ENT conditions (Mr Gaurav Kumar)

  Why Does My Child Always Breathe Through Their Mouth? Adenoids, Allergies and Blocked Noses Explained You are watching television with your child and notice their mouth is slightly open. Then you realise something. They seem to do it all the time . Perhaps they sleep with their mouth open. They may snore, sound permanently blocked or breathe noisily when eating. Their pillow may occasionally be wet with saliva. Parents often ask: “Why doesn't my child just breathe through their nose?” Occasional mouth breathing is very common when children have a cold. Persistent mouth breathing is different. It usually means either that breathing through the nose is difficult, or that a pattern of mouth breathing has become established. A common ENT explanation in younger children is  enlarged adenoids , but allergies, recurrent colds,  and other causes of nasal obstruction also need to be considered. Current NHS guidance specifically recognises that enlarged adenoids can m...

  Why Does My Child Have a Smelly Discharge From One Nostril? A Parent’s Guide A runny nose is almost part of childhood. Young children can have repeated colds, allergies and nasal congestion—particularly after starting nursery or school. But there is one pattern that parents should recognise: discharge that repeatedly comes from only one nostril, particularly when it develops an unpleasant smell. Parents sometimes describe it as: “My child has had a runny nose for weeks, but only on the left.” “The mucus from one nostril smells terrible.” “There seems to be something inside the nose.” Occasionally there may also be spotting of blood. In a young child, one important possibility is a nasal foreign body —a small object that has been pushed into the nose. This is more common than many parents realise, and nobody necessarily sees it happen. NHS ENT referral guidance specifically notes that carers may not have witnessed insertion and that a nasal foreign body may instead bec...

  Something Stuck Up My Child’s Nose? A Parent’s Guide to Nasal Foreign Bodies Young children explore the world with extraordinary curiosity. Unfortunately, that curiosity sometimes involves putting things in places they do not belong. Beads, peas, bits of toys, paper, foam, seeds and small pieces of food can all end up inside a child’s nose. Sometimes a parent actually sees it happen. At other times nobody notices, and the first clue appears days later when the child develops a blocked nostril, an unpleasant smell or discharge from only one side of the nose. A nasal foreign body is the medical term for an object that has become lodged inside the nose. Most can be removed safely, but how parents respond matters . Repeated attempts with tweezers, fingers or other instruments can push an object deeper or injure the nasal lining. There is also one particularly important exception that every parent should know about: a button battery in the nose requires urgent hospital assessme...