What is nasopharyngitis in children?

Nasopharyngitis in children is often called the common cold. This is an inflammation and swelling of the nose, pharynx or throat of children.

A study shows that children under 3 years old can have nasopharyngitis 4-6 times/year and children who go to nursery or school can have nasopharyngitis 6-10 times/year, usually during the cold months. The disease is usually mild and can disappear after 7-10 days if they rest and take good care without leaving any dangerous complications.

However, if the disease is not treated promptly and properly, it can cause dangerous complications such as respiratory tract infections, otitis media, acute glomerulonephritis, etc.

Causes of rhinopharyngitis in children

Most children with rhinopharyngitis are caused by viruses such as Adeno virus, Rhino virus, … and some are caused by bacteria such as streptococcus, … After these agents enter the body through the nose and throat (airways from the outside to the lungs), they disrupt the normal activities of the nose, weakening resistance, creating favorable conditions for bacteria to grow, leading to bacterial superinfection.

Here are the causes that can lead to rhinopharyngitis in children:

1. Due to the living environment

The living environment has a great influence on the health and resistance of children, so children living in a polluted environment will have a high risk of getting sick. At the same time, irregular changes in the living environment can also make it difficult for children to adapt to this change, making children more susceptible to disease. Specifically:

1.1. Unstable weather changes: sunny in the morning, rainy in the afternoon, temperature drops rapidly;

1.2. Polluted living environment, lots of dust, especially cigarette smoke;

1.3. Regularly going to areas with many children such as nurseries, schools;

1.4. Children in the weaning or weaning stage;

1.5. Damp living space;

1.6. Contact with dog, cat or other pet hair…

2. Due to bacteria, viruses, fungi

Some studies have shown that there are more than 200 strains of viruses that can cause rhinopharyngitis in children. Of which, Rhinovirus is one of the most common causes of the disease, accounting for 10-40% of all cases. In addition, the disease can also be caused by other viruses such as influenza, measles, Adenovirus, etc.

In addition, rhinopharyngitis in children can be caused by bacteria and fungi such as pneumococcus, staphylococcus, streptococcus, etc. In which, group A streptococcus (S.pyogenes) is one of the common bacteria that can cause dangerous complications. Children infected with this type of bacteria are at risk of complications, including acute arthritis and acute glomerulonephritis.

Symptoms of rhinopharyngitis in children

After 1-3 days from when the virus enters the body, children will begin to show symptoms similar to a cold, including:

Sneezing;
Sore throat, sore throat, red and swollen throat;
Nasal congestion, runny nose (nasal discharge is initially thin, colorless, odorless, but later, the nasal discharge gradually turns green, thick and has a fishy smell);
Cough (children start to have a dry cough, then turn into a cough with phlegm);
Fatigue;
Body aches;
Mild fever (in some cases, children may have a high fever of 39-40 degrees Celsius;
Headache;
Loss of appetite…

These symptoms make children feel uncomfortable and may disappear after about 7-10 days or longer. In addition, depending on the cause of the disease in children, children will have different manifestations. Specifically:

Children with viral rhinopharyngitis: viral rash, cough, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, runny nose,…
Children with rhinopharyngitis caused by group A hemolytic streptococcus: high fever (over 38.5 degrees Celsius), red and swollen throat, swollen tonsils with white discharge, swollen and painful neck lymph nodes,…
When should children be taken to a medical facility?

Although the symptoms of the disease are usually not serious, children still need to be treated properly and promptly to avoid the disease becoming worse, leading to many dangerous complications. Therefore, when children get sick, especially infants and young children, they can weakened immune system, mothers need to take their children to see a doctor for advice on how to treat and care for their children properly, and treat the disease correctly.

Most cases of children with rhinopharyngitis can be completely treated at home. However, if the child shows any of the following unusual symptoms, parents need to take the child to the hospital for timely medical intervention:

Prolonged high fever, no signs of fever reduction after using many ways to reduce fever, including antipyretics;
Children under 3 years old have high fever leading to coma;
Severe cough, rapid breathing, difficulty breathing;
Vomiting a lot, prolonged diarrhea;
Ears begin to discharge pus;
Symptoms of the disease show no signs of improvement after 2 days of treatment…

Treatment of rhinopharyngitis in children

 

Currently, most rhinopharyngitis in children still has no medicine to fight the virus strains that cause the disease or shorten the duration of the disease. Antibiotics are only effective in treating cases of rhinopharyngitis caused by bacteria or when the disease has complications related to bacteria. The remaining treatments are aimed at treating the symptoms of the disease.

