Obviously, bad nose odor not only lowers the quality of life of a person and brings inconvenience to his daily life, but is also evidence of certain health problems. That is why it is extremely important to determine the cause of the unpleasant symptom as soon as possible and begin treatment. An unpleasant smell from a child's nose can be of a different nature, therefore, first you need to identify the cause that caused the unpleasant symptom, and only after that start the appropriate treatment procedures.
Causes
A fetid odor from the nose in most cases is a symptom of an inflammatory process that occurs on the nasopharyngeal mucosa. A putrid odor, as well as the presence of purulent nasal discharge, are most often signs of the development of a bacterial infection, which must be treated with antibiotics without fail.
Ozena
Ozena (atrophic rhinitis) is a fairly common cause of bad odor from the nasopharynx in childhood. This disease is accompanied by inflammation of the bone tissues and the nasal mucosa, which, in the process of the development of pathology, leads to the development of formations on the nasal mucosa that resemble crusts.
Most often, atrophic rhinitis occurs in children aged seven to eight years, and girls are more susceptible to this disease.
The hallmarks of atrophic rhinitis are:
- unpleasant odor from the nose (in adults, purulent rhinitis is possible, in children, dry crusts often form);
- migraine (in the parietal region and forehead);
- swelling of the nasal mucosa and even a temporary loss of smell;
- fast fatiguability.
As the disease progresses, an increase in the number of crusts is observed, due to which a bad smell from the nose appears, which becomes more pronounced in the absence of the necessary therapeutic procedures and appropriate treatment.
The development of pathology can lead to damage to the larynx and trachea, which, in turn, contributes to respiratory failure, both in children and adults. In this case, the characteristic symptoms are a hoarseness of the voice and severe dryness in the throat, which is difficult to get rid of.
Important! It is impossible to get rid of atrophic rhinitis without medication.
Sinusitis
Sinusitis is a serious disease accompanied by the development of an inflammatory process in the paranasal sinuses. Quite often, this pathology occurs in childhood, causing an unpleasant odor from the nose.
Each of the forms of sinusitis (sinusitis, frontal sinusitis, etc.) has its own characteristics, however, a number of common characteristic symptoms can be distinguished:
- discharge of thick purulent secretions from the nasal cavity;
- migraine (pain usually worsens in the morning);
- toothaches;
- pain in the upper jaw.
Other signs of sinusitis are very similar to those of common colds. For example: general weakness and fatigue, moderate hyperthermia, shortness of breath, and others.
Running sinusitis is also dangerous with more serious consequences for human health. Treatment of purulent inflammation of the nasopharyngeal mucosa is not complete without the use of antibacterial drugs.
Important! The mucous secretion secreted by the sinuses can enter the throat, causing it to become inflamed. There are also known cases when sinusitis became the cause of the development of brain infections.
Rhinitis
The final stage of rhinitis development (mucous discharge from the nose becomes less, but they have a thicker structure) may well be the reason why the patient will have an unpleasant smell from the nose. Most often this happens when the disease lasts long enough, and the person does not make attempts to cure it, or because the treatment used was not effective.
This situation requires a regular procedure for rinsing the nose with special disinfectant solutions. Most often, doctors recommend using solutions of Furalicin, Miramistin and Chlorhexidine.
Diagnostics
If a child has a foul-smelling nose and a purulent discharge, parents should seek the help of a specialist who can diagnose the problem and prescribe appropriate treatment.
However, in order for a specialist to be able to make an accurate diagnosis, diagnostic procedures are often required. These include:
- CT scan;
- endoscopy of the nasal cavity;
- rhinoscopy;
- X-ray of the nasal sinuses;
- tank seeding nasal secretions (this will help determine the level of resistance of the infection to various antibacterial drugs);
- general analysis of blood and urine.
Treatment
After examining the patient and studying the test results obtained, as well as following the results of the diagnostic procedures performed, the specialist will be able to prescribe the correct treatment for each specific situation.
Medication
Usually, therapy is determined in such a way as to eliminate the underlying cause of the disease. For the treatment of viral infections, various antiviral drugs are often used (Arbidol, Groprinosin, Amizon, Isoprinosine), while for bacterial infections, the use of antibiotics (Azithromycin, Augmentin, Sumamed) will be appropriate.
With shortness of breath associated with nasal congestion and swelling of the mucous membrane, vasoconstrictor drugs (Evkazolin Aqua, Vibrocil) can be used. However, if we are talking about children, then the use of drugs in this group is permissible only after consulting a pediatrician. In addition, sprays are contraindicated for children under three years old.
Important! Vasoconstrictor drugs should not be used for more than 7 days! The use of sprays is contraindicated for children under three years old!
With such an unpleasant symptom as a putrid odor from the nose, you need to regularly moisten the mucous membrane. For this, various saline solutions are used, for example, Aquamaris.
Treatment with folk remedies
You can supplement drug therapy with alternative methods of treatment, which will surely help ease unpleasant symptoms and speed up the healing process.
So, in addition to rinsing the nasal passages with saline solutions (for 200 ml of warm drinking water 1 teaspoon of sea or table salt), you can resort to inhalation through a nebulizer. In this case, saline is well suited.
Also, for an accelerated recovery and relief of symptoms, a sick child can be offered to breathe over decoctions of herbs. A decoction made from celandine, St. John's wort, yarrow and chamomile in a ratio of 1: 1: 3: 2 will be effective. These herbs should be mixed, take three to four tablespoons of the resulting collection, and simmer over low heat for 3-5 minutes.
If steam inhalation is used for treatment, then the procedure should be carried out as follows. The child should bend to face the container over the broth at a sufficiently safe distance. You can cover your head with a small towel. The temperature of the decoction should be high, but not scalding the nasopharyngeal mucosa. This procedure can be performed 3-4 times a day, and the duration of each session can vary from five to fifteen minutes.
Important! Make sure that the child is not allergic to the components used. Steam inhalation should not be carried out at elevated body temperature.
Compliance with climatic conditions
Also, in the process of treatment, one should not forget about the observance of certain conditions that will help a person cope with the disease faster.The room where the patient is located should not be hot, and the air should not be dry. The optimum temperature is considered to be 18-20 degrees, while the humidity should be at least 50 percent.
Regular airing of the room (without creating a draft) and wet cleaning will also be appropriate to avoid the accumulation of dust in the house.
Important! The patient will recover much faster if he breathes clean fresh air, and his mucous membrane will be moistened all the time.
Obviously, the causes of a baby's nose odor can be different. Therefore, it is important to promptly make the correct diagnosis and begin effective treatment.
