A 5-month-old child fell ill with the flu. How to treat flu in a child at home: our personal experience. During illness

Flu- This is, first of all, a viral disease.
The ego cannot be picked up if your feet are wet or your hands are frozen. But these situations significantly worsen the baby’s immunity.
You can only get the flu if you catch the virus. Very often this happens when a sick person coughs or sneezes near a child. The infection easily penetrates the baby’s nasal mucosa and actively multiplies there. This is facilitated by high humidity. A runny nose, red throat and other symptoms immediately appear.
You can also become infected with the flu through household items. Therefore, telling your child again about the need to wash his hands will not be superfluous.

First flu symptoms

What is characteristic is that the child does not feel any deterioration in his health for the first two or three days. But then the body temperature may immediately rise to 39-40 degrees. This phenomenon especially occurs in children under five years of age.
Even a child experiences body aches, chills, pain in the head and throat. The flu is also characterized by a dry cough and runny nose.
There is intoxication of the body, which affects the child’s appetite. Sometimes vomiting may occur, but this is in very rare cases.
Toxins that arise from the virus affect the capillaries. May be nose bleed.

Varieties of influenza

A child's illness with influenza can be of 4 forms:

The lightest form.
She is characteristic slight fever body up to 37.5 degrees. Mild cough, slightly sore throat.
Medium-heavy form.
Accompanied by headache, chills, muscle weakness, nausea or vomiting. Body temperature is already high up to 39.5 degrees. A dry cough occurs.
Severe form.
Body temperature is already about 40.5 degrees. Hallucinations are possible.
And the last form is hypertoxic.

It develops and progresses very quickly. The temperature stays around 40.5. Possible nosebleeds, loss of consciousness, vomiting.
The first two forms are the easiest to treat. After about 5 days, the child’s body temperature drops. A runny nose or sore throat may last longer.
When a child gets the flu the last two forms, he should be placed in a hospital. We should not forget about drinking plenty of fluids and the child’s diet during illness. A good option There is raspberry tea, tea with lemon and honey. This will increase your baby's sweating and urination. This is very good because this is how toxins are removed from the body.
It is especially important to maintain bed rest so that the baby gets as much rest as possible.
Take care of yourself and your child.

Video: “Treatment of ARVI in a child”

Usually the disease begins suddenly and manifests itself as follows: worsens general state, the child complains of a headache, the body temperature rises, the joints, muscles of the arms, legs and torso hurt, the appetite disappears, and after eating there is often vomiting, convulsions are also possible, and at a very high temperature the child may become delirious. The more intense the above signs, the higher the likelihood that the child has the flu and not ARVI.

Within 24 hours after the first signs of the disease appear, following symptoms: nasal congestion, cough, runny nose. The flu is characterized by a dry, loud, painful cough, the patient's voice becomes hoarse, often disappears completely, and breathing is noisy and labored.

What to do and what not to do

If you notice the first signs of illness, the first thing to do is put your child to bed and call a doctor. The doctor must examine the patient and determine what kind of disease the child has: influenza or ARVI. What you absolutely cannot do is prescribe antibiotics to your child yourself.

Despite the similarity of symptoms, these diseases are treated differently, so antibiotics are intended to treat bacterial infections, and for influenza, prescription antibacterial drugs is possible only when there is a layer of secondary bacterial infection. Therefore, only the doctor should decide what and how to treat the child.

But to alleviate the child’s suffering until the doctor comes, you can give him an antipyretic, nasal drops if a runny nose appears and antitussive syrup. And be sure to give your child a lot to drink: warm tea with lemon, milk with honey, compote, fruit juice, herbal infusions, which have diaphoretic and antipyretic effects.

Separately about temperature

The high temperature that many people are so afraid of is a normal healthy reaction of the body to the disease, an indicator that the body is fighting the infection that has entered it. You need to know that at temperatures above 37 °C, pathogens of many diseases stop reproducing, which is why it is not recommended to reduce the temperature to 38 °C with antipyretics. But do not forget that temperatures above 38 °C are dangerous for the body, and therefore your task is to control the temperature level and clearly know when to give the body a chance to fight and when to give an antipyretic.

Thermometer in the home medicine cabinet - required attribute. An excellent option for kids is an electronic thermometer: it is safe and does the job perfectly. As for antipyretics, special preparations (suppositories and syrups) have been developed for children - they should always be in your medicine cabinet, as they say, just in case.

Many people give children aspirin as an antipyretic, but this should not be done: one of its side effects– increase in permeability blood vessels.

During illness

Lack of appetite is a normal reaction of the body to illness. If he doesn’t want to eat, don’t insist, and especially don’t get upset. Offer at this time baby's lungs semi-liquid foods, for example, mashed potatoes, omelettes, porridge. Don't forget about drinking plenty of fluids and at the same time as medications and vitamin tablets, give the child fresh berries and fruits, onions, garlic, that is, vitamins in their natural form.

In general, traditional medicine methods should not be underestimated; thanks to their complex effects, the healing process will go much faster. For example, herbs are effective not only in the form of decoctions and infusions, they are also useful for inhalation, rinsing and washing.

Many people rub their child with alcohol or vinegar solutions during illness; this is not recommended. Vinegar and alcohol, penetrating through the pores into the child’s body, can cause intoxication.

During illness, for at least a week, the child will not leave the room where his “infirmary” is located, so do not allow the air to stagnate there - ventilate the patient’s room at least once a day. It is better to move the child to another room for ventilation (20-30 minutes) - drafts can harm him.

After illness

If everything is done correctly, then in about ten days the baby will recover. However, do not forget that with external improvement (no fever or runny nose, cough disappearing) - the child is still weakened. Don’t let him go outside early, especially when the air is damp and humid, don’t let him get overtired, continue doing strengthening procedures and massages. Show your child some health-improving gymnastics exercises.

Don’t rush your child to start studying; now it’s difficult for him to concentrate on anything; he’ll catch up with everything later, when he finally recovers. Now let him do something interesting and simple: girls can play with dolls, and boys with cars. Let the child just rest and gain strength for future achievements.

Your task now is to consolidate success and prevent relapse, because the disease very often returns if treatment is not completed.

Instructions for medications

Comments

Run to the doctor immediately. If this is not possible, then I immediately give Influcid in a loading dose. Safe remedy, time-tested, which perfectly stops the disease. But at the first opportunity - still go for an appointment.

The information published on the site is for informational purposes only. Described methods of diagnosis, treatment, traditional medicine recipes, etc. It is not recommended to use it yourself. Be sure to consult a specialist so as not to harm your health!

How to treat flu in a child

Children often get sick with colds, but the flu in a child, due to the complications associated with it, makes parents worry first of all. How to help your baby get through this difficult period? How to treat flu in a child and what can be done at home? These and other questions concern many of us.

Influenza is an acute infectious diseases viral nature and is transmitted predominantly by airborne droplets during conversation, sneezing, coughing with particles of saliva, phlegm, etc. On average, a person is contagious for 5-7 days from the onset of the disease, with a maximum in the first three days.

What does the influenza virus do in the body?

In order for the virus to penetrate inside, it needs to attach to the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, in particular - the nasal passages. Approximately 2 hours after reaching the mucosal surface, the virus begins to penetrate the epithelial cells. Then it multiplies there, destroys cells and enters the blood.

While in the blood, the influenza virus affects blood vessels, membranes of the brain, and internal organs. At this stage, they may develop serious complications, including cerebral and pulmonary edema, meningitis, various bleeding and DIC syndrome.

