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How to treat a runny nose in infants with folk remedies. How to properly treat a runny nose in an infant

Any discomfort in infants alarm parents and cause anxiety, even if it is a runny nose. But, before you panic, you should figure out why a newborn and a baby can have such a symptom, is it dangerous in early age and how to properly treat it.

runny nose baby- fairly common symptom

What is a runny nose?

A runny nose or, according to medical terminology, rhinitis is a symptom of various diseases, which is manifested by difficulty breathing through the nose and the appearance of mucous secretions. A baby with a runny nose sniffles, sneezes and “squishes” with his nose. Frequent appearance runny nose in infants is due to narrow nasal passages at an early age, as a result of which the nose is quickly clogged with mucus, even if there is not much of it.

What is it like?

In infancy, a runny nose can be:

physiological. The cause of such a runny nose is the insufficiently well-functioning work of the mucous membrane, which after birth within 8-10 weeks only gets used to the conditions of breathing through the nose.
Viral. A baby can become infected from a sick child or a carrier of the virus while walking, in a clinic or in another public place.
bacterial. Most often, such a runny nose appears as a complication viral disease when pathogenic bacteria begin to actively multiply in a weakened children's body.

A pediatrician will help to find out the nature of the origin of a runny nose in a baby

How to understand if a runny nose is dangerous or not?

The danger of a runny nose for babies in the first year of life is due to the inability of children of this age to breathe through their mouths and blow their nose, as well as the speed of edema of the nasopharyngeal mucosa, which can cause problems with breathing, eating and sleeping. In addition, a mild runny nose in an infant up to a year old can quickly spread throughout the child's body, provoking otitis media, ethmoiditis, conjunctivitis or bronchitis.

To prevent serious complications and prolonged runny nose in infants, consult a doctor in such cases:

The body temperature of the baby is above + 37.5 ° C.
The baby had shortness of breath.
At the baby poor appetite to the point of not eating.
A runny nose prevents the baby from sleeping.
Symptoms do not go away for more than 7 days.
The appearance of a runny nose is caused by contact with a potential allergen.

Effective remedies for treatment

Spout cleaning

Because baby under one year old can't blow his nose on his own main task parents should be removing excess mucus from the baby's nose. For this purpose it is recommended to use special aspirator or small syringe with a soft nose. Do not use syringes or cotton swabs to remove mucus.

Dr. Komarovsky will tell in detail the sequence of actions when cleaning the baby's nose in the video:

Microclimate in the room

If a runny nose torments a baby, parents in without fail should provide an optimal microclimate in the children's room. The baby must breathe clean and moistened air, and dry air in a room that is too warm will only worsen the course of a runny nose.

The norm of humidity for a children's room is 65-75%, and optimal temperature call +28°C for a newborn, +24°C for a child aged 1-9 months and about +22°C for a baby older than 9 months.

Any objects that accumulate dust should be removed from the room and wet cleaning should be carried out regularly. You should also give the baby more to drink, as discharge from the nose removes fluid from the body of the crumbs.

Medications

To prevent drying of the mucous membrane in the nose, babies are advised to instill moisturizers. These include salt solutions - as pharmacy-based sea salt(Aquamaris, No-sol, Aqualor, Salin and others), and cooked at home from boiled water and table salt.

Also, infants of the first year of life can be instilled oil drops, since such funds will also help keep the mucous membrane moisturized. Permitted drugs for infants are vaseline, equiliptate and mint oil.

To eliminate the risk of an allergic reaction, the first use of such drugs should be represented by 1 drop of the product applied to the skin under the crumbs nose. If after 3-4 hours the skin does not turn red, and the runny nose does not get worse, then you can drip oil remedy 1 drop in each nostril. With absence negative reactions then a single dose can be increased to 2-3 drops.

With significant swelling of the mucosa, the pediatrician may recommend instillation of vasoconstrictor drugs. From the funds of this group in infancy, Nazol Baby, Otrivin 0.05% and Nazivin 0.01% can be used. Such medicines are often instilled at bedtime no more than once every 6 hours and no longer than three days in a row.

Infants under one year old can also be instilled with Protargol (an antiseptic drug containing silver) and Vibrocil (a drug that has both a vasoconstrictor and an antihistamine effect).

If a runny nose appeared in an infant, The best tactic for parents should be to see a pediatrician. The doctor will examine the baby, determine the cause of such a symptom and recommend the correct treatment.
You should not use any folk remedies in the treatment of a runny nose in an infant, as predict the body's reaction small child on the folk recipes very difficult. At an early age, instillation of juices, decoctions and herbal infusions is contraindicated.
Remember that in infancy you can't wash your nose. The procedure is not safe for a small child, since the solution can enter both the lungs and the auditory tube. It is also not recommended to do steam inhalation to the baby. The only permissible manipulation at the age of up to a year is instillation of the nose.
Do not bury in the nose of the baby women's milk, because it will be an excellent breeding ground for microorganisms. And therefore, such treatment can provoke the attachment bacterial infection.

Young children often have a runny nose. This is due to the structure of the nasal passages. The mucosa swells, it becomes difficult for the child to breathe, he is naughty, sleeps and eats poorly. It is important to start treating snot in babies on time. The infection can quickly descend to the lower respiratory tract, causing coughing and other illnesses.

