How to treat sinusitis in a child: drugs and folk remedies

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Sinusitis in a child is considered the most common complication of colds. This is due to the structural features of the skull and nasal passages. However, sometimes parents begin to struggle with a problem that does not exist. Therefore, it is important to know exactly how the disease proceeds in children and what to do so that it does not develop into a chronic one.

The structure of the sinuses in children

The base of the skull and nasal passages in young children differ significantly from the structure of an adult. The maxillary sinuses of a child who is not yet three years old are at the highest point. At the same time, the maxillary sinus resembles a narrow gap, which expands with age and acquires normal features. Adolescents who have reached the age of 16 already have every chance of developing sinusitis, just like adults. But up to 3-4 years, pneumatization of the upper jaw has not yet occurred, so the development of sinusitis is simply impossible.

Functions of the maxillary sinuses

In the body, everything is interconnected, and each organ performs its ownrole. So, the sinuses have several functions:

• warming the air, cleansing and humidifying it;
• affects individual speech dissonance;
• forms the structure of the skull and protects the face from physical injury;
• protect the base of the fundus and the roots of the teeth from cold air;
• make it possible to feel the change in pressure due to the cells that are responsible for this process.

However, the maxillary sinuses of the child are not able to fully cope with the above functions. Therefore, the quality of the inhaled air for young children is in the first place. In this regard, negative changes in weather conditions lead to a runny nose and nasal congestion.

Sinusitis - what is it

Sinusitis in a child is an inflammation of the maxillary sinuses. The nasal cavity is connected to the upper jaw through a canal. Therefore, problems affecting the nose inevitably affect the sinuses.

Children's body is not yet perfect, the common cold always causes negative changes in the maxillary region. Therefore, a cold disease inevitably causes sinusitis in a child. However, the problem does not always require radical intervention. Most often, after the main symptoms are eliminated, the disease resolves on its own.

Causes of sinusitis

The main culprit of inflammation of the maxillary sinuses are viral respiratory diseases. But the reason can also be:

• facial injury;
• pathology in the structuredentition;
• failures in the endocrine system.

Sinusitis in a child most often passes in an uncomplicated form. Doctors diagnose a catarrhal form that proceeds without the formation of pus. No specific treatment is required. The pediatrician prescribes drugs that eliminate the runny nose, and the problem goes away on its own.

But with the age of the baby, purulent forms of the disease can also be observed. In this case, a comprehensive examination is required. Treatment of sinusitis in children may require hospitalization in order to be able to get professional help.

Identification of the problem

In order for the doctor to be able to make a diagnosis, he collects an anamnesis, examines the child and studies the data of nasal endoscopy. It is important for parents to be precise about the complaints, without embellishing the events, but also without hushing up the problem.

If the baby's age allows, the pediatrician will talk to him. But the mother must also objectively assess the severity of her child's condition. Only a comprehensive examination, coupled with the data of the conversation, will help the doctor to establish the true cause of the ailment.

In young children, the nasal mucosa is much thicker than in adults. Therefore, any infectious process that occurs in the nasal passages causes their swelling. When conducting x-ray studies, you can see how these places are darkened. But it is not possible to consider their structure and the cause of the problem. Therefore, only on the basis of x-rays, the final diagnosis is not made.

Often whenSuspicion of purulent sinusitis is assigned to computed tomography. The examination allows you to accurately diagnose maxillary sinusitis and prescribe competent treatment.

Signs of sinusitis

In order for the treatment of sinusitis in children to be effective and directed to a specific problem, it is necessary to know the initial signs. But the difficulty lies in the fact that at the beginning of the disease, all manifestations are similar to a common cold. Already after the transition of the disease to the purulent stage, the clinic becomes pronounced. Therefore, parents should alert the following points:

1. The child's general condition worsened, the temperature rose and a headache developed. Symptoms indicate intoxication of the body.
2. The baby often breathes through his mouth, while there is a nasal voice.
3. Baby refuses solid food. With inflammation of the maxillary sinuses, the roots of the teeth are affected, so chewing causes pain.
4. There is irritation of the nasolabial triangle and the base of the nose. At the same time, the snot is thick, but may be absent when the excretory channel is blocked.
5. The mucus produced by inflammation often runs down the back of the throat, so the child may develop a cough.
6. Child complains that he can't smell his favorite food. This is due to swelling of the nasal passages.
7. You can often observe swelling of the lower eyelids and swelling of the face. The child's bony septa are still too thin, so inflammation quickly spreads to the jaws and eye sockets.
8. There is photophobia and frequent lacrimation. This is due to the faultblockage of the nasolacrimal canal.
9. Pain occurs when you press on the side of the nose and the area of the inner corner of the eye.

If a child has a number of such signs, then one cannot do without consulting a pediatrician and an ENT doctor.

Complex of medical procedures

How to treat sinusitis in children, tell the attending physician. The complex of procedures will depend on the severity of the disease, the stage and form of the problem, as well as general well-being and the presence of additional complications in a small patient. Therapeutic procedures are divided into several areas.

Restore nasal breathing

Treatment of sinusitis at home in children is possible if there are no complications and purulent discharge. The doctor will recommend drugs to restore nasal breathing and remove pathological discharge from the sinuses.

Saline solutions are often used for this - "Aquamaris", "Salin". The drugs are freely available in pharmacies. Such funds will help to partially remove the swelling of the mucosa, moisturize excessively dry passages and contribute to the removal of bacterial contents. It is important that saline solutions are not addictive and do not give adverse reactions.

