Nasal trauma in children

Be prepared for a strong fall and flattened nose during the time the baby is growing. Fortunately, in most cases, both the child and the nose recover from strokes without deformities. The nose has a wonderful device and performs the function of a shock absorber, so that strokes do not lead to injuries to the head. When the nose comes into contact with a solid surface, the nose is flattened, as the thin nasal bones move apart. If your child has flattened his nose, do the following:

• Attach an ice pack to the child's nose, lightly pressing the bulging inflated area on both sides of the nose just below the inside corner of the eye. Keep ice at least twenty minutes or as long as the child will tolerate. The sooner you put ice after the injury and the longer you hold it, the less will be the lump.

• Sit the child upright, tilting forward to allow less blood to enter the back of the pharynx.

When medical attention is required

In most cases, the flattened noses do have a fracture, but almost always the bones are repaired themselves, very quickly, in a couple of weeks, without leaving any cosmetic defects or functional disorders. There are two reasons for seeking medical help for a fracture of the nose:

cosmetic, if the nose has been shifted to one side and remained curved, and is functional, if air passage is obstructed. Look at the nose to reveal the slope to one side or the other. Using the tip of your finger, gently press it from the side in turn to each nostril to close it and see if the baby can breathe properly through one nostril with a closed mouth. If the child is very small, it may be better to try this procedure when the baby is sleeping. If obvious damage is either cosmetic or functional, seek medical help immediately. In most cases, a doctor who will examine your child will advise you to wait one to two weeks to see if the bones will return to their normal position. The doctor will then perform a second examination of the baby's nose to find out if cosmetic or functional damage remains, and recommend the appropriate

treatment. Fractures of children's noses rarely require correction.

Nasal bleeding

"What kind of finger do you pick at the nose?" It's this tricky question I ask the kids.(If you ask: "Do you pick at the nose?", Then it is guaranteed to get back: "No".) Nasal bleeding caused by picking is most frequent in allergy seasons, because the child scratches the already inflamed mucous membrane of the nose. Central heating overdries the air and irritates the nasal mucosa, which explains the nosebleeds during the winter months. The wa-poriser included in the child's bedroom during those months that central heating works should eliminate this cause of bleeding. If the nasal secretions for a cold wither and turn into crusts, you will not have to wait long for the moment when the little finger is in a small nose, which will be followed by a small bleeding. If you drip into the nose saline drops and, perhaps, a little softening lotion, the crust will be left behind and bleeding can be avoided.

Here's how to stop nasal bleeding:

• Place the baby on your lap, tilting it forward slightly.

• Squeeze both nostrils together and do not let go for at least ten minutes. In most cases, blood flows from the vessels that permeate the nasal septum. For best results, press on these vessels, putting in the bleeding nostrils twisted pieces of wet cotton wool to block the nasal passages by about two-thirds of the width. If after that you squeeze the nostrils without taking out the cotton wool, then put pressure on the nasal septum.

• If this does not stop the bleeding, squeeze the large blood vessels that supply the nose, which are located at the point where the upper lip joins the gum, just under the nostrils. Put a lump of wet cotton under the upper lip and press two fingers upwards, placing your fingers under the lip, or press one finger on the upper lip just below the nostrils.

• Keep the baby in an upright position so that blood does not flow into the pharynx, which can cause vomiting or sneezing. It can knock out a blood clot, and then the bleeding will resume.

• It is necessary for the child to keep his mouth open so that sneezing or coughing does not affect the nasal cavity, and for this keep your mouth open.

• After the blood stops, leave the cotton in the nostril for another three to four hours as a tampon. Remove the cotton swab osto-rozhno( moisten with water if the suction cup), trying not to tear out the thrombus, otherwise the bleeding will resume.

If the child is older, you can leave the tampon for a longer time, as there is less fear that the baby will be swallowed.

• If these measures do not stop blood, bring the child to a doctor or an emergency room.

• So that the child does not pick at the nose, shortly cut his nails, increase the humidity in the room and treat respiratory allergies.

Foreign body in the nose

Young children like to stuff everything, and the nose is a very convenient place. For many years I have extracted from the children's noses a variety of subjects. The most popular: beans, peas, pieces of cotton wool and small pebbles. Surprisingly, children rarely complain of a foreign body in the nose, but you should suspect this if you notice a foul-smelling yellow discharge from the of one nostril( with a cold flowing from both nostrils, and the discharge does not smell).To remove a foreign object from the child's nose, try the following:

• If you see an object, try pulling it out with tweezers with blunt ends.(A tight swaddling can be useful here, too, to lock the child's hands and not let them interfere with you.)

• If the object is very far away, deep in the nose, squeeze the free nostril and ask the baby to sneeze with the mouth closed. This can knock the object out.

• If the object is soluble in water, for example, a piece of candy, take the baby to the shower and let the steam dissolve the candy. Or dip a few drops into the nose so that they soften the object and reduce its size.

If you can not retrieve the item by the above methods, take the child to a doctor or an ambulance where the doctor can get a foreign body with a special tool. Do not let the child lie on his back and sleep while the foreign object is still in his nose, as the child can breathe it into the lungs.