Cough, Congestion and Runny Noses | Cincinnati Children's

Unfortunately, there's no cure for the common cold or viral respiratory infections like Upper respiratory infections, bronchiolitis, flu, and others. Most infections that cause a combination of a cough, congestion, or runny nose are viruses and the body will naturally get rid of these infections over time. The best and most important thing you can do is to make your child comfortable. Make sure your child gets extra rest and continues to drink well enough to stay hydrated. You are an important part of the care and we ask you to watch your child closely and call your doctor or come back if things worsen quickly or do not get better over time.

Congestion or a runny nose can significantly impact your child. Younger children especially, prefer to breathe through their nose and not being able to do that very well can be upsetting to them. A stuffy nose can make them fussy, make them eat less, or make them not sleep as well. An important part of the care for your child is using saline (salt water) drops or spray in combination with nasal suction. Proper suctioning before your child eats, sleeps, or when they are uncomfortable can make a positive difference.

Use saline nose drops, 1 to 2 drops in each opening of the nose or saline spray, 1 to 2 sprays in each nostril. Saline helps break apart mucus and can allow air to move through the nose easier, which helps suctioning work better.

There are lots of devices or ways to suction out your child’s nose. Ask your doctor or pediatrician if you have specific questions about a device or method. A common way to suction young infants is with a rubber bulb.

After using saline, use a rubber suction bulb to suck out the extra drops or spray. When using the suction bulb, remember that you should squeeze the bulb part of the syringe first before inserting the bulb into the the nose. Then gently stick the rubber tip into one nostril, and then slowly let go of the bulb. Do this again on the other nostril. This slight amount of suction will pull the clogged mucus out of the nose and should help your child to breathe.

You'll find that this works best when your baby is under 6 months of age. As your baby gets older, he or she might fight against the bulb suction, making it difficult to suck out the mucus. The saline drops can still help.

Put a cool-mist humidifier (also called a vaporizer) in your child's room to help thin the liquid that is making their nose stuffy, so it is easier for your child to breathe. Put it close to your child (but safely out of your child's reach) because the humidifier makes the area closest to it the moistest. Be sure to carefully clean and dry the humidifier each day to stop bacteria or mold from growing; bacteria and mold can make your child sick. Hot water vaporizers should not be used, because the hot water can burn your child.

Because mucus can trigger coughs, the frequent use of saline and suctioning can make your child cough less. Sometimes the mucus also makes a child more likely to cough with feeds, and smaller amounts of milk/formula per feed can help.

Honey can help a cough by providing a soothing layer to the back of the throat.
Do not give honey to babies under one year—it is not safe. There are similar products available for children under one year of age but it is best to talk to your doctor before purchasing or using any of those products.

For children ages 1 to 5 years: Try half a teaspoon of honey.
For children ages 6 to 11: Try one teaspoon of honey.
For children 12 or older: Try two teaspoons of honey.

For children ages 2 years and older mentholated rubs can be helpful: Rub a thick layer on top of the skin on the chest and the front of the neck, the throat area. The body's warmth helps the medication go into the air slowly over time. The child breathes in this air, which helps to soothe a cough, so the child can sleep.

Consider cough drops or lozenges for children 4 years and older. Do not give cough drops or lozenges to a child younger than 4 years because they could choke on them. Also, do not give your child more cough drops than what the instructions on the package say.

If you feel your child’s symptoms aren’t improving as expected, you should call your pediatrician or family physician. If you cannot reach your doctor, you can always return to one of our urgent cares or emergency departments to be reassessed. Many of these symptoms have periods when they improve and periods when they worsen - it is normal to have ups and downs in a short period of time.

You should seek emergency care if your child looks blue around the lips; has persistent difficulty breathing, is breathing quickly, more than 60 breaths in a minute. If you need help deciding whether your child needs to go to the hospital you can have a video chat with a pediatric provider 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.