What should I do if my baby has nasal congestion?

In life, everyone knows that the baby's nose is the most important organ for breathing fresh air. If the nose is blocked, it will not only affect the baby's breathing, but may also affect the baby's physical health. Therefore, parents must take good care of the baby when taking care of the baby. It is best not to let the baby's nose be blocked. What should I do if the baby has nasal congestion? Here are some methods to treat baby's nasal congestion.

What causes baby's stuffy nose?

The baby's nasal passages are relatively narrow and rich in blood vessels, making it easy for the nasal mucosa to edema. Babies are easily stimulated by changes in temperature in the external environment, and the blood vessels in the nasal mucosa expand and contract, and exudation increases. This is what people often call snot. If the baby does not clear out the snot, it will gradually turn into nasal crusts that block the nasal passages and aggravate the degree of nasal congestion. The baby's nasal mucosa is swollen, and there is no secretion blockage in the nasal passages. You can use a wet towel to apply hot compress to the base of your baby's nose to temporarily relieve nasal congestion. If there is snot, you can use a soft towel or gauze, wet it, twist it into a cloth twist, and gently put it into the baby's nasal passage. Then slowly rotate the cloth twist in the opposite direction, pulling it out while rotating, and the snot can be brought out of the nasal passage. This will not hurt the baby's nasal cavity and is much safer than using a cotton swab.

If there is nasal crust, the easiest way is to let the baby cry for a while. The tears can soak the nasal crust and make it soft. Then use a cloth twist to stimulate the nasal passage to make the baby sneeze, which may knock out the nasal crust, or hit the front nostril, and then use your hands to gently pull out the nasal crust. If there is resistance, do not pull it out forcefully to avoid damaging the baby's nasal mucosa and causing nasal bleeding.

1. If the baby has a cold, the mother can let the baby lie on the bed and rub the baby's back through the clothes. Rubbing up and down is effective in preventing colds. If the baby has a stuffy nose, you can gently rub the baby's ears until they turn red. This can also relieve nasal congestion.

2. If your baby's nose is blocked in the early stage of a cold, you can put slightly scalding ginger powder on the soles of the baby's feet when the baby is sleeping at night. This can help the nose breathe smoothly and the cold will heal faster. Method: Cut the ginger into shreds and fry in a dry pan until it is dry and the ginger aroma comes out (it’s okay if it’s a little mushy). Put the fried shredded ginger into a small gauze bag and then place the gauze bag with slightly hot shredded ginger on the soles of the baby’s feet. (Be sure to make sure the ginger is not too hot to avoid scalding your baby.)

3. Hot compress method: A stuffy nose may be caused by the baby's fontanelle being cold. Mothers can use a thick towel to place it on the radiator or wrap it around a container of boiling water to release heat. You can warm the baby's fontanelle for a while and continue to apply hot compress until the baby's forehead sweats. If you cannot tell whether the baby's fontanelle is cold, you might as well give it a try. It will not harm the baby.

4. Clean the baby's nasal crust. If the baby's nasal cavity is blocked by nasal crust, mothers should remove the nasal crust for the baby in time, but do not dig it out directly with your hands, as this may damage the baby's nasal mucosa, and in severe cases may cause bleeding and infection. You can also use a small clip specially used to clean the baby's nasal mucus (it is best to use it when the baby is sleeping, and the action must be quick to avoid harming the baby due to lack of cooperation.) If the nasal crust is relatively dry, let the baby inhale some moist water vapor first, and then clean it after inhaling for 3 to 5 minutes.

How to relieve your baby's stuffy nose

1. If it is snot, you can use a nasal aspirator; if it is dry nasal mucus, you can buy small plastic clips with small round heads. Wait until the baby falls asleep to clip it, and the movements should be quick and gentle.

2. Put a drop of cod liver oil or saline solution in each nostril. This will soften the nasal mucus, and the child will sneeze to bring the mucus out.

3. Place a humidifier in the air-conditioned room at night to increase the indoor humidity and relieve children's nasal congestion caused by dry air.

4. Parents can add some salt to warm boiled water and drip it into the baby's nasal cavity (about 2 to 3 drops on each side), or use a cotton swab dipped in warm salt water to moisten the nasal cavity, and then suck out or remove the moistened secretions after about 1 to 2 minutes; you can also use a wet towel to apply hot compress on the nose to keep the nose unobstructed. For older babies, you can take a small section of scallion about 5 cm long, soak it in rice wine for a while, take it out and drain it, and gently insert it into the baby's nostrils 2 to 3 times; when sleeping, lie on your side to keep one side open as much as possible.