Eventually, the immune system copes with the situation and destroys the influenza virus particles. The calming stage begins inflammatory processes and recovery.

Signs of flu in children

As a rule, children begin to get the flu after the first 3-4 months of life, since until this time they are “protected” by maternal antibodies. Breastfed children get sick less often and more mild form than "artificials".

With a mild form of the flu, the child may complain of a moderate headache, be capricious, and refuse to eat. The temperature rises to 38.5°C in the first 2 days and then begins to decrease. After some time, nasal congestion and a slight dry cough develop.

The average severity of the flu is characterized by a more pronounced picture of the disease: muscle pain, dizziness may appear, the baby begins to complain not only of a headache, but also soreness of the eyeballs. The temperature rises to 39.5°C, lethargy, drowsiness, and loss of appetite are noted. Subsequently, a slight runny nose and a dry, intense cough appear, which may be accompanied by pain in the chest.

In severe cases of influenza, the temperature is very high (40°C or higher), significant lethargy and general malaise child. Precisely when severe course Various complications of influenza appear, ranging from bronchitis to cerebral edema, meningitis, and the development of cardiopulmonary failure. Therefore, at the slightest sign of deterioration, it is necessary to urgently show the baby to a doctor (even if the flu is initially mild).

If we characterize the course of influenza in children in a few words, then first there is heat, lethargy, general malaise, and a runny nose, red throat and cough appear later.

How to treat flu in children at home

Self-medication for the flu should not be practiced, especially in children under 3 years of age. It is imperative to show the child to the doctor and follow all his recommendations. However, there are many ways that can make a significant difference in your baby's treatment and recovery.

Bed rest. It is advisable that the child lie down as much as possible for the first 2-3 days (this helps to avoid many complications from the brain, kidneys and other internal organs).
Diet. If the baby refuses to eat, it is enough to give him vegetables, fruits and egg and milk foods. Drinking plenty of fluids helps you endure the disease more easily and cope with intoxication faster. The child can be given water, fruit juices, rosehip infusion, tea, compotes. It is advisable to exclude sweets containing refined sugar, as in large quantities it can reduce immunity.
Fighting fever. If the temperature rises above 38.5°C, it is necessary to take an antipyretic drug prescribed by a doctor. During the period of chills, you should wrap up the baby and let him warm up. When the latter is replaced by a feeling of heat, the skin becomes pink, the limbs are warm, then you can use vinegar rubs and wet cool wraps. Be sure to find out how to properly carry out these procedures before doing this.
When caring for a sick child, it is necessary to surround him with attention and care, reinforcing the confidence that he is loved. This helps to release a number of internal “healing agents” that will help strengthen the immune system and quickly cope with the disease (endorphins, etc.).

Which doctor should I contact?

In mild cases of the disease, it will be enough to show the child to the pediatrician. If the condition worsens, you must call an ambulance, which will take the baby to the infectious diseases department. If necessary, he will be examined by a neurologist and other specialists.

Help the children

Helpful information

Contact the specialists

Phone number for appointments with medical specialists in Moscow:

The information is provided for informational purposes only. Do not self-medicate. At the first sign of disease, consult a doctor.

Editorial office address: Moscow, 3rd Frunzenskaya st., 26

Symptoms and treatment of influenza in children

All mothers and fathers know that the flu is very dangerous for the life and health of a child. However, not everyone knows how to distinguish the flu from the mass of similar viral diseases and, out of habit, the flu is often called any seasonal infectious disease associated with fever, cough and runny nose. In this material we will look at what the flu is, how to recognize it in a child and how to treat it.

What it is?

The disease received a beautiful French name - “Grippe”. At its core, influenza is an acute infectious disease, and it is caused by a very specific virus - one of the representatives large group influenza viruses. The flu can be caused by one of the 2,000 viruses that this moment known to science.

Every year, up to half a million people in the world die from various variants of influenza viruses, most of them are children and the elderly, because their immunity is much weaker than that of a young or middle-aged adult.

You can often find a second name for the disease – “influenza”. It comes from the Italian word meaning “impact.” This name stuck due to its extreme contagiousness. Very quickly, individual outbreaks of viral infection turn into an epidemic covering large areas, and then into a pandemic, which involves entire countries and continents.

The virus is transmitted by airborne droplets, and medicine cannot keep up with its mutations. Every year, new strains appear that are resistant to certain drugs and have different symptoms. The flu is dangerous not so much in itself as because of its complications. Often, after suffering from the flu, pneumonia begins, loss of hearing and vision occurs, and the heart muscle is affected.

Doctors paid attention to strange disease back in the 16th century, but the influenza virus was first discovered, isolated and studied in 1930, since then research work has not stopped. Several types, subspecies, types and subtypes of influenza have been identified, many of them are dangerous to humans.

How to distinguish from ARVI?

Influenza is included in the group of acute respiratory diseases(ARVI), but is only one of its representatives. This group includes about 200 types of respiratory diseases that are caused by adenoviruses, rhinoviruses and other viruses. They provoke diseases that are considered to be influenza-like, that is, similar to the flu. But in essence they are completely different ailments.

It is a mistake to call any viral infection the flu, but the flu can be considered an acute respiratory viral infection, although rather conditionally. Due to the large group, specific details are required.

Let's say right away that at home it is almost impossible to distinguish influenza from ARVI. This can only be done using laboratory research. A blood test will help determine whether it is an acute respiratory viral infection or the flu with high accuracy, a laboratory analysis will also show which strain of influenza has affected the patient.

The external differences between influenza and other viral acute respiratory illnesses are somewhat blurred and unclear. So, with ARVI, the temperature is slightly lower than with influenza, and muscle pain and severe headaches most often occur with influenza.

Doctors often do not even bother themselves with the question of differences. If a child gets sick and the mother calls a doctor at home, with a 99.9% probability the doctor will diagnose ARVI. Formally, he will be right, because influenza, as we now know, is a full member of the large group of acute respiratory viral infections. Why shouldn't the pediatrician get to the bottom of the truth? The answer is quite simple - the regional Ministry of Health will not praise a zealous specialist who “spoils” the epidemiological picture for a region or region, who creates unnecessary work for laboratories, and also “dramatizes” from scratch.

That is why the entry “ARVI” appears in the child’s card, and the appointment is distinguished by a banal and standard approach. The child's blood will be taken for analysis only if he is admitted to the hospital. There it will be important to establish the exact strain and type of virus, at least in order to avoid an epidemic. Unfortunately, often accurate diagnosis parents find out after the deceased child undergoes a post-mortem examination.

If the mother has doubts about the diagnosis of ARVI, if the child feels very bad, his condition is serious, there is no need to be shy. Parents have the right to insist on a full and exhaustive examination and to demand a laboratory blood test for influenza virus secretions. This will help save the child's life.

Types of influenza

Three types of influenza virus pose a danger to humans: A, B, C.

The safest of them is type C: diseases caused by viruses of this type do not cause epidemics and pandemics, everything is limited to just isolated outbreaks of the disease, which, in turn, proceeds quite easily - without a cough, but with a runny nose, without fever. Type C virus does not cause serious complications.

The most common is influenza caused by viruses of type A. It includes the well-known strains H1N1, H1N2, H3N2. These are the most insidious viruses that change faster than scientists can describe and study new forms. It is influenza A that causes the largest and most severe epidemics. The likelihood of severe complications from such a viral disease is highest.

