How to Get Boogers Out of Baby's Nose

How to Get Boogers Out of Baby’s Nose?

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They are Natural!

Boogers are sticky dry mucus aggregations. They are made by the body in a natural process to enhance the first line immunity from external particles and microbes. Thus, they provide extra protection.

Boogers filter the air coming through the nostrils trapping in the dust particles and larger microorganisms.

How Boogers Are Formed?

Boogers are formed as a result of thick mucus secretions due to environmental change or any other physiological change in the body. It can also be an indicator of the microbial attack. When the body is trying to fight the germs, it makes it possible that no more germs enter the body. For this purpose, the mucous is thickened. In this way, the harmful microbes are trapped inside.

It is a natural process and is a sign that the body is adjusting to the new conditions.

There can also be another reason for it.

The mucus, sometimes, gets trapped in the nasal hair, called cilia. The dust particles are then trapped into it and the mucous gets thickened. As a result, thick dry mass of mucous stuffed with dust and bacteria, called boogers, is formed. This cluster prevents dust particles from entering the lungs. Hence, providing maximum protection to the body.

Are Boogers Harmful?

Boogers are very useful. Removing boogers is quite painless and also harmless. They can easily be pulled out with the help of a soft tissue paper. Sometimes, boogers grow a lot or a large chunk of it is formed. The booger of this type is quite sticky, fine ended and stubborn creature. For a normal day, when removing boogers is quite painless, the boogers of the stubborn nature pose a big problem. When you try hard to pull them out, it can be quite difficult and painful. Sometimes, bleeding may also occur while pulling such kind of boogers from your child’s nose.

So, here are some techniques to remove boogers easily out of your baby’s nose.

Normal Saline:

A normal saline solution can loosen up mucous and boogers. It will make boogers less sticky. Thus, it will be easy to remove them.

Take the normal saline solution from your nearest pharmacy. It is an over-the-counter preparation often available in the form of nasal drops.

In case you can not find the ready to use normal saline solution, do not worry. Here is how you can make it at home.

Ingredients:

Freshly boiled and cooled water————1cup (250 ml).

Table Salt—————5mg ( or a teaspoonful ).

Apparatus:

Cup, Dropper bottle, a wooden or steel spatula for mixing, a teaspoon or anything to measure 5mg of table salt.

Procedure:

  1. Wash, clean and dry all the apparatus.
  2. Take a small amount of freshly boiled and cooled water in a cup.
  3. Take a teaspoon or measure 5mg of table salt from the container and add in the water taken before.
  4. Mix with the help of wooden or steal spatial.
  5. After thorough mixing, add more water to fill the cup. Precisely, add enough freshly boiled and cooled water to make the volume up to 250 ml.
  6. Transfer the above preparation into a dropper bottle carefully.
  7. Label it as normal saline and use.

Precautions:

  • Make sure the water is boiled but not hot anymore.
  • All the apparatus and containers should be perfectly clean and dry.
  • Do not use an iron spatula/spoon while measuring or handling anything. It can cause oxidation.
  • Prepare fresh and use in a day. Discard the leftover preparation. It is because we added no preservatives in our preparation.
  • Never forget to label it.

How To Use Normal Saline For Thinning Mucous And Removing Boogers?

  1. Keep the baby in a comfortable position.
  2. Place him in your lap or on a soft cloth. It will be easy for you to handle him. It will also soothe the baby.
  3. Now, put 3-4 drops of normal saline solution into each the nostril of your baby.
  4. Keep him still, so the saline can work it’s maximum in the nostrils.
  5. Now, let the baby lie on his belly. This will make it easier for you to remove boogers and thick mucous loosen up.
  6. Take a soft tissue paper or a towel.
  7. Press the nose of your baby gently.
  8. Remove the boogers gently that is coming out with a soft tissue paper or towel. Do not pull hardly if any booger left stuck.
  9. It’s all done now. Your baby is relieved!!

Normal Saline

Precautions:

  • While removing boogers out of your baby’s nose, stay calm and put. Removing boogers is harmless. Sometimes, a booger is too sticky and hard to remove. In this case, do not try to pluck it hard. Leave it there, it will soften up itself. If it is still problematic and affecting your child’s breathing, contact your healthcare provider. Leave it to the nurses. They can handle it themselves better.
  • Use a saline solution to soften boogers or stuffed nose before feeding your baby. If you do it after feeding him, the reaction between mucous and normal saline can cause nausea and vomiting.
  • Do not insert the tissue paper or any cloth inside the nose of your little one. Remove the mucous and the boogers which came out themselves at the ends of the nose.
  • Do not use a cotton swab to clean your child’s nose from inside. It can not only cause a lot much sneezing but can also be harmful to your child. It is because you cannot decide how far it can go inside. Therefore, it can cause serious damage to your little one.
  • Boogers consist of many harmful bacteria’s that if taken inside can cause serious illness. So, wash your hands thoroughly before and after the whole process. If washing hands is not possible, hand sanitizer is handy and easy to use.
  • Always keep the baby calm. If there is some restlessness, try to relax him. You can then follow the rest of the procedure.

