Doctor Komarovsky about the treatment of a runny nose in a child. Quick treatment of rhinitis for a three-year-old child What to give a 3-year-old child for a runny nose

The nose is a multifunctional organ. Its tasks in the body are: olfactory, respiratory, speech and protective functions. Long-term rhinitis in children and the inability to breathe fully through the nose affects the formation of the facial skeleton and chest bones.

Also, due to a chronic runny nose, disturbances occur in the exchange of oxygen with other organs, the circulatory system and the condition of the body as a whole.

Therefore, it is necessary to begin treatment of rhinitis in children in a timely manner to avoid serious consequences.

Symptoms of the disease

1. Nasal congestion. Breathing is difficult, the child sleeps poorly at night, and the nasal mucous membranes swell.
2. Copious mucus discharge. If the child knows how to blow his nose on his own, that’s good, but no, he needs to suction it with an aspirator.
3. Constant sneezing. Often accompanied by copious discharge.
4. Red nose. Discoloration of the skin occurs due to swelling and frequent wiping of mucus.
5. Signs of ARVI: cold, cough, headache, loss of appetite and sleep, fever.

Causes of a runny nose in a 3 year old child

Often, a runny nose in children under three years of age is caused by infectious viruses. Rhinitis occurs as a reaction of the body's defense to an external irritant. The virus, entering the respiratory system, lingers on the “cilia” of cells for 2–3 days. Viruses disrupt the cover, and as a result, the nasal mucosa becomes inflamed. A runny nose prevents infection from spreading down the respiratory tract and the body as a whole. Children's rhinitis appears most often when the weather changes, or during hypothermia. The disease can be called seasonal.

Rhinitis can also be caused by non-infectious causes. These include:

• allergies to plants, pollen;
• deviated nasal septum (congenital or as a result of injury);
• entry of a foreign body. In this case, you need to urgently consult a doctor so that the object does not get into the trachea and lungs.

Children of three years of age may also experience vasomotor rhinitis. It occurs against the background of inflammatory processes, when unfavorable factors act on the mucous membrane, such as:

• tobacco smoke, exhaust gases, chemical fumes;
• spicy or hot food;
• stress.

Like all diseases, children's runny nose has 3 stages:

1. Reflex – lasts several hours after the irritant enters the nose. The blood vessels narrow and the child begins to sneeze.
2. Catarrhal. Duration up to 3 days. The capillaries in the nose dilate, the mucous membrane swells and becomes inflamed, discharge begins, the sense of smell decreases, and the ears are blocked.
3. Bacterial inflammation. The child feels better and breathing is restored. Nasal mucus is thick and yellow or green in color.

The complete cycle of rhinitis in a child lasts up to 10 days. It all depends on the time of treatment and the state of immunity.

Treating a runny nose at home

To know how to treat a runny nose in a 3-year-old child , it is necessary to take into account the physiological characteristics of the body:

1. Children's nasal passages are already well opened. That is, a child of 3 years old should not sleep with his mouth open. If your baby has difficulty breathing at night, the pediatrician should find out the causes of childhood rhinitis.
2. Children at the age of three should be able to blow their nose correctly.
3. Rhinitis occurs as a result of ARVI. It is necessary to treat with harmless drugs that eliminate the infection.
4. From the age of 3, children can have inhalations using traditional methods.

Treatment at home will be effective if the following conditions are met:

1. Room temperature 21–23 degrees, humidity 55–70%.
2. The child drinks enough fluids (teas, juices).
3. If the mucous secretions become thick, a solution of table salt is instilled into the nose. Dissolve 1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water.
4. Before going to bed, pillows are positioned so that the head and shoulders are higher than the level of the body. This will prevent mucus from stagnating in the nose, and the child can sleep peacefully.
5. Change handkerchiefs more often. To prevent your baby's nose from rubbing, you need to use disposable soft wipes. This will also prevent the infection from accumulating in the tissue.

If you have an automatic humidifier at home, it is recommended to install it in your child's room.

Medicines for the treatment of childhood rhinitis

Medicines prescribed to a child must be harmless and consist of natural ingredients.

