Nasal rinse for a baby

With the onset of cold and damp weather, various infections begin to attack our children with particular force. Respiratory infections are especially fierce, being the main cause of runny nose and nasal congestion in children. The safest and most effective method of combating rhinitis of any origin is considered to be rinsing the child's nose with special anti-inflammatory and decongestant solutions. A large number of options for such compositions, pharmacy or home-made, allows you to choose the best one for your baby.

But before using the method of fighting a runny nose by rinsing the nose, it is necessary to clearly understand that any manipulations in the head area are not as safe as it seems at first glance. On the one hand, a nasal "shower" is a good preventive and therapeutic procedure. And on the other hand, it is a certain interference in the functioning of the respiratory organs, so it is not worth doing it again without certain indications.

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Indications for the procedure

It would seem that if this is an unsafe procedure, and sprays and drops are not able to clean the nasal passages well, then wouldn't it be better to abandon the idea of treating a runny nose altogether, because it will go away in a week anyway, as "folk wisdom" says. But the thing is that a poorly breathing nose is not only a certain discomfort that causes a child to lose appetite, deteriorate attention, mood and sleep, but also a high probability of developing concomitant diseases and complications, such as:

• Disorders of the brain and nervous system
• Development of respiratory system pathologies, occurrence of asthmatic attacks
• Decreased visual acuity
• Enlargement of adenoids
• Malocclusion

Frequent runny nose from a young age can eventually cause certain delays in the child's development, underdevelopment of speech skills. Therefore, at the first signs of nasal congestion in a child, it is necessary to immediately see a doctor and take measures to eliminate the runny nose and its cause.

Indications for rinsing the nose in a child may include:

• Runny nose (rhinitis) of various origins, including allergic
• Frontal sinusitis (inflammation of the frontal paranasal sinus)
• Sinusitis, which is often a consequence of repeated runny nose
• Inflammation of the tonsils (glands)
• Preventive measures against infectious respiratory diseases.

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Technique nasal rinses in a baby

Washing the nose of a child under one year old

Narrow and rather short airways in infants lead to the fact that mucus discharge in inflammatory and allergic diseases seems difficult. At first, mucus prevents the baby from breathing normally, especially during feeding, when there is no possibility of receiving oxygen through the mouth. The child eats poorly, which means losing weight, is often capricious, and becomes restless. Then crusts with pathogenic flora form in the baby's nose. But the baby is not yet able to get rid of all these troubles by blowing his nose, so there is a need to clean the nose from the outside with drops and rinsing.

In general, due to the peculiarities of the structure of the respiratory tract in newborns and infants, there is much debate about the advisability of nasal lavage at such a tender age. Some doctors believe that such procedures are indicated for children starting from the age of 4, since at an earlier age they can cause re-infection of the throat and ears, and even cause inflammatory processes in the brain. Other doctors do not see age-related contraindications and claim that under the supervision of a doctor, these manipulations will not harm the child.

Based on the latest opinion, for infants, indications for nasal lavage, in addition to those indicated above, may also include:

• frequent exposure to areas with polluted air (public places, transport, dusty areas, rooms with insufficient air humidity or specific odors that can cause allergic reactions),
• development of pathogenic flora against the background of stress, changes in climatic conditions in the place of residence, decreased immunity, etc.

The procedure for washing the nose of an infant is carried out strictly according to the instructions of a pediatrician and is aimed at ensuring that the prescribed medications are better absorbed in the cleared nasal passages, as well as improving the baby's nasal breathing and preventing complications. This procedure must be carried out under the supervision of a doctor or in a medical institution.

Before you start rinsing the nose, you need to carefully and very gently clean the baby's nose from the accumulated mucus and crusts. Most often, a small disinfected rubber bulb is used for this, with which the accumulations are sucked out of the baby's nose. This must be done carefully, considering that the child will not like such manipulations, and he will start to be capricious and turn away. In this case, you most likely cannot do without help.

It is better to rinse the nose of a child under one year old using saline solutions or decoctions of medicinal herbs, such as chamomile, eucalyptus, sage, etc. Children's saline solutions from different manufacturers can be found on the shelves of pharmacies in assortment. But you can prepare a saline solution for rinsing the nose of a child yourself. To do this, dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a liter of purified (or boiled) hot water. Use the solution, having previously cooled it to room temperature. Salt will help relieve swelling in the nose and will effectively fight infection.

