Viral respiratory tract infections including common cold, and influenza commonly cause runny noses in children. Stuffy nose, sore throat, and cough are other symptoms of cold in children. Cold, flu, sinus infections, allergic and non-allergic rhinitis, and structural issues including enlarged turbinates, enlarged adenoids, congenital septal deviations, or choanal atresia may cause runny nose in children.
Reasons for runny nose in children
Children often have runny noses as compared to adults. That makes the life of children miserable. They remain uneasy the whole day but do not know how to manage. The most common reasons for the high frequency of runny noses in children are;
- Less immunity of children
Children do not have a fully developed immune system. Moreover, immunity develops when a germ encounters the body. Unluckily, there are many strains of viruses that cause colds. It is almost impossible to get immune to all the viruses. However, how much longer you grow, the more strains of the cold virus you get in the body and develop immunity. As children encounter a fewer number of different cold viruses due to their small age, they have greater chances of getting infected in a year.
- Less experience of blowing their nose
There are certain things you do easily as adults such as blowing your nose. In children blowing their noses is a problem. Because of less experience of blowing their noses, they cannot remove mucus effectively. Hence, a runny nose becomes routine for a child.
- Environmental Changes
Climate change causes runny nose or breathing problems in children. They are very sensitive and cannot bear the environmental stress. In winter, children get cold easily and quickly.
Is it normal or not?
You can conclude from the above discussion that for a child having a high frequency of runny nose is a normal thing. It is just a manifestation of low-grade diseases such as cold and flu. But you cannot ignore the condition of your child in the long term. Having low immunity and less body strength, a common cold can convert into pneumonia, shortness of breath, sinusitis, otitis media, and other ear infections. Hence, visit the doctor and use proper medications prescribed by the physician.
References
- Farrer, F. (2013). Cold and flu in children: colds and flu. SA Pharmacist's Assistant , 13(1), 16-18.
- Pappas, D. E. (2008). Symptom profile of common colds in school-aged children. The Pediatric infectious disease journal, , 27(1), 8-11.
Keywords
Influenza, Less immunity of children, Less experience of blowing their nose, Environmental Changes, Stuffy nose, Sore throat, Viral respiratory tract
