This winter, help your child stay away from cold and flu
BENGALURU : While common cold and cough among children develop due to cold weather conditions, whether it’s the onset of monsoon or winter, the close proximity of children to each other in these conditions also contributes to the spread of the ailment. Recurrent colds and coughs are one of the most commonly seen ailments in the younger age group and despite being a relatively milder winter woe to deal with, the viruses that cause these are highly infectious.
Typically, children play together or interact with each other inside houses, schools or in closed surroundings. It is during this interaction that one child tends to influence the other in catching cold and cough. Runny noses, sneezing and coughing are common during winters. Also known as ‘upper respiratory tract infection,’ it is the most common cause of illness in children. The symptoms include nasal congestion, cough, sore throat and even headache. The symptoms of cold can last for a few days, an entire week or more, depending on the immune system.
Common infections
More commonly known as the ‘flu’, symptoms of influenza include high fever, sore throat, splitting headache, muscle pain, and coughing bouts. It is spread by influenza virus and is highly contagious. The best way to prevent it is to get a flu shot. While there are antiviral medications available to relieve the symptoms, they only shorten the duration of the illness by a day or two. The best treatment for this disease is to get a lot of rest and drink plenty of fluids.
Strep throat is caused by bacterial infection. A sore throat can be quite painful, but not as painful as strep throat. It is most commonly seen in school-going children, and spreads from one person to another via sneezing and coughing. The symptoms include swallowing trouble, fever, headache and swollen lymph nodes in the neck. Antibiotics help in eliminating the infection, but drinking warm water can also help ease the pain.
Bronchiolitis is a common respiratory infection among children and pespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of this illness. The virus causes inflammation of the airway branches in the lungs, leading to mucous clogging the airways, which makes it hard to breathe. The illness comes with nasal congestion, low-grade fevers, cough and wheezing.
Pneumonia is the infection of lungs, caused by bacteria. The child may have cough, fever, and breathing problems. Having long-term diseases like asthma, cancer or heart problems might make you more prone to pneumonia. Though it can be treated at home, it can worsen and may necessitate hospitalisation. If you have breathing problems, you should contact health care services. Cold for several days and high fever could be the signs of pneumonia getting worse.
The author is a Sr. Consultant – Neonatology & Pediatrics, Aster CMI Hospital