Question
A 4-year-old child has had a fever for three days and has recently developed nasal congestion, with difficulty breathing during sleep and a loud throat rattle. What methods can be used to alleviate the nasal congestion?
Answer
The child’s nasal congestion may be caused by rhinitis following a cold, which may take some time to fully recover. The loud throat rattle might be due to swollen tonsils. The child’s fever for three days could be indicative of a bacterial infection. It is unclear if a routine blood test has been conducted; if the blood count is elevated, antibiotic treatment may be necessary. To relieve the symptoms of nasal congestion, oral cold medication or nasal drops can be taken.