With a runny nose in an infant at 2-3 months, the nasal mucosa quickly swells. This is due to the narrow and short nasal passages. It is difficult for a child to suckle milk. If left untreated, the edema quickly spreads to the larynx, trachea, and bronchi. Inflammation can also affect the ear mucosa.

At the age of 6 months, the salivary glands are actively working in infants. Much saliva flows from the nose and mouth. If the child feels well, there are no other signs of a cold, then you can calm down.

A runny nose in a child can occur for several reasons:

the entry of viruses or bacteria into the body (treatment is based on taking antiviral drugs or antibiotics);
allergic irritant (it is enough to eliminate the irritant);
dry air (moisten the nose and walk in the fresh air);
moment of teething;
entry into the nasal passage of a foreign body.

Treatment is necessary when:

the child refuses to feed, is naughty;
runny nose interferes with breathing, sleeping, eating;
the color of mucous secretions changes;
there is an increase in body temperature;
cough appears.

If the baby has transparent snot, breathing is not disturbed, there is no temperature, more often you need to apply it to your chest, moisten the air, ventilate the room, suck out the mucus. Additional Treatment not required.

How many days a runny nose will last in a child is influenced by many factors: the correct diagnosis, the time the treatment was started, and the establishment of the cause of its occurrence. How many days does a runny nose go away if treated correctly? At favorable conditions runny nose can be cured after 5-7 days.

There are several stages in the development of the common cold:

There is itching and burning in the nose. The baby sneezes frequently. How long is this period? Similar symptoms observed for about two days. Then there are mucous secretions, lacrimation.
The nasal mucosa swells, turns red, the vessels dilate, and it becomes difficult to breathe. The baby's sense of smell and hearing may be reduced. Duration - about three days.
Appearance this stage associated with bacterial infection. Snot thick, plentiful. Most often, green snot appears in the baby. Body temperature may rise and coughing may begin. Such a runny nose should be urgently treated, you can not walk with the child at this time and bathe him.

In the event that a runny nose in a baby lasts more than 2 weeks, the likelihood of complications and transition to a chronic form increases.

Characteristics of a runny nose in babies

There are several types of snot that are typical for a child in the first months of life.

Transparent.
Yellow or green.
With streaks of blood.

Clear slime

Appears with physiological rhinitis. There is an adaptation of the nasopharynx to new conditions. This type of snot is typical for the first two months of a child's life. He does not need to be treated. It is enough to moisturize the nose and walk outside more often.
May occur with allergies (most often food). Before starting treatment, the allergen should be identified.
Observed during teething.
Often transparent snot occurs in the early stages viral infection. They need to be treated with antiviral drugs.

white snot

Occur at the initial stage of the common cold. There is swelling of the nasal cavity and fever. Washing with saline solutions and vasoconstrictors for the nose will help alleviate the condition. At the stage of recovery, white snot becomes a rich color.

Yellow or green discharge

May indicate that the snot passes (killed bacteria flow along with the mucus from the nose).
Spread of infection. If thick yellow or green snot flows 2 weeks after the disease, the condition indicates the development inflammatory process. Most often, sinusitis occurs. It is not recommended to walk on the street. You must adhere to bed rest.

When they enter the body pathogenic microbes, green snot from the baby begins to go. The waste products of microbes stain the mucus in a different color. Thick yellow or white snot causes severe swelling mucosa and can lead to complete loss of breath through the nose.

Snot with blood

Sometimes adults can detect blood in the mucus.

This may indicate a violation of the work of blood vessels due to incorrect, uncontrolled use of drugs. Most often this applies to vasoconstrictor drugs. The nasal mucosa is very dry.
Blood in a child may appear during the inflammatory process. The capillaries become brittle and easily damaged.
Mechanical damage to the nasal passages.
Lack of vitamin C.
Very rarely, the cause is an increase in intracranial pressure.

Yellow, green or white snot with blood indicates the development of inflammation in the nasal passages. Often associated with high fever.

If the snot is thick, it becomes even more difficult for the child to get rid of them. Treatment should be aimed at thinning the mucus. Especially thick snot begins to disturb the baby in a horizontal position when he sleeps. Draining down the larynx, they envelop the mucous membrane, causing a cough.

If you change the color of snot, consistency and increase their intensity, you can not self-medicate.

Therapeutic measures

As soon as the child has the first symptoms of a runny nose, measures should be taken.

Do more wet cleaning in the room.
Monitor the temperature and humidity in the room.
If there is no temperature, then it is recommended to be outside. You can walk if the weather is calm, dry weather.
Be sure to rinse the child's nose with saline solutions.
A special aspirator should remove accumulated mucus.

If a runny nose in a child is accompanied by fever, cough and copious secretions from the nose, then you can’t walk on the street. Especially when frost, rain, wind. You can't bathe the baby.

When the baby eats well, is cheerful, there is no cough and the discharge is not intense, walking on the street is not only possible, but also necessary.

If there is a need to see a doctor, the following medicines can be prescribed:

antiviral local drops (Grippferon, Interferon);
vasoconstrictor drops (Nazivin, Otrivin) should not be dripped for more than three days;
immunity boosters (Derinat drops, Genferon suppositories);
antiseptic drugs (Miramistin, Albucid, Protargol);
local antibiotics (Isofra);
drops based sea water(Aqua Maris, Aqualor);
antihistamine nasal drops (Vibrocil);
antipyretics.

