Winter months have great risk for diseases especially for school children. Children have upper respiratory tract infections more frequently and influenza spreads too fast among children.
High fever is a vital importance to getting under control during flu infections, it is necessary to pay attention to previsions for protecting children from influenza. Pediatrician Dr. Mehmet Gunes from Memorial Antalya Hospital Pediatrics Department gave information regarding flu appearing in children and its treatment methods.
If Untreated, It May Cause More Severe Diseases
Flue is usually seen in winter times is caused by the virus called “influenza. Influenza becomes contagious between 24 and 72 hours. Especially in children whose immune system is weaker than adults, the flu can progress quickly to pneumonia and bronchitis.
The main symptoms of flu are; high fever, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, trembling, headache, sore throat and cough. Coughing is not intense enough to irritate bronchi.
The disease that progresses for the first 3-4 days, recovers between 7 – 10 days. The symptoms are as if difficulty in breathing, vomiting, painful swallow, cough and obstruction and fever is not decrease the patient must be consulted by a specialist.
Consider The Advice for Protection of Child Against Influenza!
1- Ensure that crowded places such as nurseries and schools are well ventilated.
2- Teach your child to keep his/her mouth while coughing or sneezing
3- Take care to washing hands frequently.
4- As far as possible, keep your child away from crowded environments during the flu season.
5- Ensure to consume fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C which are immunoprotective.
6- Provide your child for spending time outdoors during the day.
Vitamin D Deficiency Should be Checked
Vaccination is the best way to protect children from seasonal flu. Especially in the risk group of children with allergies, asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia – in other words the children who are often ill or school children- must be vaccinated.
Because of lack of contact with sun in the winter times, D vitamin decreases in both children and adults. And Low vitamin D invites diseases. Vitamin D should be given with the doctor’s recommendation as a drop in age-appropriate according to the blood level .