Medicines for the common cold for children are:

• vasoconstrictors;
• for washing;
• antihistamines;
• moisturizing;
• homeopathic;
• anti-inflammatory.

Children's vasoconstrictor drugs contain an active substance represented by oxymetazoline or xylometazoline.

Vasoconstrictor drugs include:

• children's Tizin;
• Snoop;
• Nazol Kids;
• Nazivin.

Anti-inflammatory drugs include protargol. Doctors prescribe it to children over five years old. But if the situation forces it, then a drug containing silver ions is prescribed to a three-year-old child.

You should be careful with Pinosol. It consists of essential oils of mint, eucalyptus, pine and can cause allergies if you are individually intolerant to these components.

Salil, based on sodium chloride, has an anti-inflammatory effect.

Children are given nasal rinsing to prevent the virus from multiplying. Aqua Maris or Otrivin are used. The preparations are harmless to the child’s body and consist of purified water and sea salt.

Antihistamines are prescribed if a runny nose is caused by an allergic reaction to an external irritant. For example, Vibrocil.

Physiotherapeutic treatment

Sometimes your child's medications can be exchanged for physical therapy. These include:

• laser;
• ultrasound;
• magnet;
• reflexology;
• aromatherapy;
• breathing exercises.

At home, you can use an inhaler. It disperses medications well, preventing them from entering the blood and stomach. The effect of the medicine applies only to the mucous membrane.

Traditional methods of treating children

Before trying alternative medicine treatments, the mother should consult with her pediatrician.

Safe methods of treating a three-year-old child:

1. Mustard plasters. If you have a cold, apply it to your chest on your back or feet. You can pour mustard into your child’s socks after steaming his feet. Mustard plasters can be used if there is no high temperature.
2. Rubbing your feet with badger fat.
3. If there is no swelling, but there is a runny nose, you can warm your nose with a boiled egg, salt or potatoes in a rag bag.
4. Rub with essential oil. It must be diluted with water and rubbed on the chest and back. Pure ether cannot be applied; you can dilute it with regular baby or herbal ether.
5. Drops from a decoction of eucalyptus leaves are effective against infectious viruses.
6. Rinsing with a solution of table salt. The procedure is carried out carefully; if the child behaves incorrectly, the manipulation should be stopped.
7. Lubricate your nose with oils. If the mucous membrane dries out, you can humidify the air in the room and give plenty of fluids. Olive, Vaseline and peach natural oils work well with a dry nose.

1. Inhalation over potato vapor and other decoctions. A child may accidentally put his hand into boiling water or touch a pan.
2. Make drops from onion, horseradish, garlic, pepper. Delicate mucous membranes may get burned. These methods are effective for an adult, but are not suitable for a three-year-old child.

You need to be careful with products that can cause allergies. These include honey, Kalanchoe, aloe. Before use, you can apply the natural medicine to the crook of your elbow and observe the body’s reaction. If there is no allergy, you can use it.

Possible complications of a runny nose

It is necessary to treat a runny nose in a timely manner so as not to aggravate the situation and prevent sinusitis from developing.

Also, the consequences of a runny nose can be: sore throat, bronchitis. Inflammatory processes from the nose can spread down the body and cause respiratory diseases, aggravating the situation. If swelling of the respiratory organ blocks the auditory tube, otitis media occurs.

A runny nose in children is common. Due to its age, it must be treated immediately to avoid possible complications. Therefore, when you notice the first symptoms of ARVI, it is better to consult a doctor.

Useful video: how to treat a persistent runny nose in children

A runny nose in a child is a common occurrence, especially during seasonal viral epidemics.

Rhinitis can occur due to sudden hypothermia or an allergic reaction to antibodies. This is the defense of the immune system against foreign agents.

The inside is lined with a mucous membrane, designed to be a barrier to viruses and bacteria. Getting into the nasal passages, the infection provokes the production of secretions at times. Along with mucus, viruses are washed out of the nose, while the latter loses its bactericidal properties and requires its re-production. This is why the child has a severe runny nose during an infection. .

