During the change of season, babies’ little noses are also vulnerable to colds and flu. When lying down to sleep, babies always have a stuffy nose and even breathe through their mouths after falling asleep. What’s going on here? What should babies do if they have a runny nose or nasal crust? Let’s listen to what ENT specialists have to say.
The 4 most common types of rhinitis among 0~3 years old babies.
It is normal to have discharge from the nose. However, some babies’ nasal discharge is always very much and thick, and sometimes when they lie down to sleep, they will have a stuffy nose or even breathe through their mouths, which is not normal. This is because 0~3 babies are often attacked by colds and flu, and the upper respiratory tract is often infected, which can stimulate to become rhinitis, which brings nasal congestion, increased nasal discharge, etc. The most common rhinitis among 0~3 year old babies are mainly 4 kinds: acute rhinitis, chronic rhinitis, allergic rhinitis and sinusitis.
Acute rhinitis: This is the most common type of rhinitis. When a baby has a cold with swollen mucous membranes and congested blood vessels in the nasal cavity, parents usually consider this to be a simple cold and rarely visit the ENT department. Often, the symptoms of the cold are treated, but the symptoms of rhinitis are not treated in time and acute rhinitis is formed.
Chronic rhinitis: If the acute rhinitis is more than 4 weeks old and has not healed off and on, it becomes chronic rhinitis, and some baby’s will feel nasal root distension and loss of appetite, along with symptoms of pharyngitis.
Allergic rhinitis: Now that environmental pollution is more serious, babies are getting more and more allergic rhinitis. The most common allergic rhinitis is related to the season. In the spring, when the flowers bloom, babies may be allergic to pollen, and symptoms such as nasal congestion and sneezing will occur.
Sinusitis: Sinusitis can have obvious systemic symptoms, such as headache, fever, and poor mental health. Acute sinusitis can also develop into chronic sinusitis over time if not treated in time.
Expert tip: Babies with rhinitis, nasal mucosa repeatedly stimulated, the chances of adenoid hyperplasia in the posterior nostril will increase, adenoid hyperplasia will block the nasal cavity, affecting breathing, which in turn will aggravate the occurrence of sinusitis.
What are the effects of rhinitis on babies over time?
It affects the shape of the baby’s teeth and face. As the nasal mucosa becomes congested and swollen, the baby will feel nasal congestion and will have to open his mouth to breathe in order to get the oxygen he needs. Over time, the face will change. The upper lip turns up, the lower jaw collapses, and the upper two incisors protrude, resulting in a bad bite, commonly known as “buck teeth”, which affects the beauty of the face.
It brings about headache, dizziness and swelling. If rhinitis causes lack of oxygen to the brain, the baby will have headache, dizziness and swelling, and if rhinitis recurs and causes sinusitis, the acute attack will also cause headache.
Affects memory and academic performance. The lack of oxygen to the brain caused by long-term rhinitis can make it difficult for babies to focus, memory loss, and can even affect academic performance to varying degrees.
Expert tip: Parents often confuse their baby’s rhinitis with cold symptoms, leading to misdiagnosis of rhinitis. If your baby’s nose symptoms have not abated for a week or so, consider that your baby may not simply have a cold, and take your baby to the hospital’s ENT department in a timely manner.