What to Do When a Child Has a Runny Nose

Question

What should I do if my child keeps having a runny nose?

Answer

Because children have more abundant blood vessels in their nasal mucosa and more secretions, and their nervous system has not yet fully developed the regulatory function for nasal mucosal excretion and cilium activity, children are not good at wiping their own noses, so they often have clear runny nose, which is a normal physiological phenomenon and there is no need to worry. However, if the child has two lines of mucus hanging under the nostrils all day or discharge purulent yellow-green mucus, it is a manifestation of illness. Prolonged discharge of purulent yellow-green mucus may indicate sinusitis. Frequent discharge of clear mucus may be due to insufficient vitamin A and vitamin B, and treatment with these vitamins can be effective. Allergies to inhaled dust can cause a large amount of clear mucus to flow in a short time. A very few children with foreign objects in their nasal cavity also often have runny noses. The most important thing to note is that some children with nasopharyngeal lymphadenopathy also often have runny noses, but they also have symptoms such as severe snoring, dull facial expression, flat nose, etc., which can seriously interfere with growth and development and body posture. Treatment should be sought promptly.