Once viruses enter the nasal passages, they multiply intensively, causing swelling of the mucous membrane, which makes breathing difficult. Children breathe through their mouth, this leads to drying out of the oral mucosa, sleep is disturbed, and appetite worsens. For parents, these pathological changes are a clear sign that the child is sick.

Attention. If you want to help a child aged 2-3, do not forget that not all nasal medications are suitable for this age category. It is necessary to determine the nature of the runny nose, and only a pediatrician can do this.

Symptoms of a runny nose

The symptoms of rhinitis in children do not differ from those in adults. But if an adult has a runny nose without complications, then they have swelling of the sinus mucosa that can block the auditory tube. Infectious inflammation covers the middle ear, as a result of the pathological process, otitis, accompanied by pain.

The main symptoms that a baby has a runny nose is an indicator of ARVI:

If rhinitis occurs without symptoms, you should consult a doctor to rule out its allergic origin.

Reference. In children under three years of age, sinusitis is not diagnosed, but to prevent it from appearing in the future, proper treatment of the runny nose is necessary so that the infection does not affect the maxillary sinuses.

How and with what to treat a runny nose in a 3-year-old child and children of other ages, consider in detail further.

Treatment methods

In order to cope with rhinitis, you need to contact a pediatrician, who will prescribe a course of medications suitable for the patient’s age. Drug treatment is aimed at eliminating the cause of the runny nose and alleviating symptoms. For children from two years of age, nasal vasoconstrictor drops, saline solutions, antiseptics and antibiotics are used (if there are indications for use).

Washing

Rinsing the nasal passages with salt-containing preparations will help quickly cure snot in a child. The method can be used both for infants and older children. It is safe and does not require a doctor's prescription.

The solutions contain seawater salts and can be purchased in pharmacies without a prescription. The only thing worth paying attention to is that some of them are allowed from birth, while others are allowed after three years.

This depends on the salt concentration and the chemical elements included in the composition. The most common of them:

• Aquamaris;
• Dolphin;
• Aqualor;
• Rhinostop.

Solutions are used to moisturize the mucous membrane and clear secretions. When they irrigate the nasal passages, they flush out mucus along with foreign agents. Moisturizes them, preventing them from drying out and forming crusts.

A self-prepared solution of NaCl or sea salt is also suitable for rinsing.

Important. You cannot rinse a child’s nasal passages if there is a suspicion that an infection has affected the middle ear (otitis media).

For the procedure, you can take a small rubber bulb. Warm solution (room temperature) is injected into the nasal passage one by one. In this case, the child's head should be tilted forward.

After washing, it is necessary to remove cortical formations from the mucosa. For children from 6 years old, you can use cotton swabs. For the younger age group, a gauze flagellum is suitable.

Use of antiseptic drugs

Antiseptic medications will help eliminate intense nasal discharge and cleanse the nasal passages.

You can treat a runny nose in children 2 years of age and older with the following medications:

• Miramistin;
• Sialor;
• Collargol.

The use of antiseptics is possible if the child does not have individual intolerance to the components of the drug.

Their use, unlike saline solutions, is limited; frequent use can dry out the nasopharyngeal mucosa.

Vasoconstrictor drugs

This group of medications cannot be used without a doctor’s prescription. There is a risk of addiction and they have a number of side effects. But if the methods used, in the form of rinsing, did not give the desired result, the use of vasoconstrictors can be used independently as an emergency aid. Treatment of a runny nose in a 2-year-old child can be treated with drugs approved for this age:

• Snoop;
• Nazivin.

Vasoconstrictor drugs for nasal use should not be used for more than three days, strictly following the instructions for use.

Antibiotics

The use of antibacterial drugs to treat a runny nose in a child is necessary for the following reasons. If the temperature persists for a long time, the runny nose does not go away for ten days or more. Discharge of yellow-green secretion with purulent impurities. The infection has spread to the tonsils (adenoiditis). A runny nose is accompanied by progressive otitis media.

For children, approved topical antibiotics: Polydexa or Isofra.

We looked at how to get rid of a viral infection in children 2-3 years of age. How to treat a 4 year old child with a runny nose? There are no special recommendations for this age category.

