Megan Sheppard: Natural health

Q. My four-month-old baby seems to have a blocked nose. She is happy and doesn’t have a temperature or seem uncomfortable but I am worried. What should I do?

A. A blocked nose is very common in babies under six months old and is known as ‘snuffles’.

Unlike adults, babies breathe in and out through their nose for the first few months.

The snuffles are not caused by a cold but mucus which collects in the nose. It is difficult for a young baby to clear so that they make a noise when breathing.

You may find that your daughter has some difficulty in feeding if she cannot breathe very well. I suggest you make an appointment for your daughter with your GP, who will examine her and check if there is an underlying cause of the blocked nose such as an infection.

In the meantime here are some general suggestions:

Very gently remove any crusts around the baby’s nose using a face cloth and warm water. This may help to loosen thick mucus. Be careful not to poke anything into her nose.

Give your daughter small but frequent feeds.

Saline (salt water) nose drops thin out the mucus and make it easier for your baby to clear. You can buy the saline drops from your pharmacist who will be able to advise you.

Avoid using the drops too often as the skin around the nose may become a little sore.

It is important to be alert to any changes in health or behaviour in your daughter, if she is feeding poorly, has a raised temperature, crying or is distressed, you need to seek urgent medical attention for her.

Q. My father is 65 years old. I’ve noticed in the last few weeks that he has been rubbing one of his eyes a lot and they look red.

When I asked he said it felt there was an eyelash rubbing against his eye all the time although he can’t see any. Should he see his GP?

A. This must be very uncomfortable for your father. As he has had this irritation for a few weeks, it is important that he makes an appointment with his GP who will examine his eyes and check his vision.

It is possible that the discomfort he is experiencing may be due to an entropion. This is a condition of the eyelid which causes it to turn inwards towards the eye and the eyelashes rub against the front of the eye.

The symptoms are:

* Pain

* Discomfort

* Redness

* Watering eye

* Sensitivity to wind and light

* Discharge and crusting of eyelids

* Decreased or blurred vision.

It is common in the lower eyelid although it can occur on the upper eyelid. The main cause of entropion in the lower eyelid is ageing.

With age, the muscle in the eyelid weakens and the eyelid turns in. Other causes include a scar from previous eye surgery, an eye infection or scar tissue from facial burns.

The irritation can be intermittent as it may only happen when you blink or squeeze the eyelids shut. Using artificial tears or eye lubricants will help to ease the irritation.

It would be helpful to your GP if your father has a note of when he first noticed these symptoms, if they are intermittent or all the time, if he has noticed any changes in his vision and if he has had previous eye surgery.

Your father’s GP will be able to advise on the appropriate management.

If his symptoms worsen or he notices a change in his sight, he needs to seek medical attention urgently.