Each mom is very worried at a time when her child falls ill. In order to correctly diagnose and choose the right treatment, parents should seek help from doctors. It is especially important to do this when the child is not yet one year old. Indeed, at this age, the baby still cannot say what exactly bothers him, where it hurts. This article will tell you about how and how to treat a runny nose in children of 6 months. You will learn that there are several tactics in the correction of pathology. You can also find out the reasons why there is a severe runny nose in a child of 6 months.
The opinion of pediatricians
Absolutely all medical workers are of the opinion that before treating a runny nose in children of 6 months, you need to see a doctor. Parents can visit a pediatrician or take a referral to a narrower specialist - an otorhinolaryngologist. Doctors will conduct an examination and, based on your complaints, will correctly diagnose. After this, the baby will be prescribed treatment, which usually involves the integrated use of medications.
Pediatricians say that classic rhinitis in a person lasts up to one week. If correction is applied at the same time, this period may be reduced. However, for babies, things are somewhat different. At the age of six months, the immune defense of children is not yet perfected. That is why this state should not be allowed to drift and be inactive. An untreated runny nose can turn into a cause of chronic pathologies.
Runny nose in a child of 6 months: how to treat?
Before talking about the means to help eliminate this condition, it is worth recalling that the chosen method of correction directly depends on the cause of the symptom. Yes, it’s a symptom. After all, the appearance of a cold is not a disease, but only its manifestation. That is why it is worth approaching treatment very responsibly and fight precisely with the source of rhinitis.
Doctors report that there are currently a lot of funds for the correction of the common cold. However, their application is not always appropriate in a particular case. An increased separation of mucus from the nasal passages can develop for the following reasons: allergy, viral disease, bacterial damage, physiological condition, and so on. Only a qualified specialist can determine what exactly caused the common cold. In accordance with the diagnosis and appropriate treatment is prescribed. Consider the main options for the course of events and find out how to treat a runny nose in children of 6 months.
Physiological Slippers
If a child has a runny nose for 6 months, how to treat it? The cause of this condition may be ordinary physiology. While the baby is in the womb, the baby is surrounded by amniotic fluid. Moreover, water is present in many of its organs. After birth, this mucus remains in the ears, nose and larynx. If a large amount is determined, which does not allow the baby to breathe on their own, then right in the delivery room this liquid is sucked out using powerful aspirators. However, in most cases they do not. Over time, the mucus evaporates on its own and exits. At the same time, mommy can hear the nose grunt in a child . In most cases, women blame it on a runny nose. However, this condition does not require treatment. After about a couple of weeks, the child's breathing normalizes.
It is worth noting that in most cases, physiological squirrels occur between two weeks of life and up to four months. However, it may be that they developed in half a year. To clarify the diagnosis, it is worth visiting a specialist.
The use of breast milk - the benefit or harm?
How to treat a runny nose in children 6 months? If you ask this question to our grandmothers, you will hear almost unanimous advice. The older generation is confident that breast milk will help cope with nose squelching. After all, it is in this liquid that the mass of immune cells contains, which mom transfers to her baby. What do experts say about this?
Doctors categorically prohibit the use of breast milk for the treatment of the common cold. Doctors say this could lead to a more serious problem. Of course, mother's milk is rich in many useful substances. It is able to protect the baby during a cold and help his immunity cope with the pathology. However, such a medicine is used only orally. Doctors advise feeding the baby milk, but do not bury it in the nose. After all, this food can sour, and the formed environment is an excellent prerequisite for the development of fungal infection. For young children, this condition is especially dangerous.
Allergic manifestations
Treatment for a cold in a 6-month-old baby may involve the use of antihistamines. In most cases, such a pathology does not develop at this age. However, if dad or mom have these manifestations, then they can be hereditary. The appearance of an allergic rhinitis at this age is possible due to malnutrition or the child consumes a large number of allergens. Even the banal instillation of milk in the nose as described above often causes similar consequences.