Influenza caused by type B viruses is less common. These viruses do not have strains, are not divided into subtypes, mutate less frequently, and almost never cause epidemics. However, every case of B virus infection is not easy. The good news is that the likelihood of complications after it is low.

The history of epidemics clearly shows that influenza A is the most dangerous. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Spanish flu (H1N1) claimed millions of lives. At the end of the 50s of the last century, humanity was faced with a severe pandemic of Asian influenza (H2N2). In the late 1960s, many people died from the Hong Kong flu (H3N2). At the beginning of the new millennium, people became acquainted with bird flu (H5N1), and more recently swine flu (A-H1N1) was isolated.

Types of flu in 2018

Every year, WHO scientists monitor the incidence and closely monitor the structure of influenza viruses. This allows them to predict disease incidence a year in advance and create new vaccines. A new strain of influenza is predicted for 2018. Virologists claim that it will take all the “best” from three strains - Brisbane, Michigan and Hong Kong.

The epidemic, according to WHO representatives, most likely cannot be avoided. Spring 2018 is just the beginning; the bulk of diseases are predicted in the fall. Each of the components of the new strain has mutated, so doctors still have nothing to adequately combat the new disease, but work in this direction is carried out every day.

In addition, this year doctors plan to “meet” the already familiar bird and swine flu, as well as other varieties of type A.

Why get vaccinated?

It is the ability of the virus to mutate at an unprecedented rate that necessitates annual vaccination. The strain that was “walking” last year will most likely change by next year, so a completely different vaccine composition and, possibly, a different treatment regimen will be required.

Previously, the vaccine protected a person from two type A viruses and B viruses, now the composition of the vaccine has been expanded to 4 strains and this is not the limit: scientists annually evaluate mutations and make adjustments to the “recipe” of the next flu vaccine.

It is recommended for all children over 6 months to be vaccinated. After vaccination, immunity does not begin to work immediately, but approximately 2 weeks after the administration of the vaccine components. That is why it is important to ensure that the child is vaccinated in advance. If the epidemic has already covered a good half of the city, it is too late and pointless to get vaccinated.

How does infection occur?

Anyone can get the flu, regardless of age, gender, or health status. Everyone is susceptible to the virus. But the likelihood of severe complications is higher in those who have weaker immune defenses. Pregnant women and children, as well as pensioners, are a special risk group.

The source of infection is humans. The patient may have severe or hidden symptoms, but in both cases it is equally dangerous for others from the moment of infection to complete recovery.

On average, the flu lasts 7-10 days. Throughout this time, the virus will spread through the air, with particles of saliva and nasal mucus when sneezing and coughing.

Spring flu, according to experts, is less dangerous in terms of the development of severe forms and epidemics. But in the autumn-winter period, viral illness poses a real threat to children's health. Scientists have found that the influenza virus spreads fastest in the environment at temperatures from +5 degrees to -5 degrees Celsius, with low air humidity. The drier the air, the faster and more aggressively the influenza virus will act, collecting more and more victims.

At the time of infection, the virus enters the child’s body through the nose, and less often through the eyes. The cells of the ciliated epithelium of the upper respiratory tract are the first to be affected. The virus invades them, begins to multiply, and rearranges the structure of the cells of the nasopharynx, trachea, and bronchi. The cells cannot resist the brutal invasion for long and die, then the virus infects the cells adjacent to them, and so on, until the ciliated epithelium is partially exfoliated.

When the ciliated epithelium is almost destroyed, the influenza virus enters the blood. Together with it, it spreads throughout the body, causing intoxication, muscle pain and headaches, spasms, chills, and aches. Blood vessels are also affected by the foreign invader and become more permeable, which often leads to hemorrhage and stasis.

Patients with influenza often exhibit signs of severe exudative damage to the alveoli and other structural units of the respiratory system. Simultaneously with the attack on all fronts, the influenza virus has a suppressive effect on the immune system - the only system of the human body capable of giving it an adequate response to aggression. If the immune system is already weak, the protection is significantly reduced, and secondary infections - bacterial, fungal, viral - appear. Complications begin to develop.

From the moment of infection until the first signs of the disease appear, several hours, or maybe several days, may pass. Most often in children due to age-related weakened immunity incubation period lasts 1-2 days.

How younger child, the weaker its natural immune defense, the shorter the incubation period will be. Thus, in a teenager, the flu can appear only on the third day after infection, while in a child aged 1-2 years, the disease develops faster, is more severe and more often ends in complications.

Influenza is most severe in children who have chronic diseases respiratory organs, as well as in children from six months to 3 years. Newborns, by the way, rarely get the flu. Doctors tend to see this as a positive protective effect of the mother’s innate immunity on the baby’s body, because some antibodies are passed on to the baby by the mother’s immunity during the period of intrauterine development, and most of the antibodies to common infections are obtained by the baby through the mother’s breast milk.

Symptoms and signs

Flu is an insidious disease, it has no specific symptoms. Recognizing this disease among other viral diseases is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. Only laboratory diagnostics can reliably determine the flu.

The virus can be isolated from swabs from the throat of a sick child, from the nasopharynx, as well as from the results of a serological test that allows you to determine the presence of anti-influenza antibodies in the blood.

A diagnosis of “influenza” can only be made based on the results of a comprehensive laboratory test. Serological indicators, ESR during a complete blood count (CBC), the number of leukocytes - all this matters, but the assessment “by eye” does not.

However, parents should know how the disease manifests itself. Symptoms may be more severe and less noticeable. The form of the disease can range from mild to hypertoxic.

The classic picture of the flu looks like this: first the body temperature rises. This rise is sharp, sudden and acute. The temperature does not increase gradually, it immediately “jumps” by several degrees. Symptoms of intoxication appear almost immediately: severe muscle pain, pressing pain in the eyeballs, aching pain in the legs, severe chills, headache.

Intoxication can be manifested by vomiting; vomiting at high temperatures most often occurs in children aged 2-4 years, as well as in children after 5 years.

Liquid running snot, characteristic of most viral respiratory infections, are usually not observed with influenza. On the contrary, the nose most often remains dry. The child experiences fever and dry mouth and nose. The first signs include a dry, frequent cough.

An older child will be able to describe an additional sensation when coughing - pain in the chest area. Due to the fact that the influenza virus disrupts the integrity of blood vessels, children, especially small ones, may experience nosebleeds and a hemorrhagic rash resembling small hemorrhages.

If the flu is mild, then such symptoms persist for 4-5 days, after which they begin to recede; the child continues to feel tired, weak, weak, and fatigued for several days after this.

In severe cases of influenza, the improvement after 3-4 days is insignificant and short-lived in itself. After barely noticeable relief, the child becomes worse and develops secondary complications: pneumonia, vascular collapse, swelling of the brain, hemorrhagic syndrome.

It is quite difficult to answer unequivocally how often complications develop. By clinical practice, severe complications develop not so often, but in all cases without exception they represent serious danger for the health and life of the child. They are usually caused by moderate, severe and toxic forms of influenza. The largest number of deaths was registered among children under 2 years of age.

The most common complications are:

bacterial pneumonia (one of the most severe forms);

respiratory acute distress syndrome;

radiculoneuritis and other neuritis, including neuritis of the auditory nerve;

Whether it is possible to influence the likelihood of complications occurring is the second difficult question. Many doctors are inclined to believe that there is no way to influence this; it is impossible to predict the behavior of the immune system. However, most doctors believe that treatment that begins in a timely manner, without delay, partially reduces the likelihood of developing dangerous and severe complications.

