Children with stuffy nose: What to do to help children relieve discomfort?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by resident Doctor Duong Van Sy - Resident Doctor of Pediatrics - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.
Usually, children under the age of 2-3 months often have a blocked nose and have difficulty breathing due to narrow nostrils and many nasal scabs. So what should a child with a stuffy nose do? How to cure a stuffy nose in children?

1. Buy saline nasal spray

Physiological saline is safe to clean the baby's nose with a stuffy nose and difficulty breathing. How to clean a newborn's nose is as follows:
Hold the baby on his or her back, and if possible, tilt the head back slightly (don't force it). Put 2-3 drops of saline in each nostril. Do not use saline for more than 4 days in a row, because over time, physiological saline can dry out the lining of the inside of the nose and make rhinitis worse.

2. Use a nasal aspirator

The nasal suction bulb helps to suck mucus from the nose, making it difficult for children with a stuffy nose to breathe easier. Put two drops of physiological saline into each nostril to loosen the mucus inside. Use a nasal aspirator or nasal aspirator to drain saline and mucus. Place a rolled up towel under your baby's shoulder and gently tilt her head a little to make sure the drops of saline can get into her nose easily. When using a nasal aspirator, squeeze the balloon before you place it in your child's stuffy nose. When the balloon is released, it will pull out the mucus from the inside. Put the mucus in a container to avoid spilling mucus causing unsanitary. Clean the baby's nose about 15 minutes or more before feeding and before going to bed. This will make it easier for your baby to breathe while sleeping. Pay attention not to suck the baby's nose more than 3 or 4 times a day, because the suction from the nasal aspirator will irritate the baby's nasal mucosa. And always remember to clean the nasal aspirator first. Some types of physiological saline are added with some drugs, you should limit their use unless directed by a doctor, just use physiological saline. is enough. Note that you always wash before and after use in combination with drying the nasal aspirator ball or aspirator after each use.

3. Sauna

Fill the tub with hot water and let your baby sit in the sauna for a short time. Warm steam can help loosen mucus in the nose. However, you should be careful not to let your child touch the water directly to avoid burns. Sauna helps to clear stuffy nose, difficulty breathing, relieves cough and relieves chest tightness, and has many benefits in the treatment of laryngitis in young children. Besides, when the baby's nose is exposed to steam, it will help dilute the clear mucus that has formed in the nose.

4. Run an air humidifier

Running an air humidifier is a measure that can make your baby's nostrils more comfortable, less painful, less stuffy, and difficult to breathe. You should place the humidifier close enough that the dew can reach your child while he sleeps or while you are in his room to play with him. To prevent mold and bacteria from growing, you should change the water in the machine every day, and clean and dry the steam generator according to the instructions.

5. Other ways to cure stuffy nose

Besides the above measures, you can refer to some other ways to make your child's stuffy nose easier, such as:
Put a pillow under the mattress to raise the child's head. That can relieve congestion, helping mucus drain out of the sinuses. You should take care to keep pillows and other things out of your baby's sleeping area to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Most pediatricians recommend this practice until your child is 2 years old. Encourage your child to drink more water , as water has the ability to relieve congestion and thin the mucus in the nose. However, you should not force your baby to drink a lot at once if he doesn't want to. Just taking small sips of water throughout the day can help. If your child is a little older, teach him how to blow his nose. You should model for your child to imitate. Place the tissue in front of your nostrils so your baby can see the air move through the tissue as you exhale. Let's work together with the child until he is more proficient at it. However, some measures to cure nasal congestion should be avoided:
Suctioning a child's nose by mouth: can cause bacteria from the mouth of the person who sucks the nose to spread to the child, causing many other dangerous diseases. Arbitrarily allowing children to use vasoconstrictor drugs, antibiotics or other drugs.

To avoid wheezing / stuffy nose, parents should add some supportive foods containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, B vitamins,. .. helps meet the needs of nutrients while supporting the immune system, increasing resistance, reducing the risk of upper respiratory tract infections, bronchitis, flu.
Lysine is very necessary for the development of children, Lysine promotes the production of digestive enzymes to stimulate children to eat better and digest easily and effectively, increase food metabolism, maximize absorption of nutrients. Nutrition from food.Strengthening lysine for babies helps the body create antibodies, develop resistance to help reduce cough, thin phlegm in children.
Parents can learn more:
Why do you need to supplement Lysine for your baby?
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