Folk recipes to combat a runny nose in an infant

Treatment of a runny nose with breast milk must be carried out with caution. Milk creates favorable environment for the development of bacteria and can lead to drying of the nasal mucosa.

Treating a runny nose using folk remedies should be done with caution in children under 6 months of age.

Consequences of a cold in young children

If you do not treat a runny nose or choose the wrong means to combat it, complications may occur. The child of the first months of life ceases to gain weight, to develop physically, and there will be a weakening of the immune system.

Prolonged runny nose can lead to such serious illnesses, how:

laryngitis;
otitis;
tracheitis;
bronchitis;
bacterial conjunctivitis;
pneumonia.

Swelling of the nose leads to the fact that the child receives less oxygen. As a result, respiratory and cardiovascular systems. At chronic diseases nose, the child looks tired, drowsy, absent-minded. violated cognitive sphere: memory, attention, thinking.

Preventive measures

Sometimes wrong treatment can lead to complications. Note to parents, what not to do when the baby is sick:

Hygiene rules to help avoid colds.

Avoid crowded places.
Proper balanced nutrition.
Take frequent walks outdoors.
Do gymnastic exercises with your child.
Air baths (leave the child without clothes for several minutes).

When a child begins to get sick, he requires even more attention. Excessive anxiety of the mother is transmitted to the baby, and the symptoms of the disease will be more pronounced. Therefore, it must be surrounded by attention and care. Spend more time with him, pick him up, talk, hug him.

The first months of motherhood are happy and difficult time because mom and baby just get to know each other. Often this period can present unpleasant surprises. For example, the appearance of a runny nose in a newborn baby always causes serious concern young mothers, because the future health of the child largely depends on the current well-being of the child. In addition, a stuffy nose is a big stress for a baby who still does not know how to breathe through his mouth. We will talk about ways to treat a runny nose, depending on its causes, in this article.

A runny nose in a newborn can be caused by one of the following reasons:

allergic reaction to dust, wool, fluff;
hypothermia;
viral infection;
stuck in the nasal cavity foreign objects and mucosal injuries;
adaptation to conditions environment(physiological runny nose).

If during hypothermia it is enough just to warm the baby, and the runny nose will disappear, then efforts will have to be made to get rid of the physiological, allergic and viral rhinitis.

Physiological rhinitis and features of its treatment

This type of runny nose is most common in the first two months of life. All systems of the baby at this time are actively adapting to the outside world, because in the womb the baby was in completely different conditions. Respiratory system must also get used to functioning correctly, since in the womb the fetus received oxygen through the umbilical cord, and did not use the nose and lungs for breathing.

Adaptation continues in the first 10-12 weeks after birth, and therefore during this period it is necessary to maintain the optimum level of temperature (18-21 degrees) and humidity (50-70%) in the room, as well as to carry out wet cleaning more often.

During the adaptation period, the level of mucus in the baby's nose is increased, which provokes nasal congestion and runny nose.

Signs of a physiological runny nose:

the child sleeps soundly and eats with appetite;
swelling of the nasal mucosa is absent;
the baby does not experience significant discomfort and anxiety;
fever, cough and other symptoms of a cold are absent, and only occasionally short-term sneezing appears;
thin and clear mucus is discharged from the nose.

IMPORTANT! Physiological runny nose is a natural and harmless process that does not need to be interfered with.

It is noted that non-intervention allows the physiological runny nose to pass much faster. To help your child feel better, you can do the following:

remove objects from the baby's room that collect dust, make it difficult to breathe and provoke allergic reactions(books, carpets, plants);
observe temperature regime, optimal air humidity;
three to five times a day, carefully instill one drop of sea water-based products (for example, Aqua Maris, Aqualor Baby) or mineral water.

IMPORTANT! It is advisable to avoid instillation of vasoconstrictor drops against the common cold to the baby. They do not cure a runny nose, but only relieve symptoms. Their long-term use will translate the physiological runny nose into a chronic one, which will be extremely difficult to get rid of!

Usually, a physiological runny nose resolves on its own within 10 days. If this does not happen and other symptoms are connected (poor sleep and appetite, lethargy, blood in nasal discharge, their greenish or yellowish tinge) should be reported to the doctor immediately.

Allergic rhinitis and its treatment

An extremely rare occurrence is a runny nose of the baby, which has an allergic nature. The fact is that babies of the first months of life are not subject to such a manifestation of allergies as a runny nose. If a child has eaten a product that caused a reaction in his body, this will manifest itself as a rash on the skin, but not a runny nose.

However, allergic rhinitis has its own special symptoms:

rash on the body and face;
watery and itchy eyes (the baby scratches them);
frequent sneezing;
secretion of clear liquid mucus from the nose.

These symptoms are easily confused with the manifestations of SARS, but with allergies they are not accompanied by an increase in body temperature. It is also easy to confuse an allergic rhinitis with a physiological one.

IMPORTANT! Treatment of allergic rhinitis should be started only after an accurate diagnosis by a specialist.

Due to the rarity of the disease in infants, special means There is no cure for allergic rhinitis. But such rhinitis goes away on its own when the allergen that provokes it is eliminated. This means that it is necessary to identify what exactly caused the allergy.

