Every year we welcome autumn and the entrance of the cold with open arms, but within this welcome we also have to receive the happy colds of our children and that increase in mucus that appears between the nose and the mouth.
It is a natural manifestation and it is normal to always observe that a child has mucus, but the problem worsens when the child does not manage to eradicate that mucus easily. It is a very annoying issue that can make both the child and parents uncomfortable, since they do not eat or sleep properly, affecting everyone around them.
Why is mucus produced?
Mucus acts as the first barrier of our body, is composed of leukocytes, which secrete an enzyme called peroxidase that eliminates any virus or bacteria. That is why mucus ends up being that fundamental and natural part that our body secretes. Its production can be due to several causes:
- It is something natural that serves as a lubricant to keep the airways well hydrated. With the cold the production of mucus increases and is that is innately preparing to act as a barrier against those already provided for more than 200 different types of viruses that cause colds and colds.
Types of mucus
Mucus begins with a clear, abundant mucus. It is the first initial phase of a cold and your clear mucus moves up and down your throat and moves from your nose to your stomach. This process of mucus is accompanied by sneezing and lasts a few days. If it becomes bothersome, an anti-staminic syrup can be given to the child.
When mucus is thick and abundant: it is the one that moves more easily from the respiratory system to the stomach. This mucus invades the part of the throat and here it can become annoying, waking the child at night to cough and try to expel it. It is not a very serious mucus, but you have to have be careful not to drift towards the ears because it could cause infection.
When mucus is greenish and yellowish: mucus rises and falls from the nose to the throat and becomes much thicker. The yellowish color is due to the white blood cells fighting the infection.
Green mucus it appears mainly in the mornings and is usually dragged from the throat since it has been retained here. Due to its greenish color, it is a symptom of an infection and in this case nasal washes are no longer effective.
When the mucus is accompanied by a fever, an infection is likely and there may be something else such as angina, pneumonia, otitis ... Or in the event that the child finds it difficult to breathe and coughs frequently for a long time, it is likely that there may be bronchitis.
How to treat mucus?
Babies who have mucus suffer from not knowing how to blow their nose or cough up mucus, which is why we can help you by doing nasal washes. They must be carried out with physiological saline, 2 ml in each nostril for young children and 5 ml in older children. It is best to do it before putting the child to bed and before each feeding.
Nasal aspirators work great too, but its use should be limited to one to two times a day when the child has a lot of mucus to expel. Its excessive use can dry out the mucous membranes and produce unpleasant sensations in the ears.
Antibiotics should not be used to relieve coughs and the use of cough suppressants should only be used when prescribed by a doctor. It is important to keep children highly hydrated so that the mucus is more fluid and I can expel it much better.