What to do about nasal congestion in children after a cold?

Written by Dong Xian Yan
Pediatrics
Updated on December 14, 2024
00:00
00:00

After a child catches a cold and exhibits symptoms of nasal congestion, antihistamine medication can be taken orally under the guidance of a doctor to relieve nasal congestion. Local use of nasal drops or saline solution, or the use of nasal spray locally can also relieve symptoms of nasal congestion.

When a child has a cold causing nasal congestion, it is mostly because the nasal mucosa becomes congested and swollen after the cold, leading to the symptoms of nasal congestion. Some children may develop symptoms of allergic rhinitis after a cold. In addition to nasal congestion, most children may also experience symptoms such as a runny nose and sneezing.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zeng Hai Jiang
Pediatrics
41sec home-news-image

Will children with colds have recurrent low-grade fever?

Children with a cold may experience recurrent low fevers. In children, colds are generally caused by viral infections, such as rhinoviruses, common coronaviruses, etc. The symptoms include fever, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, sore throat, etc., and the duration of the illness is mostly three to five days, usually not exceeding a week. Therefore, during the course of the illness, the symptoms of a cold may recur. During the illness, fever-reducing measures are taken, such as physical cooling and medication. However, after the fever subsides, it may recur, which is a normal phenomenon.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Huang Kun Mei
Pediatrics
57sec home-news-image

Symptoms and treatment of wind-heat cold in children

The symptoms of wind-heat cold in children mainly include coughing, coughing up purulent sputum, yellow sputum, or having a runny nose with yellow discharge. The child's tongue coating tends to be yellow and thick. This condition is considered a wind-heat cold. It is suggested to give the child some heat-clearing and detoxifying patent Chinese medicines for treatment. The diet should be light and easy to digest, avoiding overly greasy and spicy foods. The child's diet should include more fresh vegetables and fruits. In terms of treatment, the child should drink plenty of warm water and take some heat-clearing and detoxifying patent Chinese medicines. If the condition persists for more than three days, it is recommended to perform a routine blood test. If the white blood cell count is high, it is necessary to administer antibiotics to the child.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
44sec home-news-image

What medicine should a child take for vomiting and a cold?

When a child has a cold and shows symptoms of vomiting, it is likely due to acute gastrointestinal symptoms. In this case, oral medications to protect the stomach, such as bifidobacterium, cimetidine, omeprazole, or other antiemetic drugs can be administered. Additionally, it is important to check if there are symptoms of tonsillitis or throat inflammation, as inflammation of the tonsils or throat can stimulate the gag reflex and also cause reflex vomiting. In this situation, the first step should be to control the symptoms of the throat and tonsils, which will gradually improve the vomiting. Also, pay attention to the child's body temperature and their mental responses.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
38sec home-news-image

Which department should a child visit for a cold?

If a child has a cold and is being seen at a general hospital, it is advisable to visit the pediatrics department. However, if the child has a persistent high fever and the condition is urgent, a visit to the pediatric emergency department is recommended. If it's a children's specialty hospital, it would be advisable to visit the pediatric respiratory department, the emergency department, or the fever clinic. Generally, colds are caused by viral infections, though some are caused by bacterial infections. Most fevers can last from three to five days. Therefore, we should not be too hasty and should focus on symptomatic treatment.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
1min 4sec home-news-image

How many days will it take for a child to recover from a cold?

How long it takes for a child to recover from a cold depends on the specific circumstances. If it's just a minor cold, like a common viral cold with symptoms such as a runny nose and sneezing, the symptoms can generally be controlled within about 3 to 5 days. However, if the child's cold symptoms are more severe, including high fever, coughing, and a runny nose, it could take longer, possibly 5 to 7 days or more. This is because some colds can lead to bronchitis or even develop into pneumonia. It is difficult to specify an exact duration in such cases. For instance, bronchitis generally requires about 5 to 7 days of treatment to control the symptoms. If pneumonia is involved, the recovery might take even longer, around 7 to 10 days or up to 2 weeks. Therefore, an assessment based on the child's specific condition is needed to estimate how long it might take to recover. A typical mild cold can usually have its symptoms controlled within about 3 to 5 days.