Treatment

Treatment of influenza is a complex of measures, which in fact is always more complex than the manufacturers of dubious “cold and flu” medicines, which are widely advertised on Russian television, newspapers and radio, imagine. 99% of drugs that are advertised as effective drugs against influenza, have nothing to do with the treatment of influenza and will have no effect.

First of all, when you detect the first signs of an illness that resemble the flu, you should put the child to bed and limit his physical activity. Since low air humidity is very important for the virus to reproduce, the air needs to be actively humidified.

With increased humidity, the pathogen will have less chance of infecting large areas of the ciliated epithelium, the disease will spread more slowly, and the chances of complications will decrease tenfold.

You can humidify the air in a variety of ways. If the house has a humidifier, you need to turn it on and set the desired humidity scale to 50-70%. If there is no such miracle device in the family, you need to hang it up wet towels on the radiators on a rope stretched across the room for this occasion and carefully ensure that they do not dry out completely, wetting them again from time to time.

In a room where it is hot, it is more difficult to raise the humidity. Therefore, it is worth making sure that in the room where the sick child is located, the air temperature does not exceed 21 degrees Celsius. This may seem too cruel to parents, since subjective feelings are that 21 degrees is quite cool. If such a temperature causes inconvenience to household members, let them dress warmly. For the patient, this temperature will be the most optimal, contributing to a speedy recovery.

Second necessary condition proper treatment - sufficient quantity liquids. The child should be constantly given warm water, warm tea or homemade fruit drink, but not milk. Drinking plenty of fluids will make it possible to additionally moisturize the mucous membranes, and will also prevent the onset of dehydration, which threatens the child in high heat and a toxic form of influenza that occurs with diarrhea or vomiting.

If a child categorically refuses to drink, you need to be more persistent; if the sick person is a very young child, you can use a disposable syringe without a needle to drip warm liquid into his mouth in small portions.

Instillation will help protect mucous membranes from drying out and the destructive effects of the influenza virus. saline solution, saline solution, special preparations based on sea water. You should irrigate the mucous membranes of the nose as often as possible; there will be no harm from this. By and large, this is all that parents can do at the first stage. Of course, after the pediatrician is called to the house.

If you have the flu or are suspected of having it, you do not need to take your child to the clinic to see a doctor. The disease is highly contagious. You should stay at home and wait for the doctor. Medical worker will be able to prescribe medications that he considers the most effective and appropriate in a given situation

Medicines

In Russia they really like to self-medicate. For some reason, parents think that for the flu they can give their child Kagocel or some kind of antibiotic and calm down. In fact, the use of medications for influenza infections is a rather dubious issue.

Experts tend to believe that mild forms of influenza do not require medication. Why is that? But because mild forms of influenza rarely cause complications. The flu itself, in a mild form, is a kind of training for the child’s immunity. He must cope with the virus himself, without outside support. And a child’s body is capable of this if parents do not interfere with it.

For a mild form of influenza, drinking plenty of warm fluids, humidified air, and irrigating the mucous membranes of the nose and throat is sufficient. Additionally, you can give your child large doses of vitamin C.

There is no need to insist on eating. On an empty stomach it is easier for the body to mobilize its defenses. When there is no need to waste energy on digesting food, recovery is faster. That is why nature arranged it so that a sick child refuses to eat.

It would be useful to remind you that no medications should be given to a child without the doctor’s knowledge, even if mom and dad are sure that “last time it was this syrup that helped.” There is a special group of medications for influenza - anti-influenza drugs. There are few of them, all of them are used exclusively as prescribed by a doctor. Let's look at what means the flu in a child can be cured and what cannot.

Treatment with antibiotics

Antibiotics are effective against germs and bacteria. They are indeed used for influenza, but only if bacterial complications have begun, for example, bacterial pneumonia or rhinitis caused by pathogenic bacteria. If there is no such complication, it is not advisable to use antibiotics. They cannot affect the virus or alleviate the course of influenza infection. However, taking antibiotics for the flu significantly increases the likelihood of complications themselves.

The bacteria adapt to the drug that the patient receives “just in case,” and then it will be very difficult to cure such an infection.

Parents may object, because local pediatricians called to the home often prescribe an antibiotic even before complications develop with the wording “for prevention.” The pediatrician strives to protect himself, because in the event of complications, complaints will arise against him, and if complications arise while taking antibiotics, no one will dare to blame the specialist for not prescribing treatment on time.

Antibiotics are not used to prevent complications; they are created solely to treat bacterial diseases, fight bacteria when they exhibit pathological activity. Therefore, an experienced and thoughtful parent will categorically refuse such a prescription, asking to prescribe the correct treatment, and not therapy “just in case.”

If complications have already begun, then antibiotics are necessary. Drugs most often used for children wide range actions, for example "Flemoxin", "Amoxiclav" or "Amoxicillin". They are prescribed as a course, the duration of the course is determined by the doctor, and the course must not be interrupted under any circumstances.

Treatment with antiviral drugs

Unlike other acute respiratory viral infections, the influenza virus is sensitive to antiviral drugs, but only to certain drugs. They are used for both treatment and prevention. An important condition is that influenza should be treated as early as possible. The effectiveness of the drug will only be shown when treatment begins before the manifestation clinical symptoms. At later stages, the effectiveness from antiviral treatment is significantly reduced. It is unlikely that any parent would think of treating a child for a disease that has not yet manifested itself. It follows from this that one cannot place much hope in antiviral agents.

Two groups of antiviral agents, neuraminidase inhibitors and adamantane derivatives, show a certain effect against the influenza virus in the laboratory. Drugs that are derivatives of interferon stand apart. They have not only antiviral, but also anti-inflammatory effects.

Neuraminidase inhibitors reduce the activity of the virus by acting on it in a direct manner. Such drugs include Tamiflu. It is very effective against most strains of influenza, including bird flu, but medicine today has indisputable evidence of multiple side effects from taking such drugs.

For example, in Japan, where Tamiflu is the main flu drug for children, suicides among teenagers are very often recorded. Experts tend to believe that mental disorders, which lead to suicide and other unpleasant behavioral pathologies, are a consequence of exposure to neuraminidase inhibitors.

To the side effects of this group medicines also include diarrhea, intestinal disorders, abdominal pain, vomiting, cramps. Tamiflu is given to children in a hospital setting according to indications; this drug cannot be purchased in regular pharmacies without a doctor’s prescription. “Theraflu” and other “-flu”, which are so often advertised on TV, have nothing to do with anti-influenza drugs, despite the fact that manufacturers claim the opposite. They only partially relieve the symptoms of the disease, but in no case affect the virus itself.

M2 inhibitors (adamant derivatives) - Amantadine and Rimantadine. These drugs prevent the virus from entering cells. They have fewer side effects, but the main effect is not too pronounced. In addition, doctors are increasingly talking about the emergence of influenza strains that are resistant to these drugs.

Among interferons against influenza, drugs that are donor serum and anti-influenza gamma globulin are quite effective. These drugs are administered intramuscularly, for severe toxic forms of the disease, 0.15-0.2 ml per kilogram of the baby’s weight.

Experts warn that large doses of interferon can have a detrimental effect on the child’s health. Children are often prescribed Interferon to be instilled into their nose. The dosages of interferon in this drug are small, they will not cause harm, but experts also question the effectiveness of such treatment and prevention.

