When babies have head colds, one of the tools that most parents reach for is a snot sucker. This is because babies are unable to blow their noses to clear their breathing passageways, which is necessary to both eat and sleep. But with the amount of sucking, it can take to clear the nostrils and the excessive crying from babies, parents may wonder if snot suckers are safe to use when babies have a cold. And fortunately, snot suckers are safe to use on babies.
When babies get their first colds, it is not only heartbreaking to see but nearly impossible to keep their little noses clear of mucus. While some use a nasal aspirator to try to remove the mucus, it is not always effective at clearing the nose of drainage. And because of this, something stronger is required to give babies some relief while they are battling their colds. This is why many turn to snot suckers to get more mucus out at a time.
Here is why it is safe to use snot suckers on babies.
It Is Impossible To Suck Too Hard With A Snot Sucker
The way that snot suckers work is by placing a tube at the entrance of a nostril. Once a seal is made, parents suck through a separate longer tube with a mouthpiece to extract mucus from the nostril. The process is then repeated on the second side to give babies full relief in their noses.
The concern can come from parents wondering if they are sucking too hard on their end of the tube and potentially doing any damage to the nostril or causing discomfort to infants. According to What To Expect, however, too much suction cannot be delivered through the snot sucker. Instead, the quick suction that is provided allows babies to breathe, sleep, and eat better than they would if their noses were still filled with the drainage from their colds.
The snot suckers on the market provide babies with immediate relief when they are used. And because the suction that is provided by parents is administered safely, there is no fear that any damage will come to the nostrils, inside or out.
While parents may be tempted to suck babies’ noses constantly once they see how effective they are, according to NoseFrida, the snot sucker should only be used four times daily. While this may not seem like a lot for babies who have a lot of mucus, it is enough to keep the mucus from getting clogged up in the nose, especially when used with a bit of saline solution.
When used as directed, snot suckers are not only safe but incredibly effective at removing mucus from babies’ noses.
Toughest Part Is Getting Over Mental Hurdle Of Using A Snot Sucker
When using the snot suckers, the toughest hurdle that parents have to get over is using the snot sucker itself.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the snot sucker is one of the most effective ways of removing mucus from both babies’ and toddlers’ noses. As such, parents need to work on any holdups they may have about the device to bring their little ones’ relief.
For those who are concerned about germs and babies being contagious, there is a filter in the snot sucker that stops any germs from getting past it in the tube. The filter is removed with every use and replaced with a fresh one to keep germs at bay.
The germs are not the biggest concern for most. The concern is that sucking mucus out of the nose will result in the mucus being inhaled. But, because of the suction of the tube on the nose and the filter acting as a guard against letting mucus get too high in the tube, there is no reason to fear. The mucus will not be sucked into the mouth when sucked out of the nose.
Given that snot suckers are not only as effective as they are but safe, parents should do what they can to move past any mental blocks they have with using them so that their babies can receive relief when suffering from a head cold complete with a mucus-filled nose.
Source: What To Expect, NoseFrida, Cleveland Clinic
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