The treatment method does not differ from that used for the younger group. Drugs are added to eliminate rhinitis, which include the active ingredients: mesatone and phenylephrine.

From the age of four, the use of medications that include imidazoline is also allowed. These include Imidosaline, Xylometazoline and Nazol baby.

Traditional medicine methods are used to eliminate a runny nose. But you need to approach them carefully and only after consulting a doctor.

Prevention

Prevention plays an important role in preventing infectious diseases. The child's clothing must be appropriate for the temperature. It is necessary to ventilate the room where it is located. It is recommended to begin hardening procedures from the moment of birth.

Children from three years old can be sent to the pool. Pay special attention to strengthening the immune system. A properly balanced diet, sufficiently enriched with vitamins and minerals, will help with this. Walking in the fresh air plays a big role in strengthening the immune system.

Causes

It is worth talking about the etiology of rhinitis in detail - this familiar and simple, at first glance, phenomenon, be it physiological or pathological, has features that determine its place among diseases and age-related changes in the respiratory tract.

Viral rhinitis can provoke complications, which, like any others, are much easier to prevent than to treat. At the same time, active therapy of physiological rhinitis can transform it into pathological rhinitis with irrational use of medications and methods.

As already mentioned, infections are the leading cause of rhinitis. Infectious agents can be:

• viruses;
• bacteria;
• mushrooms.

Also, a runny nose in children occurs due to:

• teething;
• allergies;
• hypertrophy of the pharyngeal tonsil.

Teething in a three-year-old child may be accompanied by a moderately severe runny nose, during which a mucous secretion without pathological impurities is released.

Allergic reactions can develop to any substance - including food antigens, pollen, animal dander, medicines and even house dust. Hypertrophy of the pharyngeal tonsil (adenoids) is a proliferation of lymphoid tissue.

Rhinitis due to respiratory infection

In addition to the pathogens of acute respiratory viral infections (influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, etc.), infection of which occurs by airborne droplets (by inhaling infected secretions) or through household contact (applying secretions containing the virus to the mucous membrane of the nose, eyes), rhinitis can be caused by bacteria - streptococci, staphylococci. In newborns and infants, manifestations of rhinitis are often associated with intrauterine infections.

A 3-year-old child experiences snot at least several times a year. The reason for this is a sharp increase in social activity - at this age children begin to attend preschool institutions, travel with their parents, and spend a long time in an isolated group, often in a closed, unventilated room.

All this contributes to a significant increase in the risk of infection.

Viral rhinitis can be combined with pharyngitis (inflammation of the pharynx) and laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx). In this case, in addition to snot and fever, a child aged 3 years also experiences a sore throat, hoarseness, a feeling of stuffiness in the ears when swallowing, and a dry cough.

A common infection in children aged 2 to 5 years is ARVI caused by the parainfluenza virus.

It is characterized by symptoms such as:

• significant nasal congestion leading to impaired nasal breathing;
• mucous discharge from the nose, followed by mucopurulent discharge;
• fever;
• a sore throat;
• rough "barking" cough.

The danger of parainfluenza infection is not a runny nose, but the risk of developing false croup, or laryngeal stenosis. This condition typically has an acute onset, most often at night. The child wakes up from a coughing attack, it becomes difficult for him to breathe, his voice is hoarse, and with severe swelling it disappears completely.

Features of polio

Poliomyelitis is a severe infectious disease, which is accompanied by the presence of neurological disorders during the development of a typical form. The variant of polio without damage to the nervous system is called atypical. Due to mass vaccination against polio, the disease is considered rare.

Rhinitis, manifested by a small amount of discharge, hyperemia and swelling of the mucous membrane of the nose and pharynx, is one of the symptoms of the preparalytic period. In addition to this, there are:

• decreased activity;
• headache;
• lethargy, weakness, sleep disturbance;
• fever (up to 39 °C and above);
• sweating;
• lack of appetite;
• dry cough;
• abdominal pain;
• upset bowel movements or constipation.

The initial period of polio can be confused with manifestations of ARVI (provoked by a pathogen from the group of respiratory viruses) or an intestinal infection.