Washing the nose of a child under 2-3 months is carried out using a pipette, a syringe and cotton swabs. The baby should be placed on his back, turning his head to the side, and dripping drops of the solution into the nose using a pipette, making sure that there is not too much liquid and the baby does not choke. Each nostril should be washed in turn, not both at once. After instillation, the liquid with mucus is sucked out using a small syringe, removing the remains with cotton swabs.

Nasal lavage for older children who can already confidently hold their heads is carried out in a vertical position. The child's head should be tilted forward and the mouth open so that the liquid can flow out through the mouth and nose without obstruction. This way, the medicinal solution will not be able to get into the respiratory tract.

We do the rinsing with a syringe, first introducing a small amount of liquid into the nostril and gradually increasing the pressure to allow the baby to get used to the unusual and not very pleasant sensations. We clean the second nostril only after finishing with the first. We do all the manipulations carefully, without fuss and sudden movements, so as not to traumatize the child either physically or psychologically.

Remember that you should not rinse your baby's nose immediately before going to bed or going for a walk in winter (if there is even a slight frost). This will prevent residual liquid from getting into the baby's respiratory tract while he or she is sleeping and will eliminate the risk of hypothermia during a walk.

Technique for washing the nose of an older child

Until the child realizes the need for the nasal lavage procedure and is unable to help you with this “wet” task due to his young age, you can use the methods described above. As a rule, by the age of two, children become little helpers of their parents in the process of cleaning their nose. They begin to understand that rinsing their nose allows them to breathe easier, so with the right, perhaps even playful approach, the child does not even resist the manipulations.

Such a child only needs to be explained that during the nasal rinsing, the mouth must be kept open and the child must lean over the sink or bathtub where the procedure is being performed. The described position will allow the water to flow out through the open mouth and the second nostril without obstruction, thoroughly clearing the nasal passages of mucus and bacterial deposits. The head must not be raised or thrown back, so that water does not get into the respiratory tract and the child does not choke.

You can introduce a solution for rinsing the nose of children into the nostril using a separate syringe or a syringe without a needle. As in the case of infants, the force of the stream should be increased gradually, allowing the child to get used to the sensations. When rinsing the nose of a child at home, try not to overdo it, because strong pressure of the liquid can damage the vessels inside the nose and lead to bleeding. It is even worse if the water under pressure accidentally gets into the middle ear, because in our body the throat, ears and nose are connected to each other. This can subsequently lead to such an unpleasant and long-term disease in terms of treatment as inflammation of the middle ear (otitis).

The end of the procedure of washing the child's nose should be the complete removal of the remaining mucus and water by blowing the nose. Teach the child in a playful way to sharply blow air out of the nose, as the little elephant from the cartoon does, and he will not have problems with blowing his nose.

Children aged 4-5 years can be taught to rinse their nose independently by closing one nostril with a finger and drawing water from the palm of the other hand with the second nostril. The solution can be released either through the nose, releasing the first nostril, or through an open mouth.

Pharmaceutical preparations with devices for washing the nose

In the pharmacy, you can also buy a special device for rinsing the nose of children, which comes with the Dolphin rinsing solution. The device for children is produced in the form of a 120 ml plastic bottle with a dosing cap of such a shape that it fits tightly into the child's nostril, filling the entire space at the entrance to the nose and not allowing the liquid to flow out.

Washing a child's nose with such a device becomes much easier and more effective. A convenient soft bottle, into which the prepared solution for washing is poured, will help both parents and older children to optimally regulate the force of the stream, squeezing the bottle harder or weaker. At the end of washing, the empty bottle with the dispenser is squeezed, inserted into the nostril, and then the hand is loosened. Thus, the remaining liquid is removed from the nasal passages.

The medicinal product itself based on sea salt is produced in the form of a powder with a rich mineral complex. There are versions of the product with and without herbal additives. Herbal components in the composition of "Dolphin": rosehip and licorice extracts, which have the properties of increasing immunity and facilitating the discharge of mucous secretions. Sea salt itself has excellent anti-inflammatory, antibacterial properties and reduces swelling of the nasopharynx.

