As summer bids us goodbye, we are now waiting for monsoon to arrive. The change of season is always exciting, but it does bring some unwanted things too, like colds and coughs. While we adults deal with common cold quite easily by just resting and drinking fluids, change of season is tough on kids and babies. Monsoon in India is marked by rise in humidity while temperature doesn’t go down, which makes it easier for viruses to grow and spread. Viral infections like cough, cold or fever become common place which in turn may cause nasal congestion. Nasal congestion is typically a condition in which nose gets blocked and feels stuffy. Adults can breathe through the mouth if they develop nasal congestion but babies and toddlers land in a lot of trouble because of nasal congestion. Babies and toddlers till they are a year old, are obligatory nose breathers, i.e., they can only breathe through their nose and can’t use their mouth, hence you can imagine the risks if their nose gets blocked. Nasal congestion in kids may create fatal breathing problems and interferes in breast feeding. Extended nasal congestion has been known to affect their hearing and speech capacities and learning process. Parents can identify nasal congestion if their kids have one or all of the following symptoms:
- Cranky and irritable mood: Kids, especially from 0-1 years of age have no other way of expressing, you can notice that they are cranky and irritable because of blocked nose.
- Chocking and coughing: Toddlers especially cough or choke after being fed.
- Itchy or watery eyes: If your kid has started showing this symptom (age between 1-6 years), chances are that her cold has been there for a while and she may develop nasal congestion.
- Allergic rhinitis: Rhinitis is a condition characterized by itchy eyes and itchy nose. This can be allergic in nature too.
These are some of the tell-tale signs of blocked nose and if your kid is suffering from that, then you should consider some remedies like steam inhalation or humidifying room. These may go far but ultimately not as effective for extreme blockage or for very young kids who need fast and effective relief. While you may want the medicine to work fast, it should also be tolerable for mini nasal passages. Keeping this in mind, Merck has come up with a revolutionary product “NASIVION®” decongestant. It not only relieves blocked nose but also doesn’t hurt sensitive nasal passages of kids. Nasivion® contains Oxymetazoline which gets the job done and is present in a concentration that does not affect cilia (small nasal hair).
Nasivion® drops in pediatric version are available in two forms:
1. Nasivion® Mini (baby) Nose Drops: Available in a 10ml glass bottle with dropper, each ml contains 0.01 mg oxymetazoline hydrochloride in aqueous buffer and 0.3 mg benzalkonium chloride as preservative. This medicine must be administered intranasal. For kids up to the age of 4 weeks, instill 1 drop of the solution into each nostril 2-3 times per day. From the 5th week of life until the age of 1 year, instill 1-2 drops into each nostril 2-3 times per day or as directed by the physician.
2. Nasivion® Pediatric (1-6 years old) Nose Drops: Available in 10 ml glass bottle with dropper., each ml contains 0.25 mg oxymetazoline hydrochloride in aqueous buffer and 0.3 mg benzalkonium chloride as preservative. This medicine must be administered intranasal. Instil 2-3 drops into each nostril 2-3 times per day or as directed by the physician.
Don’t let cold and nasal congestion stand in their way of having fun and Nasivion® will take care of the rest.
Few Precautions to be taken:
1. Oxymetazoline Hydrochloride containing nasal drops should not be used for longer than 10 consecutive days. A treatment free period of several days should precede any repeated use.
2. Medical supervision is indicated in pre-mature or underweight new-borns to avoid the risk of over-dosage.
3. Please consult doctor before going for any medicine or home remedies.
Sneha Goley, a chemical engineer by profession and a baker by passion, has a keen interest in beauty. She believes in curating pocket friendly skincare regimes and loves experimenting with simple and easy DIY’s.
Easy to use n quick relief k liye accha hai per main isko second option me rakhti hu