The leading difference is pain in the extremities, paralysis of which is observed at a later stage of the disease.

The duration of the preparalytic period is from 2 to 5 days. This is followed by a paralytic stage - the muscles of the lower extremities, as well as the arms and neck with breathing problems are most often affected.

What are adenoids

The pharyngeal tonsil is localized in the vault of the pharynx and consists of lymphoid tissue. If its size increases, this process is called hypertrophy. Adenoids and hypertrophy of the pharyngeal tonsil are different definitions of the same pathology.

Adenoids are manifested by the following clinical signs:

The child also complains of constant headaches and often suffers from viral infections. Since he breathes through his mouth most of the time, he snores during sleep and his face becomes puffy. Before treating snot in a child aged 4 years with chronic runny nose and frequent ARVI, you need to be examined by a pediatrician or pediatric otolaryngologist.

Treatment

Treatment of rhinitis in children with ARVI consists of the following stages:

• correction of temperature and humidity in the room (use of humidifiers, ventilation);
• cleansing the nasal cavity of mucus and crusts by rinsing with saline;
• using saline nose drops.

In case of an allergic reaction, antihistamines are indicated. It is necessary to choose how to treat snot in a 3-year-old child in a face-to-face consultation with a pediatrician or allergist who has confirmed the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis. For the symptomatic treatment of children over 2 years of age, levocetirizine in the form of drops is approved.

There is no specific treatment for polio. You can only protect yourself from infection by vaccination with oral polio vaccine according to the vaccination schedule.

The source of infection is a sick person, and unvaccinated children are at risk. The first vaccination is given to a child at the age of 3 months.

For adenoids, conservative therapy is used:

• nasal rinsing;
• multivitamins;
• immunostimulants;
• balanced diet;
• ensuring comfortable humidity and temperature in the room;
• prevention of ARVI.

How to cure snot in a 3-year-old child if these methods are ineffective? Surgical treatment is necessary for a significant degree of hypertrophy, when serious hearing and nasal breathing problems are observed. After surgery, there is a risk of relapse, since the lymphoid tissue is not completely removed.

To prevent re-growth of adenoids, it is necessary to monitor the child’s nutrition, consult with your doctor about ways to prevent viral infections and normalize the immune status. Watchful waiting tactics for adenoids can lead to the formation of permanent health problems.

A child has a runny nose for various reasons. It can be one of the leading symptoms in acute respiratory viral infections and allergies, or appear as a harbinger of a more serious pathology in the case of polio.

The formation of the dentition is also accompanied by rhinitis. To correctly assess nasal congestion in a child, an examination by a pediatrician or otolaryngologist is necessary.

At 3 years old, along with the era of kindergarten and active socialization, a constant runny nose comes to the child - and with it the question: how to treat this scourge.

True, while you are thinking, the problem may become chronic.

To prevent this from happening, I have collected for you all the important information about children’s runny nose and its treatment using the most effective and harmless methods.

Causes and types of runny nose

There is always snot in the noses of both adults and children.

Most often, the cause of a runny nose in three-year-olds is ARVI - viral infections that spread in children's groups like a fire in the dry steppe.

ARVI can be identified by the fairly acute onset of the disease: malaise, muscle aches and fatigue are quickly “caught up” by fever, cough and snot.

Mucus in the nose during a viral infection performs two functions: it protects the respiratory tract from the disease penetrating further into the body and fights the cause “at the entrance.”

Thus, a runny nose in a 3-year-old child (as well as in adults) when infected with a virus is even useful.

We will talk about in what cases and how it should be treated below. Now - about green snot.

A change in the color of mucus in your baby's nose indicates that bacteria is at work.

This can happen in two ways:

1. If the snot was green or yellowish from the very beginning, then there is a cold- hypothermia, which temporarily weakened the immune system and gave the microbes already in the body the opportunity to begin to actively multiply
2. If the mucus was clear and then turned green- there is a bacterial complication of ARVI

An allergic runny nose is the body's reaction to an allergen.

It is usually easy to identify, since snot begins to flow immediately after contact with what causes the allergy: household chemicals, dust, wool, food, etc.