Possible culprits of allergic rhinitis in infants:

pets and birds;
household dust;
plant pollen;
cigarette smoke;
mattresses, blankets, pillows containing bird down and feathers;
chlorine-containing household chemicals.

You should limit your baby's contact with the above potential allergens. As a solution:

often carry out wet cleaning without the use of chemicals;
remove all houseplants from the room;
change bedding on new ones with hypoallergenic fillers;
do not let animals into the child's room;
go outside to smoke.

Once the allergen is eliminated, the runny nose will quickly stop (within one to two days).

Treatment of viral rhinitis with medicines

SARS and other infections are the most common causes nasal congestion and runny nose. Even if it seems that this reason is excluded because the child has not been in contact with sick people, it is not. A baby can easily become infected from a non-ill carrier of the infection.

The following symptoms accompanying a runny nose may indicate its viral nature:

breathing is much more difficult;
mucus of a yellowish or greenish hue with a rather thick and viscous consistency is plentifully released from the nose;
body temperature is increased;
mucous membranes in the nose and throat are irritated, their redness is observed;
the baby refuses to eat or takes frequent breaks during feeding to catch his breath;
the child behaves restlessly, cries a lot, falls asleep badly and often wakes up.

IMPORTANT! If you have even some of these symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor.

In the case of viral rhinitis without medications it will not work out to speed up the cure and prevent complications. The doctor will examine the child and make an accurate diagnosis. If infection is confirmed, the main task drug therapy will be eliminated as soon as possible.

Usually the pediatrician prescribes:

antipyretic drugs;
saline for nasal instillation;
vasoconstrictor drops (only in rare cases when the child cannot breathe through the nose at all due to congestion);
immunomodulating agents (only in difficult cases, when the disease occurs with the addition of a bacterial infection).

How to independently help the baby during viral rhinitis

The already narrow nasal passages of the baby during the infection narrow even more due to edema, and are also clogged with mucus (snot). Under such conditions, the child's breathing is blocked, he cannot eat normally, he is not able to sleep. The primary task of parents is to alleviate the condition of the baby. You can do this using the following methods:

ensure optimal humidity (60-70%) and air temperature (18-20 degrees) in the room so that the mucus liquefies and comes out easier;
instill saline, mineral water or special preparations based on sea water drop by drop into the baby's nostrils ( Aqua Maris) so that the sinuses are cleansed and the mucous membrane is moistened;
if the child cannot fall asleep at all, a one-time and careful use of an aspirator to suck mucus from the sinuses is possible.

IMPORTANT! Many experts argue that it is undesirable to use an aspirator too often, as in some cases this leads to otitis media. In addition, inserting the aspirator too deeply into the nostril injures the mucosa and causes even more swelling.

If the air in the room is humid, the mucus thins out. Burials also help her quickly go outside. In addition, immediately after instillation, the newborn begins to sneeze, automatically blowing out with a stream of air all the mucus accumulated in the sinuses.

Essential oil will also help the baby cope with a runny nose. eucalyptus. It has antimicrobial, antiviral, antipyretic and antiseptic effects. You can arrange an aromatherapy session for a baby by dropping a drop of oil on a cotton swab placed at the head of the crib. Also, the oil can be sprayed in the room with a spray bottle, added to an aroma lamp or a special humidifier compartment. You can also drop oil into a cup with hot water but keep it away from the baby.

Doses in the humidifier and evaporator are minimal - a drop of eucalyptus oil for every eight square meters rooms. In a spray bottle, you can use one drop of eucalyptus oil per 100 ml of plain water. Two 20-minute sessions a day are enough.

IMPORTANT! The listed measures are only an addition to the procedures and medications prescribed by the doctor.

Treatment of a runny nose in a newborn for 1 month using folk methods

Traditional medicine offers its own proven recipes for getting rid of the common cold. True, since the mucous membranes of the baby are very tender, any unconventional means treatments require special care in application.

Against the common cold in children, the following recipes are often offered:

instillation of beet and carrot juices;
instillation vegetable oil infused with garlic;
instillation of a mixture of onion and garlic juices in half with water;
instillation of sea buckthorn oil;
instillation of aloe juice diluted with water;
baths with herbal infusions;
warming up the nose with a quartz lamp.

IMPORTANT! It is strictly forbidden to bury undiluted beetroot juice in the nose of a newborn. it aggressive agent with a high degree of probability it will burn the mucous membrane of the child (there are a lot of such cases).

But diluted beet juice will not bring any benefit, so it is better to give preference to other means. carrot juice , although it cannot damage the mucous membrane, it is useless for instillation and can even cause allergies. If we talk about aggressive juices onion and garlic, then it is also better to refrain from using them to treat any kind of runny nose in a monthly baby, so as not to damage the sensitive mucous membrane.

Sea buckthorn oil can be used by instilling one or two drops into each nostril of a newborn three to four times a day. It is able to eliminate inflammation, relieve swelling and strengthen the vessels located in the nasal mucosa.

Aloe juice - effective remedy for the treatment of rhinitis in infants

It will also help to eliminate a runny nose faster. aloe juice. For its preparation, you need to take the leaves of a plant older than three years of age. This juice is endowed with a number of useful properties:

destroys viruses and microbes due to antiseptic activity;
acts as a natural antibiotic, destroying bacteria;
relieves swelling and pain syndrome;
strengthens the mucosa, increasing resistance to infections.