Normal Saline

Although boogers are beneficial, harmless and filter harmful agents, too much of them cause breathing problems to your child. This will result in the child’s uneasiness, wheezing and crying. So, they need to be removed. Sometimes, boogers are also a symptom of a cold. The stuffy nose can also be due to any viral infection.

Consult your doctor in case of any persistent problem.

Steam Your Child:

Steaming your child can also contribute to removing boogers easily. You can also use a handy portable steamer keeping the temperature of steam low and placing it near your child.

There is also another way which I consider a lot better.

Bathroom Steaming:

  1. Create steam in the bathroom.
  2. Maintain the temperature of the steam close to body temperature.
  3. Feed your little one there and make him stay in there for almost 30-40 minutes.
  4. It will soften the sticky boogers. It will also help in relieving and removing thick mucous in case of a stuffy nose.

Remove the boogers softly with a soft tissue or towel.

Room humidifier:

Hydrate the atmosphere of your baby’s room. It is key to prevent boogers formation and also the stuffy nose. Moreover, it will also help in removing sticky boogers, if any, easily.

Room Humidifier

Use a room humidifier in your baby’s room. It is especially needed in the times when the atmosphere is dry and hot. Using a humidifier is very beneficial for your child.

Nasal Aspirator:

Nasal aspirators are available commonly at your nearest pharmacy. It is a suction tube with a bulb and a filter. You place one end of the tube in one nostril of your child and then inhale air from the other end. It may seem gross but there is a high-quality filter at the other end. The filter ensures that no mucous or boogers enter your mouth through the suction tube. The debris can then be collected at the other end of filter paper. It is completely safe and many famous brands are available.

Nasal Aspirator

How To Use A Nasal Aspiration?

  1. Wash, clean and dry the apparatus.
  2. Change the filter every time you use it.
  3. Assume your baby in a calm position.
  4. Place 3-4 drops of normal saline in each nostril. Make sure he stays in the same position for a while. So, the saline can work properly.
  5. Let your child lie on his back.
  6. Place the opening of the tube near the filter end of the nasal aspiration. Do not take it too far inside the nostril.
  7. Now, suck from the other end of the mouth pulling out boogers and thick mucous.
  8. Do not suck in too hard to discomfort or hurt your child.
  9. Remove the filter paper and change it.
  10. Repeat the same procedure for the other nostril.
  11. Remove the filter paper and wash apparatus after use.

Precautions:

  • Remove the filter paper and discard it carefully every time you use it. Boogers contain a lot of harmful bacteria which can cause serious illness when ingested.
  • Always wash your hands before and after the whole procedure. Do not touch your baby with unwashed hands. If washing hands not possible, use a hand sanitizer instead.
  • Clean the apparatus with hot boiled water but do not sterilize it.
  • Make sure the baby is not uneasy or crying. 

Nasal Suction Bulb

The nasal suction bulb is another useful apparatus but it has limited use for removing boogers completely.

Nasal Suction Bulb

Procedure:

  1. Wash, clean and dry the apparatus.
  2. Place 3-4 drops of normal saline in both nostrils of your child.
  3. Follow the rest of the procedure of using normal saline as giving before.
  4. Now, pump out all the air from the b
  5. Place it near one of your child’s nostrils.
  6. Let the air fill the bulb. It will remove thick mucous and booger along with it.
  7. Remove the debris.
  8. Repeat the same procedure for the other nostril.
  9. Remove the debris again. Clean the apparatus and wash your hands.
  10. Clean your baby nose with soft tissue.

Precautions:

  1. Do not insert tube deep inside the nostril or you will harm the child.
  2. Repeat it many times. It is a tedious and less effective process.
  3. Make sure to maintain the hygiene of yourself and your child.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Humans are obligate nasal breathers. So, they need to keep their nasal passageway clean.
  2. Boogers are quite harmless and useful. It is super painless and easy to remove them but sometimes it can be quite challenging for your little one.
  3. Babies produce a sound of wheezing, difficult breathing or refrain from eating anything if their nose is stuffed.
  4. A very effective way to clean booger out of your baby’s nose is to use a nasal aspirator.
  5. A nasal aspirator is easy to use. You just need to place the tube at the end of your baby’s nostril and inhale from the other end. The airflow in outward direction will take all the debris along with it. The detailed procedure is highlighted in the above section.
  6. The nasal suction bulb is used frequently for removing boogers and mucous out of your baby’s nose. However, it is a less effective and tedious process. Any negligence can harm your baby.
  7. Normal saline solution is very effective in loosing up mucous and making it easy to remove boogers.
  8. You can also buy the normal saline solution drops or make it at home by mixing a teaspoon of table salt in a cup of water. You have to use it in a day and discard the leftover.