But in order not to harm health and not worsen the well-being of the baby, you need to understand which drops can be used and for what symptoms. Rhinitis does not always occur due to the development of viral flora in the respiratory organs. To eliminate the unpleasant manifestations of the disease, you need to find out what exactly caused the inflammation of the mucous membrane in the nasopharynx. Bacteria, fungi, allergens, viruses and other pathogens can cause unwanted reactions in tissues. When choosing drops for the treatment of a common cold, you need to take into account the child's age, concomitant clinical manifestations of the disease and the possible harm from the use of certain drugs.
Features of the choice of nasal drops
What drops to use to treat rhinitis in children? Before purchasing nasal products, you need to pay attention to the clinical manifestations of the disease. The following symptoms most often indicate the development of colds and other viral diseases:
- itching or burning in the nasopharynx;
- constant sneezing;
- nasal congestion;
- malaise;
- clear nasal discharge.
It is possible to destroy a viral infection in the respiratory tract by means of immunostimulating and antiviral drops. No less effective will be preparations based on sea or ocean water, which disinfect mucous membranes, strengthen the walls of blood vessels and increase local immunity.
Antiallergenic nasal agents will help to stop the manifestations of an allergic rhinitis. The development of the disease is signaled by lacrimation, sneezing, severe swelling of the nasopharynx, itching in the nasal passages, etc. To eliminate the manifestations of hay fever or allergic rhinitis, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the causal allergen that provoked irritation of the mucous membranes. They can be household dust, plant pollen, animal dander, natural fluff, etc.
Important! If the symptoms of a runny nose persist within a week, most likely the disease has become chronic.
If the baby has a very high temperature, and yellow or green mucus is released from the nose, in most cases this indicates the bacterial nature of the inflammation. To help the child and alleviate his condition, you need to instill antiseptic or antibacterial drops in the nose. They will destroy pathogenic bacteria in the nasopharynx, thereby accelerating the regression of inflammation in the soft tissues.
Types of nasal drops
When purchasing drops for a cold for children, you need to take into account not only their pharmacological action, but also the composition. Depending on the basis of the drug, all types of nasal products are divided into three broad categories:
- water - water-based liquid solutions that are quickly absorbed into the tissue;
- oily - prolonged-acting oily liquids that are used to treat moderate-intensity rhinitis;
- colloidal - water-based solutions with astringent properties; last longer than water, but less oil.
Important! The use of oil-based nasal preparations for the treatment of infants is not recommended.
Due to the anatomical features of the structure of the nasopharynx in infants, the use of oil drops has age restrictions. Due to the narrowness of the nasal passages, they can stagnate in the nasopharynx and disrupt nasal breathing. Therefore, they are used to treat babies from 2 years old.
Groups of nasal drugs
Medicines for intranasal use are available in the form of drops, aerosols, ointments, solutions, oils, etc. In pediatric practice, to eliminate rhinorrhea (severe rhinitis), drugs are usually used in the form of drops. They help get rid of snot, eliminate swelling and prevent the development of nasal obstruction (airway obstruction).
It should be understood that sprays and aerosols are injected into the nasopharynx under pressure, so some of the drug can penetrate into the auditory tube and provoke inflammation there. That is why for the treatment of the nose in newborns and children under 6 years of age, it is recommended to use medicines in the form of ordinary droplets.
Vasoconstrictor drugs
Many parents believe that the best cold drops are those that have an immediate effect. This category of drugs includes vasoconstrictor drugs (decongestants). They contain special substances (stimulants of adrenergic receptors), which cause the vessels in the mucous membranes of the ENT organs to narrow. Less blood supply to the tissues of the nasopharynx helps to eliminate puffiness and facilitate breathing.
Pediatricians warn that vasoconstrictor drugs for the treatment of rhinitis in children can be used for no more than 5 days in a row. This is due to several reasons:
- decongestants do not treat rhinitis, but only stop its manifestations;
- vasoconstrictor drugs are addictive;
- irrational use of drugs in 8 out of 10 cases leads to the development of a drug-induced rhinitis;
- drug overdose leads to side reactions: headaches, dehydration of the nasopharyngeal mucosa, epistaxis, etc.
