The temperature drops suddenly, and "diseases enter through the nose"! Are the children's little noses ready?

Taking advantage of the good weather in autumn, many families with children choose to go out for an outing. But while enjoying the sunshine, a group of "special people" are deeply troubled by "rhinitis".

Various environmental factors such as pollen and mold increase the burden on people's airways, thus ushering in the peak season for "rhinitis".

[Are you aware of the high incidence of rhinitis among children? ]

Experts from Hunan Women and Children's Hospital remind us that rhinitis is a very broad concept with many types, including allergic rhinitis, acute and chronic rhinitis, hypertrophic rhinitis, atrophic rhinitis, sinusitis, dry rhinitis, etc. However, there are two common types of rhinitis in children...

1. Allergic rhinitis

1. What is “allergic rhinitis”?

Allergic rhinitis is a chronic inflammation of the nasal mucosa, mainly mediated by IgE, after susceptible individuals come into contact with allergens. According to surveys, the incidence of this disease is increasing year by year, seriously affecting the health of people around the world.

2. Symptoms of allergic rhinitis

(1) Sneezing: Most of the time, it occurs in the morning, at night, or immediately after contact with allergens. There are often several episodes of sneezing each day, with at least 3 to 5 sneezing episodes each time.

(2) Runny nose: watery nose, blowing the nose several times or more.

(3) Nasal congestion: It is bilateral and the severity varies.

(4) Itchy nose: The itchy nose may be unbearable during an attack, and may even be accompanied by itching in the eyes, ears, and throat.

3. The hazards of allergic rhinitis

Although it is not a serious disease, it can seriously affect the quality of life of people, such as sleep, work efficiency, memory loss, and decreased sense of smell. If not treated in time, it may also lead to complications such as sinusitis, nasal polyps, and pharyngitis. When combined with asthma, critical conditions such as chest tightness and difficulty breathing may occur, and medical attention should be sought immediately.

2. Infectious rhinitis (sinusitis)

Most of them are caused by acute rhinitis. Sinusitis can be acute or chronic. The symptoms of acute sinusitis are: nasal congestion, increased nasal discharge, which is mucous or purulent, local pain and headache; the main symptoms of chronic sinusitis are: purulent nasal discharge and headache.

[Have you avoided these misunderstandings about rhinitis? 】

1. Can’t distinguish allergic rhinitis from colds

When symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing appear, many people think it is just a common cold. In fact, there are certain differences between the two in terms of symptoms and treatment.

The frequency and number of sneezing attacks caused by colds are relatively small, and there will be no symptoms of itchy nose. They are often accompanied by fever, headache, fatigue and even body aches and discomfort. Allergic rhinitis is mainly manifested by multiple paroxysmal sneezing, itchy nose, large amounts of clear watery mucus, and nasal congestion.

The treatment for colds mainly focuses on antiviral and symptomatic treatment, while allergic rhinitis mainly focuses on anti-allergic treatment.

2. Is the effect of buying medicine by yourself good? Subsequent problems may be more serious

There is a type of commonly used rhinitis medicine that can be easily purchased without a prescription. It is very effective in relieving nasal congestion in the short term. Many e-commerce websites advertise "one spray and it's clear" and "takes effect in ten seconds" as miracle drugs, all of which contain this type of medicine.

However, if the medication is stopped after a few days, it may cause rebound congestion of the nasal mucosa, and the patient will have to take the medication more frequently to relieve the nasal congestion. This will start a vicious cycle, with larger and larger doses of medication used more and more frequently, and eventually lead to dependence.

Professional doctors usually instruct patients to use several drugs in combination, with detailed medication instructions, which not only considers quickly alleviating the symptoms of nasal congestion and making patients feel "aired" first, but also takes into account anti-inflammatory, detumescence, anti-allergic, etc., to achieve the purpose of long-term relief of symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing.

3. Can you just bear the symptoms for a few days? Your eyes, ears and throat will also be affected.

The nose is an organ that is connected to the eyes and ears, so many patients with rhinitis also suffer from sinusitis, otitis media, dacryocystitis, pharyngitis and other problems.

Chronic rhinitis and repeated nasal congestion can also aggravate snoring and sleep deprivation, making people listless during the day. Some children breathe through their mouths for a long time due to nasal congestion, which may also cause intellectual and facial developmental problems.

In addition, allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma often exist at the same time. If they are not treated promptly and in a standardized manner, the problem will not be as simple as nasal congestion and runny nose.

4. Stop taking the medicine as soon as the symptoms improve

Allergic rhinitis can effectively relieve symptoms with anti-allergic drugs, but symptoms often recur after stopping the drugs. Generally speaking, you should first completely avoid allergens, and then use the drugs in a standardized manner for at least 2-4 weeks. If the drug is effective, you can gradually reduce the dose of nasal spray until you find a minimum maintenance dose, and then stop the drug according to the specific situation.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Cao Han from Hunan Women and Children's Hospital

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(Edited by YT)