To prepare a solution for instillation, the lower leaves of the plant are torn off, wrapped in paper and left in the refrigerator for 12-15 hours. Next, the leaves are finely chopped, and the juice is separated from the gruel through cheesecloth. Diluted juice boiled water in a ratio of 1:5 (1 part juice to 5 parts water). The resulting remedy ( room temperature) is instilled two or three drops in each nostril twice a day. Also, with this solution, you can additionally gently wipe the nasal mucosa two to three times a day, wetting a cotton swab or soft cotton swab in it.

IMPORTANT! Use of aloe juice is allowed only in the minimum dosages given. If after using the product the child cries for a long time, treatment with aloe juice must be stopped.

Herbal infusions, added to bathing water, facilitate the baby's breathing due to the healing vapors inhaled by him and substances absorbed through the skin. But at high temperatures, water procedures prohibited. The rest of the time, sage, chamomile, calendula, eucalyptus leaves are used to treat the common cold. Brew one or more herbs at the rate of a tablespoon of raw materials per half liter of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, strain and pour into a bath. After bathing, warm socks should be put on the baby's legs.

IMPORTANT! Herbs can cause allergies, so after each bath with infusion, you must carefully monitor general well-being the child and the condition of his skin.

If there is blue at home quartz lamp, with its help you can warm the baby during sleep. The duration of the procedure for newborns is indicated in the instructions and usually does not exceed one to two minutes. Because even if there is special nozzles to warm up the nose, it is problematic to apply them to a newborn, the child is simply irradiated, holding the lamp at a distance of 15-40 cm (depending on the model of the lamp). The quartzing procedure is carried out no more than once a day.

Effective methods of treating a runny nose in infants at 1 month at home

Means	Method of application and dosage
Drops based on sea water, mineral water, saline	Instill one drop into each nostril three to five times a day
Eucalyptus essential oil	Add to an aroma lamp or a cup of hot water at the rate of one drop per 8 sq.m.
Sea buckthorn oil	Instill one to two drops in each nostril up to four times a day
Aloe juice	Dilute with boiled water in a ratio of 1:5, instill two or three drops twice a day
Bath with herbal infusions	Brew a tablespoon of herbs with 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, strain, pour into bathing water 0

A runny nose, or, in the medical term, rhinitis is the most common symptom ARVI, and already in infancy, children manage to get sick several times. It is clear that for every case of a runny nose, you don’t really want to go to the doctor, but you still need to treat it. Or not? And if treated, then how - after all, not all means are suitable for the baby ...

Why treat a runny nose and when to see a doctor

By virtue of age features structure of the nasal cavity and ear runny nose in infants is often complicated by acute otitis media.

“Snot and snot will go away on their own ... someday” or “an untreated runny nose goes away in 7 days, and a treated one in a week” are quite common statements. Indeed, a runny nose usually passes quite quickly and proceeds relatively easily, and recovery from it cannot be significantly accelerated with the help of medicines. Then why treat him at all?

First of all, the treatment of the common cold helps to cope with subjective unpleasant sensations. We all suffered from rhinitis and remember how hard it is to breathe with a stuffy nose, how the head hurts, dries in the mouth, itches and becomes inflamed from constant leakage from the nose, the skin over upper lip. Well, if there is no temperature. The infant, although unable to complain, still experiences the same distressing symptoms. So why not help him?

In addition, an untreated runny nose is fraught with complications - there are no sinusitis in infancy, but SARS will progress further, capturing the larynx, trachea,. As a result, banal snot can end in pneumonia - and this is not an exaggeration. Infants, especially newborns, do not resist infection well - they need help.

When medical advice is needed:

With a cold in a newborn.
If the child fell ill for the first time, and you have absolutely no idea how to treat him. Do not seek advice from pharmacists when buying "nasal drops" - it is better to go to an appointment or, if there is a temperature, call a doctor at home.
If, in addition to snot, there are other symptoms - cough, lacrimation. It is all the more necessary to consult a pediatrician when the child is lethargic, refuses to eat, constantly cries.

How and how to treat a runny nose in infants

Mode and diet

When the mode is home, it is not recommended to bathe the child in the bath. After normalization of body temperature, you can go outside (in calm, non-frosty weather), bathing is allowed with a clear improvement in the condition (after about 4-5 days).

Compliance with a special diet is not required - if the child eats willingly, leave the usual food for him. When refusing to eat, do not force feed the baby - let him eat as much as he can and wants. But be sure to supplement the child - with snot, he loses a lot of fluid. Use boiled water as supplement. Tea, compotes and juices - only if you have already given them before.

Medicines

For the treatment of only a runny nose, not accompanied by fever and other symptoms, it is quite enough to use only local forms from drugs - drops and other nasal products. Please note: children infancy Drops are preferred over nasal sprays.

In their action, all varieties of local dosage forms can be divided into several groups:

Vasoconstrictor.
Moisturizing.
Antiviral.
Drops with antiseptics.