Thus, if the doctor sees the advisability of using antiviral drugs, he must prescribe treatment, which will take place in a hospital setting under the supervision of doctors.

Independently choosing a remedy whose name contains the word “antiviral” does not make sense and, at best, simply will not harm, but will not have any effect on the course of the disease.

Treatment with homeopathic remedies

Many parents choose medications to treat their children that have nothing to do with medications; they are homeopathic. Moreover, no one warns parents about this. Most of widely advertised drugs for flu and colds are homeopathy, meaning that the doses of the active substance in them are so small that they are calculated in molecules, not milligrams. The child essentially does not receive a flu pill, but sugar, starch and water.

Homeopathic medicines include the well-known “Anaferon” and “Anaferon for children”, “Ocillococcinum”, “Ergoferon”, “Viferon”. These drugs are the favorite and most prescribed in modern pediatrics. Doctors know for sure that this is homeopathy, but they tactfully keep silent about it. This is because the flu will go away on its own in 3-5 days. However, parents will be calmer if a doctor with an authoritative air prescribes at least something for them.

Homeopathic remedies cannot harm the baby, doctors are well aware of this. But the benefits of them have not yet been experimentally proven.

Whether to spend the family budget on such drugs is up to moms and dads to decide. The truth is that such “medicines” are very useful for those who produce them, bringing multi-billion dollar profits to their creators every cold season.

Vitamins

Vitamins for a child with the flu are useful and necessary. They have a general strengthening effect, but in no way cure the flu itself. Therefore, there is no point in forcing an unfortunate child to choke on sour lemon if he has all the signs of the flu. Doctors have been arguing for a long time about how vitamin C affects viral diseases. However, scientists put an end to this dispute, who were able to prove that no doses ascorbic acid are not able to cure a person from the flu, but this substance can somewhat alleviate the course of the disease.

Therefore, there is nothing wrong with a mother making blackcurrant juice for her sick baby, giving her tea with lemon if he is not allergic to citrus fruits, or buying tasty and pleasant “ascorbic acid” vitamins at the pharmacy. This, of course, will not affect the likelihood of complications, but it certainly will not harm.

How to treat?

The correct treatment for influenza is symptomatic treatment, which does not imply the unnecessary use of antibiotics or antiviral drugs. Systemic drugs, as can be understood from all of the above, are relevant only for severe and toxic forms of the disease. In all other cases, parents must comply general recommendations- humidify the air, rinse your nose, monitor compliance bed rest and give your child plenty to drink.

Symptomatic treatment includes medications that will help the child survive several days of influenza infection with minimal losses. If the baby has developed a runny nose, it is allowed to instill him vasoconstrictor drops, for example, "Nazivin" or "Nazol" in its children's forms.

It should be remembered that such drugs should not be used for more than 5 days, as persistent drug addiction develops to them.

Antipyretics based on paracetamol will help reduce fever. If they turn out to be ineffective and the temperature does not drop, you can give the child the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug Ibuprofen or other drugs based on it; ibuprofen also perfectly relieves high fever.

It should be remembered that high fever with influenza is defense mechanism children's immunity. It is during fever that the body stimulates the production of natural interferons, which enter into a merciless war with the invading virus. This best medicine from the flu. Therefore, it is recommended to approach fever reduction selectively. Antipyretics should be given only when really necessary. If the child's age allows you to tolerate the temperature a little, it is better to do so.

In case of a severe dry cough, you can give the child mucolytic agents that facilitate the process of formation and expectoration of sputum; in case of vomiting or diarrhea, sorbents should be used and a drinking regime should be observed to prevent dehydration.

You can protect your child from complications by maintaining peace, reducing the load on all organs and systems of his body.

Immunomodulators, which are often recommended by manufacturers as a treatment for influenza, should not be given if the child does not have a medical condition. immune system. Isoprinosine and other drugs should be taken only as prescribed by a doctor, and not on the advice of a pharmacist from a nearby pharmacy.

A normal, somatically healthy child does not need stimulation of the immune defense; it will “work” without tablets or pills.

Treatment with folk remedies

The effectiveness of folk remedies for influenza is approximately the same as that of most advertised drugs. At best there will be no harm. If you really want to treat your child this way, then it is advisable to first talk to the doctor and understand that not all folk remedies are equally useful.

The main thing is to understand that there are several prohibitions that are best not discussed. Such actions of mom and dad can harm a child with the flu.

Rubbing with vinegar, vodka or ice wraps in high heat. This can cause a sharp drop in thermoregulation and vasospasm.

Wrapping the child in warm clothes, smearing him with badger fat, and also pouring dry mustard into his socks. This can cause problems with heat transfer and overheating of the body.

Instillation of onion or garlic juice. These are aggressive substances that “burn” and mutilate the mucous membranes.

Prevention

Vaccination will help protect your child from the flu. It is included in the mandatory calendar preventive vaccinations. There is no point in giving it up. Of course, vaccination does not at all guarantee that the child will not become infected, but it will ensure that the disease progresses more easily and will minimize the likelihood of developing dangerous complications. This is the only specific preventive measure. All others are considered nonspecific.

These include a more attentive attitude to precautionary measures during a dangerous period in terms of the likelihood of infection. In spring and autumn, you should not visit crowded places with your child, especially if these crowds take place indoors.

You should not violate quarantine requirements if it is introduced in educational institution or kindergarten. If it was not possible to protect the baby, it is important to take only medications prescribed by the doctor and not self-medicate. Flu with proper treatment It goes away pretty quickly.

For prevention it will be useful to have a balanced, rich in vitamins nutrition. If a child is on a diet prescribed by a doctor for a particular disease, he should definitely take multivitamins. There is no need to be afraid of walking. Walking in winter is useful and necessary; the flu virus quickly loses activity in the cold air.

Regular sports activities, active and healthy image life will help strengthen the immune system and make the baby healthier.

Doctor Komarovsky will tell you what is special about the influenza virus and how to treat it in the next video.

Copying site materials is possible only if you install an active link to our site.

Acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) are a large group of diseases characterized by predominantly respiratory system and general disorders. The manifestation of these diseases is the same: temperature rises, cough and runny nose appear. These are the most frequent illnesses, both children and adults get sick with them, sometimes several times a year. The causative agents of acute respiratory viral infections are many viruses that are unstable in the environment: influenza A, B, parainfluenza viruses, rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, respiratory viruses, etc. These viruses have a complex structure and many varieties, are characterized by great variability, which makes it difficult to develop immunity - immunity in ARVI. It is useful for every mother to know about influenza and ARVI.

The incidence of ARVI is constantly high; in winter, children get sick more often. Almost every year there is an increase in the incidence of influenza, which is called an epidemic.

Real epidemics occur periodically after 3-4 years, when a type of pathogen appears to which most people have no immunity.

For the vast majority of patients, the only danger to life is severe forms diseases and complications that easily occur in children (pneumonia). The most severe of all acute respiratory viral infections is influenza. ARVI and influenza are overshadowed by recovery.

Children become infected from patients who secrete viruses throughout the illness (7-10 days) and virus carriers.

ARVIs are transmitted by airborne droplets: droplets of sputum containing viruses, when a patient sneezes and coughs, infect the surrounding air, as well as objects and things. Infection is facilitated by close contact with the patient, poor ventilation of the room, and violations of sanitary and hygienic standards.

