Your child has been feeling really bad for the past two or three days... A sudden high fever, body aches, and not eating or drinking properly... You may be wondering if this is just a simple cold or something more serious. In fact, this kind of sudden illness, which is more severe than a common cold, can often be a symptom of the flu. Let's understand this properly.
What are the symptoms of a flu?
When a child gets the flu, especially the first two or three days, it's the hardest. Unlike a common cold, the symptoms come on suddenly.
| Symptom | A description about it |
|---|---|
| Sudden high fever | A sudden, high fever, sometimes reaching 104 Fahrenheit (40 Celsius). |
| Feeling cold and shivering | A shivering chill that comes with a high fever. |
| Extreme fatigue | The child may be lethargic and sleepy all the time. |
| Headache and body aches | This is what they call "it hurts like a knife being cut." It comes with a severe headache. |
| Dry, hacking cough | A painful cough that comes from deep in the chest, without mucus. |
| Sore throat | A sore throat and difficulty swallowing food and drink. |
| Vomiting and stomach upset | Children are more likely to experience this symptom than adults. There may be nausea, stomach cramps, and vomiting. Because of this, some parents mistake this for a stomach bug. |
Why does this flu occur?
Simply put, this is a disease caused by a virus. To be precise, the influenza virus is responsible for this. There are three main types of this.
- Types A and B: These are the two types that spread like epidemics every year.
- Type C: This results in an occasional, usually mild illness.
How is this transmitted?
The flu is a highly contagious disease, especially when there are many children in a small space like a school classroom.
Imagine, when a sick child coughs or sneezes, small droplets of saliva that collect in the air can be inhaled by a healthy child, which can spread the disease. Not only that, but if you touch something that is contaminated with the saliva of a sick person, such as by shaking hands or sharing things like pencils, toys, spoons, and forks, this virus can easily spread to someone else.
The surprising thing is that a child can spread the disease to another person from one day before symptoms start, and up to 5-7 days after they become ill.
How do you avoid the flu?
The best and most effective way to protect yourself from this is to get a flu vaccine every year. Doctors recommend that everyone over the age of 6 months should get this vaccine.
It is especially important for pregnant mothers, those caring for babies under 6 months, and those caring for children with other chronic diseases to get this vaccine.
Can the flu cause other complications?
Yes, it definitely can. Sometimes this just doesn't work out well.
- Sinus infection
- Ear infection
- It may increase in the case of a child with asthma.
- It can be severe, even leading to pneumonia.
Therefore, if your child has a fever for more than 3-4 days , has difficulty breathing , has an earache, a stuffy nose, a persistent cough, or if you feel that your child's condition is getting worse, see your doctor immediately without delay.
Remember, children under 2 years of age, even if they are otherwise healthy, are at higher risk of being hospitalized due to complications from the flu than older children.
What remedies can be done at home?
Yes, in addition to the medication prescribed by the doctor, there are several things you can do at home to help your child recover quickly.
- Let him rest well: Since the body is weak, let him sleep well and rest.
- Give plenty of fluids: A fever causes the body to lose a lot of fluids. So give fluids like water, soup, and fruit juice frequently.
- Medicine for fever and pain: To reduce fever and relieve body aches, you can take Paracetamol or Ibuprofen in the prescribed dosage as prescribed by your doctor.
Extremely important: Do not give aspirin to children and young people for any reason. It increases the risk of Reye's syndrome, a rare but serious condition that can damage the liver and brain.
Be careful with cough and cold medicines.
Experts recommend avoiding over-the-counter cough and cold medications for children under 4 years of age. Some pediatricians also recommend avoiding these for children under 6 years of age. Therefore, be sure to consult your doctor before giving such medications to your child.
Can antiviral medications be given to children?
If your doctor thinks your child is at high risk of complications from the flu, he or she may prescribe antiviral medications, such as Oseltamivir (Tamiflu).
These medications are only effective if given within the first 48 hours of the onset of symptoms . They can reduce the severity of the illness by a day or two. But remember, getting vaccinated is better than treating the flu.
This is something that many people get confused about. The flu is a virus. Therefore , taking antibiotics has no effect on it. Antibiotics are only given for bacterial infections.
What are the emergencies that require taking a child to the hospital?
If your child has any of these symptoms, take them to the Emergency Department (ETU) of the nearest hospital without delay.
| Emergency - Go to the hospital immediately! | |
|---|---|
| Difficulty breathing | If the child has difficulty breathing even after clearing their nose, or if their chest feels tight. |
| Skin discoloration | If the child's lips and skin turn blue or gray. |
| Unusually lifeless appearance | If the child is difficult to wake up, does not look at you, and seems lifeless without any response. |
| Dehydration symptoms | If he is not drinking fluids, continues to vomit, does not produce tears when crying, or does not wet his diapers enough. |
| The fit (convulsion) | If the child has a seizure. |
Take-Home Message
- Flu is a condition that causes sudden onset of symptoms that are more severe than the common cold.
- The best way to protect yourself from this is to get the flu vaccine every year.
- Let the child rest well and give him plenty of fluids.
- Do not give aspirin to children for any reason.
- Be aware of warning signs such as difficulty breathing, blue skin, and unusual lifelessness.
- If you have the slightest doubt about your child's condition, seek advice from your doctor immediately.
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