Young children who often have a stuffy nose might have sinusitis, a doctor said on Friday, urging parents to take their children to a doctor for a checkup.
Wearing a mask for a long time, as required during the COVID-19 pandemic, can affect the respiratory tract, Taichung Hospital Department of Pediatrics director Chen Min-kung (陳敏恭) said.
Symptoms of the common cold include swollen nasal membranes and excessive nasal mucus blocking sinus cavities, which can lead to acute sinusitis, he said.
Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times
Chen said he recently treated a six-year-old girl surnamed Lin (林) who had had stuffy nose and nasal pain for two weeks before her parents brought her to the hospital, he said.
“The sinuses are around the skull and the nasal cavity, and there are many small sinus tubes leading to the nasal cavity,” he said. “When bacteria and viruses cause rhinitis or nasal membrane swelling, the sinuses are blocked by mucus, and bacteria can breed in the sinuses, which can lead to acute sinusitis.”
Children who wear masks for more than 12 hours a day are at heightened risk, as wearing a mask reduces breathing speed and pressure in the respiratory tract, he said.
Acute sinusitis usually takes long to heal, but cold-like symptoms associated with it should clear up within seven days after treatment begins, he said, adding that yellow or green mucus might be present for up to two weeks when sinusitis occurs at the same time as a cold or other illness.
“Had Lin’s parents not sought treatment for her when they did, she might have developed periorbital cellulitis — an infection of the eyelid or skin around the eye — or meningitis,” he said.
The hospital asked the girl’s parents to provide her with more breathable masks and ask her to change her mask often, he said, adding that Lin’s’ “condition cleared up within two weeks.”
Children should still wear masks and change their mask often, he said.
People who have a cold should blow their nose one nostril at a time to ensure that bacteria or secretions do not flow back up into the nasal cavity, he said.
“A normal saline solution is advised for rinsing nasal secretions, which can be done two to four times per day,” he said.
“Children’s rooms should also not be kept too dry,” he said. “A humidity level of about 50 to 60 percent is recommended.”
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