Experts recommend that children with rhinopharyngitis need to rest well and drink enough water. At the same time, mothers should limit their children’s exposure to cigarette smoke because this will make the child’s condition worse, making it more difficult for the child to breathe. In addition, mothers can do the following to help their children feel comfortable.

1. Clean the nose and throat for young children

In the first days of the disease, children will begin to show signs of mild nasal congestion, runny nose, mothers can clean the child’s nose with 0.9% saline, about 4-5 times/day.

If your child’s nasal discharge is thick and has a lot of mucus, you should put 2-3 drops of saline solution into each nostril and wait a few minutes to soften the mucus. Then, gently massage both sides of the nose to loosen the mucus, and use a cotton swab or soft cloth to wipe the mucus off your child’s nose.

If your child’s nasal discharge is too thick and too much, you should use a nasal aspirator to suck it out. However, you should not overuse this method because it can put pressure and damage your child’s nasal mucosa. For older children, you can teach them how to blow their nose properly: cover one side and blow the other side, repeat with the other side.

Note: towels, tissues, cotton swabs, and nasal cleaning tools for children must be clean and carefully disinfected. For tissues, cotton swabs, and cotton swabs, you should only let your child use them once and should not turn the towel over to use them again for your child. When giving your child a mouthwash or nasal hygiene, follow the doctor’s instructions. In addition, mothers need to pay attention to their child’s symptoms to detect abnormalities early and have the right treatment method.

2. Reduce fever for children

Children can have a high fever when they have rhinopharyngitis. At this time, mothers need to reduce fever by wiping the child’s body and using fever-reducing medicine for the child.

2.1. To cool the child, mothers use a soft, cotton towel, soak it in water at a suitable temperature (from 37-40 degrees Celsius), wring it out and wipe the child’s entire body, especially the armpits and groin. Mothers change the towel many times, wiping the child’s body until the child’s body temperature is below 38 degrees Celsius, then stop. After that, mothers dress the child in cool clothes, adjust the room temperature appropriately, and avoid strong winds blowing on the child.

2.2. If the child has a high fever, mothers can give the child fever-reducing medicine. However, mothers should consult a doctor about the types of fever-reducing drugs that children can use to limit the side effects of the drug (if any).

Complications of rhinopharyngitis in children

In some cases, if children with rhinopharyngitis are not treated promptly and properly cared for, the disease becomes more serious, the disease can lead to dangerous complications such as:

Pneumonia in children;
Acute bronchitis in children;
Acute bronchiolitis;
Acute laryngotracheobronchitis;
Granular pharyngitis;
Otitis media, …
Prevention of rhinopharyngitis in young children

Rhinopharyngitis in children is spread through contact with droplets containing the virus in the air, which are expelled when the patient coughs, sneezes, blows his nose or talks. Therefore, to prevent the disease, mothers can take the following measures:

1. Train children to regularly wash their hands with antibacterial soap;

2. Avoid letting children come into contact with people who are sick or have signs of rhinopharyngitis in children;

3. Clean the living space, the area where children often play and their toys carefully;

4. Avoid letting children share personal items with others;

5. When coughing, sneezing, blowing their nose, etc., children need to use tissue to cover their mouth and nose, then throw it in the trash and wash their hands immediately;

6. Vaccinate children fully and on schedule with vaccines as recommended by the Ministry of Health;

7. Regularly clean children’s nose and mouth with saline;

8. Implement a scientific nutritional regimen and drink enough water every day;

9. Supplement children with essential vitamins and minerals to help increase their resistance. Some studies show that the risk of infection will be lower if children supplement 0.25 mg of vitamin C per day;

10. Avoid letting children put their hands on their face, especially the nose and mouth;

11. Keep children warm when the weather turns cold, especially the neck, chest, feet and hands;

12. Ensure that the child’s living environment is clean, free of mold, dust and cigarette smoke…

Nutritional regimen for children with rhinopharyngitis

For children with rhinopharyngitis, maintaining a complete and scientific nutritional regimen is extremely important. Mothers can replace daily dishes with soft, easy-to-digest, easy-to-swallow foods while still ensuring adequate nutrition for children. Moreover, mothers can feed children according to their needs and divide them into many meals a day with less food each meal so that children are full. Note, mothers should not force children to eat too much, this can make children feel uncomfortable and scared.

In addition, mothers can help reduce coughs in children by treating coughs with honey, lemon, ginger, etc.

For consultation and to schedule an appointment for prenatal examination at Van Thanh Tan Phu General Clinic, please contact:

Van Thanh Saigon – Tan Phu Dong Nai General Clinic is located at: 1142 Zone 8 – National Highway 20 – km 127 – Tan Phu Town – Tan Phu District – Dong Nai. It is a unit specializing in providing health care services in the Dong Nai and Ba Ria – Vung Tau areas.