Three Ways To Rinse A Child’s Nose

Clogged noses are very common in children. This is why it is important to know the correct way to rinse a baby’s nose, especially if you have a baby. This is because they do not know how to breathe through the mouth yet and have difficulty breathing in when there is too much mucus in their nose.

The importance of rinsing the nose properly

As a rule, we breathe in through our nose. Its function is to moisturize, filter and heat every single air that enters our body. When we breathe in, allergenic particles enter the nose, and sometimes they can trigger asthmatic reactions, among other things.

When this happens, it is important to know how to rinse the nose properly, especially in babies. This is because they still do not know how to breathe in through the mouth.

The technique of rinsing the nose involves getting saline through the nostrils to be able to get mucus out of the nose,  and also any dirt and allergens that are trapped there. All this is done by flooding the cavities in the nose.

The purpose of rinsing the nose is thus to excrete the largest possible amount of allergenic particles so that they do not come into contact with the mucous membranes. That way, the allergic reaction is less intense than expected if the contact persists.

However, rinsing the nose is not only recommended for these situations. It is also quite useful in other circumstances, such as:

• Chronic or acute sinusitis.

• After treatment with nasal drops with chronic cough due to the nasal drops.
• Before treatment with corticosteroids in the nose.
• Care after nose surgery.

How to rinse a child’s nose?

Rinsing the nose is like wipes for small children who do not yet know how to brush their nose. If you take it into consideration, then it is easy to understand that you  should do it as often as necessary to ensure that your child is more comfortable and has easier breathing.

Of course, it is usually not very appealing for children to get their nose rinsed, so it can sometimes be a little complicated to practice these techniques. Here are some tips to help you rinse a baby’s nose:

• Perform rinsing  before bedtime and before eating.
• You can lay the baby face down or up. Try to keep their head on their side, and try not to lay them on their back.

• After rinsing, it is best to set the baby up to promote the secretion of mucus.
• When their nose is too clogged, you can inject a little bit of the liquid and massage on the area so that it loosens. Then inject more liquid.
• Older children are able to rinse their nose themselves  while leaning their head to one side. They have to do the same on the other side.

Three ways to rinse a child’s nose

1. While the child is lying on his back with his head leaning backwards

This is the most common way to rinse your nose, although it may not be the most effective. What you need to do here is to  squeeze fluid into the nose, either with a syringe or with disposable pipettes  while the person is in this position.

The goal of this technique is to cleanse the inner part of the nose. It’s quick and easy to do it that way. However, the fluid will not reach all the way to the back of the nose, which is where the mucus often accumulates. This is therefore not the most useful technique when the mucus is thick and dense  because the fluid will simply hit the mucus and flow out again.

2. Technique for rinsing a child’s nose while the child is sitting up

This way of rinsing a child’s nose is  especially useful for older children. They should look ahead to get the right position. Then, the liquid is injected, as we explained in the previous example.

After injecting the liquid, the child must inhale vigorously for it to have an effect. That is why it is so difficult to perform this technique on babies. As with the previous technique, however, it does not really clean the inner part of the nose when performing a rinse in this position. It is also not very useful when the mucus is very thick.

3. While the child is lying on its back or sitting with its head reclined

This is a  very effective way to rinse a child’s nose. In this position, the liquid penetrates slowly and without any pressure. The fluid enters directly into the back of the nose and penetrates down the throat while taking the mucus with it.

Secretions that are more sticky or more viscous will still rehydrate when they come in contact with this fluid. The child should then inhale vigorously so that the mucus blocking the posterior areas comes down the throat so that it can either be swallowed or spit out.