With a pollen allergy, a runny nose is seasonal and worsens outside, which is also quite easy to notice.

Means for treating a runny nose in a child

When a child gets sick, parents naturally begin to worry.

And it is at this stage that many make mistakes without really understanding what and how to do.

You need to start therapy from the very basics. In the simplest and most accessible form, the famous pediatrician Dr. Komarovsky talks about how to treat a runny nose in a 3-year-old child.

He reminds: a runny nose during viral infections plays an important role in resisting the disease, and therefore there is no need to treat it as such.

What is really necessary is to keep the snot in a liquid state, since dried mucus ceases to fulfill its protective function and becomes a favorable environment for the proliferation of bacteria.

That is why the main thing that parents of a three-year-old should do is not to let the snot turn into dry “roons”.

To do this, it is important to remember two rules:

1. The air in the child’s room (and in the apartment as a whole) should be moist, cool (18–20°C) and clean
2. You can liquefy mucus using a harmless saline solution (salt water)

Warm, dry air, typical for most apartments during the heating season, causes the snot to dry out and make breathing through the nose even more difficult.

And active mouth breathing provokes thickening of mucus already in the bronchi, which can lead to pneumonia and other unpleasant complications of an initially harmless disease.

Saline solution is an excellent alternative to popular medications.

It has a number of advantages:

1. Affordable price (and if desired, easy to prepare at home)
2. Harmlessness
3. Proven effectiveness

You can drip it as often as you like - there can be no overdose from the usual one.

Also, in advice on how to treat a runny nose in a 3-year-old child, Komarovsky mentions oil vitamin solutions (tocopherol with vitamin E and retinol with vitamin A), as well as regular olive oil.

One drop of two or three drops into each nostril helps prevent the nasal mucous membranes from drying out for a couple of hours.

Advice: do not drip oil and saline solution at the same time - alternate their use for maximum effect.

Remember that children do not need to go to work, where snooping actively irritates all colleagues, and therefore you should not strive to get rid of a child’s runny nose as soon as possible.

If a child catches an acute respiratory viral infection in kindergarten, it is absolutely illogical to undergo treatment in order to return to the contagious group.

Try to put your child's health first, even if it means taking a day off from work or asking grandma to babysit for a week.

Another important point that Dr. Komarovsky reminds us of (and which parents regularly forget about) is the importance and necessity of walks.

When the acute symptoms of ARVI are defeated, the child no longer has a fever, he has a normal appetite and activity, then neither a cough nor a runny nose is an obstacle to walking.

On the contrary, clean and cool (and even cold) air in the park and moderate physical activity contribute to a speedy recovery.

Advice: do not be alarmed if the snot gets worse during walks. This is a natural reaction and there is nothing harmful in it. Take saline solution for a walk and continue to rinse your nostrils from time to time.

Folk remedies for the treatment of runny nose

If all of the above procedures are followed, the runny nose should go away on its own a few days or weeks after the remaining symptoms of the disease disappear.

However, many parents find it difficult to simply wait and “do nothing” to actively treat children’s snot.

This is where grandmother's advice comes to the rescue.

How to treat a runny nose in a 3-year-old child using folk remedies?

I will give three of the most effective recipes using the gifts of nature as medicines.

Excellent nasal clearers that can grow on your windowsill include popular houseplants and kalanchoes (yes, they are two different flowers).

From the juice of these natural doctors, a natural tincture is prepared for instillation into the nose:

1. Aloe juice is diluted with water in proportions of one to one
2. Kalanchoe juice is best diluted in a ratio of one to two.

A few drops of these products provoke active sneezing and mucus production.

Help your child blow his nose thoroughly after instillation and apply olive oil to his nostrils.

Aloe and Kalanchoe juices are quite irritating to the mucous membranes, and the oil will help soothe the tissues and protect them until a new portion of mucus is produced.

Advice: mentally prepare the child for the procedure - the plants have a specific smell and are very bitter when they enter through the nasopharynx.

Honey

An excellent folk remedy for treating a runny nose in a 3-year-old child is.

