Nasal Obstruction: Symptoms Your Child Has a Nasal Cavity Blockage

When my daughter was two, she had a propensity for stuffing things up her nose. Items removed from her nasal cavity include a piece of sponge, a huge wad of newspaper, a pencil eraser, and a balled up piece of notebook paper. It took the doctors two months to figure out what was wrong with her nose the first time it happened. Here are the symptoms your child has a nasal cavity blockage.

Nasal Cavity Blockage Symptom #1: Runny Nose

The first symptom of a nasal cavity blockage is a runny rose. The mucus will be thick and green, which indicates an infection versus a common cold. Your child's nose will be runny constantly, and no amount of wiping or blowing the nose will slow the production of mucus. Although both nostrils may have a mucus discharge, the nostril experiencing the blockage will discharge more.

Mucus is actually a nasal cavity protection device. Mucus coats the delicate inner lining of the nostril, and when there is a foreign object creating a blockage in the nasal cavity, that inner lining of the nostril is irritated. The more irritated the inner lining of the nostril becomes, the more mucus is produced. Thus, the chronic runny nose is a good indication of a nasal cavity blockage.

Nasal Cavity Blockage Symptom #2: Stuffy Nose

Obviously, when there is a foreign object inside the nasal cavity, breathing through that nostril becomes impaired. The child's breathing may become labored, especially when engaging in strenuous activity. Your child's voice may sound like she has a cold, but no other symptoms are apparent. Often, one nostril will appear swollen from the outside.

Nasal Cavity Blockage Symptom #3: Sinus Odor

Odor emanating from the nose and mouth is the biggest indicator of a nasal blockage versus a common cold. This odor is very strong and smells like something is rotting. Having the child brush his teeth does not assuage the odor either. While the stench is unbearable for those around the child, the child with the nasal cavity blockage does not seem bothered by it.

Treatment for a Nasal Cavity Blockage

In my daughter's case, the obstructions were too far up the nasal cavity to see on my own. I took her to her pediatrician, who warned me never to try to remove the blockage myself. A well-meaning parent can make the nasal cavity blockage worse by moving the obstruction up further into the sinuses.

To remove the obstruction, my daughter's pediatrician donned a head lamp and used a very sharp tool with a hook on the end to ease the obstructions out of her nose. Each time she went in, the obstructions the doctor pulled out were bigger than the time before. The last time, it appeared she had torn up an entire sheet of newspaper and shoved it up her nose bit by bit.

The removal process is stressful for all involved. The child must be held still, usually with one person holding her head and another holding her body. The pediatrician must work swiftly, yet cautiously as to avoid puncturing the nasal lining. However, in all four cases, my daughter's obstructions were removed without having to see an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist).

Each time, my daughter was prescribed a course of antibiotics to clear up any infection the nasal obstruction caused. Within hours, the odor and runny nose were gone, and by the next day, she and her nose were as good as new.

Nasal cavity blockages are a thing of the past in my household. Luckily, my daughter has outgrown the stage of stuffing things up her nose. After reading these symptoms of a nasal cavity blockage, if you suspect your child does have a nasal obstruction, don't delay. Make an appointment to see her pediatrician.