Under normal circumstances, the nasal mucosa in our nasal cavity secretes snot continuously, and the total amount of snot can be as high as 1 liter for an adult 24 hours a day. 70% of this snot is used to raise the humidity of the inhaled air when breathing, while a small portion flows through the posterior nostril to the pharynx and is swallowed or spit out together with the saliva produced by the mouth. Our nasal mucosa is mainly composed of secretions from a large number of glands distributed in the nasal mucosa, as well as from capillaries in the nose that exude immunologically active components and white blood cells, and from tears that flow into the nasal cavity from the nasolacrimal duct. About 95% of nasal mucus is water, and it also contains inorganic salts, mucopolysaccharides, mucins, lysozyme, leukocytes and many other components. Nasal snot covers the cilia of columnar mucosal epithelial cells on the surface of nasal mucosa to form a mucosal cilia system, which can adsorb dust, bacteria and fungi in the air, so that the air inhaled into the lungs is almost free of bacteria.
What can cause runny nose and nasal congestion The nasal mucosa of infants and children is more sensitive to various external factors compared with adults, and the nasal cavity is relatively narrow, so they are more likely to have runny nose and nasal congestion. Cold air, virus infection, dust, pollen or irritants in the air may cause increased nasal secretion and swelling of nasal mucosa, resulting in nasal congestion. Cold air will make the nasal mucosa secrete more mucus to warm and moisten the inhaled air, while the water vapor carried in the exhaled air of babies in cold weather will condense near the nostrils and produce more liquid to mix with nasal snot, forming the phenomenon of “slug”. Viral infections such as common cold and influenza will stimulate the nasal mucosa to secrete more mucus to wrap the virus and prevent the infection from spreading further to the airways and lungs. When crying in a depressed mood or when the eyes are irritated, excess tears flow into the nasal cavity through the nasolacrimal ducts, diluting the nasal discharge and causing “a snotty nose and a tear.
What is the nature and color of common nasal secretions?
Different causes of nasal discharge have their own characteristics. Take the common cold as an example, it can have different characteristics at different stages of the cold.
At the beginning of the cold, the nasal discharge is watery, thin like water and slightly sticky. Then it is mucus-like nasal discharge, containing more mucin from mucus gland secretion, translucent and sticky. With the edema of the nasal mucosa, the cilia of the columnar epithelium of the nasal mucosa become dysfunctional, the local bacteria in the nasal cavity are retained, the white blood cells phagocytose the bacteria, and the nasal mucus becomes purulent, yellowish white and cloudy. The whole process lasts about 1~2 weeks.
Why runny nose and nasal congestion cause baby’s irritability and crying When baby has a cold, excessive secretion of nasal snot accompanied by swelling of nasal mucosa, it is easy to have nasal congestion and poor ventilation of the nose, which makes baby open-mouth breathing, especially easy to cause baby’s crying, irritability and sleep disturbance. On the other hand, if the air is dry and the baby’s liquid intake is insufficient, it will make the nasal mucus more sticky, dry and crusty to block the nasal cavity seriously, and it will be more difficult to clear the nasal mucus.
In what cases do I need antibiotic treatment?
Babies with runny and stuffy nose, excessive nasal discharge tends to block the openings of sinuses, nasolacrimal ducts and eustachian tubes, and consequently causes headache, many tears and hearing loss. The bacteria retained in the nasal cavity increases and the baby’s resistance decreases, which may cause infectious diseases such as otitis media, conjunctivitis, sinusitis, etc. A few babies with poor resistance and improper care can also cause bronchitis and pneumonia as their condition progresses. Therefore, after the baby has a cold, you also need to pay attention to the baby’s general condition and accompanying symptoms. For example, some babies may suddenly develop a fever, or scratch their ears, ear pain, etc. During the course of a cold, you need to be alert to the possibility of acute otitis media after the cold, and doctors often give antibiotics according to the baby’s condition, or suggest taking the baby to the ENT department for further consultation and treatment. If your baby has an aggravated cough with more phlegm, shortness of breath and a poor complexion, the doctor will determine whether there is bronchitis or pneumonia by the baby’s complexion, breathing rate and listening to the breathing sounds in the baby’s lungs with a stethoscope, and sometimes will further arrange blood tests and lung X-rays to assist in the diagnosis.
How to care for your baby during illness Baby’s nasal discharge and nasal congestion, causing nasal obstruction and poor breathing, are the main causes of crying and poor sleep. At present and no medication is recommended, the only thing left to do is to start with your baby’s daily life, diet, and strengthen nasal care.
Daily life: During the illness, you need to spend more energy to calm the baby, hug the baby more, tell the baby some stories, or some small toys to play, so that the baby does not over-activity, reduce the consumption of energy, but also to make the baby get better rest, for increasing the baby’s own immunity, to promote the recovery of the disease is very helpful.
Reasonable diet: arrange the diet reasonably according to the baby’s appetite and preference, so that the baby can get enough liquid and nutrition. This will keep the nasal discharge from becoming too sticky and crusty, make it easier to clean up the nasal discharge, and also keep the baby from becoming dehydrated due to increased fluid loss for various reasons, and allow the baby to have sufficient urine output.
Care: To keep your baby’s snot from getting too sticky, you can also use a sprayer or humidifier to humidify the air in the room. In the north, where the air is dry, making the air in the room more humid through a sprayer or humidifier can dilute nasal secretions and promote recovery from a cold. Before the baby goes to bed, or when the nasal congestion is obvious and affects the baby’s normal breathing, use one or two drops of breast milk or saline drops to soften the snot and then use cotton swabs or a nasal aspirator to clear the snot.