Chronic Sinus Congestion in Children

Chronic sinus congestion can not only prove to be really annoying for the children dealing with this condition, but can also cause many other health problems if not taken proper care of. Read this article to gain a better understanding about dealing with children suffering from this condition, and what can be done to treat the same.
Sinus congestion, which are also known as nasal congestion, nasal blockage, sinus or nasal obstruction, stuffy nose etc, is known to be a very common health issue, especially in winters. Most of us consider it to be a common illness which usually recovers on its own in due course of time. However, the condition may turn out to be extremely chronic if proper attention isn't paid in the initial stages. Chronic sinus congestion, like we all know, is when your nose feels all stuffed and heavy. However, not all sinus congestion have nose filled with mucus, many a time, the blood vessels in the sinus tissues also swell due to certain allergies like mold, dust, pollen, smoke, etc. Certain health conditions like cold and flu, influenza, etc., can also trigger the sinus infection to chronic sinus infection. In children who are older, this condition can be handled with comparative ease as compared to an infant or a small child. In the later cases, one needs to be very cautious as the infant may develop additional health issues like breathing problems.

Causes of Chronic Sinus Congestion in Children

Children are more prone to sinus congestion considering the fact that they don't understand what is good or bad for them. I mean, they will explore the playground and will not bother to care about the dust around. They will play with the mud and use the same hands to eat snacks..., in short, children can easily develop allergies that can cause sinus infection in children.

  • Allergic reaction
  • Infection in the sinus
  • Hay fever
  • Medication allergy
  • Common cold and flu
  • Nasal polyps
  • Measles
  • Rubella
  • Cluster headaches
  • Environmental irritants
  • Sinus injury
  • Bronchiolitis
  • Whooping cough
  • Swine flu
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Viral infection
  • Entrance of a foreign body in the nasal passages
  • Low temperature
  • Chickenpox
  • Acute sinusitis
  • Chronic sinusitis
  • Dry air
  • Food allergy
  • Allergy due to dust mite
  • Wheat allergy
  • Thyroid imbalance
  • Soy allergy
  • Respiratory syncytial virus
  • Pet allergy
  • Consumption of spicy food
  • Deviated septum
  • DiGeorge syndrome
  • If the child frequently plays or hangs in an upside down position, the blood flow is upwards which can cause inflammation in the nasal passage causing sinus congestion.

Chronic Sinus Congestion Remedies and Treatment

After having a look at the aforementioned causes of chronic sinus congestion, you might have realized that the causes can vary from a simple dust allergy to a severe health condition like chickenpox or measles. Therefore, the chronic sinus congestion treatment would depend upon the cause behind it, which can be diagnosed only through proper tests and check up. If your child is suffering from a severe sinus congestion since the past few days, then you must take your child to a health care specialist and get him checked for the possible causes in order to start a relevant treatment. However, you can go through the following chronic sinus congestion remedies for chronic nasal congestion in children as this will help in getting some sinus congestion relief until you visit a doctor.
  • Using a humidifier would help if dry air is the cause of nasal congestion.
  • Make your child drink plenty of water. Also serve your child warm and fresh vegetable broths and soup
  • Ask your child to blow his nose within frequent intervals.
  • Using a nasal saline spray may also prove to be of help.
  • Rinsing the nasal passage with salty water also helps in getting some relief from the blockage. However, this remedy needs to be done with care as this may cause further irritation
  • Applying petroleum jelly to the nostrils helps in refraining the skin from becoming dry and scaly.
  • It would also be a good idea to place a vaporizer or a nebulizer in the child's bedroom before sleeping in the night.
For accurate treatment and prevention of further complications, it is best to get in touch with a health care specialist as soon as possible. Take special caution in case of infants as they may develop some serious health conditions. Take care.
By
Last Updated: 9/22/2011
Like This Article?
Follow:
Post Comment
Your Comments:
Your Name: