Causes of runny nose in children

Does your child constantly have a runny nose ?  Are you worried if your child’s runny nose is normal ? Here are some information that can help you put your worries to ease.

The nose has several important functions.

• It serves as a place to warm and humidify the air we breath in from the outside environment  .
• The nasal cavity is an entry point for small  particles, allowing as an additional sense on how to interact with the outside.
• The nasal cavity is lined with pink  membranes that produces  clear mucus to trap foreign particles that may have be breathed in  from the environment .

The clear drainage in the nose  actually serves an important purpose and a small amount is normal. However too much can clog the nose and lead to an infection.

There are certain things you have to look out for to help your child’s doctor make the correct diagnoses.

One of the common condition is a common cold. This is when a child has a  rapid onset clear mucus drainage  which lasts less than a week, with nasal congestion on both sides of the nose as well as a  cough and a mild fever. However the common cold is the cause of a viral infection which usually gets better within a week and doesn’t require any treatment.

If the mucus becomes yellow or green, then your child has sinusitis. If the symptoms do not get better such as fever gets worse or mucus color changes to yellow or green, then its likely that a bacterial sinusitis has set in. In this case it is important to see your child’s doctor to determine if antibiotics are needed.

Another common reason a child has a common cold is from allergies. Allergy symptoms last longer than those of a common cold. It can be present for days or months. Depending on what the child is allergic to, symptoms may be present on only certain times of the year. Typical treatment for allergies such as antihistamines may be required.

Most of the time children will develop a runny nose from both nostrils. However sometimes they develop it in just one nostril. When this happens , it is important to seek an evaluation with the child’s doctor. It could be an indication that the child has put something in his nose.

The good news is that most things that cause runny nose are not serious and will get better with time. As a reminder, reasons to see your doctor when your child has runny nose includes the following :

• High fevers
• Green or yellow drainage
• Congestion drainage on only one side of the nose
• Child not getting better on the most common medications