Probably every grandmother knows how to treat snot with it: you need to mix honey in a one to one ratio and bury it in your nose three times a day, one or two drops per nostril.

This remedy is especially useful for bacterial complications, since honey is a mild but effective natural bactericide.

Potato inhalations

Finally, many parents, remembering their own childhood, prefer a simple but rather radical remedy: inhalation over hot potatoes.

The method has its advantages and disadvantages: on the one hand, hot wet steam well moisturizes the nasal passages and helps to liquefy mucus, on the other hand, it carries with it the risk of accidental burns.

From my own childhood, I remember kicking and not wanting to “breathe potatoes,” because the steam seemed too hot for my entire face, and it was terribly stuffy under the towel.

1. Do not heat the inhalation too much
2. Stay close to your child all the time and listen to his complaints.
3. Stop the procedure if your baby feels hot or stuffy.

By the way, instead of potatoes, it is better to take ordinary warm water and add a drop or two of eucalyptus or - and it will be easier to breathe, and the bactericidal effect will be more noticeable.

Or buy a specialized inhaler at the pharmacy.

Nasal sprays and drops

As adults, we most often prefer quick and effective vasoconstrictors as remedies for the runny nose.

And almost all of them have a children's version. Is it worth using these pharmaceutical products to treat a runny nose in a 3-year-old child, and if so, how to treat snot with drops? Let's figure it out.

An obvious advantage of vasoconstrictors is the rapid, literally in a minute, elimination of mucus and easier nasal breathing.

But pharmaceutical products also have many disadvantages, the most serious of which are addiction and possible side effects.

The latter can be either local (i.e. manifest in the nose in the form of burning, dryness, swelling of the mucous membrane) or general (unpleasant dizziness, increased blood pressure, blurred vision, vomiting, etc.).

Thus, the only case in which the use of vasoconstrictor drugs is justified is the need to almost completely get rid of a stuffy nose for several hours.

What the reason may be is up to you to decide.

In all other situations, it is rational to use the traditional means already mentioned above.

Features of treatment for a child aged 3 years

Treating a small child is always fraught with difficulties: choosing the right medications, persuading them to take them, the whims of the sick child...

How to treat a runny nose in a 3-year-old child so as not to upset either yourself or him? Reviews from experienced parents recommend taking action in advance.

From the age of two, a child can and should be shown how to blow his nose correctly.

Teach your child not to sniffle and provide clean handkerchiefs or napkins.

At the same age, it is necessary to explain why and how certain medications are used so that the child understands the relationship between free breathing and unpleasant nose drops.

Do not perform rituals of nasal drops and inhalations: the less the child pays attention to his illness, the easier it will be for both him and you.

Stay calm, if your condition allows, take an active walk.

And, of course, remember: the best treatment is prevention!

We hope the above tips have clarified for you the question of how to treat a runny nose in a 3-year-old child.

For more information on the topic, watch this video by Dr. Komarovsky:

The child is three years old when he enters kindergarten. Acclimatization in a new place and with a new team is accompanied by colds, which are important to treat on time. You can often hear mothers complaining about a constant cough and runny nose in a 3-year-old child. Moreover, there are cases that a child gets sick several times in a month. And he suffers most often from rhinitis.

Features of treatment: how to cure a child at 3 years old

Basically, a runny nose does not require serious treatment, therefore, by observing certain conditions for caring for the baby during the period of illness and using known medications and folk remedies, it can be successfully eliminated.

How to treat thick snot in a child is indicated.

You can alleviate a child’s illness by creating the necessary conditions:

• maintain the air temperature in his room between 18 and 22 0 C;
• increase indoor humidity levels to prevent dry nasal passages;
• Before the baby goes to bed, the pillows should be positioned so that his head and shoulders are raised. Thanks to this, mucus will not accumulate and wake him up during sleep;
• From the age of two, you need to teach your child how to clean his nose correctly, warning him to blow his nose alternately, first from one and then from the other nostril. Clearing both nostrils at the same time can lead to the development of acute otitis media;
• tell the baby that you should not draw mucus into yourself so that the infection does not get deeper into the nasopharynx;
• change his handkerchiefs more often so that he wipes his nose with dry handkerchiefs;
• if the baby cannot clean his nose himself, then help him do this with the help of an aspirator or rubber bulb;
• Give him plenty of warm water or other drinks to drink. If he doesn't want to eat, don't force him to do it;
• Treat your baby kindly, play and entertain him so that he is distracted from the disease.

