Kids with Sinusitis: What A Parent Needs to Know

When you have sinusitis, you would most definitely have to deal with the stuffiness brought about by excess mucus trapped in your nasal passages. Breathing normally seems impossible because of congestion. Severe headaches usually follow as pressure builds up in your head. Just imagine the discomfort it could bring when all symptoms attack at the same time.

This is a common scenario for most sinusitis sufferers. Unfortunately, no one is exempted from contracting this dreaded condition. For a typical adult, sinusitis and its symptoms can get you down and prevent you from doing your normal daily activities. But what happens when your child is the one diagnosed with sinusitis? What are the signs to watch out for? What sinus medication should be administered for young kids on their growing years? If you are a parent concerned about your kid, here are some information you need to know about this dreaded condition.

Sinusitis on Kids: What are the Symptoms?

For kids, sinusitis can manifest itself in different symptoms depending on the age. Younger kids five years and below often experience stuffy and runny nose with slight fever. When the fever appears after a week of cold-like symptoms, this could be a sign of sinusitis or other types of infection such as ear infection, bronchitis or pneumonia. Sinus headaches are not indications of sinusitis as the sinuses in the forehead only starts to develop on the sixth year and becomes prone to infection only on the teenage years.

The most common symptom of sinusitis on older kids is daytime dry cough, along with cold-like symptoms that last for more than seven days. They also suffer from fever, nasal congestion, ear pain, toothache and pressure or tenderness over the sinus areas. Teens may also experience upset stomach, headaches, nausea and pain behind the eyes.

Many parents often wonder – when is the right time to consult a doctor? Here are three suggestions on the best time to seek a pediatrician:

-        See a doctor when the colds last for more than ten days

-        See a doctor when the colds and other symptoms seem to get worse after a week

-        See a doctor when the symptoms do not clear after using sinus medication

Treating Children with Sinusitis

For children suffering from sinusitis, a doctor would commonly prescribe oral antibiotics to get rid of the bacterial infection. Decongestants can be used to reduce nasal congestion. Antihistamines are also useful in controlling allergies. Viral sinusitis tend to go away after some time even without using any sinus medication. But for faster recovery, warm compresses and proper diet are known to boost a kid’s immune system.

Many parents are worried on using sinus medications on kids as drugs are known to have adverse side effects on the body. Who can blame them when studies show that over the counter cold medications can cause more harm to kids than good? If you are a skeptic, why not try alternative treatment methods instead? There are companies that offer relief from sinusitis without any side effects. One example is through medicated irrigation, or simply known as nasal washing. To know more about this form of treatment, consult your doctor now and ask if this is safe and effective for your child’s sinusitis.