What to do if you have a runny nose, nosebleed, or sneezing...

Why can the nose smell?

There are a large number of olfactory cells distributed in the olfactory area of ​​the nasal mucosa in the nasal cavity. When the cilia on the olfactory cells capture the smell, they will immediately report to the brain through the nerves. At this time, the nose can distinguish various smells.

How does snot come about?

Some cells on the nasal mucosa in the nasal cavity can secrete mucus, which can not only lubricate the nasal cavity, but also absorb harmful substances in the air entering the nasal cavity. Under normal circumstances, the production and evaporation of nasal mucosa mucus are relatively balanced. When bacteria and viruses invade the nasal cavity, the mucosa swells and the secretion of mucus increases significantly, which can wrap bacteria and viruses and promote their discharge, and then the amount of nasal mucus will increase significantly.

There are many reasons for a lot of mucus, such as a cold or rhinitis. When you have a cold, bacteria and viruses invade the nasal cavity, causing the mucous membrane to swell and secrete more mucus, which wraps up the bacteria and viruses and discharges them, forming mucus. Therefore, the role of mucus is really not small!

Don't pick your nose with your fingers.

Nasal mucus is formed by the coagulation of nasal secretions. Therefore, it will appear even when you are not sick, but when you are sick, the nasal secretions increase and more nasal mucus is formed.

Boogers are present at any time, and many children will pick their noses directly with their fingers, which can be quite harmful.

The nose is the only organ in the human body that does not close for 24 hours, and is easily invaded by bacteria and viruses. When picking your nose, your nails may break the capillaries on the nasal mucosa, causing nose bleeding.

So even if you have nasal mucus, you cannot pick it out with your hands. You should clean it carefully with clean water or paper towels.

The nose plays a very important role. Not only can we smell, but we can also breathe freely.

Also, you can sneeze!

Nose care tips link

Parents' Classroom

What should I do if my child suddenly has a nosebleed?

Once a child has a nosebleed, the bleeding must be stopped immediately. The methods and precautions are as follows:

1. Let the child lower his head slightly, lean forward, and press the affected nostril with his fingers for 5 to 10 minutes. If both sides of the nose are bleeding, pinch both nostrils with the thumb and index finger at the same time. If the amount of bleeding is not large, try to fill the nasal cavity with clean absorbent cotton.

2. Parents should remain calm and keep their children quiet to avoid crying. Do not let children tilt their heads back to prevent them from swallowing the blood from the nose, which may irritate the stomach and cause abdominal pain, vomiting, or even suffocation due to aspiration into the respiratory tract. It may also cover up the actual bleeding from the nose.

3. Apply a cold towel to the nose or forehead to constrict the nasal blood vessels.

4. After the nosebleed stops, do not rush to remove the blood clot in the nostrils, and do not rub it hard to prevent bleeding again.

Tips: If the above methods are ineffective or the amount of bleeding is large, and there are symptoms such as pale face, sweating, rapid heart rate, and poor spirits, you should adopt a semi-recumbent position and go to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible. If the amount of bleeding is small but the nose bleeds are frequent, you should also go to the hospital for examination and treatment.

Can nasal spray be used long term?

Nasal sprays, whether nasal hormones or decongestants, are not recommended for long-term use. If necessary, they should be used under the guidance of a specialist. The course of treatment should be based on the needs of the condition and pay attention to adverse reactions. When using nasal sprays, pay attention to the spraying area and direction to reduce irritation to the nasal mucosa.

My child hurt his nose. Does he need to go to the hospital immediately?

If a child's nose is injured, parents should first pay attention to whether the child has coma, vomiting, convulsions and other symptoms of craniocerebral trauma, check the head, nose and facial skin for wounds, whether there is active bleeding or fluid outflow from the nasal cavity, and observe whether the child's nose bridge is obviously swollen or deformed. If the above situation occurs, you need to go to a qualified hospital for treatment immediately.

Review: Experts from the National Health Science Expert Database

Wang Quan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University

Source: "Big Ear Tutu Grows Up Healthy, I Will Protect My Body" from People's Medical Publishing House, "Smells Good! My Nose Is Very Important"

Planning: Tan Jia, Chen Yonggang, Yu Yunxi, Sun Li, Yang Minghao

Editor: Yang Minghao, Wu Hui, Sun Li, Wu Zhen