Susceptibility to ARVI and influenza is high in children of all ages, including newborns. Children in nurseries, kindergartens, and schools get sick especially often. Frequent recurrent illnesses occur due to the fact that immunity after an acute respiratory viral infection is developed only against one virus, that is, it corresponds to each pathogen. Infection with another type of virus leads to a new disease, even if the child has not yet recovered from the previous one.

The disease begins suddenly: the general condition is significantly disturbed, the body temperature rises, the child complains of a headache, the muscles of the legs, arms, and torso often hurt, and sometimes there is vomiting, delirium and convulsions. These symptoms of intoxication are most pronounced with influenza. The influenza virus has a strong effect on the nervous system. Soon sneezing or nasal congestion, runny nose, and cough appear. In some acute respiratory viral infections, the eyes are also affected, causing lacrimation and conjunctivitis. Cough usually appears from the first days of illness. By the nature of the cough, one can judge in which part of the respiratory system the most significant disturbances have occurred. Influenza is characterized by tracheitis, a cough that is dry, loud, and sometimes painful (behind the sternum). When the larynx is affected, the cough is rough, barking, the voice changes, it becomes hoarse, hoarse, and sometimes almost completely disappears. Such patients require very serious attention, especially when shortness of breath occurs - noisy breathing with difficulty inhaling, since damage to the larynx can lead to narrowing of the airways (stenosis) - croup. In such cases, you should urgently call a doctor or admit the child to the hospital.

Among the most serious complications of ARVI, obstructive bronchitis, which occurs due to narrowing of the small bronchi, pneumonia - pneumonia, otitis media, inflammation of the paranasal sinuses - sinusitis, tonsillitis, etc. should be noted. These complications are often caused by a layer of microbial infection and require more active treatment and prescribing antibacterial drugs. Complications from ARVI can appear both at the very beginning of the disease and after a few days. At the same time, the body temperature often rises and health worsens. In such cases, it is necessary to call the doctor again to clarify the diagnosis and evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment.

Diagnosis of ARVI and influenza

Diagnosing ARVI and influenza, as a rule, does not cause great difficulties, however, even in these cases one should not take risks and leave the child without medical supervision. In addition to ARVI, there are a huge number of diseases that have similar or very similar manifestations. In the hospital, it is possible to carry out modern virological laboratory diagnostics, which makes it possible to determine which virus is causing the disease. A simple blood test also reveals changes characteristic of ARVI.

The study of the causes of so-called colds of the respiratory system leads to the conclusion that the causative agents of diseases similar in symptoms to a cough, runny nose against the background of a rise in temperature and malaise can be not only viruses, but also many microbes, protozoa, capable of living in the mouth and nose, not causing diseases. These are streptococci. Among them we can name such pathogenic microbes, such as hemolytic streptococcus, staphylococcus, pneumococcus, mycoplasma, chlamydia, etc. All of them can also cause inflammation of the respiratory tract, very similar to ARVI, but these same microbes can lead to life-threatening inflammation of the lungs, meninges, blood vessels, kidneys, etc. That is why, when detected during laboratory research of these microorganisms, especially hemolytic streptococcus, it is necessary to carry out special treatment to cleanse (sanitize) the child’s body from pathogenic microbes.

Sometimes even a doctor finds it difficult to understand which microorganism caused inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. A blood test, which detects changes characteristic of a viral or bacterial infection, will help you figure this out.

Made in the hospital bacteriological research- cultures of mucus from the nasopharynx, the causative agent of the disease is identified and it is determined which antibiotics are most effective against the identified microbe.

If acute respiratory infections follow one after another, not giving the child a break, or the diseases drag on for a very long time, the infection can take a chronic course and be localized in the tonsils, adenoids, paranasal sinuses nose, etc.

Typically, acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections affect only the respiratory tract, but among respiratory viruses There are also those that cause inflammation of the mucous membrane gastrointestinal tract manifested by vomiting, abdominal pain, loose stools. These are reo-viruses, rota-viruses, adenoviruses.

Treatment of acute respiratory viral infections and influenza

Treatment of patients is often carried out at home under the supervision of a doctor. There are many different so-called home remedies for the treatment of influenza and ARVI, which are recommended and widely used by official medicine.

The regime for acute respiratory viral infections and influenza is bed rest for the entire period of elevated temperature and malaise, or at home if the child feels well.

The diet should be appropriate for the child's age. In the first days of illness, when appetite is reduced, light semi-liquid food should be given: cereals, omelettes, vegetable purees on milk. Green and onions and garlic, fresh berries and fruits containing a large number of vitamin C. Drinking plenty of fluids is recommended: cranberry, lemon, blackcurrant juice, tea with lemon, raspberry jam. For ARVI and influenza, herbal decoctions with diaphoretic and antipyretic effects are effective: raspberry leaves and fruits, chamomile flowers, lingonberry leaves, linden flowers, birch leaves and buds.

At the onset of the disease, it is useful to use antiviral agents, such as interferon in the form of drops or ointments in the nose, arbidol, chigain, oxolinic ointment, viferon, as well as homeopathic drugs aflubin, pneumodoron, agri, etc. For children over 5-7 years old and adults with the flu It is useful to use rimantadine, and for children after a year from the first days of illness it is recommended to take the new antiviral drug algirem. Newborns and children in the first months of life with the flu are prescribed chigain, prepared from colostrum, in the form of nasal drops. If the child receives breast-feeding, then after preliminary cleaning of the nose, you can instill breast milk.

Antipyretics should be given to a child only at a temperature above 38.5 degrees. As a rule, children tolerate high temperatures well, so you can do without medications and lower the temperature by physical cooling - give the child a cool drink, change clothes to lighter ones, give an enema with water room temperature. If the child’s general condition is serious, the skin is pale, the hands and feet are cold, he is shivering, and antipyretic drugs have not had an effect, it is necessary to urgently call a doctor. This serious condition caused by high temperature (hyperthermia), requires the use of special antipyretic drugs. It is usually recommended to give the child a drug containing paracetamol, preferably in syrup or suppositories. It is not recommended to use aspirin, since one of its side effects is an increase in the permeability of blood vessels, and influenza viruses primarily damage the vascular wall, and all this together can lead to hemorrhages and bleeding. If the temperature drops below 37.5 degrees, antipyretic drugs should not be given.

However, the severity of the patient’s condition is determined not only by the height of the body temperature. Respiratory disorders (manifested by a runny nose, cough, if the larynx and lungs are affected, difficulty breathing may occur - shortness of breath) also require serious attention. At the slightest suspicion of laryngitis with the development of laryngeal stenosis, it is necessary to drop it into the nose. baby solution naphthyzine, try to calm the child and call a doctor.

There are many different simple and complex remedies used for runny nose and cough. You should always start with home remedies that are harmless and time-tested. First of all this thermal procedures: warm bandage on the neck, warm drink: milk with honey, tea with raspberry jam, etc., hot foot baths, mustard plasters on the feet, hot wrap, steam inhalations, etc. Herbal treatment in the form of decoctions for drinking, inhalations, rinsing, washing. There are ready-made herbal remedies for coughs for children - pertussin, ammonia-anise drops, licorice syrup. For a dry cough, expectorants can soften the cough and provide relief. It is better to discuss the prescription of these drugs with your doctor. If you have an acute respiratory infection, you should not suppress your cough with medications containing codeine. Rubbing chest, mustard plasters, heat compresses, cupping are usually used for complications - bronchitis, pneumonia.

