How does ARVI manifest in a child? Signs and treatment of ARVI in children. Direct-acting drugs

Young children get sick very easily, and some have this condition up to 5 times a year. ARVI in a child under one year old is difficult, which is associated with the adaptation of the body to microorganisms of the natural environment. At this age, breastfeeding ends, and the baby's immune system gradually changes, due to which its own defenses are formed. To avoid complications, it is important to know the first symptoms, their treatment and prevention of the disease.

Small children are prone to ARVI and they need to be approached responsibly to the treatment of diseases.

The most common source of colds is the sick person and the carrier. Within a few days, there is a high risk of contracting a viral infection or in the first days after the onset of symptoms.

There are several ways of spreading the disease. The most common is airborne, when a sick person, while sneezing and coughing, spreads viral particles with droplets of saliva. Less often, children become infected with ARVI in a 1-year-old child through the household route. When saliva gets on household items, it retains its infectiousness for some time.

Symptoms

The manifestations of the disease in the first days of the disease may not be specific and have practically no effect on the general condition. It depends on the immunity and characteristics of the baby's body. Symptoms of ARVI in children under one year old are as follows:

• Sneezing is often the first to appear, and many mums may confuse this symptom with an allergic reaction to something. At first, it occurs several times a day, and then becomes more frequent, which gives rise to concern and seeking help. To cure the baby faster, it is necessary to consult a doctor when nonspecific signs appear. This will avoid complications and greatly facilitate the course of the disease.
• A cough occurs in the first days of ARVI, more often dry, when the general condition of the body is disturbed. The kid does not sleep well, eats and becomes restless. Therefore, it is important to translate an unproductive cough into a productive one.
• A runny nose appears almost immediately after sneezing. Nasal congestion impairs sleep and sucking. If the child is still breastfed, then he often breaks away from food, cries and is capricious. When this symptom appears, the mother should know how to treat ARVI in a child at 1 year old. In young children, it is important to get rid of this symptom in a timely manner. Lack of therapy can lead to ear problems and hearing loss. This feature is associated with the structure of the middle ear, which is wide, narrow and communicates with the nasopharynx. Mucus from the nasal cavity flows into it, which leads to an inflammatory reaction.
• Increased body temperature for babies is not observed from the first days of the illness and increases gradually. It rarely reaches 39 ° C. With this symptom, the body must cope on its own until the moment when the indicators rise to 38˚С.
• Capriciousness is a manifestation of intoxication, which becomes one of the first signs of illness.
• General weakness and lethargy often accompany infectious diseases. It becomes difficult for children to maintain their usual activity, which is associated with an increased body temperature.

Many children suffer from the disease in a severe form, which is important to take into account and try to contact a pediatrician in a timely manner in order to start treatment. It is prohibited to use medicines without a doctor's recommendation. This is due to age-related characteristics and the risk of developing various complications from organs and their systems.

With ARVI, the baby may have a fever

Complications after infection

Mom needs to know how to treat ARVI in a child at 1 year of age in order to eliminate the risk of complications. Self-medication or uncontrolled intake of medicines equally increases the baby's chances of attaching additional pathogenic flora against the background of reduced immunity. Complications in children in the treatment of ARVI up to a year include the following:

• Respiratory tract infection with accession of angina of various forms, pneumonia and bronchitis.
• Rhinitis and enlargement of the adenoids, which often becomes chronic.
• In children under 1 year of age, tracheitis and laryngitis are considered dangerous diseases. This is due to the development of spasm of the pharyngeal muscles and narrowing of its lumen. As a result, breathing becomes much more difficult and an obstacle appears in the path for air flow.
• If the child's ARVI was not treated or the parents independently prescribed medication for their baby, then it is possible that a secondary infection will join. Often, it has the ability to transfer to tissues of other organs and cause pathology of the kidneys, digestive tract or respiratory system.

In babies, ARVI often leads to complications.

Any drug is considered stressful for the child's body and therefore care must be taken in the choice of drugs.

Treatment

Difficulties in diagnosing ARVI in a child suggests a careful approach to the choice of a drug. Therapy should be comprehensive and include the following:

• Compliance with the correct regime.
• Taking medications.
• Traditional medicine.

On days of illness, it is important to stay in bed, to give the child a lot to drink. This allows you to quickly cope with intoxication and remove viral particles from the body. The room in which the child is located should be ventilated several times a day for 15 minutes. This will provide fresh air and reduce the concentration of pathogens in the room.

Diet therapy plays an important role. Meals should be fractional and frequent. This is due to the concentration of vitality on the fight against infection, which the body takes from food supplied from outside. A variety of vegetable and meat purees, fruit juices and fruit drinks enriched with vitamins are best suited.

Treatment of ARVI in a child of 9 months should be aimed at increasing the flow of fluid into the body. An elevated body temperature leads to excess sweating. As a result, cells lose water and useful trace elements.

ARVI is a disease of viral origin and therefore antibiotic therapy will not be effective. To fight the infection, you will need an antiviral drug that can be given to babies up to 1 year of age. Most often, IRS-19 is prescribed for these purposes, which increases local immunity, Interferon, Grippferon, Arbidol and Imudon.

