How To Identify And Treat The Types Of Snot In Children?
Snot in children is very common in babies and toddlers up to 5 years old. Mucus is the body’s defense mechanism against infection. When a virus comes into contact with the airways and inflames them, the response is to produce that gelatinous material. In turn, it traps germs so that they are expelled to the outside.
It is important for parents to be well informed about this condition and its treatments. This way, they will know what to do if the child loses their appetite, becomes fatigued and feels like they are choking. Although snot is not a serious problem in and of itself, it could be a sign of a possible more complex disease.
What are the types of snot in children?
Among the types of snot in children are:
- Clear and abundant mucus. It goes up and down the throat and some children swallow it. It is a sign of a cold and is accompanied by constant sneezing. It can last between 2 and 4 days.
- Thick and abundant. When the cold does not go away, the throat begins to fight with it and causes the mucus to come down thicker. Although not much mucus remains in the child’s nose, when he lies down it causes him to start coughing frequently.
- Greenish yellowish. This color is the indicator that the white blood cells have started to fight the infection.
- Greenish. It is thick and commonly appears in the mornings. It also usually appears in the eyes and is a symptom that the blood cells are fighting the infection.
- Mucus with a persistent cough and a choking sensation. If your child has trouble breathing at night and coughs a lot, it could mean they have bronchitis.
- Thick with fever. This could be a sign that you have a more serious infection, such as ear infections or pneumonia.
Should snot in children be treated?
Most pediatricians do not prescribe medication for children under 2 years of age to combat snot. It is considered that it is better to treat them with simple mechanisms so that they are expelled.
However, they can be treated with medications if they are abundant, do not allow the child to breathe well or if they have a fever over 38ºC.
What methods can be used?
There are various treatments that can be used to remove snot from children.
- Hydrate it well. Giving him plenty of water will make the mucus thinner and cough it up.
- Ventilated environment. The room should be well ventilated and kept clean to prevent fungus from forming.
- Nasal forceps. It is used to remove dry mucus in babies.
- Nasal washes. They should be done by placing the baby lying with the head on its side, to be able to apply serum with a syringe in each nostril. This serum can be physiological, hypertonic or sea water.
Apart from these, you can also be given home remedies, such as:
- Mallow infusion with lemon juice and honey.
- Carrot juice with orange every morning, due to its high power of vitamin A and C.
- Chicken broth, to deflate the respiratory tract, by the cysteine compound.
In case of fever, the pediatrician may indicate other medications, such as:
- Antibiotics
- Mucolytics.
- Nebulizations.
- Antihistamines.
When is it necessary to take the child to the pediatrician?
In case the little one presents any of the following symptoms, do not hesitate to take him to the doctor:
- Very persistent cough that causes choking. If this happens, you could have bronchitis.
- If you have a general malaise and fever, this may be a sign of otitis or pneumonia.
In conclusion, snot in children is very common and not always harmful, as they are a defense mechanism against infections.
However, if you notice that your child has a lot of mucus, he coughs non-stop and his sleep is interrupted, take the necessary preventive measures. If you see that he also has other symptoms, take him immediately to the pediatrician.
