Does my baby have 'sinuses'?

Does my baby have 'sinuses'?

Hi Dr. Malande,

I have a ten-month old baby who has been having a lot of allergies. My sister says she thinks the baby has sinuses. At the moment, the baby has been having a lot of flu and is coughing too. I took her to a doctor and I was given normal saline drops and Piriton syrup. I was also given Sinarest capsules to sprinkle where she sleeps. There was no change. I took her to a different doctor who now gave her nasal spray and some syrup known as Zinnat. She has improved but still experiences blocked nose at night. What could be the solution?

BA

Dear BA,

From your question, it appears that, you, like most moms, confuse sinusitis (primarily a disease affecting sinuses) with another similar condition called rhinitis, which refers to the swelling and inflammation of the mucous membranes inside the nose.

What many people call sinuses is NOT a disease. The sinuses are a number of air spaces found in the skull bones around the face. Everybody has them. They normally connect up with the nasal passages, so any fluid that accumulates in the sinus can easily drain out. Once the sinus isn’t draining properly, bacterial infection can easily set in. I actually think your baby has a condition called rhinitis. The condition is very similar to, and can later develop into sinusitis.

Rhinitis is a more common condition in young children than sinusitis, affecting 1 in 4 of school going children. It is a common cause of school absenteeism, causes sleep problems and is a risk factor for the development of asthma, and sinusitis. Unlike sinusitis, rhinitis mostly follows allergy. The most common allergen is the house dust mite, followed by cats and dogs. When due to tree pollen or grass, it is known as hay fever. Other allergens include mould spores and weeds.

Typical symptoms may include sneezing, itchy nose or palate, persistently running nose (where infection is unlikely if it’s clear, yellow-coloured implies allergy or infection while green-coloured is usually associated with infection). A child with rhinitis is more likely to have red itchy and teary eyes, allergic skin rash, asthma, and later sinusitis.

Allergic rhinitis is more common in children with a family history of rhinitis or first-born children. Allergic rhinitis often improves over the years. I think a syrup called cetirizine, given 5ml before bed, daily can help your baby.

Zinnat is an antibiotic, and while it cures any underlying bacterial infection, it does not remove the cold allergy, which causes rhinitis among young children especially infants. Alongside this, the nasal spray or nasal saline drops can be maintained. Topical intranasal steroid sprays provide good control and are effective for all symptoms of allergic persistent rhinitis, including nasal obstruction, itching, sneezing and watery runny nose.

— Dr. Ombeva Malande is a pediatrics and child health expert