Symptoms, treatment and prevention of swine flu in children
Every time a child has a fever, a sore throat, a runny nose and a cough, the parents are worried about the question - is it a common cold or the flu? This season, experts predict an outbreak of influenza A (H1N1) (the so-called "swine"). The peak incidence will occur in January and February.
Features of swine flu
Swine flu is one of the most dangerous type A viruses (the most common type of influenza causing large-scale epidemics). However, swine flu is much less virulent than, for example, last year's bird flu, and most people who get sick will recover safely. But there is also a fly in the ointment: despite the fact that the Russians have already encountered this flu virus, an epidemic cannot be avoided, since the strain has mutated.
Influenza A (H1N1) will be especially dangerous for children. The virus always penetrates through the nasopharynx: it settles on the mucous membrane, invades the cells and begins to multiply there, spreading to the respiratory organs - bronchi, trachea, lungs.
Why do children get sick more often and more severely than adults?
In children, in contrast to adults, there is an imperfection of the microbiocenosis of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract. Therefore, a virus that has entered a child's body can easily cause complications in the form of pneumonia, which is very dangerous.
Another reason lies in the peculiarities of childhood immunity: in babies, immunoglobulin A, an agent of local immunity, is insufficiently produced. In addition, cellular immunity (it is he who protects the body from viruses) up to 7 years is much weaker than humoral immunity.
Therefore, children are more likely to "catch" various ARVIs, including influenza (on average, children get sick from 4 to 12 times a year).
Swine flu symptoms in children
The manifestations of all strains of influenza are similar: headache, body aches, fever, sweating, chills, shortness of breath. But there is an important difference - type A viruses, to which our "hero", the swine flu, belongs, are more pathogenic. This means that the illness lasts longer and is fraught with complications.
It is important to know that it is almost impossible to determine the type of viral infection without special tests. More often, doctors simply make a generalized diagnosis of acute respiratory infections. You can find out how influenza differs from other acute respiratory viral infections here.
Basic rules for the treatment of influenza in children
Swine flu therapy is not fundamentally different from any other type of flu treatment regimen. Here are some important recommendations.
How and why to bring down the temperature
Often, parents panic at the sight of a growing thermometer and try to immediately bring down the temperature, even slightly exceeding the cherished 36.6. Remember that the temperature should be knocked down only if it has risen above 38.5 degrees and lasts more than 2 hours. The most popular antipyretic is paracetamol, which lasts about 3 hours. Ibuprofen-based drugs work up to 6 hours, but have unpleasant side effects (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, stool disorder), so they are rarely prescribed for very young children. Be sure to observe the dosage!
Analgin, which is popular among adults, is dangerous to give to children: it can damage the hematopoietic system. Also banned are amidopyrine, antipyrine and phenacetin. Aspirin - with caution and only as directed by a doctor.
The reason you don't need to beat down moderately high fever is simple: the agents that fight the virus are produced at temperatures above 38 degrees. It is necessary to give the body the opportunity to overcome the disease itself. Antiviral drugs, for example, Citovir-3 in powder form, will be able to help him in this fight. Cytovir-3 suppresses the activity of viruses even at normal body temperature (that is, the drug works even if you bring down the temperature).
Citovir-3 powder is compatible with most drugs and does not cause allergies, which is a great advantage of the drug.
How to relieve cough
The choice of cough medicine depends on the type of cough. Antitussives should only be given if the cough is dry. In such a situation, butamirate, libexin, glaucine, etc. are prescribed. With a wet cough, you do not need to give anything - the sputum containing microbes and their waste products should go away on its own. Expectorants are prescribed only when the cough becomes chronic. If the sputum is too viscous, ambroxol, bromhexine, acetylcysteine, etc. are used to dilute it. All medications must be prescribed by a doctor!
How to deal with a runny nose
Vasoconstrictor drops and sprays (nasivin, galazolin, naphthyzin, etc.) should be used with caution, since the child's body is very sensitive to drugs, and vasoconstrictors affect cardiac activity, can increase blood pressure and cause headaches. Therefore, it is possible to relieve a baby's runny nose with such droplets only occasionally - for example, so that the child falls asleep. Saline rinses, which are often available as sprays, are a harmless alternative. They must also be prescribed by a doctor.
Do I need to take antibiotics
Antibiotics are powerful medicines. They are prescribed to fight bacterial infections that cause otitis media, pneumonia, sore throat. It is important that they kill not only the “bad” bacteria, but also the “good” bacteria. Often a bacterial infection joins a viral infection against a background of reduced immunity. Therefore, it is so important at the first signs of illness to help the body, for example, with the complex preparation Citovir-3 in powder.
The components of Cytovir-3 (bendazole, Thymogen and Vitamin C) affect not only the cellular mechanism of immunity, but also the humoral one, which protects against bacteria. Clinical studies and long-term practice of using the drug confirm that taking Citovir-3 powder helps the body to cope with the virus and its manifestations, such as cough and runny nose, faster and easier, and also shows a significant (5-6 times) reduction in the incidence of bacterial complications of influenza. This helps to avoid taking strong medications (antitussives, vasoconstrictors, antibiotics).
Prevention of ARVI and influenza with Cytovir-3
The safety and efficacy of the drug has been confirmed by leading specialists and clinical studies. Cytovir-3 can be used not only for treatment, but also for the prevention of influenza and ARVI, especially during the cold season (autumn-spring). Citovir-3 powder is indicated for children from 1 year old, including allergy sufferers. The absence of sugar, artificial additives, dyes, thickeners, components that increase the shelf life of the drug makes the powder the safest of these drugs.
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