Causes
A runny, stuffy baby’s nose can also be the result of too dry air in the room. Especially in heated rooms, the air is quickly very dry. But why is this bad for the baby’s nasal mucous membrane?
The nasal mucous membrane is a natural barrier against pathogens, dirt and other foreign bodies.It also has the function of heating, humidifying and cleaning the air to be breathed from the foreign material in question. In order to fulfil its function well, the mucous membrane must be intact. This also means that it must be sufficiently moist.
Dry room air therefore dries out the nasal mucosa and thus hinders its natural function. This makes the infant more susceptible to infections and the development of a cold. Similarly, poor air quality, cigarette smoke and other pollutants also affect the nasal mucous membrane.
This can be prevented by using a humidifier, especially in heated rooms, or by hanging damp towels over the radiators. This increases the humidity in the room. As triggers of a cold different pathogens and corresponding illnesses come into consideration.
The symptoms of the diseases in question are sometimes very similar and sometimes only differ in severity, making it difficult to distinguish between them. The main causes include rhinoviruses, influenza and parainfluenza viruses and the Respiratory Synzitial Virus (RSV). Rhinoviruses are triggers of the classic cold and are not responsible for coughing or similar symptoms.
There is no medication against these viruses, but the body is able to fight them on its own. After about a week the infection is under control. An infection caused by the Respiratory Synditial Virus (RSV) often starts in the upper respiratory tract with a cold, dry cough and sore throat, and spreads to the lower respiratory tract within a few days.
Productive coughing occurs more frequently, breathing becomes faster and more difficult. The disease usually lasts between 3 and 12 days, individual symptoms such as coughing can accompany the affected person for over 4 weeks. These infections usually occur in the winter months because the viruses can survive longer in cold air and thus remain infectious for a longer period of time.
The virus is therefore a frequent trigger for colds during this period. It is distributed and transmitted in the environment by droplet infection, for example sneezing. Transmission by touching contaminated surfaces, such as hands and objects, also seems possible.
During a season, recurrent infections occur frequently, which is favored by the spread and prolonged infectiousness of those affected. Complications are more likely to occur in children with pre-existing underlying respiratory diseases. This can then lead to pneumonia, inflammation of the middle ear or asthmatic complaints.
The disease is symptomatically treated with increased fluid administration and, if necessary, with nasal rinsing. Antibiotics are only of any use if there is also an infection with bacteria. There is no vaccination.
The real flu, also known as influenza, is perhaps the one that differs most from the other colds in that it starts very suddenly. Among other things, general symptoms such as headaches and muscle aches, chesty cough, fever and sweating occur. In rare cases vomiting and diarrhoea are possible.
The disease can also be very mild. Influenza also tends to occur in winter and is transmitted by droplet infection or contact with surfaces covered with viruses. The most at risk from influenza are older or immunocompromised people and children under 2 years of age.
Vaccination is therefore advisable for these people and should be carried out every year in October or November. After the vaccination, the body needs about 2 weeks to build up the immune system and to be able to use the protection. The annual booster is necessary because there are many subgroups of the virus and the virus is constantly changing.
Vaccines against the most common types of influenza are developed every year. This means that not every subgroup of influenza can be vaccinated against, but the most common ones are covered. The sometimes very classical appearance of symptoms in influenza patients gives a good indication for the diagnosis, the final proof is only given by smear tests, for example of nasal secretions.
In severe cases, therapy against the virus is advisable; further therapy is more likely to alleviate the symptoms. The symptoms of a sniffles in infants are quite clear.The secretion of a viral rhinitis is clear and liquid, whereas bacterial pathogens bring a rather tough, yellowish secretion with them. In general, children are very restless, sleep badly, cry a lot and have to sneeze.
The sniffles can be painful because the affected nasal mucosa is very irritated. Fever can develop and if it spreads to the lower respiratory tract, coughing and breathing difficulties can also occur. It is not uncommon for the pathogens to spread to other neighbouring structures, so that a cold can be associated with, for example, sinusitis or otitis media. This usually leads to greater pain and even more restlessness in the child.