"Dolphin" for washing the nose of children is used both for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes for viral infections. It effectively helps with both common colds and purulent sinusitis. The drug is prescribed to children starting from 4 years of age. It does not cause side effects such as swelling of the mucous membrane or unpleasant burning or dryness in the child's nose.

"Dolphin" is considered the best drug of its kind with an optimal composition, but for those who for some reason this drug is not suitable, doctors can offer analogues of "Dolphin" for rinsing the nose in children: "Aquamaris", "Humer", "Aqualor", "Salin", "No-sol", "Otrivin" and others. Some of these drugs are available only in the form of sprays, others - in the form of sprays and drops separately for adults and for children. Sprays are bottles with a ready-made solution of sodium chloride (purified sea salt) with an optimal acid-base balance.

Children's spray of the Humer series of French manufacture is intended for children from 1 month to 15 years. The shape of the tip on the bottle is optimized for the size of the nasal passages of babies, thus eliminating injury to the mucous membrane during the administration of the drug.

The Croatian drug "Aquamaris" for washing the nose is considered the best analogue of "Dolphin", although it is slightly inferior to it in effectiveness. Doctors most often prescribe nasal drops to children in the first year of life, while sprays are recommended for older children. "Aquamaris baby" is a spray with a cap optimized for a child's nose, the bottle volume is 50 ml. It consists of purified water from the Adriatic Sea and does not contain any additives, which makes it safe and hypoallergenic.

There are also 3 versions of the drug with special additives that are successfully used in the treatment of adults and children:

• "Aquamaris Plus" with dexpanthenol has a wound-healing and regenerating effect on the nasal mucosa and is successfully used in the treatment of sinusitis with mucosal lesions.
• "Aquamaris Sens" with ectoine has protective properties and helps to bind and remove allergens from the mucous surface. It is usually prescribed for allergic rhinitis and sinusitis against the background of the same problem in children, starting from 2 years old
• "Aquamaris Strong" is a concentrated solution of sea salt prescribed to children over 1 year of age for severe runny nose that accompanies sinusitis.

The name "Aqualor" refers to a whole line of French drops and sprays for rinsing the nose in adults and children.

• "Aqualor baby" is produced in the form of a spray and drops for newborns, the use of which is indicated from the first days of the baby's life. It uses a pure isotonic 0.9% solution of sea water.
• "Aqualor soft" is a drug in the form of an aerosol for the treatment of allergic rhinitis in adults and children, starting from 6 months.
• "Aqualor Norm" is a variant of an aerosol for washing the nose with a cold runny nose. It is prescribed to children from 6 months.
• "Aqualor forte" and "Aqualor extra forte" are nasal sprays with a concentrated solution of sodium chloride. They are prescribed in cases of severe nasal congestion or persistent runny nose due to sinusitis or sinusitis. "Aqualor extra forte" contains herbal additives: aloe and chamomile extracts, which provide an antiseptic effect and enhance immunity.

The American-made drug "Salin" and the Ukrainian remedy "No-Sol" are 0.65% sodium chloride solutions with additives that provide, in addition to moisturizing and anti-inflammatory action, also antiviral, bactericidal, and antifungal effects. These drugs are indicated for both adults and children: drops - from the first days of life, sprays - from 2 years.

The Swiss series of products "Otrivin baby" based on sea water, which makes rinsing the nose of a child easy and comfortable, includes nasal drops in the form of droppers and an aspirator for suctioning mucus accumulations in the nose for the little ones, as well as a spray for rinsing the nose for children over 1 year old.

All these products are designed to successfully combat various types of runny nose, relieving inflammation and swelling, and have a noticeable bactericidal and moisturizing effect on the nasal mucosa, which allows them to be used for both therapeutic and preventive purposes.

Pharmacy antiseptics for rinsing the nose of a child

In case of difficult nasal breathing and runny nose, many solutions with antiseptic (antimicrobial) action will be useful for rinsing the child's nose. Some products from home medicine cabinets are suitable for preparing solutions, such as furacilin, hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine, chlorophyllipt, miramistin.