Difficulty in nasal breathing during ARVI and influenza causes anxiety in the child, interferes with sucking in infants, and disrupts sleep. In young children who cannot blow their nose, the easiest way to remove mucus from the nasal passages is with a rubber balloon, but this requires care and skill; you can clean the nose with soft cotton swabs soaked in breast milk, sterile vegetable oil or boiled water. If the child knows how to blow his nose, then you need to clean each nostril in turn, pinching the other, otherwise the infection can get into the eyes and ears. Weak effect medications from a runny nose is most often associated, on the one hand, with the fact that the wrong medicine is used, and on the other, that expecting a result immediately after the first administration is premature. Nasal drops by mechanism local action refer to vasoconstrictors that relieve swelling of the inflamed mucous membrane and thereby improve the passage of air through the nose, so such drops should be used only when nasal breathing is blocked. Naphthyzin or galazolin, most often used for this purpose, have pediatric forms, but require caution and strictly controlled dosing, since frequent instillation of these drugs leads to irritation of the epithelium of the upper respiratory tract and even atrophy of the mucous membrane.

Another group of local remedies used to treat rhinitis has a detrimental effect on the causative agent of the disease - viruses and microbes. These are various sprays, protargol solution, a large amount complex drops and ointments that have a combined vasodilator, decongestant and disinfectant effect.

In a child with a normal adequate reaction to the pathogen that caused ARVI, the disease gradually goes away, and after 7-10 days recovery occurs. A new infection in a short time can lead to more severe manifestations illness and complications.

The use of antimicrobial drugs for ARVI and influenza is not required, however, if there are complications in children with concomitant pathologies, the doctor often has to prescribe antimicrobial drugs - sulfonamides, antibiotics.

Prevention

Prevention of influenza is carried out using specific vaccine prophylaxis. The timing of vaccinations should precede the onset of a flu epidemic because vaccines are tailored to the circulating flu viruses of a given season. Special vaccines for children are used early age, for schoolchildren, adults and the elderly. Rarely, a reaction to the vaccine occurs in the form of short-term malaise and fever. It is much milder than the disease, and you should not be afraid of it. Immunity is formed only against influenza, so a vaccinated child may well become ill with another viral disease.

All people sick with influenza should be isolated from healthy people. It is good to ventilate the room where the patient was, and regularly carry out wet cleaning. Anyone who comes into contact with a person with the flu is recommended to instill interferon into the nose for a week; you can give aflubin, arbidol, ascorbic acid or dibazole. Adults are recommended to take rimantadine in a prophylactic dose, arbidol. For children over 1 year of age, it is useful to prescribe Algirem.

All this can be done after consulting with your doctor.

Preventive measures also include hardening, restorative procedures, good summer rest, a healthy lifestyle: maintaining a daily routine, regular walks, age-appropriate sleep, eating fresh fruits, garlic and onions.

It should be noted that parental smoking is harmful to the child, since tobacco smoke, which the child inhales, has harmful effects on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and promotes inflammation.
The material was prepared by a doctor of the highest category Shcheglov A.A.

Hello, my dear! Everyone says - flu, flu. Epidemic, quarantine! Some came up with the idea of scaring people with some kind of swine flu. There is no such thing in nature. And it was invented only to pharmaceutical companies were able to make more money from this situation.

In our pharmacy, for example, there is a notice like this: “Dear customers! Due to the current situation, the following medications are not on sale: Tami-flu, oxolinic ointment, Viferon ointment, oscillococcinum, influenza and disposable masks.” They ate everything, in short...

Therefore, since there is nothing in the pharmacy anymore, I decided to ventilate this topic and find out in advance how to treat the flu in a child at home. After all, if you know, you’ll sleep better! I read all sorts of information on the Internet and am sitting, savvy with knowledge, rejoicing.

The disease came from unexpectedly unexpected places. Max didn't even go to the garden last week so as not to catch it there. In general, on Sunday I went to my classes and came home cheerful, healthy and joyful.

And in the evening he started coughing. Not often and not much. But already at night his temperature rose to 38. In the morning I woke up - my head hurt, my legs hurt, I couldn’t walk, my eyes hurt too. All clear. Someone came to fitness not too healthy...

The local doctor definitely confirmed that it was the flu. Here is its purpose:

Antiviral - ergoferon (Tami-flu was eaten in pharmacies);
Mukaltin ;
Drink plenty of warm drinks.
Nurofen syrup at a temperature of 38.5

And it's all. We were treated like this for two days. By evening the temperature began to rise rapidly. Nurofen had no effect on her. She has already risen to 39.

I had to call an ambulance. That's how much I love ambulance doctors! No matter how many times they have already called, they always leave only positive impressions about themselves).

The doctor arrived, looked at Max and said - undress him naked, quickly wipe with warm water (about 38 degrees) the whole body - chest, back, arms and legs, especially under the armpits and under the knees. And she forced the child to do active exercises: wave and twist his arms, run to another room and bring her to show her all the cars that he is proud of.

And so she drove him and me for 15 minutes. Then she told me to take my temperature again. Oh, miracle! She dropped to 37! Max immediately cheered up, started playing with his cars and tinkering with the construction set. It lasted for 4 hours. Then the temperature crept up again.

And before leaving, the doctor told me to do exactly this: bring down the temperature in the manner described above and drink often, though not in large portions. After recovery, take urine and blood tests and do an ECG.

I also found the following information on the Internet, remember:

The flu is characterized by a high temperature - up to 40, chills, aching bones and joints, dry cough, photophobia.

The younger the child, the less his weight, the lower the dosage he is prescribed:

Give an antipyretic (Paracetamol, Nurofen) if the temperature is above 39 - No-shpa ; Dosages are lower.
Don't wrap your child up - it's dangerous! The child may have seizures.
If the temperature is above 38.5 and the child is shivering, you need to warm his feet in any way. Put on socks, put on a heating pad, a bottle of warm water - whatever you like;
If the baby is under one year old and has neurological problems, you need to place a towel soaked in cool water on his crown. Wrap the towel in a plastic bag;
When the legs are already warm (and only then!), start wiping the baby with warm water - so that your hand is warm - chest, back, arms and legs, always under the armpits and in the groin;
Let's drink more of something warm - water, compote, tea, but not a whole cup at once, but a little at a time, more often.

If you do everything correctly, the temperature will begin to decrease. Not to 36.6, of course, but it won’t remain too high either.

After 3-4 hours the temperature will begin to rise again. Repeat all the above procedures again. Remember - every time it’s all over again. Even if he is sleeping, even if it is night - measure your temperature every 4 hours and take action!

Dosage of medications for young children

3 months - 12 months — 2.5 ml Nurofen + 1/8 no-shpa;
1−3 years (approximately 10−13 kg) - 5 ml of Nurofen + ¼ tablet of No-shpa, if above 39;
4−6 years (child approximately 20−22 kg) - 7.5 ml of Nurofen or 10 ml of Paracetamol (or half a tablet) + half a tablet of No-shpa;
7−9 years (approximately 22−25 kg) - 10 ml Nurofen + ¾ No-shpa;
10 years (approximately 30 kg) - 15 ml of Nurofen + 1 tablet of No-shpa;

If the child is vomiting, place it rectally. Nurofen suppository .
And call an ambulance!

Possible complications of influenza

With all your correct during manipulations, the temperature does not drop below 38.5;
An hour after taking the medicine, the temperature dropped, but then rose again to 40;
Vomit;
Rash on legs from heels to butt - as if blood vessels had burst;
The condition is satisfactory, the temperature is up to 38, there is no rash or vomiting, but the child is somehow lethargic, as if he has 40, he cannot even drink due to weakness.