Vasoconstrictor

Vasoconstrictor drops relieve swelling, facilitating nasal breathing and “dry” a little, reducing the amount of discharge. They must be used very carefully, strictly according to the instructions and only in a special dosage intended for instillation in children under one year old. Drops are instilled one into each nasal passage no more than 3 times a day (it is advisable to limit yourself to the minimum dosage, using them only before daytime and nighttime sleep). Without a doctor's prescription, they cannot be used for longer than 3 days.

In vasoconstrictor drops, the effect, although very good, is short-lived, so parents often have a desire to drip again and again or continue treatment after 3-4 days. In no case should you do this: the main medicinal component of vasoconstrictor drops is a potent substance and, penetrating through the mucous membranes, can cause very serious side effects. I had to deal with a case of the development of seizures in a baby against the background of instillation of vasoconstrictor drops by the mother every 2 hours, and another of my patients noted vomiting and a high-pitched cry after a single overdose (mother accidentally squeezed the bottle and injected a trickle of medicine into the nose of the child). And manifestations in the form of tremor occur even at the usual dosages of drugs.

From vasoconstrictor drops, children under one year old can be used Nazol baby, Nazivin for children 0.01%.

Moisturizers

To moisturize the mucosa, thin the thick discharge and facilitate the sanitation (cleansing) of the nasal cavity, children are prescribed drops and products based on sterile sea water or isotonic (physiological) solution. Such droplets are completely safe, they cannot be overdosed. With a runny nose, it is recommended to wash the child's nose every 2 hours (3-4 drops or 1 dose of the remedy), as well as before instillation of other drops (antiviral, antiseptic, vasoconstrictor) - to cleanse the nasal cavity, which accelerates the action of another medicine and does not give it run out with snot.

Moisturizing preparations are available in the form of drops (Aquamaris), nasal sprays (Salin), special products (Akvalor baby "Soft shower", Otrivin baby with a nasal aspirator). Regular saline (0.9% NaCl) can be purchased. When instilling and washing, fix the child's head well and do not insert the pipette tip or the tip of the bottle deeper than 0.5 cm, so as not to injure the mucous membrane.

Antiviral

With a runny nose, antiviral drugs that are buried in the nose act most quickly - Grippferon, Interferon. The need for their use, dosage and duration of treatment are determined by the pediatrician. In my opinion, it is not necessary to universally prescribe antiviral drugs to all infants with a runny nose - I prescribe them only to newborns and children with weakened immune systems.

Antiseptics

Antiseptics dry out the nasal mucosa and have an antimicrobial effect, so they are used for mucopurulent (cloudy snot) or purulent (yellow and green snot) discharge from the nose. Protargol is usually recommended - a silver-based drug (it is not produced in ready-made, in regular pharmacy you will not find it - only in a hospital or a pharmacy that makes medicines itself). Sometimes Albucid (sulfacyl sodium) is used - these are eye drops, but they can also be dripped into the nose.

Antiseptics, although not as dangerous as vasoconstrictors, still have a fairly strong local effect and can cause excessive drying and burns of the nasal mucosa, so you do not need to prescribe them to your child and use them without special need.

As a rule, with banal rhinitis does not happen high temperature, low-grade fever is characteristic - a temperature in the range of 37.3–37.7 ° C, which does not need to be knocked down. If there is an increase in body temperature to 38 ° C and above, use any children's antipyretic (Efferalgan, Panadol, Nurofen) and call a doctor.

Non-medicinal products for the nose

To improve the child's condition and reduce the risk of complications, his nasal cavity should be freed from secretions.

In addition to medicines for the treatment of a runny nose in infants, you can use home-cooked remedies and breast milk.

Breast milk is one of the best means for the treatment of rhinitis in children. In terms of the breadth of impact and effectiveness, no drug can be compared with it. Mother's milk serves as a source of protective antibodies (antiviral effect), perfectly moisturizes the mucous membrane and is absolutely safe. Some mothers (and sometimes doctors) speak out against instillation in the nose breast milk, referring to the fact that it is unsterile and can become a source of infection for the baby. But you are not afraid to feed your baby with non-sterile milk, are you? Then why do nasal drops have to be completely sterile? If the mother does not have mastitis, viral hepatitis or other dangerous infection, you can safely bury milk in the baby's nose. The presence of the same SARS is not a contraindication for instillation.

You can make a moisturizer at home saline solution, dissolving ¼ tsp. in a glass of boiled water (the water should taste slightly salty) - you get a free option for expensive moisturizers. Bury it in 2-3 hours, 3-4 drops in each nasal passage. This solution should be prepared anew every 4 hours.

Another home remedy, which can be successfully used in infants, is carrot juice. Grate fresh carrots on a fine grater and squeeze through cheesecloth, drip the resulting juice 1 drop into each nasal passage 3 times a day. Carrot juice has an antiviral effect, dries and slightly irritates the mucous membrane, causing sneezing and thereby cleansing the baby's nose.

If you have aloe growing at home, you can make nasal drops based on the juice of its leaves. That's just for accumulation useful substances and amplification useful effect cut leaves for at least a couple of days must be put in a cool dark place. Aloe juice is mixed with boiled water 1:1 and dripped 1 drop 3 times a day. I do not recommend using Kalanchoe due to its strong irritating effect.

