How Many Times Do I Have to Clean Her Nose???

i'm wondering who you're yelling at? i see no responses that should provoke such an extreme reaction.
khairete
S.

When my kids had yucky stuff in their noses (usually congestion and thick runny stuff) I always put them in the bathtub and let them have a nice long steamy bath (not hot water... but you can run the hot for awhile to get the bathroom good and steamy, then add enough cold to make the water temperate). Let them play in the water and while they are busy playing get a really soaked wash rag and wipe their whole face. Usually a bunch of stuff comes out of their nose. Rinse. Repeat.

I found that doing it this way keeps the soreness to a minimum and really cleans out the sinuses better than trying to get them to blow or wiping it when it is dry/crusty or thick/rubbery. And they don't really even notice that you are doing it.... :)

I would not worry about it unless she is having difficulty breathing because of it. Also, you can use Nasal saline drops or sprays to help loosen up the dried mucus. You can also fill your largest pot with water and simmer it on the stove all day added water as necessary or buy a humidifier or vaporizer to replace the moisture in home lost by using the furnace, heater or fire place in the winter months. I honestly left my kids nose alone unless it was hanging, running down their face, or they could not breath through their nose.

Winter is a time of catching lots of colds due to the constant weather and moister changes. She may also have allergies. If she is like this year around, I would consider seeing a Allergist for a allergy test. Allergies are not considered a sickness by your regular physician because a lot of people suffer from them year around. Unless you ask them point blank about allergies, they are not likely to say anything. Mostly, they are checking for illnesses and it sounds as if the doctor does not feel that she has any illnesses to worry about.

If you irritate the nasal lining by poking, scraping, or other stimulation, you could actually be causing the "need" to produce more mucus to protect that lining. I would leave it alone unless it's clearly causing her a problem.

You might want to bring it up next time you are there she could have allergies. I found when it's hard saline spray works well. My youngest fought it at this age counting to three before using it helped because then he knew exactly when it was going to be sprayed.

As others have suggested, a very wet washcloth or some saline drops help loosen the dry mucus up. The nasal aspirator our doctor said to use sparingly because it can irritate the inside of the nose (plus all kids seem to hate it). My daughter almost always has a runny nose because the opening between her sinuses and throat is unusually small. A pediatric ear nose and throat specialist actually stuck a tiny scope up her nose to find this out when she was a newborn. Maybe your daughter has some tiny anatomical quirk like this or a mild allergy that makes her nose a little more likely to be runny.

As the mom of a 14 month old, I have the same issue, but I just wipe her with a warm, wet washcloth, then dry and add chapstick to her cheeks and (outside) nose area if her skin is a little dry. I personally save the bulb for big nose issues, like a cold, because it is not worth it to me to get her so upset.

Good luck!

I never messed with it if it wasnt running or bothering her.

J.,
My son will soon be 8 and I am still picking dried, crusty, built up boogies out of his nose. Guess why? Now, at 7, he KNOWS picking your nose is wrong and gross! LOL Oh the irony!
Have you tried a humidifier in her room at night? It does help. It keeps the nose & throat more moist.

try cleaning it more often then once a day. maybe it won't get quite as hard. 2 of my boys were that way. for me i think it was where his father and i smoked in the house. anyway. it is painful to pick out the dry stuff. it sticks to the skin and the little hairs. maybe you could use a warm washcloth(ha, ha,if they are like mine were) to soften it. sorry but i didn't read the other post. maybe i didn't say what everyone else is saying. good luck, mom of 7, R.

I'm thinking that it's not her nose that is the problem. Being busy raising children is hard work. When was the last time you dusted your ceiling fans? A dirty nose suggests there's a lot of stuff floating around in the air she is breathing. Her nose is working well enough to filter out that stuff so it doesn't reach her lungs.
I would start with dusting fans, shelving, tall furniture and window treatments. Next, I'd wash any and all area rugs and vacuum really well. On nice days I open up windows. That's usually how dust comes in. Make sure you're wiping down counters and window sills near open windows. And don't forget the blinds! If this doesn't help, I don't know what it can be. Good luck sweetie!

I agree with the poster below - if it's not running or bothering her, leave it be.