There are two ways to treat a cold of an allergic nature at this age in a child. Usually, doctors prescribe oral antihistamines and their local use. The first type of medication includes Citrine, Suprastin, Tavegil, and so on. All of them are available in tablet form. It is not very convenient for use in babies. Also, parents will have to calculate the dosage of the drug and divide the tablet into several parts. It is more convenient to use such formulations as Fenistil and Zirtek. They are made in the form of drops for oral administration. In addition, such compounds as Avamis and Tafen may be recommended to improve breathing. "Nazonex". Other vasoconstrictors are usually not suitable for the treatment of allergies, since their prolonged use can be addictive.
Viral pathology
If a child has a runny nose for 6 months, how to treat it? With the development of viral pathology, the baby often has other symptoms. So, body temperature may rise. Examination of the larynx reveals inflammation of the tonsils and their enlargement. The eyelid from the inside acquires a red tint and an inflamed appearance.
The temperature and runny nose in a child of 6 months must be recorded by a doctor. In most cases of a fever, doctors prescribe the following drugs: Nurofen, Panadol, Cefekon and others. You can use them as needed, but the dosage specified in the instructions should be observed. Directly for the treatment of the common cold, such compounds as “Interferon”, “Grippferon”, “Irs-19”, “Derinat” are prescribed. All of them have immunomodulatory and antiviral effects. Their use should be carried out strictly according to the instructions in compliance with the dosage indicated by the doctor.
Bacterial lesion
If the baby is 6 months old, cough and runny nose can be a sign of a bacterial infection. In most cases, the body temperature also rises. Moreover, it can last more than five days. This is what distinguishes a bacterial infection from a viral infection.
To treat this type of runny nose, doctors usually use two methods: taking medications inside or using them locally. The first type of drugs include Amoxicillin, Flemoxin, Azithromycin, Sumamed and others. To eliminate pathology in the nasal passages, such compounds as Isofra, Protargol, Polydex, Sialor and so on are prescribed.
Sinus flushing
How to cure a runny nose in a child of 6 months? Be sure to clear the nasal passages of mucus. As many parents understand, at this age, babies cannot blow their nose on their own. That is why it is worth using an aspirator. Currently, in every pharmacy you can find similar devices. They can be of different types. However, all aspirators have a common task - to extract mucus and sap from the baby’s nose.
For washing the nose, doctors recommend such formulations: “Aquamaris”, “Aqualor” or ordinary saline. If necessary, you can independently prepare a salt composition. To rinse the nose, you need to introduce a few drops of the drug into each nostril of the child. Then use an aspirator to remove all fluid. Repeat the procedure if necessary. Rinse the nose of the child is recommended as necessary. However, do not get involved in this occupation, because you can dry the mucous membrane. After washing, you can enter into the nose any dosage formulations that your doctor has prescribed.
The use of vasoconstrictors
If a child (6 months) has a runny nose without or with a fever, this can lead to difficulty breathing. In most cases, babies at this age are still breastfeeding or are eating a bottle mixture. A blocked nose simply does not allow them to normally eat. That is why manufacturers of pharmacological drugs have created tools to combat this symptom.
Use vasoconstrictor agents must be very careful. Do not exceed the dose indicated in the instructions. Also, the use of drugs should not last more than one week. Otherwise, addiction to the medication will occur. Typically, pediatricians and otorhinolaryngologists prescribe the following formulations: Nazivin, Vibrocil, Snoop, Otrivin, etc.
Runny nose inhalations
Recently, very often doctors prescribe inhalations to treat cough and runny nose. Coping with the secretion of mucus in the nose and the development of the inflammatory process will help drugs such as Derinat and Interferon.
For inhalation, you need to mix a few drops of the drug with saline. Place the medicine in a special container and inhale the child for five minutes. Similar procedures can be carried out up to twice a day. If necessary, you can use the inhaler for preventive purposes. To do this, repeat the procedure once a week.
Summarizing
In the process of reading the article, you learned how to cure a child a runny nose quickly in 6 months. Remember that any use of medicinal formulations must be agreed with your doctor. It is also necessary to know that at the age of two years it is forbidden to use drugs for the treatment of the common cold in the form of a spray. Some manufacturers even recommend their medicines after six years. If you are prescribed a medication that is available only in the form of a spray (for example, Isofra), then you should first pour the composition into a spoon, and only from there use a pipette to drop the medicine into the baby’s nose. Quick recovery to your baby!