Green Mucous -- What It Is and What It's SNOT
Editor's Note: This post, originally published on 12/1/05, has been updated to reflect today's withdrawal of all over-the-counter children's cold medications by the manufacturers.
Snot. noun. Middle English from gesnot. 1. Vulgar term for nasal mucous; phlegm. 2. A person regarded as annoying, arrogant, or impertinent (not your medical provider). Booger. Dried snot.
Yes, it's not easy to be green, especially if you are mucous in a kid. Why? Because a vast array of parents think that green mucous requires antibiotics. Green = Bad. Clear = Not bad yet.
Viral infections (colds) can cause a variety of mucous color changes in children...green, yellow, orange, brown, and of course, my favorite the multicolored. For the diligent mucous-watcher, these colors are very significant.
After sitting in a congested nasal passage all night, mucous becomes stagnant....just like a green pond. Bacteria love warm, dark, moist areas, so this is where they like to live. But, just because there is bacteria in the mucous, does not mean antibiotics are necessary. The purpose of mucous is to moisturize the air we breathe, and to trap those floating particles inhe air. It is suppose to drain...either out of our noses, or naturally, down the back of our throats.
"Green Nose in the Morning is No Cause for Warning". However, if a child has consistently green mucous from BOTH sides of the nose for over ten days, then your medical provider may take it more seriously. (Note: Green, smelly mucous from only ONE side of the nose of a child is likely to be a retained foreign body...usually food. And, you thought they ate those peas!)
Simple colds last a week if you treat them, and about seven days if you leave them alone; however, the nasal drainage can persists for weeks in children. This time of year, children tend to get exposed to "back to back" viral infections that run together and appear as one, prolonged cold. Children have a lower level of hygiene than other creatures on this planet, and germs are the most common thing they share. Day-care kids are like Velcro when it comes to viral infections. Since children get 6-9 viral infections per year, mostly in the fall/winter months, and colds can "run together"...then don't be surprised if your outgoing, day-care toddler has a runny nose from October to March.
Is there anything you can do about this? No. Well, actually yes.
1. Use saline nose sprays. They keep the mucous thin so it drains, and the nasal mucosa moist so it can do a better job in the dry, household air that we breathe. Cool mist humidifiers are also very helpful in the bedroom.
2. Encourage fluids. Hydrations helps to thin mucous.
3. Antibiotics do NOT work for viral infections. Ever. They don't prevent kids from getting sicker. Let your medical provider decide (without the begging, pleading, and coercion that often occurs). Antibiotics only work for secondary bacterial infections, like middle ear infections, sinus infection, Strep, etc.)
4. Be patient. Colds are inevitable. Cold are even considered biologically beneficial. What??? Cold are beneficial? You bet. Simple viral colds help jump start our immune system to make us more resistant to worse infections.
Hang in there, folks...
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: drug recall, cold, flu, pediatrics
Snot. noun. Middle English from gesnot. 1. Vulgar term for nasal mucous; phlegm. 2. A person regarded as annoying, arrogant, or impertinent (not your medical provider). Booger. Dried snot.
Yes, it's not easy to be green, especially if you are mucous in a kid. Why? Because a vast array of parents think that green mucous requires antibiotics. Green = Bad. Clear = Not bad yet.
Viral infections (colds) can cause a variety of mucous color changes in children...green, yellow, orange, brown, and of course, my favorite the multicolored. For the diligent mucous-watcher, these colors are very significant.
After sitting in a congested nasal passage all night, mucous becomes stagnant....just like a green pond. Bacteria love warm, dark, moist areas, so this is where they like to live. But, just because there is bacteria in the mucous, does not mean antibiotics are necessary. The purpose of mucous is to moisturize the air we breathe, and to trap those floating particles inhe air. It is suppose to drain...either out of our noses, or naturally, down the back of our throats.
"Green Nose in the Morning is No Cause for Warning". However, if a child has consistently green mucous from BOTH sides of the nose for over ten days, then your medical provider may take it more seriously. (Note: Green, smelly mucous from only ONE side of the nose of a child is likely to be a retained foreign body...usually food. And, you thought they ate those peas!)