Ibuprofen helps with fever and fever

If there are signs in children under one year old listed above with the addition of an elevated body temperature, then it is necessary to use antipyretics. Ibuprofen works best, as it fights fever and also has anti-inflammatory effects. It is important to remember that the well-known Aspirin should not be given to children under 6 years of age.

To treat nasal congestion in a baby, vasoconstrictors are needed. Their task is to reduce the discharge of mucus from the nasal cavity and facilitate breathing, as well as food intake. The most common are Snoop, Protargol and Nazivin. It must be remembered that treatment with vasoconstrictor agents leads to addiction and therefore it is not recommended for children to bury them in the nasal passages for more than a week. They are also capable of thinning the mucous membrane, which will lead to the addition of pathogenic flora and pathology of the nasal cavity.

ARVI treatment for up to a year includes a large number of medicines. This can lead to the development of an allergic reaction, which infants are very prone to. To avoid it, it is important to give antihistamines as well. These include Loratadin, Fenistil.

In addition to drug therapy, if there are no restrictions, traditional medicine is prescribed. For this purpose, vitamin teas based on linden, chamomile or lemongrass are suitable. In the absence of temperature, hot foot baths are recommended. They accelerate blood circulation and promote the early elimination of toxins and microorganisms.

Prophylaxis

In young children, the body's immune defenses are not yet sufficiently developed. As a result, parents are lost in the question of how to treat ARVI in children under one year old. The most favorable way is preventive measures. To protect the baby, it is necessary to adhere to the norms of personal hygiene, hardening procedures. For babies, not only baths using water are suitable, but also air, as well as sunlight.

Prevention of ARVI in children under one year old also includes the use of immunomodulators. Vetoron is most often used, and the dosage is set depending on the age for each baby individually. In addition, it is recommended to take vitamin complexes. It is especially important to carry out such preventive measures in the spring and autumn. The best ratio of vitamins is possessed by drugs such as Undevit, Hexavit and Revit. For ease of use, they are available in the form of syrups.

If you have signs of SARS, see your doctor.

Parents need to remember that any symptom can be the first non-specific sign of ARVI. The disease occurs in each child in a different way, which is associated with the characteristics of the virus and the body. Timely started treatment contributes to a quick recovery and a decrease in the risk of complications.

Acute respiratory viral infections are the most common childhood illnesses. In some babies, they are fixed up to 8-10 times a year. It is precisely because of its prevalence that ARVI has "overgrown" with a mass of prejudices and erroneous opinions. Some parents immediately run to the pharmacy for antibiotics, while others believe in the power of homeopathic antiviral drugs. The authoritative pediatrician Yevgeny Komarovsky talks about respiratory viral infections and how to act correctly if a child is sick.

About the disease

ARVI is not one specific disease, but a whole group of ailments similar to each other in terms of common symptoms, in which the airways become inflamed. In all cases, viruses that enter the child's body through the nose, nasopharynx, and less often through the mucous membrane of the eyes are “guilty” of this. Most often, Russian children "catch" adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, parainfluenza, reovirus. In total, there are about 300 agents that cause SARS.

A viral infection is usually catarrhal in nature, but the most dangerous is not even the infection itself, but its secondary bacterial complications.

Very rarely, ARVI is recorded in children in the first months of their life. For this special "thank you" should be said to the innate maternal immunity, which protects the baby for the first six months from the moment of birth.

Most often, the ailment affects toddlers and kindergarten children and goes into decline by the end of primary school. It is by the age of 8-9 that a child develops a fairly strong immune defense against common viruses.

This does not mean at all that the child stops suffering from ARVI, but viral ailments will occur much less frequently, and their course will become softer and easier. The fact is that the child's immunity is immature, but as he encounters viruses, over time it "learns" to recognize them and develop antibodies to foreign agents.

To date, doctors have reliably established that 99% of all diseases, which are popularly called by one capacious word "cold", are of viral origin. SARS are transmitted by airborne droplets, less often - through saliva, toys, common household items with the sick.

Symptoms

In the early stages of the development of the infection, the virus that entered the body through the nasopharynx causes inflammation of the nasal passages, larynx, dry cough, perspiration, runny nose. The temperature does not rise immediately, but only after the virus enters the bloodstream. This stage is characterized by chills, fever, and aches throughout the body, especially in the limbs.

The high temperature helps the immune system to give a "response" and throw specific antibodies to fight the virus. They help cleanse the blood from a foreign agent, the temperature drops.

At the final stage of the ARVI disease, the affected airways are cleared, the cough becomes wet, the cells of the epithelium affected by the viral agent leave with sputum. It is at this stage that a secondary bacterial infection can begin, since the affected mucous membranes against the background of reduced immunity create very favorable conditions for the existence and reproduction of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. It can cause rhinitis, sinusitis, tracheitis, otitis media, tonsillitis, pneumonia, meningitis.

To reduce the risks of possible complications, you need to know exactly which pathogen the disease is associated with, and also be able to distinguish influenza from SARS.

There is a special table of differences that will help parents to at least roughly understand which agent they are dealing with.