For any of these conditions, call an ambulance! Prepare documents and things for hospitalization.

What absolutely cannot be done

If the temperature is above 38.5, do not wrap the child up; if possible, undress the child;
Do not lubricate the baby with any essential oils, “Zvezdochka” balm, “Doctor MOM”, all sorts of badgers, you can’t put mustard plasters. You can’t even drip oil onto the battery or into the aroma lamp to disinfect the air. The child will simply begin to choke!
Never give children aspirin. It can cause nose and stomach bleeding!

That's it, my dears. Now you know how to treat flu in a child with medication and at home. Write it down, remember it. I hope it won't be useful, but you still need to know.

Share your knowledge with your friends on social networks - they will be grateful to you). If possible, describe your personal ways of fighting the flu in the comments. How do you personally do this? How long have you been sick? What should you do after recovery? I'm very interested in your experience.

Flu in children is not uncommon; it is one of the most common seasonal diseases. Children get the flu 5 times more often than adults, and for them this disease is much more dangerous due to the high risk of complications. The flu should not be left to chance, only treated folk remedies and, moreover, wait for the disease to “go away on its own.” Every parent should know what the flu symptoms are in children, which doctors to contact and what preventive measures should be accepted.

Causes of influenza in children

No matter how widespread the myth about the cold may be, first of all it should be clarified that you do not get the flu from walking without a hat and getting your feet wet. Hypothermia as such does not provoke the disease, but it increases the chances of infection: cold causes spasms small vessels and not in the best possible way affects the functioning of the immune system.

Influenza is a viral disease, and the influenza virus spreads quickly, having high degree virulence (variability). The influenza virus mutates almost every year, and it is almost impossible to develop stable immunity to it - even if you have already had the flu this season, nothing prevents you from catching it again if you encounter a different strain of this virus. This is why flu vaccinations must be carried out annually.

Influenza epidemics occur every year in the autumn-winter period, and pandemics covering the whole world occur every 15–20 years.

It is very easy to get the flu. Most often, it is transmitted from person to person through airborne droplets - all it takes is someone sneezing near your child. But this virus can also be transmitted by everyday means(dirty hands, etc.). The virus itself is unstable and can be easily destroyed with any household antiseptic or detergent, but such hygiene standards are maintained only at home. And children themselves, who have not fully grasped the importance of hygiene, often wash their hands irregularly, like to exchange toys, drink from the same glass, etc., which only increases the risk of getting sick.

Symptoms of the disease

In the first 2–3 days after infection, the child feels well, there are no signs of illness. But as the virus spreads in the body, the condition worsens sharply. Usually the onset of influenza in children is acute, it begins with sudden increase temperatures up to 39 o C and even 40 o C (this is especially typical for children under 5 years old). Chills, muscle pain and aching joints, headache appear; a dry cough, runny nose, and sore throat may also be present. Due to intoxication, appetite decreases and vomiting may begin. The toxins released by the virus destroy capillaries, leading to nosebleeds or a rash. Sometimes toxic damage affects the central nervous system, leading to delirium, convulsions, and hallucinations.

Treatment of influenza in children

Doctors distinguish several forms of typical influenza in children:

Light form- temperature not higher than 37.5 o C, slight cough, irritation of the mucous membrane of the throat.
Moderate form - headache, pain in muscles and joints, weakness, chills, nausea and vomiting, temperature up to 39.5 o C, cough, difficulty breathing.
Severe form - temperature up to 40.5 o C, confusion, delirium and hallucinations.
Hypertoxic form - extremely rapid development and course, temperature up to 40.5 o C, nosebleeds, rash, delirium and loss of consciousness, convulsions.

In mild to moderate forms, the child’s condition improves after about 3–4 days, but the cough and sore throat may persist for another 10–15 days. The prognosis is almost always favorable. The severe form is more dangerous and is fraught with complications. Even more dangerous is the hypertoxic form, which often leads to death.

Treatment of influenza in children depends on the severity of symptoms and the form of the disease.

Mild and moderate forms usually do not require hospitalization. The main method of treatment is to ensure the correct regimen. The child should lie in bed, in a warm but well-ventilated room. The diet these days should be light. A child suffering from the flu loses his appetite and should not be force-fed. It is better if the patient eats a couple of spoons of soup voluntarily than a full three-course meal under duress. All the same, the matter will end with vomiting, additional stress and irritation of the already inflamed mucous membranes of the larynx.

The flu diet should be light and rich in protein, while the dishes themselves should be warm (but not hot) and have a delicate texture. Soups, soufflés, purees are the most optimal menu if a child gets the flu.

For viral diseases, drinking plenty of fluids is very important. It, like food, should not be hot. Hot tea or decoction will cause a burn to the already inflamed mucous membranes and make it difficult to recover. It is better to give the child warm herbal teas, natural juices(only not sour), fruit drinks, compotes, water.

Children's flu medications

Treatment of influenza in children must include antiviral drugs- this is the basis of therapy. Today, oseltamivir (Tamiflu, from 2 weeks of age) and zanamivir (Relenza, for children over 7 years old), Cycloferon, Ingavirin are used for this. These drugs should be prescribed by a doctor, since, being antiviral, they do not help against bacterial infections, and it is almost impossible to independently distinguish a viral infection from a bacterial one; laboratory tests are required for this. In addition, these drugs have contraindications and side effects.

Great importance has symptomatic treatment. If the temperature is high, it is better to bring it down to prevent hyperthermia. Cool compresses on the forehead and wiping the skin with a weak solution of alcohol are indicated, as well as, if the temperature is above 38.5 0C, taking antipyretics, such as ibuprofen.

To ease breathing during rhinitis, rinsing with purified sea water, for example, “Aqua Maris”, “Aqualor”, as well as vasoconstrictor drops and sprays - “Nazol Baby”, “Otrivin Baby” and other products intended specifically for children (the concentration of the active substance in them is lower than in similar drops and sprays for adults).

There are two types of cough medicines - some suppress the corresponding reflex, stopping a dry, unproductive cough, others thin the mucus and promote its secretion, making it easier to cough. wet cough. Using the wrong medicine can cause very serious complications: a mistake when choosing a medicine on your own can be costly, so a doctor must make a diagnosis and prescribe any medications.

What are the consequences of improper treatment or lack thereof?

Flu is primarily dangerous due to its complications, including:

pneumonia, including its most dangerous type - viral hemorrhagic pneumonia, which develops rapidly and often leads to death;
meningitis and encephalitis;
muscle diseases, such as myositis, which is characterized by severe pain in muscles;
otitis;
rhinitis;
sinusitis;
bronchitis.

Prevention of influenza in children: how to protect your child?

It is impossible to completely exclude contact with the virus. Therefore, preventive measures should be aimed not so much at isolating the baby, but at reducing this likelihood and strengthening the child’s immune system.

The following will help strengthen the body's defenses:

a diet with a minimum of fast food and highly processed foods;
according to the doctor's indications - additional dose vitamin and mineral complexes;
daily walks and playing outdoors.

During an epidemic it is necessary additional protective measures:

frequent ventilation of rooms to reduce the concentration of the virus in the air;
regular hand washing and not only before eating - often the virus enters the body this way;
regular wet cleaning with antiseptic detergents.

Timely vaccination, which is carried out annually in the fall, before the start of the epidemic season, is especially important for the prevention of influenza.