Washing the nose with furacilin will clear the nasal passages of mucus and germs, which helps to quickly cure a runny nose and prevent complications. For manipulations, you can use furacilin in the form of a ready-made solution or in tablets. The tablet preparation is used in the proportion: 1 tablet crushed into powder per 200 g of purified warm water. You can do otherwise, dissolving the tablet in hot water and cooling the solution to a warm state (not higher than 37 degrees).

Rinsing the nose with hydrogen peroxide can be recommended for older children. Babies have very delicate, sensitive nasal mucosa, so a solution sufficient for treatment can cause a burn, and a weak concentration will not bring the desired result. For rinsing, it is better to use peroxide not in tablets, but in the form of a 3% solution. To rinse a child's nose, it is enough to dissolve 3 drops of hydrogen peroxide in half a glass of warm boiled water.

According to the instructions, good old Chlorhexidine is not intended for washing the nose or gargling. However, the significant antibacterial and antiviral effect of the drug prompted doctors to think about the possibility of using it as an antiseptic solution for cleaning ENT organs in infectious diseases. For this purpose, a 0.05% solution is used, which can be bought at a pharmacy. And yet, despite the apparent safety of the solution, before using it to treat a runny nose in a child, you need to consult a doctor. The danger of the drug is that it can cause allergic reactions, and it should not be swallowed.

"Chlorophyllipt", like other antiseptics, is most often prescribed for rinsing the nose for bacterial rhinitis and sinusitis. The drug has virtually no side effects, which allows it to be used in the treatment of children, of course, after consulting a doctor. Rinsing the child's nose is done using a 1% alcohol solution. 1 teaspoon of "Chlorophyllipt" is diluted with a glass (200 ml) of water or saline. The nasal rinsing procedure is carried out three times a day, instilling no more than 2 ml of the prepared solution into each nostril. When dripping the solution into the right nostril, the head is slightly tilted to the left, and vice versa.

"Miramistin" is a fairly harmless and effective broad-spectrum antiseptic that is used to irrigate the nasal passages in cases of rhinitis, sinusitis and sinusitis. Rinsing the nose with "Miramistin" allows you to get rid of bacteria that have accumulated there due to the fact that the active substance of the drug destroys bacteria and fungi at the cellular level, preventing them from multiplying

For irrigation of the nose, a spray is used, for washing - a special bottle with a dosing nozzle. "Miramistin" has one big drawback - its use is accompanied by a burning sensation in the nose. Little patients do not like this. Therefore, the procedure is most often carried out in a hospital. This also helps prevent hypersensitivity reactions.

The advisability of using Miramistin for washing the nose of infants is questionable. A decent effect can be achieved with complete and high-quality washing of the mucous membranes with the drug, which is impossible in the case of children under one year. In addition, runny nose in children of this age is most often viral or physiological. In both cases, the use of this drug does not make sense.

Sometimes you can find posts on the Internet that you can rinse your child's nose with "Dimexide". Of course, not in its pure form. For example, with a composition prepared as follows: mix "Dimexide" with boiled warm water in a ratio of 1:5, then add the same amount of nasal drops "Vibrocil" to this solution (ratio 1:1). This composition is poured into the nostril with a syringe for a short time. According to reviews, it relieves swelling and inflammation, helping to get rid of a runny nose faster.

But many doctors do not support this method of treating a runny nose, using Dimexide only externally in the form of lotions and compresses for painful sensations (for example, with sinusitis). Whether it makes sense to test it on your child with a huge selection of safer drugs and products is, of course, up to you to decide. In any case, the use of various methods and products for rinsing the child's nose should be discussed with the attending physician.

In severe and advanced cases of rhinitis, as well as to prevent complications, children over 2.5 years old may be prescribed the antimicrobial drug "Polydexa". This drug is used only as prescribed by a doctor, since it has a more than serious composition: 2 antibiotics plus a hormonal component.

"Polydex" for washing the nose in children is used in the form of a spray: one spray three times a day. The course of treatment is 5-10 days. If your child has been prescribed this drug, the task of the parents is to strictly adhere to the specified dosage so as not to harm the baby.

No matter how good the various means for washing the nose of a child are, it is important to do the procedure correctly and carefully, taking into account the anatomical features of the structure of the nasal passages in children of different ages, as well as the capabilities of the children themselves. Only in this case will the washing have a good effect and will not cause any complications. It is also necessary to monitor the correct concentration of the solutions for washing, so that the treatment does not harm the little patient.

