What should I do if my baby sneezes and has a runny nose?

Sneezing is usually accompanied by a runny nose. It's okay if an adult sneezes sometimes, but if a baby at home sneezes and has a runny nose, you can't ignore it. Children generally have weak constitutions. If they catch a cold accidentally, they will have symptoms such as sneezing and runny nose. If the condition is not too serious, parents can actually use some methods at home to help their baby relieve the symptoms.

1. Hot compress

Method: Use a hot, wet towel to apply hot compress on the baby's nose.

Principle: When the nasal mucosa shrinks when exposed to heat, the nasal cavity will be more unobstructed and the sticky nasal mucus will be easier to hydrate and flow out.

Usage suggestions: Mothers should keep their movements gentle when applying hot compress! If you find mucus in the baby's nostrils, you can first clean it with a cotton swab dipped in water; you can also slowly massage the baby's nose or both sides of the nose.

2. Essential oil hot compress

Method: Drop some essential oil on a hot towel or handkerchief and apply it on the baby's nose; or use essential oil spray and spray it in the air.

Principle: Some essential oils can be used for hot compresses to improve the swelling of the nasal mucosa and help relieve nasal congestion; essential oil sprays can improve the humidity of the air when the air is dry.

Usage suggestions: Do not use too much essential oil at one time, one drop is enough, because too high a concentration of essential oil will cause chemical irritation; in addition, do not use essential oil spray indoors for too long, and pay attention to maintaining appropriate air humidity.

3. Elevate your head

The method is to evenly place several small pillows under the mattress under the baby's head to make the mattress look like a smooth, 30-degree slide.

The principle is one of the temporary auxiliary methods, but it only treats the symptoms and not the root cause.

Usage suggestion: Nasal congestion or runny nose sometimes affects the baby's sleep. This method can only slightly relieve the baby's symptoms, but the effect is not long-lasting.

4. Facial Steamer

Method: Spray the facial steamer on your baby's face to expose it to moisture and heat.

Principle: Steam can moisten the baby's nasal cavity and eliminate a large amount of mucus quickly and naturally.

Recommendations for use: Do not place the facial steamer too close to your baby to avoid damaging his delicate skin; and do not use it for too long, about 3 minutes is enough.

If the baby's sneezing or runny nose is caused by a cold, parents may try the above methods, which should be able to effectively help the baby alleviate the symptoms. However, we should also remind everyone that some colds are caused by influenza viruses. If your baby sneezes severely, you should go to the hospital for treatment in time.