Vasoconstrictor drugs do not cure a runny nose, but only eliminate its manifestations.
To prevent complications, it is better to abandon the regular use of decongestants in favor of moisturizers and anti-inflammatories. If it is impossible to completely abandon decongestants, then when treating babies under 3 years old, use only approved children's drugs with a low concentration of active substances.
Moisturizers
Moisturizers based on purified sea water are good baby drops that are not addictive, but reduce swelling in the nasal cavity. They include ordinary or sea salt, as well as useful trace elements - calcium, magnesium, sodium, selenium, etc. To reduce the viscosity of the nasal secretion in the respiratory tract, it is enough to drop 2-3 drops of the drug into each nasal canal and after 5-7 minutes suck the mucus with an aspirator.
When choosing moisturizers, you need to take into account the age of the little patient. To prevent irritation of the nasal mucosa in infants, it is recommended to use isotonic solutions. They contain no more than 0.9% sodium chloride, so the drugs do not lead to tissue dehydration. For the treatment of nasal congestion in babies from three years old, you can use hypertonic solutions with a higher salt concentration. They thin the viscous mucus in the nasal passage and accelerate its evacuation, thereby normalizing the patency of the airways.
Isotonic solutions are the safest nasal drops that do not cause adverse reactions and addiction.
Homeopathic remedies
Homeopathic medicines are often used for colds in young children. They have a complex effect on the body, but they rarely provoke side effects. Good drops have the following pharmacological properties:
- relieve inflammation;
- stimulate immunity;
- accelerate the regeneration of mucous membranes;
- increase the tone of blood vessels.
What is the correct way to drip drugs into the nose? It is recommended to use homeopathic remedies in courses of 2-3 weeks.Their active components tend to accumulate in tissues, therefore, to achieve the maximum effect, drugs should be used systematically at least 2-3 times a day with an exacerbation of an infectious rhinitis.
Antiviral agents
Antiviral nasal drops for children are advisable to use in the treatment of influenza, viral nasopharyngitis, ARVI and other colds. Most drugs contain leukocyte interferon, which prevents the penetration of virions into epithelial cells. In other words, antiviral children's nose drops from a cold help prevent the further development of the viral flora in the respiratory organs.
Preparations with interferon do not have a negative effect on the body, therefore they can be used to treat babies up to one year old.
In the pharmacy, you can buy dry interferon in ampoules, which is diluted with saline before use. To quickly eliminate the manifestations of the disease, you need to drip 2-3 drops of the prepared solution into the nose at least 3 times a day.
Antibacterial agents
Antimicrobial agents, which include antibiotics, should preferably be used to treat children over 1 year old. It is important to remember that antibiotics often cause side reactions and negatively affect the microflora in the nasopharynx. Therefore, they are used in extreme cases with a severe deterioration in health and a high risk of complications that threaten the baby's life.
Frequent relapses of colds in children in most cases end in sinusitis, in particular sinusitis. Inflammation of the paranasal sinuses (sinuses) is fraught with damage to the facial nerve and decreased vision. In this case, antibiotic therapy is prescribed for the child, which includes antimicrobial nasal agents. They quickly destroy the infection and prevent purulent inflammation in the paranasal sinuses.
Antiallergic drugs
Antiallergic nasal drops are instilled not only when symptoms of allergic rhinitis appear. They reduce the severity of inflammation, so they are often included in the treatment of bacterial diseases. Despite the pronounced therapeutic effect, it is possible to drip drops into the child's nose only on the recommendation of a specialist.
Most of the products are available in the form of sprays, which are contraindicated in babies under 6 years old. How to properly instill the medicine in this case? If you cannot do without the use of antiallergic agents, the liquid is first poured into another container.
For instillation of the drug, you can use a regular pipette.
Hormonal agents
With allergic and vasomotor rhinitis, it is possible to eliminate acute inflammation in the nasal cavity with hormonal agents. Modern drugs are practically not absorbed into the systemic circulation, therefore they do not have a negative effect on the child's body. According to the practical results, topical (local) corticosteroids are the best drops for the common cold for children from one year old.
Hormonal drugs affect local immunity, so an overdose of drops can lead to the development of side diseases - fungal nasopharyngitis, sinusitis, etc.
Synthetic hormones contained in medicines have a pronounced anti-edema, wound healing, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory effect. It should be understood that such medicines can be used only if there are direct indications. Abuse of nasal agents is fraught with thinning of the nasopharyngeal mucosa, a decrease in local immunity and an increase in intraocular pressure.
Drug overview
When choosing baby drops for a cold, you need to take into account its biochemical composition and the concentration of active substances. An overdose of drugs can negatively affect the condition of the mucous membranes and cause an allergic reaction. Pediatricians do not recommend the use of potent antibacterial and hormonal agents for the treatment of newborns and babies under 1 year old. But if the inflammation in the nasopharynx has become chronic or provoked suppuration in the paranasal sinuses, antimicrobial drops are unlikely to be dispensed with.
The table shows effective drops for rhinitis for the smallest patients and children over three years old:
| Drop type | pharmachologic effect | For children under 1 year old | For children from 1 to 3 years old | For children from 3 years old |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| vasoconstrictor | constricts the vessels in the nasal mucosa, thereby improving airway patency and facilitating nasal breathing |
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| moisturizing | moisturize the tissues of the nasopharynx, disinfect mucous membranes and strengthen local immunity |
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| homeopathic | stimulate the immune defense, normalize metabolic processes in the ciliated epithelium |
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| antiviral and immunostimulating | destroy viruses and prevent their penetration into the cells of the mucous membranes, increase local immunity |
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| antibacterial | inhibit the activity of bacteria, reduce the severity of purulent inflammation |
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| hormonal | reduce the severity of inflammation, accelerate the regeneration of affected tissues |
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| antiallergic | relieve allergic manifestations, reduce irritation in the nasopharynx and relieve swelling |
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From the first days of life, it is recommended to bury moisturizers in the nasal passages. They do not contain potent substances, therefore they do not cause side reactions. The sea water contained in them moisturizes the ciliated epithelium, which is lined with the nasal cavity and accessory sinuses. Regular use of moisturizers normalizes the secretory activity of the glands in the nasopharynx, thereby eliminating the manifestations of an infectious and physiological rhinitis.
Drops technique
For the procedure to be successful, you need to be able to properly instill drops in the nose. Before carrying out medical manipulations, you need to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and, if necessary, clean the child's nasal passages from crusts.
To do this, you can use cotton turunda dipped in saline or boiled water.
In order for the medicinal solution to be absorbed into the nasopharyngeal mucosa, and not penetrate directly into the laryngopharynx, the following algorithm of actions must be observed during the procedure:
- lay a small child on his back, placing a soft roller under his head;
- turn your head slightly to the left and drip 2-3 drops of the drug into the lower nostril;
- after a minute, turn the baby's head to the right and drop the medicine again, but into the right nostril;
- hold the baby in your arms, tilting his head slightly forward to prevent liquid from entering the throat.
If the baby is constantly spinning and interfering with the process, immediately after instilling the medicine, press the wings of the nose against the septum. This will allow the liquid to quickly be absorbed into the mucous membrane and, accordingly, provide the necessary therapeutic effect.
Conclusion
Children's nasal products differ from drugs for adults in a relatively low concentration of active ingredients.To reduce the likelihood of side effects in the smallest patients, doctors recommend using moisturizers, immunostimulating and homeopathic medicines. Antibacterial, hormonal, antiviral and vasoconstrictor medications are optimal nasal drops for children from a year and older.
When choosing nasal drugs, you need to take into account the composition of the medicine, the age of the child and the indications for use. Allergic rhinitis is treated with antiallergic drops, bacterial rhinitis and sinusitis - with antibiotics, and colds and viral rhinitis - with antiviral drugs.
