How to treat thick white snot in a child

In a healthy baby, snot does not flow. Discharge from the nasal mucosa should only moisturize it, without flowing out. When a child has transparent snot flowing, this does not mean that he is sick. Such discharge can be caused by an allergic reaction or non-infectious reasons. But a change in the color and / or consistency of snot almost always indicates that there is an active inflammatory process caused by pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, if thick white snot appears in a child, the pediatrician should decide how to treat them.

Why does snot thicken

First, let's figure it out, white snot in a child - what is it: a disease or an allergic reaction? This is definitely not an allergy. Allergic discharge is very liquid, as if water was flowing from the nose. They are colorless and odorless and quickly disappear after contact with an allergen or antihistamines has ceased.

A non-infectious reason why a child has white snot (especially for infants and young toddlers) may be too dry air in the room in which the baby sleeps or spends a lot of time. Drying out of the mucous membrane does not allow the nose to be cleaned normally, and the mucus can thicken and accumulate in the nasal passages.

But in 90% of cases, white viscous snot in a child signals that an infection is present in the body, which, if untreated, will advance further, affecting the nasopharynx and bronchi. Symptoms indirectly confirming this assumption are:

• an increase in body temperature (even slight);
• redness and sore throat;
• decreased or lack of appetite;
• unusual baby behavior;
• a sharp decrease in activity, lethargy;
• in young children - frequent crying, nervousness.

Only a doctor can finally confirm the diagnosis and determine which pathogenic microorganisms caused the inflammatory process. For this, laboratory tests are carried out: urine and blood tests, a smear for microflora and a sputum test. After diagnosis, treatment is individually selected.

Treatment methods

How to treat white snot in a child depends on how serious the disease is. Usually in the early stages of SARS and influenza, antibiotics are not used. With an uncomplicated course of these diseases, several days of bed rest, anti-inflammatory nasal drops and antiviral drugs are quite enough. Alternative methods of treatment can also be connected.

But if the disease is actively progressing, intensive complex treatment will be required. In this case, it is necessary to simultaneously solve several problems at once, which cannot be dealt with by one drug, even the most modern one.

A good therapeutic effect is provided by a combination of drug treatment and home procedures. Homeopathic remedies can be an excellent adjuvant.

All ways how to treat white snot in a child can be divided into the following groups:

• drug treatment;
• physiotherapy procedures;
• homeopathic medicines;
• traditional methods of treatment.

Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages, but most often they are used in various combinations, the most optimal of which is individually capable of an experienced doctor.

The best drugs

The best drugs that will help you quickly cure white snot in a child are those that your doctor has prescribed for you. When choosing medicines, many factors should be taken into account: age, weight, the presence of chronic diseases and allergic reactions, and the peculiarities of the course of the disease. No matter how well you know your child, you will not be able to bring all these factors together and choose the right combination of drugs.

For complex treatment, several groups of drugs are usually used:

• vasoconstrictor nasal drops - in order to quickly eliminate congestion, relieve swelling and restore normal breathing;
• anti-inflammatory - to remove irritation of the mucous membranes of the nose and nasopharynx;
• antihistamines - sometimes prescribed, even if snot is not a symptom of an allergy, but they help to quickly remove swelling and reduce the amount of discharge;
• antibacterial - if the presence of pathogenic bacteria is revealed during smears and crops, they act on them destructively;
• antipyretic - only when the body temperature rises above 38.5C, symptomatically, after normalization - canceled;
• immunomodulators - activate the immune system, help to quickly overcome the disease;
• homeopathic - are prescribed at the initial stages of the disease and / or in the case when antibiotics are contraindicated for some reason.

What specific medications are right for your child, only the pediatrician should decide. The task of the parents is to strictly follow all the doctor's prescriptions, in no case exceed the dosage and do not stop treatment until complete recovery. Otherwise, there is a high risk of side effects and various complications.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy procedures significantly speed up the healing process, as they strengthen the immune system, activate the regeneration processes and enhance the effect of drugs. But if for some reason it is not possible to take the child to the clinic for procedures, some of them can be performed at home.

Here is a table of approximate correspondence, which will tell you how you can replace professional physiotherapy procedures at home:

As you can see, a lot can be done at home to quickly cure white thick snot in a child. The main thing is not to overdo it with home procedures. They should be performed every other day, without severe overheating, no longer than 5-10 minutes, and only at normal body temperature. Before starting their implementation, it is better to consult your doctor about the details.