Winter and child care often go hand in hand with runny noses, sneezes and the occasional cough. But when your child’s nasal mucus changes colour, what does it actually mean?
A runny nose is one of the most common signs of a childhood cold, but the colour and consistency of nasal mucus can change throughout an illness and doesn’t always mean your child has a bacterial infection.
👃🏽 Clear Nasal Mucus
Clear, watery mucus is usually completely normal and is part of the body’s natural way of protecting the nose and airways.
– Keeps the nasal passages moist
– Helps trap dust, pollen and other irritants
– Common with a simple runny nose
– Can occur with allergies
– Can happen when children move between warm and cold environments
⚪White or Cloudy Mucus
As a cold or viral infection develops, mucus can become thicker and appear white or cloudy.
– The nose may feel blocked or congested
– Mucus may become thicker throughout the day
– Your child may have a mild cough or sneeze
– They may still be happy, active and eating normally
White or cloudy nasal mucus on its own doesn’t necessarily mean your child has a bacterial infection.
🟡 Yellow or 🟢 Green Nasal Mucus
Yellow or green mucus can be part of the body’s normal immune response when fighting a viral infection. The colour can come from immune cells and other substances in the mucus, so green nasal mucus does not automatically mean your child needs antibiotics.
Rather than looking at the colour alone, it is important to consider how your child is feeling overall.
🥴Look for other symptoms such as:
– A temperature or fever
– Being unusually tired or lethargic
– A persistent or worsening cough
– Difficulty breathing
– Earache or other signs of pain
– Not drinking well
– Symptoms that are getting worse rather than improving
🤔 When Should You Keep Your Child Home From Child Care?
When children are unwell, they need plenty of rest, fluids and time to recover. At Aussie Adventures Child Care & Kindergarten, we help reduce the spread of winter illnesses and childhood infections as we work closely with our families to support healthy children, encourage good hygiene and help keep our child care community as healthy as possible throughout the winter months.
