Nose Drops: How To Prevent a Child From Using Too Much?

28. Oktober 2025

2 Min. Lesezeit

Ratgeber öffnen Sammlung öffnen Serie öffnen

Overuse of vasoconstrictor drops and sprays are common causes among children admitted to emergency departments with poisoning. What makes ordinary medicine dangerous?

Wichtigste Erkenntnisse

Overuse of vasoconstrictor drops and sprays are common causes among children admitted to emergency departments with poisoning.
Why do you need special nose drops for kids
How to apply

Für wen das ist

Für alle, die Pädiatrie über runny nose, kinder erkunden.

Warum es wichtig ist

Dieser Artikel hilft dir, dich schnell zu orientieren, und führt dich dann zu einer Sammlung oder Serie, wenn du weitermachen möchtest.

Artikelautor

Dr. Irene

Pädiaterin, HNO-Arzt, Phoniaterin

The nasal passages of babies are narrow and slight swelling of the mucous membrane is enough to block nasal breathing. Babies often do not tolerate this condition well—they become grumpy, cannot sleep, and constantly wake up.

In an effort to quickly get rid of an unpleasant symptom, adults often use drugs from their first-aid kit, without considering age differences in treatment, restrictions, and peculiarities of dosage, and the effect of drugs on children.

Why do you need special nose drops for kids

When irrigating the nasal mucosa of an infant with a spray, medicine is available only in the form of drops.

When irrigating the baby's nose with a strong stream of spray or a high dose of medicine, there is a risk of medicine and mucus leaking into the inner auditory tube, which can lead to the development of acute otitis.

Do not use a regular pipette to self-dose the drug to an infant, as it could be dangerous. It is better to use a bottle with a built-in dispenser.

How to apply

Applied intranasally (in each nasal hole) for no longer than 3–5 days.
Adults and children over 15 years old—1–3 drops of 0.05–0.1% solution of the drug 3–4 times a day.
Children—0.05% solution of the drug: from 1 year to 6 years—1–2 drops 1–3 times a day; from 6 to 15 years old—2 drops 1–3 times a day.

Overuse symptoms:

Nausea, vomiting
Constriction of the pupils
Increased body temperature
Cyanosis of the skin and mucous membranes
Unbalanced heartbeat
Increased heart rate (tachycardia)
Increased blood pressure

In severe forms of overdose, the central nervous system is suppressed, and the vasomotor and respiratory centers of the brain stem are affected.

This is manifested by the following symptoms:

Decrease in blood pressure
Drowsiness
Lowered body temperature
Decreased heart rate (bradycardia)
Breathing disorders
Development of pulmonary edema
Coma.

This is a life-threatening condition—if the subject is not provided with urgent medical care, death may occur due to respiratory and cardiovascular failure.

If you suspect poisoning, you must immediately call an ambulance!

Please remember:

Medicine must be used only upon recommendation of a doctor.
The drug can only be used from the age indicated in the instructions.
The dosage, frequency, and duration of drug application should not exceed the recommendations specified in the instructions.
Your medications must be out of sight of children.
It is preferable to use a bottle with a built-in dispenser.
Bear in mind that some individuals could be drug-intolerant. If suspicious symptoms appear, you should stop administering the drug to the child and consult a doctor to determine further treatment approaches. Link text

Weiterlesen

Pädiatrie#Hämoglobin

Blood Transfusion for Premature Babies: A New Perspective

The largest randomized clinical trial on blood transfusion to premature babies was completed by Dr. Haresh Kirpalani of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Edward Bell of the University of Iowa, and colleagues from the Neonatal Research Network, including Dr. Rosemary Higgins of the George Mason University College of Health and Human Services. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. To date, this is the most ambitious research in the world that examines blood transfusion in premature babies.

Darya28. Okt. 2025

Pädiatrie#kinder

How to Train the Vestibular Apparatus in Children

How do you know if your child has a weak vestibular apparatus? It could be that they get sick when traveling, easily lose coordination and balance, especially on uneven surfaces, or have a fear of falling. Or they could be afraid of taking the elevator and cycling. If this sounds familiar, how can you help your child?

Dr. Tatjana28. Okt. 2025

Gesundheit von Frauen#medicine

When Do Doctors Prescribe Rectal Medicines, and Are They Worth It?

Medications can be taken in different ways. The method depends on the diagnosis, the patient's condition, and concomitant diseases. It is more familiar and easier for us to swallow pills, but sometimes doctors insist on rectal suppositories. Let's consider why?

Dr. Irene28. Okt. 2025

Gesunder Lebensstil#glaucoma

The Beginners’ Guide: What You Need To Know About Cannabidiol (CBD)

So you have heard about CBD and it can help you with your problem, but you don’t know where to start. Here is a short beginner’s guide to CBD!

Dr. Asya28. Okt. 2025

Installiere Ornament, um nicht nur diese Artikel zu lesen, sondern auch deine Gesundheit zu verfolgen, Testergebnisse zu speichern und auf weitere nützliche Funktionen zuzugreifen

Ornament installieren