Non-drug measures

At in large numbers discharge, use nasal aspirators - they can effectively clear the nasal cavity of mucus. Before aspirating the mucus, drip a moisturizing solution - it will thin the discharge and make it easier to remove. As an aspirator, you can use an ordinary small rubber syringe with a soft tip.
Ventilate the room regularly.
Lay out chopped onions and garlic in the rooms - they will release phytoncides into the air, which have an antiviral effect.

Runny nose in infants and inhalation

Perform inhalations with medicinal herbs and essential oils infants not recommended - there is a high risk of developing laryngospasm and bronchial obstruction. Thermal inhalations (over warm, but not hot steam from boiled potatoes, mineral water) make sense to use in case of coughing - they are not indicated for the treatment of the common cold alone. With a thick discharge, you can (on the recommendation of a doctor) carry out inhalations saline through a nebulizer.

How to remove crusts from the nose

When the discharge thickens, it forms hard crusts in the baby's nose, scratching and injuring the mucous membrane and disrupting normal breathing. You can try to eliminate the crusts by dripping a few drops of a moisturizing solution - they soften and come out with the snot.

If this does not help, use sterile vaseline oil (available at the pharmacy) or boil the usual oil in a water bath. sunflower oil. Roll a small flagellum out of gauze, moisten it well with oil and insert into the baby's nostril to a depth of no more than 1 cm. After 10 seconds, remove the flagellum with a rotational movement - the crusts will come out with it. Clean the second nasal passage in the same way.

For babies, a runny nose is a very serious problem. It interferes with the basic functions of life - eating and sleeping. This may lead to serious problems with the health of the child and with the nerves of the mother, who is already having a hard time, and then the child suffocates while eating and “grunts” in her sleep. Therefore, young parents should know exactly how to cure a runny nose in a baby in the shortest possible time.

First, call your pediatrician. If contact with the doctor is established, then you can call in person and ask about the procedure, listen to recommendations and, without wasting time, send your family to the pharmacy. But the personal presence of a doctor is still necessary: dangerous causes may lie behind a banal runny nose. The temperature in an infant can rise by 2-3 degrees in a matter of minutes. Therefore, do not take risks, arm yourself with patience and get through to the clinic's registry.

In the meantime, tons of “wise” advice from older relatives will begin to pour on the head of a young mother (primiparous, as a rule). Be patient, listen to each one, and nod your head politely. Then turn on the logic, look on the Internet or call girlfriends with older children. Self-collection of information on the topic will give more and best result than advice like “rubbing the child’s face with the inside of their own T-shirt” or sprinkling with sacral fluids. And the newly-born grandmothers can change the vector and go to cook dinner for mom, wipe the floor in the nursery or run around the shops.

It is worth analyzing carefully and seemingly sound advice. For example, using breast milk instead of nasal drops. Increased mucosal temperature plus fever bodies, due to illness, turn the nose of the child into a small stove, where fat milk it simply bakes with mucus, forming an additional dense crust. If doubts about the adequacy of the method have not yet arisen, start with yourself: express a couple of drops of milk and drip into your nose, fix the sensations.

Home healers are also often advised to instill aloe or Kalanchoe juice in babies. Particularly modern sorceresses still offer to dilute the juice with water 1: 1. The idea seems great - natural biologically active substances will not harm the child's body. Yes, they won’t visibly hurt, but they can provoke severe allergies which you will have to fight for the rest of your life. Therefore, in the first months, the child should not come into contact with plant extracts.

We draw up an action plan

Do not fuss and try all the means at once. It will not work to cure a runny nose in both an adult and a baby in one day. Ideally, three days, in reality, it will take a week to get rid of this viscous nightmare. We develop a strategy and stick to it. Not a single medication acts instantly, so the effect after applying the drops will be noticeable only after a while.

The treatment of a cold in both an adult and a child consists of the same, logically justified, consistent actions.

It is important to make thick mucus more liquid in order to facilitate its subsequent extraction from the sinuses. Here we will need a variety of isotonic sprays and drops based on sea water.
Next, with the help of an aspirator, we extract the mucus. An aspirator is necessary, because the baby still does not know how to blow his nose.
We instill vasoconstrictor drops. So for the next few hours we will make life easier for the baby, who with clogged nose can neither eat nor drink nor sleep, and we will ensure a more effective penetration of the therapeutic agent.
We bury prescribed by a doctor medicine, which will directly treat a runny nose, that is, fight viruses in the nasal cavity.

Vasoconstrictor drops do not treat a runny nose. Only their use is not enough in the fight against the disease!

First aid kit for the treatment of the common cold

Together with strollers-cots, a first-aid kit must also be prepared for the birth of a child. In a conspicuous place there should be three main means to combat the common cold:

liquid for washing the baby's nose;
vasoconstrictor drops allowed by age;
medicine for the treatment of a cold, which will be prescribed by a doctor.

We wash the nose

Washing the nose of an infant should be done regularly and in " healthy days". From dry air, dust and milk getting there when swallowing, a dense crust forms in the depths of the nasal passages. It is almost impossible to clear the sinuses from it. enjoy cotton swabs strongly not recommended, this method of cleaning is fraught with mechanical damage mucous and even nasal septum. It is best to soften the crusts. For this, drops based on sea water are intended. There are several suitable for babies, they are the same in composition and are not cheap. That's why practical parents prefer to replace them with saline. One ampoule is enough for the whole day. If there is no saline at hand, you can salt boiled water and drip.

