hands, lower your head down, pronounce the sound (hr-r-r-r), perform 5 times;
• “got lost”, connect the limbs, form a mouthpiece, make a sound while inhaling (a-oo-oo-oo), do it 10 times;
• “grow big”, connect your limbs, arms up, pull yourself up on your toes while inhaling, lower down when exhaling, pronounce the sound (oo-x-x-x), do 5 times;
• “stork”, connect the limbs, spread your arms to the sides, raise 1 limb and bend at the knees, exhale and hiss (sh-sh-sh-sh), slowly take the original position, perform 5 times;
• “pump”, connect the limbs, place the hands along the body, while inhaling, tilt the body to the side, exhale, the hand should slide down the limb, and the other should be raised up to the armpits, pronounce the sound (s-s-s-), perform 8 once;
• “geese are flying”, you need to move slowly around the room, while inhaling, raise your arms to the sides, while exhaling, lower your arms down, pronounce the sound (g-oo-oo), do 10 times.

The cause of nasal congestion in a child must be identified immediately. This is due to the fact that there is a serious disorder in the baby’s body that leads to such discomfort. To do this, you need to contact a specialist as soon as possible and not waste time with self-medication.

Author: Belaeva Kristina.

Article design: Vladimir the Great