Nose rinse

In the catarrhal form of the disease, the doctor may prescribe sinus lavage with saline. However, the procedure is not recommended for children under 8 years of age and with purulent discharge. Otherwise, the infection may spread further andaffect the middle ear, resulting in hearing problems.

If a child has catarrhal sinusitis, home treatment involves the use of a container with a narrow spout and warm water. The child is asked to stand near the sink and tilt his head slightly to the side. Then you need to carefully pour a little liquid into the upper nostril. A tilted head helps water flow out of the other nasal passage. The procedure can be repeated twice on both sides.

Rinse the nose cleans its cavities well. Along with water, mucus comes out of the sinuses. Therefore, breathing is restored, swelling is reduced and the concentration of bacteria becomes much less.

However, it must be remembered that such a procedure is prohibited in diseases of the middle ear. Also, illiterate washing can lead to complications. Therefore, how to treat sinusitis in children with the help of washing, you need to find out from an ENT doctor. He will talk about the technique and show the features of the procedure.

Use of vasoconstrictor drugs

If a child has difficulty breathing through the nose and nasal congestion prevents him from eating and sleeping normally, the doctor will recommend the use of a vasoconstrictor. The most popular are "Nazivin", "Nazol-baby", "Vibrocil". However, their use must be strictly limited and not used unless absolutely necessary. Drugs are addictive and can cause persistent vasoconstriction. It is not recommended to use them for more than 7-10 days.

Treatment procedures

If necessary, the ENT doctor may prescribe a nasal lavage according to Proetz. The method consists in moving liquids. The procedure is carried out in a treatment room. The child is laid on the couch, the doctor using a special tube pours liquid into one nasal passage, his assistant removes the liquid from the other nostril. It is important that water does not get into the throat, it is necessary to ask the child to constantly repeat the syllable "ku" during the procedure. In this case, the entrance to the nasopharynx is blocked by a soft palate. For children, such manipulation is painless and practically does not cause discomfort. She is often called "Cuckoo" because of the characteristic word that must be constantly pronounced.

If a child has a purulent form of sinusitis or a blurred clinic that requires an accurate diagnosis, you will need to take a puncture of the maxillary sinus mucosa. In this case, local anesthesia is used and the puncture is carried out with a special needle. After that, the sinuses are washed with bactericidal solutions. If bilateral sinusitis is diagnosed in a child, drainage is often left. This allows access to internal passages and constant flushing.

Folk remedies for the treatment of sinusitis in children

There are pretty good remedies to eliminate the problem of inflammation, which were used by our grandmothers. To facilitate nasal breathing, remove puffiness and remove mucus, you can prepare droplets from beet juice, Kalanchoe or aloe. Such funds can be used, but first you need to get permission from your doctor. Using the sameonion juice for instillation is completely prohibited. Onions can cause severe irritation or even burns to the delicate lining inside the nose.

A good effect is massage of the maxillary sinuses. Receptions and technique of movements can be shown by an ENT doctor. It is also recommended to perform breathing exercises with the baby to improve the natural outflow of mucus.

Having considered how to treat sinusitis in a child at home, you must not forget about regular examination by a specialist. Only washing the nose, instilling drops and massage is indispensable. It is likely that antibiotic therapy will be needed.

Antibiotics for sinusitis in a child

Antibiotics are needed to completely eliminate the purulent, inflammatory process. Of course, it is best to conduct a study on the bacterial component and identify sensitivity to various kinds of antibiotics. But this is not always the case. In this case, the doctor may prescribe tablets from a wide range of actions.

Often the doctor recommends antibiotics from the category of penicillins and cephalosporins. If the baby has individual allergic reactions to this series, then macrolides are prescribed. It is good if the data of the tests performed accurately show the causative agent of the disease. Then the specialist will accurately select the medicine, taking into account the sensitivity of microorganisms to it.

The list of antibiotics is quite wide. However, only the attending physician will recommend their names and a prescription is required to purchase.

It is important to remember that the mandatory treatment of sinusitis in a child involves the inclusion of antihistaminesdrugs. Medicines help relieve swelling and eliminate allergic manifestations. Loratadin and Fenistil are often prescribed.

Physiotherapy

If you treat sinusitis at home, the child may be offered physiotherapy. For this, there is no need for hospitalization, but the effect of them is quite tangible. The procedures help in improving the outflow of mucus. UHF relieves inflammation, laser therapy is aimed at eliminating edema. There are a lot of methods, but each has its own indications. Therefore, only a doctor makes recommendations.

Preventive measures

So that the child does not know problems with nasal breathing, it is necessary to strengthen his immunity. Then, in the face of viral diseases, a small organism will resist and will not receive complications in the form of sinusitis. The child needs to provide a balanced diet, feasible and regular physical activity and gradual hardening.

If you adhere to the following recommendations, you can significantly reduce the risk of sinusitis to a minimum:

1. The room should always have clean, cool and humid air.
2. If there are problems with the nasopharynx, then timely and competent treatment is necessary.
3. Do not use vasoconstrictor drops unless absolutely necessary. It is better to replace them with saline solutions.
4. If you have nasal congestion, you can do massage and breathing exercises.

Regular walks and physical activity are often the decisive factor in good he althand good nutrition.

Conclusions

A fairly common problem is sinusitis in a child. Parents' feedback indicates that if you see a doctor in time, follow all his recommendations and provide fresh, cool air in the house, then the prognosis is always favorable.

If the doctor prescribes antibiotics, you can not refuse. Parents can find out the validity of their appointment, but the advice of a specialist cannot be completely ignored.