Is it worth it to inhalation with a cold in children and what recipes are effective?

A runny nose is an unpleasant symptom that prevents a child from breathing, eating and sleeping, so parents try to help the baby in any way. One of the most common methods to eliminate runny nose is inhalation., but before you spend it on a child, it is worth knowing at what age it is permissible, how inhalation affects a sick child with a cold head and how best to carry out such procedures.

Inhalation of the common cold acts as follows:

• Moisturizes mucous membrane;
• Thins mucus, which has accumulated and thickened in the nasal passages;
• Removes excess mucusforming in the nose.

This procedure does not affect the cause of rhinitis, in particular, allergens, viruses or bacteria, but it improves the condition of the baby and helps speed recovery.

The main purpose of inhalation for children with a cold is moisturizingtherefore, inhalations are recommended when the mucus is dried in the nasopharynx, and steam procedures are most effective. They usually use a boiling pot or steam inhaler., while the use of a special appliance is more preferable, as a pan with boiling water can cause burns, for example, from too hot steam or from turning the pan over.

Performing procedures is not recommended if:

• The baby is thick greenish snot, appearing with purulent rhinitis.
• Nasal secretion is found blood.
• Kid complains pain or congestion in the ears.
• The body temperature of the child is increased.
• Nasal mucus secretes freely and mucous membrane constantly wet.

Why there are such contraindications, Dr. Komarovsky will tell in detail in the presented video.

Using a nebulizer for inhalation, which should affect the nasal mucosa, is considered ineffective. Such a device turns the treatment solution into particles so small that they pass through the nose and fall well below the desired impact (for example, in the larynx or in the bronchi). At best, the child will not receive any benefit from nebulizing inhalation, and at worst such a procedure can cause deterioration.

Most often for procedures that help with a cold, use saline. This can be either a pharmaceutical preparation or a homemade solution of salt (per liter of water, tsp. Salt). In addition to saline for inhalation from a cold You can apply essential oils. Since they have a longer lasting effect, inhalations with such oils are usually carried out overnight.

The site of exposure of the drug aerosol particles depends on their size. If these are particles with a size of 8–10 µm, they will settle in the nose, an aerosol of particles of 6–8 µm will affect the larynx, and particles up to 5 µm will penetrate into the bronchi and lungs. That is why effective inhalations when coughing does not help get rid of a cold, and procedures that moisturize the nasal mucosa well will not be effective when coughing.

Procedures under the age of one year is not recommended. Even in preschool children inhalation can be performed only after consulting a doctor. This is due to narrow nasal passages at an early age. Due to inhalation, the mucus swells and overlaps them, which often causes otitis. In addition, it is quite difficult to hold the baby over the inhaler, and the use of a pan with steam is very dangerous.

1. Fill in a steam inhaler with 10 to 20 ml of saline.
2. Turn on the device in the network.
3. As soon as the steam begins to stand out, attach a mask to the face of the child.
4. Tell your baby to breathe through the nose.
5. After 3-4 minutes, complete the procedure.
6. Spend a day up to 3 inhalations.

When carrying out the procedure over a boiling water pot, the baby must hold his head so that his breathing is comfortable, the steam burn is excluded, but the temperature of the inhaled steam is rather high. The head is covered with a towel, and An adult should always be sitting next to each other in order to eliminate the risk of turning the pan over.

For more information on how to properly conduct inhalation, see the special video prepared by the Union of Pediatricians of Russia:

Do not use for steam inhalation from a cold natural juice of onion, garlic and aloe. Phytoncides from them help in getting rid of bacterial infections, however, purulent lesion is a contraindication to steam inhalation, and the use of another type of inhalation does not deliver phytoncids to nasal mucosa cells. And therefore, such funds during inhalation from a cold are ineffective.

It is not recommended to make inhalations with herbs decoction.For example, from the series, eucalyptus or chamomile. They are known for their anti-inflammatory effects, but with a cold can cause further infection. Procedures with such decoctions are permissible only at the end of the acute phase of the disease.when the baby's nose is still stuffed, but this condition usually passes quickly and without inhalation with chamomile.