Sinus infections in children are a common ailment that causes swelling of the sinuses and nasal cavity. Parents often have difficulty recognizing the symptoms of a sinus infection in small children. According to emedicinehealth, symptoms commonly associated with sinus infections include headache or pressure in the eyes, nose or cheek areas, cough, fever and bad breath. The symptoms usually develop after a viral infection such as the common cold.
Relieve Congestion
According to Dr. Alan Greene, clinical professor of pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, saline nose drops may help thin out mucus and speed healing. Saline drops are available at pharmacies and health food stores. Avoid using the same dropper on more than one child, as this causes cross-contamination.
.
Thin Mucus
Offer your child plenty of clear liquids such as water, juice, hot tea and soup to help thin mucus. A common home remedy many parents find useful for thinning mucus and relieving congestion is steam. According to the Children's Hospital of Boston, many pediatricians routinely recommend the use of cool-mist humidifiers in sinusitis treatment. If you do not have a steam vaporizer, try turning on the shower and closing the door, allowing the bathroom to fill with steam. Have your child sit in the room and inhale the steam. For an older child, boil a pot of water and have him inhale the steam from the pot. Place a towel over his head to prevent steam from escaping. Do this in 10-minute increments as often as needed.
Pain Relief
Sinus infections can be extremely painful and many parents wonder which home remedies they can use. Have your child lay on her bed. Turn off the lights and shut the blind to make the room as dark as possible, as light can often aggravate headaches. Alternate between a hot and cold compress applied to the affected areas. Perform a facial massage to the affected area by applying light pressure with your fingertips and stroking the skin. According to chinese-holistic-health-exercises.com, holding the pressure while kneading in a circular motion for one to two minutes, several times per day, may relieve sinus pain and pressure.
Tags: home, remedy, sinus, your child, Have your, Have your child, help thin, help thin mucus, inhale steam, many parents, steam from, thin mucus