Therapies

To treat children over three years of age with a runny nose, pharmacists offer many medications. There are also alternative treatment methods in the form of physiotherapy, inhalations and foot baths.

The clinic may prescribe a course of physiotherapy:

• ultrasound;
• using a laser;
• magnet;

At home, they can be completely replaced by inhalations, which can be carried out the old fashioned way over a saucepan or using a purchased nebulizer. It must be purchased in accordance with the age of the child and the most common disease. It would be better if it comes with two masks: for children and adults. Then the whole family can use the drug.

Find out how to choose inhalers for children and adults.

Ultraviolet irradiation devices can be eliminated in 4 procedures. They are also good for quartzing a room.

Treat with inhalations

Using special devices, the medicine is sprayed in the form of an aerosol and penetrates deeply into the nasopharynx. The duration and required treatment regimen is selected according to the instructions. The agent for infusion into the device is prescribed by the doctor based on the diagnosed disease. The nebulizer can be used even by newborns. And three-year-old children will like using it more than taking other medications or using nasal drops. Just before you start using it, you need to explain to your child how to use it correctly. Use your example to demonstrate to your child how to put on a mask. To use it, you need certain solutions of various formulations.

A 0.9% saline solution is effective and available for use. It can be replaced with high-alkaline Borjomi water. But before pouring them into the device, they must be heated to a temperature of 30 0 C. This product will help the child get rid of accumulated crusts in the nose and eliminate the feeling of dryness.

For the treatment of serious diseases accompanied by acute runny nose, Lazolvan or Ambrobene is prescribed. With their help you can liquefy mucus and remove it out. One portion of the medicine is diluted with the same amount of saline and poured into the nebulizer. Such therapy should last no more than five days. Children 3 years old are prescribed 1 ml of the composition at a time. The procedure is repeated twice a day.

You will find a list of solutions for inhalation with a nebulizer for a runny nose.

Effective drops

Vasoconstrictor medications can relieve a severe runny nose, but cannot cure it. They, acting on the nasal mucosa, cause vasoconstriction, and after this the swelling decreases, due to which air could not freely enter the nasal passages. The mucus becomes less fluid and does not irritate the mucous membrane as much. These include:

The course of treatment with vasoconstrictor drops should not exceed a week.

To prevent the mucous membrane from drying out, moisturizing preparations are used. Most of them contain sea water, so they carefully cleanse the passages of mucus without irritating their walls. The following are considered popular:

• Aqua Maris contains a large amount of minerals and salts. A completely natural product that can be used even by infants. It is used four times a day at equal intervals, two drops are instilled into one nasal passage. You will find instructions for using Aqua Maris nasal drops for children.
• Salin has a local effect and does not have a bactericidal effect. Most often it is used for complex treatment. Eliminates manifestations of inflammatory and infectious diseases of the nose. Its active substance is sodium chloride. It is used two or three times a day. Bury once in each passage.
• Aqualor contains minerals and natural components. They need to do nasal rinses. The minimum amount of use of the drug per day is four times. If this is the initial stage of the disease, then more washes can be done.

The drug can be used for nasal hygiene, so the duration of use is not limited.

The causes of a runny nose and sore throat without fever are described.

Moisturizers can be used as needed, the indicated dosages may vary depending on the complexity of the disease.

Traditional methods for quickly treating a runny nose in a child

With severe nasal congestion, the juice of a home flower, Kalanchoe, often helps. You need to tear off a leaf from it and squeeze out a little juice. Then it must be diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2. Take half a pipette and instill some drops into your baby. When instilled, the child will begin to sneeze intensely, and at the same time, all the accumulated mucus will come out. Just don’t instill too much medicine so as not to injure the mucous membranes. It is better to put medicine into the nose little by little, but often.