7 Home Remedies To Clear Your Child’s Stuffy Nose

Seeing your child struggle in their daily activities such as sleeping, eating, or playing due to a stuffy nose, is definitely not a pleasant feeling. However, nose block in kids is quite common as young children catch a cold easily and frequently. 

However, in most cases, the cold goes away on its own. But taking a few steps will ensure that the cold does not worsen and will help ease their stuffy nose. Here are a few home remedies to provide relief to your child’s stuffy nose. 

7 Simple Tips To Ease Child’s Stuffy Nose

1. Steam Inhalation

Draw up a warm bath for your little one before bed. The steam can help loosen thick mucus making it easier for your little one to breathe. Once your child steps out of the bath turn the shower to the hottest setting and shut the bathroom door. Let the steam fill the room and let your child inhale it for a few minutes. Be careful not to heat the room so much that breathing becomes difficult.

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2. Use Natural Products

There are many products in the market out there that claim to ease your child’s stuffy nose. However, many of these products contain camphor and harmful chemicals which can irritate your baby’s delicate skin. So use natural products like natural vapour patches made with eucalyptus oil and peppermint oil that are free from toxins to help ease your little one’s congestion and provide relief.

3. Plenty of Fluids

Give your little one plenty of warm water to drink the entire day if they are over 6 months old. If your child is below 6 months, feed them plenty of breastmilk or formula milk. 

You can also feed older children some chicken or vegetable soup or warm water. According to research, chicken soup may help to ease the symptoms of inflammation in the upper respiratory tract which can hence provide relief to the nose block in kids. Plus, it also helps your little one remain hydrated.

4. Blow Their Nose Gently

Ask your child to avoid sniffling mucus back. Teach him to do it the right way and discourage them to blow too hard. This is because the germ-carrying phlegm is sent back to the ear passages and can lead to an earache.

Press a finger over one nostril of your child while your child blows gently to clear the other. If your child is old enough, teach him how to do it on his own.

5. Use Nasal Aspirators 

Nasal aspirators or bulb syringes can help remove mucus and provide comfort to infants. This method is especially useful for infants because they don’t know how to blow their noses. To use the bulb syringe, you need to squeeze out air from it to make a vacuum. Then keep it squeezed and gently insert into your child’s nose and release it to suction out the mucus. Using the bulb syringe will help your baby sleep better.

6. Spoonful Of Honey

This age-old remedy can ease the mucus that gets accumulated leading to a stuffy nose. If a lot of mucus gets accumulated, it can cause coughing too. Hence, a spoonful of honey can help to ease the nose block in kids and prevent the cold from getting worse. However, the CDC recommends avoiding giving honey to a child who is younger than 12 months.

7. Change Sleeping Position

When a child is lying down, the sinuses cannot drain easily and that’s the reason why nose congestion worsens at night. Try and make your child sleep with their heads elevated by adding an extra pillow to ease the congestion.

Avoid giving toddlers under the age of two years over-the-counter products to cure their cold. Their cold usually gets normal on its own with simple home remedies. If your child has persistent cough and cold, it can be because of respiratory problems, allergies, or other underlying conditions. Consult with a doctor for treatment if their cold gets worse and they also have a fever.  

Cover image credit – Parkway East Hospital