Patient's question:
My daughter is eight months old. Recently, she has been having a runny nose but without a fever. The doctor prescribed two medications: Children's Paracetamol and Cephalaxin Granules and Ribavirin Granules. However, after taking them for a week, her runny nose is still not improving, and her tongue is purplish (a bit like the color of eggplant skin). Is this related to the medication? What are some good remedies to stop the runny nose?Doctor's answer:
Hello:A normal person secretes about hundreds of milliliters of mucus daily, but these mucus flows in the direction of the nasal mucosal cilia, moving from the posterior nasal to the pharynx. With evaporation and drying, it is generally not visible as it flows out of the nasal cavity. Children's nasal mucosa has richer blood vessels than adults and produces more secretions. Additionally, their nervous system's regulation of mucus secretion and ciliary movement is not yet fully developed, and they are not good at wiping their noses themselves. Therefore, frequent clear nasal discharge is a normal physiological phenomenon and nothing to worry about.
If a child's nostrils are constantly hanging with two lines of mucus or if yellow-green pus-like nasal discharge is observed, it indicates a pathological condition. Long-term yellow-green pus-like nasal discharge may suggest sinusitis. Frequent clear nasal discharge could be due to a lack of vitamins A and B. Treatment with these two vitamins can be effective. Allergic reactions to inhaled dust may cause a large amount of clear nasal discharge in a short period. A few children with foreign bodies in their nasal cavities may also frequently have nasal discharge. The most important thing to note is that some children with nasal-pharyngeal lymphadenopathy may also frequently have nasal discharge, but they often accompany severe snoring, dull facial expressions, and small, flat noses. These symptoms can significantly affect development and posture, requiring timely treatment.