There is an opinion that washing the child's nose leads to the development of otitis. For this reason, many mothers believe that it is better not to treat a runny nose at all. But an advanced runny nose, in turn, can cause sinusitis, sinusitis and the same otitis. And it is still unknown what will be easier to cure. In addition, the correct use of drugs and methods of washing the nose in children is unlikely to lead to undesirable consequences. Just take this procedure responsibly.

Inexpensive nasal rinsing products for children

There are different situations in life, and if for some reason you do not have the opportunity to buy pharmacy products for cleaning the child's nose, you should not be sad. After all, you will always have wonderful products for this purpose at hand. Any housewife will have some amount of ordinary table salt in the kitchen, and some even have iodized and sea salt. Aren't these products helping to make rinsing the child's nose inexpensive and effective?

Doctors welcome rinsing the nose with saline solution, which can be purchased at any pharmacy, even the smallest one. Moreover, it is inexpensive, and its packaging is such that the solution will last for a long time if you do not open the bottle, but take the required amount of liquid with a syringe. If you cannot buy saline solution anywhere, then it is worth remembering that this product is an optimized saline solution. On the bottle with saline solution you can read that it is a 0.9% sodium chloride solution, and we already know that this is the composition used in many nasal sprays. And preparing it at home, knowing the proportions, will not be difficult.

The optimal solution of sea salt in sprays is 0.9%. The same saturation is in saline solution. This means that for 100 g of purified (or boiled) water you need to take 0.9 g of salt. For half a liter of liquid you will need 4.5 g of salt, which is a little less than half a teaspoon. You can take any salt, but without flavorings. At the same time, for children it is better to make the solution a little weaker than to oversaturate it with salt.

You can add a little soda to a homemade saline solution, and its effect will become even softer and more effective. If your baby has ulcers in his nose, a couple of drops of iodine will not be superfluous. But here, too, it is important not to overdo it, so that the iodine does not burn the mucous membrane of the child's nose. And yet, sea salt will be preferable in homemade saline solutions for rinsing the nose of children and adults, since it initially contains the necessary amount of microelements that will help get rid of a runny nose, heal wounds, and slightly improve immunity.

Rhinitis and sinusitis are the most common respiratory diseases in children. Washing a child's nose with soda is one of the most inexpensive, safe and effective ways to treat these diseases. Soda is a wonderful antiseptic, so it mercilessly kills bacteria that have accumulated inside the nose. The soda solution is prepared on the same principle as a salt solution. For ½ teaspoon of soda, take ½ liter of warm boiled water.

Sometimes, instead of soda, a soda-salt solution is used. In this case, soda and salt are taken in equal proportions. And 1 teaspoon of the mixture is used per liter of water.

Contraindications to the procedure

But like any medical procedure, rinsing a child’s nose also has its contraindications, which you also need to remember:

• High probability of nosebleeds due to weak blood vessels and other causes
• The presence of tumor processes and polyps in the nose
• Noticeable curvature of the nasal septum
• Violations of the integrity of the eardrum in the ear
• Inflammation of the middle ear (otitis).

If there is no liquid discharge, but there is severe nasal congestion, then the child's nose is washed after using vasodilator drops. This will help the solution completely wash all the nasal passages without resorting to a significant increase in the force of the stream, and will prevent liquid from entering the cavity of the inner ear. It is neglect of this rule that often causes otitis due to improper nasal rinsing.

Washing the nose with existing otitis in children is not recommended, so as not to cause complications of the disease. Some mothers, at their own risk, do this procedure slowly, using a stream of very low force. But the risk of complications remains in this case. In case of a runny nose against the background of otitis, it is advisable to use children's nasal anti-inflammatory drops.

As you can see, it is not at all safe to prescribe nasal lavage to your child on your own, so if you have nasal congestion and a runny nose, you always need to consult an otolaryngologist who will prescribe the best treatment option for your child.

But even a doctor's prescription, taking into account all the indications and contraindications, as well as a large selection of drugs and home remedies, will not help to cope with the disease and can even harm if you do not know how to rinse the nose correctly. At the same time, you need to understand that for different age groups of children, the methods of rinsing may differ.

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