Cold: the trick to clear the nose of children

Rhino pharyngitis, or cold, is a very common viral infection in children, most often benign. One of its main symptoms, the runny nose, passes in a few days, but it is possible to relieve the child with a simple gesture, often poorly executed.

The cold is usually a mild illness that heals in 10 days on average. In the winter season, few children escape. Interviewed by Le Parisien, Dr. Emmanuel Dandurand, one of the leaders of the emergency department of physiotherapy (SUK) of Paris, explains why it is important to ensure very often relieve their stuffy nose.
"For babies, it is essential to hydrate the nostrils fast enough, as soon as they are congested. For up to 6 months, infants breathe almost exclusively through the nose. For this, a saline solution, physiological saline, or a nasal spray are the best options.

It is still necessary to know how to use it optimally, and this is what this specialist insists in the columns of everyday life. "To clear his nose, the child must lie down with his head on his side. We can then make it a nasal hydration, for example based on seawater, because it also includes minerals, "he adds. This properly performed procedure not only relieves the child's nostrils, but also prevents the cold from worsening in sinusitis or bronchiolitis if not well cared for. An approach that is just as recommended for adults, who usually tend to keep their head straight when doing a nasal pschitt.

Position the head correctly according to the nasal cavity

"Result: the product goes down again immediately, with gravity. Adults also have an interest in tilting their heads horizontally when they open their noses with a moisturizing solution. It is much more effective, given the shape of the nasal cavity, "concludes Dr. Emmanuel Dandurand. The serum should be sprayed into one nostril and then into the other, as well as into the spray, being careful to clean the tip with warm water and soap. Not to mention, to conclude the operation, to blow nose one after the other. This action performed several times a day should help relieve the child until healing with, if necessary, a fever medication.

On the subject, the Health Insurance recommends for its part to use only nasal sprays adapted to the age of the child and especially not to buy nasal sprays containing vasoconstrictor products, the latter being contraindicated at children under 15 years old. It also discourages the use of an air conditioner because this device dehumidifies the air and dries the nasal mucous membranes. If these good reflexes are sufficient in most cases, a consultation with the doctor is required if his temperature exceeds 38.5 ° C and lasts more than three days, if his cough and runny nose do not improve after ten days, and if he feels pains in one ear.