Is the child's runny nose a cold or rhinitis? Here is what parents want to know about rhinitis in children

Text/Yangcheng Evening News All Media Reporter Guo Si Correspondent Zhang Xinli Lin Huifang

Photo/Visual China

When the seasons change, some babies always have runny noses and sneezing, but many parents do not know whether their children have a cold and need to see a pediatrician? Or rhinitis committed to see ENT?

A cold is an acute rhinitis, which can be accompanied by allergic rhinitis and acute sinusitis

In fact, a cold is not unrelated to rhinitis.

Cold is a collective term for acute upper respiratory tract infections including acute rhinitis, acute pharyngitis, etc. It is a self-limited disease caused by viral infection, mainly with nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, cough, fever, etc. as the main symptoms, The course of the disease is generally about 1 week, and some children under the age of 6 may extend to 2 weeks, and the symptoms of cough may also be intermittently delayed for 1-2 weeks.

However, colds are often not isolated, it may be accompanied by allergic rhinitis , acute sinusitis, etc. A cold can induce an attack of allergic rhinitis, and symptoms such as nasal congestion, nasal itching, sneezing, and runny nose can appear similar to a cold. In addition, a cold is an acute inflammation of the nasal cavity. When the inflammation is not well controlled, acute sinusitis can be secondary. Sinusitis is an infection of one or more paranasal sinuses around the nasal cavity. It is usually viral. Symptoms include nasal congestion, mucus or purulent nasal discharge. The duration of the disease is usually 7-10 days. If the symptoms of runny nose and cough are not improved for more than 10 days, or the symptoms are aggravated, you need to consider the possibility of bacterial infection, and you need to go to the ENT department. Under the guidance of a sufficient amount and a full course of antibiotic treatment.

Four major symptoms + three characteristics, you need to be alert to allergic rhinitis

The occurrence of allergic rhinitis (in a narrow sense, medically called allergic rhinitis) is related to immunity and is the result of the combined action of atopic individuals plus allergens, common Allergens include dust mites, cat and dog epithelium, pollen, fungi, etc. The child's parents may also have allergic rhinitis, and the child often has recurrent eczema when he is a child. The four most common symptoms of allergic rhinitis are nasal congestion, nasal itching, sneezing, and runny nose. However, not all children suffering from allergic rhinitis will have these four symptoms at the same time, but will have different changes according to the age of the child:

Infancy: mainly nasal congestion, parents will find that the child is not breathing well , even mouth breathing, snoring, like rubbing the nose, rubbing the eyes and so on.

Preschool children: Mainly with nasal congestion, but also accompanied by symptoms such as rubbing the nose, rubbing the eyes or coughing.

School-age children: Usually, water-like nasal discharge is the main form, and it can also be accompanied by rubbing the eyes, picking the nose, or nosebleeds due to picking the nose.

In addition to the above-mentioned main symptoms, the following three characteristics can also appear:

Allergic dark circles: that is, "panda's eyes", because nasal mucosa swelling affects venous return, and the subcutaneous veins under the eye sockets dilate, therefore, allergic rhinitis Children of 100% often develop infraorbital edema and darkening, known as "allergic dark circles" or panda eyes.

Allergic salute sign: Children with allergic rhinitis often like to rub their nose with their hands to relieve the symptoms of rhinitis. We call this action the allergic salute sign.

Allergic folds: Due to frequent allergic salutes, children may have a horizontal wrinkle on their nose, which we call allergic folds.

Avoiding allergens and nasal irrigation can prevent and treat allergic rhinitis.

The treatment of allergic rhinitis is usually based on the severity of symptoms. Mainly, pay attention to contact allergens and nasal flushing in daily life.

The most common allergen that causes allergic rhinitis is dust mites, which like warm and humid environments and often hide in bed sheets, quilts, pillows, cloth sofas, carpets, stuffed toys, air conditioner filters, etc. Pay attention to keep the room clean and hygienic and keep the indoor air circulation. Recommendations:

① Wash the bedding with water above 55℃ every week, or iron it with an electric iron and expose it to the sun directly;

② It is recommended to use latex pillows, cloud silk Quilts or silk quilts;

③ Do not put cloth sofas, do not play with plush toys, and do not lay carpets at home to reduce indoor layouts that are prone to dust accumulation;

④ The filters used in the air conditioner at home should be cleaned in time.

If the child is allergic to pets, they should avoid touching pets, not only not to touch and hold pets, but also to avoid living under the same roof with pets. If your child is allergic to pollen, avoid outdoor activities during the pollen dispersal period. Others can use special masks, glasses, etc. to block allergens.

Nasal irrigation is an increasingly accepted treatment method in recent years. It can wash away nasal secretions, including small particles that cause allergies and inflammatory factors, and can also shrink blood vessels and relieve nasal congestion. The key is that if the operation is correct, There are almost no side effects.

However, if the symptoms of rhinitis affect the child's daily life, study and sleep, they need to see a doctor. The doctor will choose one or more drugs according to the child's situation. Parents should remember not to blindly use antibiotics.