The bottle with softening drops has a pipette tip. It is quite large for 2-3 month old babies, it is difficult to insert it into the nostril. Stock up on third-party thin (but not sharp glass!) pipettes. So the procedure will become more tolerable for the baby.

With a cold and SARS, the narrow nasal passages of babies become clogged with dense mucus. It is a mucosal secretion secreted in response to illness. At the same time, the tissues of the nose expand, tightly compressing the developed clots. Salt in drops is able to thin these clots, so that it is easier to remove them later. And part of the liquefied "snot" will drain into the esophagus and go through all stages of digestion.

The nasal aspirator is a highly controversial subject. Some pediatricians advise using it, others categorically forbid it. Some mothers opt for semi-automatic aspirators with metered suction, while others rely more on their own breathing and simpler devices for clearing the nasal cavity of mucus, consisting of a transparent tube, a nostril tip and a mouthpiece that the mother takes into her mouth.

Any mucus in the human body becomes thicker due to lack of fluid. Let your child drink more. Then the mucus in the nose will be more watery, which will greatly facilitate your task of extracting it.

When using the aspirator for the first time, the mother should be prepared for the fact that the child will sob in horror and begin to break out. Therefore, it is best to swaddle the baby and call the next of kin for help - to fix the head. How smaller kid will spin less likely hurt him.

Act quickly so as not to come to your senses and get scared. Inhale not very sharply and not deeply, so as not to damage the mucous membranes of the child and not reach the eardrums. A few short breaths per nostril is enough, you should not carry out the procedure “until the last client”. If the result is not great, next time increase the amount of thinning drops.

Vasoconstrictor drops

Swelling of the mucous membrane and the formation of a viscous secret make it difficult to breathe. But a child can breathe through his mouth equally. Therefore, vasoconstrictor drops should be used last. And before use, you should get the advice of a specialist who will prescribe a drug that is safe for a particular age.

Abuse vasoconstrictor drops can lead to significant health problems for the child. Loss of smell among them will be the easiest. Therefore, these drops lie in reserve and are used in the last resort- when the baby cannot eat at all due to nasal congestion. Drops have a special children's dosage and a convenient pipette, on which the number of drops is marked with divisions.

Three-month-old children can bury no more than one drop! With age, the dosage increases, but very carefully. Parents make a mistake, warming up the drops before use, the colder the remedy, the faster it will fulfill its function, that is, it will narrow the blood vessels. Second typical mistake- pour drops deep into the nostril. It is better to stick to the middle so that the drops do not flow into the esophagus without having their full effect.

We bring to your attention short video about the treatment of rhinitis in children

We increase immunity

FROM mother's milk or with high-quality mixtures, the child receives a sufficient amount of immunoglobulins to exist in a “healthy” period. During an illness, it is worth strengthening the baby's immune barrier; for this, modified interferons are used in the form of drops or rectal suppositories. For a child up to a year, a quarter of the minimum dose is enough, that is, he should only enter a fourth of the candle.

In no case should a nursing mother take a vitamin course for herself, even if she also fell victim to the same virus. A sharp influx of vitamins in milk can provoke allergies, and a runny nose from acute form will turn into chronic allergic.

Runny nose - a consequence of the disease

Runny nose is a symptom. The diseases that cause it can be of a different nature. Therefore, it is necessary to deal with viruses, bacteria, the effects of hypothermia or the causes of allergies. Common sense and folk remedies will be most effective for babies in the first months of life.

Follow the following rules.

Isolate from the child all carriers of the same disease, except for the mother.
Ventilate the children's room constantly - in the cool air, bacteria do not multiply, and the vessels narrow naturally.
Add tropical exoticism - that is, increase the humidity level as much as possible (a humidifier or wet rags on the radiator will help a lot).
Do not overheat the baby, the clothes should be natural, comfortable and breathable (preferably no more than one layer), the legs should be warm!
Feed your baby only on demand, a hungry body copes with an extreme situation faster.
Do not spare the garlic - spread the peeled chopped cloves throughout the apartment, but do not put it close to the crib.
Do not wake up if you are sleeping more than normal.
More affection!

Why is there so much snot in a child?

The main component of nasal mucus is the protein mucin. It absorbs a lot of moisture and is able to grow, increasing in volume by 600 times. In an adult healthy person up to 70 ml of nasal secretion can be secreted per day. What about a sick child? The secretions contain both antiviral antibodies and antibacterial enzymes, so a runny nose is a kind of protective reaction of an organism frightened by a disease. They also save Airways from excessive moisture loss.

Try to make the child cry less during illness. Since when crying, part of the tear fluid enters the nasal cavity through the tubules and “feeds” the mucin with moisture. And all he needs is to grow even more.

Prevention of reappearance

The disease is defeated, the runny nose is almost gone, it's time for mom to take preventive measures.

Increase your walking time or double the number of walks.
Watch the composition of the mixture and complementary foods, there should be enough vitamins.
Do not visit from baby mass events, pharmacies, and during epidemics, refuse to go to the store together and travel by public transport.
While bathing, let the baby “sip” some water through the nose or do saline irrigation of the nasal cavity every 3 days.
Eliminate accumulations of allergens: dust, wool and others.