Sneezing, coughing, and that stuffy little nose—cold symptoms in toddlers can be worrisome for parents, especially when their little one is experiencing nasal congestion. This is because congestion affects your child’s breathing, and while adults and older children can blow their noses to clear their nasal passages, toddlers are too young to do this by themselves.
Additionally, administering over-the-counter medicines without a doctor’s consultation to relieve stuffy nose in toddlers is considered unsafe, and might pose serious side effects. So how can you ease your little one’s congestion? Try these effective and gentle home remedies to help your child feel comfortable until the cold subsides.
What Causes A Stuffy Nose In Toddlers?
Before we look into the home remedies for nasal congestion, let us give you an insight into the root cause of a stuffed nose in your munchkin. Generally, nasal congestion is caused by inflammation of the sensitive membranes that line the nasal cavity. In fact, nasal congestion in babies and toddlers is pretty common and considered quite normal, as the mucus in their system means that their immunity is developing. Some other causes of nasal congestion in toddlers include:
- Allergies
- Upper respiratory viruses like the common cold
- Exposure to environmental irritants like smoke, tobacco, and dust
- Cold weather
Apart from nasal congestion, your toddler’s symptoms may also include coughing, sneezing, and itchy skin around their face and nose.
5 Ways To Relieve Stuffy Nose In Toddlers
Saline Drops And Nasal Aspirator
You can use a bulb syringe or a nasal aspirator to clear your little one’s nasal passage. Pair it with saline water or saltwater drops for maximum effectiveness. You can purchase saline water over-the-counter, or make some at your home. Just add ½ a teaspoon of salt into 250ml of warm water, and boil it until the salt dissolves completely. Here’s how you can use a nasal aspirator:
- Gently lay your toddler on their back and place a towel roll under their head.
- Squeeze 2-3 drops of saline solution into each nostril. This will help thin the mucus causing congestion and also clear their nasal passage.
- Next, sit them up, squeeze the bulb portion of the nasal aspirator, and gently insert the rubber tip into their nostril. For better suction, use your finger to gently press the other nostril close.
- Slowly release the bulb to suck out the mucus and saline drops and release congestion.
- Repeat the same process on the other nostril.
Use Natural Vapour Patches
If you are looking for a quick and easy relief method, you can consider purchasing BabyChakra’s natural vapour patches, which are formulated with 100% organic ingredients like peppermint oil and eucalyptus, which help quickly clear your little one’s nasal passage and offer long-lasting relief. The best part about these patches is that they are completely chemical-free and have no artificial colours or fragrances. You can just paste a patch on your child’s surroundings or their clothes to ensure they get a restful night’s sleep without a stuffy or blocked nose.
Offer Your Munchkin Plenty Of Fluids
Dehydration can also be a concern when your little one has a cold. To avoid this concern, offer plenty of fluids to your child throughout the day. Drinking lots of liquids can also help thin the mucus and ease congestion. If your child refrains from drinking water, you can offer them soups, or warm smoothies to maintain hydration.
Try Steam Inhalation
Having your toddler breathe moist air can loosen all the mucus in their nasal passage and ease congestion. You can try using a humidifier or even have your child sit in a steamy bathroom. If you are using a humidifier, make sure it’s cleaned regularly to avoid the spread of mold. Place it in your child’s room during the night when they sleep, or even during the day while they play.
A warm bath in a steamy bathroom can also have the same decongesting effect. Run a hot shower and place a towel against the door to prevent the steam from escaping. Now, simply sit in the bathroom with your tot to relieve their congestion.
Encourage Them To Sleep Upright
Keep your child’s head in an elevated position while they sleep to prevent congestion / Image credit: Freepik
Lying down to rest on a plain surface can make your little one’s congestion even worse and even disrupt their sleep. You can try elevating your little one’s upper body to reduce congestion and enable smooth breathing. Place a pillow or a rolled-up towel underneath your child’s head to elevate their sleeping position and prevent a stuffy nose while they sleep at night.
Make Sure Your Little One Is Getting Plenty Of Rest
While they are sick, your toddler might not be as energetic as usual. This is because their body is working hard to fight off the cold and virus. Hence, encourage your little one to take plenty of rest until their cold subsides.
While sleep is ideal, playing quietly works too. Set up a comfortable area for your child, like the bed or sofa, with lots of snuggly pillows and blankets. Offer them books, blocks, or colouring books, or just quietly watch a movie with them.
How To Prevent Stuffy Nose In Your Toddler?
Unfortunately, stuffy noses are quite common in toddlers, but you can prevent the risk of colds and viruses by
- Encouraging your child to wash their hands frequently, especially after coming back home from school or the playground.
- Avoiding people who have a cold or fever as much as possible.
- Not sharing personal items, such as cups and utensils with people infected with cold.
- Ensuring that your child is up-to-date on their flu vaccines.
- Wearing masks in crowded spaces.
A stuffy nose can bother your child a lot, and even cause fussiness in them. But don’t worry, this condition is easily treatable, and you can use the remedies we discussed above to relieve stuffy noses in toddlers. Make sure to stick to these natural remedies, and avoid administering medicines to your child without your doctor’s consultation as that can impose harmful side effects on your little one.
Also read:
How to unblock your baby’s nose: Use these methods to unblock your baby’s nose naturally.
Remedies to treat nasal congestion: Why does your toddler’s nose block frequently? Here are a few causes and remedies to prevent that.
Feature image: Freepik.com
