What’s the Big Deal about A Stuffy Nose?
by Dr. Dzung Price, Integrative M.D.
If your child always seems to have a blocked nose, he or she probably has an allergic condition called allergic rhinitis. Not being able to breathe freely is bad enough, but there are other reasons to take chronic stuffy nose seriously.
It’s enough to make a grown person cry. From Wattle Day (September 1), home owners, garden groups, even whole towns, have been dressing up their garden beds with flowers to celebrate Spring. But for thousands of Australians with allergies, this time of year can be sheer torture. While most of us can freely enjoy Spring’s gorgeous displays, some allergy sufferers are trapped inside their houses, afraid to even open their windows. Those brave souls who do venture out can end up with red, swollen, itchy eyes, blocked noses, headaches, runny noses, constantly sneezing, eczema, hives or worse.
Allergic Rhinitis is a condition where the mucous membranes of the nasal passage are inflamed, and produce a clear discharge. If your child only experiences this seasonally, it is called hay fever. If the condition is persistent, your child probably has chronic of perennial allergic rhinits. What causes the inflammation is histamine, a chemical released along with other inflammatory substances during an allergic reaction. It’s these chemical that cause the typical symptoms: runny nose, sneezing, swollen tissues, watery eyes, congested ears and throat.
Your child’s rhinitis can be triggered by any airborne allergens, such as pollen and mould spores, fungus and its spores, smoke, dust mites, animal dander, air pollution, and perfumes. These irritate the mucous lining of the upper airways, which stimulate the production of excessive mucus. If there is too much mucus, your child can’t clear his nasal passages, and you get congestion. Because of their smaller noses, small children can find stuffy noses particularly upsetting and difficult to cope with.
Aside from the distressing cold-like symptoms, allergic rhinitis can cause sore throats if your child has to breathe mostly through the mouth, which dries the throat tissues. Your child is also at greater risk of tooth decay, for the saliva that normally helps protect the teeth is not able to do its work when your child breathes through the mouth. Also, the sense of smell and taste are affected, so your child may have a poor appetite, and may become deficient in nutrients. Good nutrition is especially critical for growing children.
Another troublesome effect of this allergy is the child who always eats with mouth open because she cannot breathe through her nose. Children in this situation can be subject to unfair scolding or teasing, though they have no option but to breathe through their mouths.
The Downward Allergy Spiral
Children with allergic rhinitis also have other inflammatory allergic conditions or are at high risk of developing them. The chronic inflammation of mucous membranes in allergic rhinitis is part of a widespread pattern of mucosal inflammation that affects different parts of the child’s body. Inflammation of the bronchial tubes and gastro-intestinal tract is often part of this pattern. Therefore, your child’s allergic rhinitis indicates a higher risk of asthma. In fact, rhinitis and asthma are found together in many allergic children, and the rhinitis tends to aggravate the bronchial inflammation of asthma. Children with rhinitis and asthma also commonly suffer from otitis media (inflammation of the middle ear, often called ‘glue ear’). Otitis is the major cause of deafness in children.
What Causes the Stuffiness in the First Place?
Your child’s nose and throat filter the air to remove any particles that can damage the lungs. The respiratory organs are lined with mucus and millions of tiny hair-like projections that move foreign particles to the throat where the child can cough them out or swallow them so they can be eliminated or destroyed. The function of mucus is to trap irritants before they get into the lungs so they can be removed. This requires a moist internal environment.
If the air is dry or your child’s body is dehydrated (which is more common than you might think), the mucus can dry out the mucus so that it is no longer able to protect against airborne particles. Because there is not enough mucus, irritants can then come into contact with the membrane, irritating it and causing inflammation. This weakens the membrane so that particles can pass through it into the body’s fluids. The immune system may over-react to these particles, leading to the development of allergy. Other factors that can contribute to damage of the mucous membranes are poor diet, environmental toxins, and oxidative stress.
Drugless Ways To Help Your Child
Various natural remedies can be used to improve allergic rhinitis, including homeopathic remedies, acupuncture, acupressure, and nasal irrigation.
Nasal irrigation - You can relieve the swelling and congestion of rhinitis by flushing out your child’s nasal passage with warm salt water (sea salt). It has been shown to quickly reduce levels of histamine (the chemical causing the swelling) and remove excess mucus. Use the treatment morning and night, or as needed. Bathing in the sea in warm weather is also helpful.
To flush out your child’s nasal passage, dissolve about 1-2 teaspoons salt per quart of warm water, and use a bulb or large syringe to squirt the water towards the back (not the top) of your child’s head. You can add a teaspoon of baking soda to the solution, also. Your child should try to avoid swallowing the solution, though it is safe to do so.
Vapour inhalation - This is another traditional remedy that has been shown very effective in reducing congestion and histamine levels. It’s suitable for older children. Sit your child with head over a bowl of steaming water with a towel over his or her head. Otherwise, use a vaporiser.
Acupuncture - Acupuncture is particularly effective in reducing symptoms of rhinitis, and in desensitizing people to allergens.
Acupressure - To relieve nasal congestion, tell your child to press on the groove where each nostril meets the cheek, increasing the upwards pressure for a few moments. It’s worthwhile teaching your child this technique, as it also relieves sinus headache. With small children, gently but firmly apply the pressure yourself.
For more permanent solutions for allergic rhinitis and another allergies, visit www.renewyoujourney.com www.freefromallergies.com www.allergyfreechild.com or contact the Renew You Centre for Wellbeing and Longevity at 07 5564 7667.
|