Simple colds last a week if you treat them, and about seven days if you leave them alone; however, the nasal drainage can persists for weeks in children. This time of year, children tend to get exposed to "back to back" viral infections that run together and appear as one, prolonged cold. Children have a lower level of hygiene than other creatures on this planet, and germs are the most common thing they share. Day-care kids are like Velcro when it comes to viral infections. Since children get 6-9 viral infections per year, mostly in the fall/winter months, and colds can "run together"...then don't be surprised if your outgoing, day-care toddler has a runny nose from October to March.
Is there anything you can do about this? No. Well, actually yes.
1. Use saline nose sprays. They keep the mucous thin so it drains, and the nasal mucosa moist so it can do a better job in the dry, household air that we breathe. Cool mist humidifiers are also very helpful in the bedroom.
2. Encourage fluids. Hydrations helps to thin mucous.
3. Antibiotics do NOT work for viral infections. Ever. They don't prevent kids from getting sicker. Let your medical provider decide (without the begging, pleading, and coercion that often occurs). Antibiotics only work for secondary bacterial infections, like middle ear infections, sinus infection, Strep, etc.)
4. Be patient. Colds are inevitable. Cold are even considered biologically beneficial. What??? Cold are beneficial? You bet. Simple viral colds help jump start our immune system to make us more resistant to worse infections.
Hang in there, folks...
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: drug recall, cold, flu, pediatrics
14 Comments:
Thanks for the information I am a first time mom and my toddler just recently started daycare and I just started to notice the brightes green mucous I have ever seen, coming out my son's nose!!! With the information provided I took the time to calm down and realize my son had nothing more than just a good old fashion cold.
Thank you, I am a mom to a 27week preemie and it's so scary when my son seems to have any kind of infection, or sickness. He has been congested for a few weeks and now the drainage is somewhat green...I now realize with no other symptoms it's a cold.
Thank you for the information, I am a mother of a 7 year old daughter. she seems to have had a cold since the start of the winter. In the past i was eager to take her to the doctor, the last time i took her she saw a new pediatrician and when the doctor told me she did not need antibiotics i was a little shocked. Doctors are a little to eager to stuff medicine down their throats. sure enough the cold did clear up for a short time, before the next one.
i love what you said about boogers
Thanks, my son keeps picking up colds from our gym daycare. Though we have a great Pediatrician who only gives meds when needed and in a soft, easy way filled me in long ago on what to expect with colds and kids, your information was a little more varification for my husband who seems to think our son is dieing from all the sneezing and coughing that comes with colds. Though I feel bad for my baby we just have to push our way through this. Thanks
I am the mother of a 2 year old who was born at 27 weeks so i always have a concern when it comes to him (he is in day care)
and I have seen green mucus for days now, I too do the cool mist and the salin sprays but my questions is when will it end lol.... but like every one else i know its just the good ol fashion cold.
Sorry to say but Echinacea, Vitamin C and Zinc does help get rid of colds, even in Toddlers.
Thanks for the information!! Excellent article. My 4yo just started preschool, brought home a nasty nasal thing and passed it onto his younger twin brothers. Lots of green mucous around, and 'everyone' says he should be on antibiotics (as a microbiologist, I know better).
Echinacea does NOT seem to work in children....according to a well-designed, scientific study published in the medical journals, even if you personally feel that it helps. There are nothing wrong with using it, since it also appears to be harmless.
Journal of the American Medical Association, 2003; 290:2824-2830.
This is a great article. For nasal rinsing your toddler always remember to use a SNUB-NOSED BULB. Not the super-pointy bulb sent home with newborns! Many stores don't care snub-nosed bulbs, but Walgreen's is a good bet.
My son is 13 and has been blowing orange snot for 4 days, should I call the Dr.
To anonymous above --
For questions about your specific situation, please visit Dr. Moser's ENT message board.
Thanks for the answers, but the green snot is preventable!!! Mom of 5 children!!! And a teacher!!!!...It is called" Coldease"!!!
My daughter does not have green snot but is a little conjected...but it has an odd odor and she has had it for about a week. Is that something to be concerned about?
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