Sinusitis Care for Your Child
Sinusitis in children and adults are different. Oftentimes,
sinusitis in children is over diagnosed because the symptoms are
minor and the causes are complicated. Parents and doctors think
that children suffer from sinusitis when what they experience is
only a runny nose. But this is often not the case. Your child
may not simply be suffering from common cold and they would
require treatment. So if a yellow or green runny nose does not
mean a sinus infection, how could a parent know if his or her
child is actually suffering from sinusitis?
If your child has the following symptoms, it can indicate that a
sinus infection is present: chronic cough; cold that lasts for
more than ten to fourteen days; low-grade fever; thick yellow or
green drainage; irritability; fatigue; swelling in the eye area
and post nasal drip. Remember though that even if symptoms last
for two weeks it does not necessarily mean that there is sinus
infection. If the symptoms are improving, then it may just be a
cold. But if your child remains sick beyond two weeks, a visit
to a doctor is recommended.
Although most children respond well to antibiotic, it still
won't help your child get better faster. When antibiotics are
used unnecessarily it can cause secondary infections to your
child with bacteria that has become immune to the medicine.
Nasal sprays may be prescribed to relieve short term stuffiness
and nasal saline can help in improving mucous membrane function.
If your child is suffering only from acute sinusitis, it should
get better in the first few days. But for chronic sufferers, it
is important to get the help of doctors to avoid any further
infections in your child.
A correct diagnosis of sinusitis is often done upon careful
examination of a child's nose, throat and ears and making a
careful study of the symptoms that the child is having. Getting
a sinus x-ray is not really necessary especially if your child
is six years old or younger. Nevertheless, the use of an x-ray
cannot be underestimated as it can help know where the blockage
has occurred and it can help check the reliability of a
sinusitis diagnosis.
If left untreated sinus infection can lead to serious
complications, including brain damage. So, as a parent you have
to be always concerned about your child's health. But you have
to also keep in mind that sinus infection is not diagnosed by a
mere yellow or green runny nose. It is detected by analyzing the
symptoms and looking at how bad they are.
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