Nasal Irrigation In Children: 3 Useful Strategies

Clogged nose is a very common problem among children. Therefore, any parent should know how to perform nasal irrigation in children, especially in babies. Babies cannot breathe through their mouths and have difficulty inhaling air when too much mucus builds up in their nose.

The importance of proper nasal irrigation

Each of us usually breathes through our nose. Its role is to moisturize, filter and heat the air that enters the body. When we inhale, allergen particles enter the nose and can sometimes trigger asthma attacks.

To cope with such a situation, you need to be able to perform proper nasal irrigation, including a baby. As I mentioned before, babies do not know how to breathe through their mouths.

Nasal irrigation involves the introduction of salt water through the nostrils to eliminate nasal secretions, dirt and any allergens accumulated inside. This effect is possible due to the action of cleansing the nasal passages.

Therefore, we can say that the purpose of nasal irrigation is to prevent allergen particles from coming into contact with mucous membranes. With its help, the allergic response is less intense.

But nasal irrigation is not only recommended in these situations. It is also useful in other circumstances, such as:

• If the patient suffers from acute or chronic rhinosinusitis
• If the patient coughs due to post-nasal drop syndrome
• Before starting treatment with nasal corticosteroids
• In post-surgical care after endonasal surgery

How to facilitate nasal irrigation in babies

Nasal irrigation is, for young children who still can not blow their noses, like using disposable wipes. You need to do as much irrigation as you need to help your baby feel comfortable and breathe easier.

Of course, children do not find nasal washes fun, which is why applying the following strategies can be somewhat difficult. Here are some tips to facilitate nasal irrigation on a baby:

• Irrigation should take place before meals and at bedtime.
• The baby should lie face up or down. Try to keep his head to one side and make sure he is not on his back.
• After the maneuver, place it in a sitting position to facilitate the elimination of secretions.

• If the baby’s nose is very clogged, insert a small amount of fluid with a syringe and massage the affected area to soften the secretions. Then add more liquid.
• Older children will be able to clean their nose on their own, tilting their head to one side and then to the other.

3 strategies to perform nasal irrigation in children

1. Lying on his back with his head bowed

This is the most popular way to perform nasal irrigation, but it is not the most effective. Basically, the fluid is forced into the nasal passages (either with a syringe or with a single dose vial), while the child lies on his back with his head tilted.

The purpose of this strategy is to thoroughly clean your nose in a quick and easy way. But the liquid will not be able to reach the bottom of the nose, where the mucus accumulates. Therefore, this strategy is not useful if the mucus is thick and dense, because the fluid will be pushed back.

2. Sitting

This way of performing nasal irrigation is very useful for older children. The head should be tilted forward and the liquid injected as in the previous example.

After administering the liquid, the child should be forced to inhale for irrigation to take place. As a consequence, this technique is not possible in babies. However, like the above strategy, it cannot clean the deepest regions of the nose and does not work if the mucus is very thick.

3. Lying on your back or sitting down with your head down

This is a very effective type of nasal irrigation. Adopting the mentioned position, the liquid can be introduced into the nostrils slowly and without pressure, reaching the bottom of the nose and then penetrating the throat, pulling part of the mucus after it.

More sticky or viscous secretions are rehydrated when they come in contact with the fluid introduced into the nose. Then, the baby must be forced to inhale so that the mucus accumulated in the back of the nose passes through the throat, after which it can be swallowed or spit.