Disease manifestations	Influenza virus (strains A and B)	Parainfluenza virus	Adenovirus	Respiratory syncytial virus
Onset (first 36 hours)	Sharp, sharp and heavy	Spicy	Gradual with the transition to acute	Spicy
Body temperature	39.0-40.0 and above	36,6 - 37,5	38,0-39,0	37,0-38,0
Duration of fever	3-6 days	2-4 days	Up to 10 days with alternating decrease and increase in fever	3-7 days
Intoxication	Strongly expressed	Missing	Growing smoothly, but generally quite moderate	Weak or absent at all
Cough	Unproductive dry, accompanied by pain in the sternum	Dry, "barking" dry, hoarseness, hoarseness	A moist cough that gradually increases in intensity	Unproductive dry, breathing difficult
The lymph nodes	Increase with complications of influenza	Slightly increased	Markedly enlarged, especially cervical and submandibular	Practically not increased
Respiratory tract health	Runny nose, laryngitis	Severe rhinitis, difficulty breathing	Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes, pharyngitis, severe runny nose	Bronchitis
Possible complications	Hemorrhagic pneumonia, hemorrhage in internal organs, myocarditis, damage to the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system.	Suffocation due to the development of croup	Lymphadenitis	Bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, pneumonia, development of bronchial asthma

It is quite difficult to distinguish a viral infection from a bacterial infection at home, so laboratory diagnostics will come to the aid of parents.

If in doubt, you need to take a blood test. In 90% of cases, it is a viral infection that is observed in children. Bacterial infections are very difficult and usually require treatment in a hospital setting. Fortunately, they are rare.

The traditional treatment that a pediatrician prescribes for a child is based on the use of antiviral drugs. Symptomatic treatment is also provided: for a runny nose - drops in the nose, for a sore throat - gargles and a spray, for a cough - expectorants.

Some children get sick with ARVI more often, others less often. However, everyone, without exception, suffers from such diseases, since there is no universal protection against viral infections transmitted and developing by the respiratory type. In winter, children get sick more often, because viruses are most active during this time of the year. In the summer, such diagnoses are also made. The frequency of diseases depends on the state of the immune system of each individual child.

It is a mistake to call ARVI a cold, says Yevgeny Komarovsky. A cold is hypothermia of the body. It is possible to "catch" ARVI without hypothermia, although it certainly increases the chances of contracting viruses.

After contact with a sick person and the penetration of the virus, it may take several days before the first symptoms appear. Typically, the incubation period for ARVI is 2-4 days. A sick child is contagious to others for 2-4 days from the moment the first signs of the disease appear.

Treatment according to Komarovsky

To the question of how to treat ARVI, Evgeny Komarovsky answers unequivocally: "Nothing!"

The child's body is able to cope with the virus on its own in 3-5 days, during which time the baby's immunity will be able to "learn" to deal with the causative agent of the disease and develop antibodies to it, which will come in handy more than once when the child encounters this pathogen again.

Antiviral drugs, which are abundantly presented on the shelves of pharmacies, are advertised on television and radio, promising to “save and protect from viruses” in the shortest possible time - nothing more than a successful marketing ploy, says Yevgeny Komarovsky. Their effectiveness has not been clinically proven. By and large, there is no cure for viruses.

The same applies to homeopathic medicines (Anaferon, Oscillococcinum and others). These pills are "dummies," the doctor says, and pediatricians prescribe them not so much for treatment as for moral comfort. The doctor prescribed (even a knowingly useless drug), he is calm (after all, homeopathic remedies are absolutely harmless), the parents are happy (after all, they are treating the child), the baby drinks pills consisting of water and glucose, and calmly recovers only with the help of its own immunity.

The most dangerous is the situation in which parents rush to give antibiotics to a child with ARVI. Evgeny Komarovsky emphasizes that this is a real crime against the health of the baby:

1. Antibiotics are completely powerless against viruses because they are designed to fight bacteria;
2. They do not reduce the risk of developing bacterial complications, as some think, but increase it.

Komarovsky considers folk remedies for the treatment of ARVI to be completely useless. Onions and garlic, as well as honey and raspberries, are useful on their own, but in no way affect the ability of the virus to replicate.

Treatment of a child with ARVI should be based, according to Evgeny Olegovich, on the creation of "correct" conditions and microclimate. Maximum fresh air, walks, frequent wet cleaning in the house where the child lives.

It is a mistake to wrap up the crumbs and close all the windows in the house. The air temperature in the apartment should not be higher than 18-20 degrees, and the air humidity should be at the level of 50-70%.

This factor is very important in order to prevent the mucous membranes of the respiratory system from drying out in conditions of too dry air (especially if the baby has a runny nose and breathes through his mouth). The creation of such conditions helps the body to cope with the infection faster, and this is what Evgeny Komarovsky considers the most correct approach to therapy.

With a very severe course of a viral infection, it is possible to prescribe the only drug acting on viruses "Tamiflu". It is expensive and not everyone needs it, since such a drug has a lot of side effects. Komarovsky warns parents against self-medication.

In most cases, it is not necessary to bring down the temperature, because it fulfills an important mission - it promotes the production of natural interferons that help fight viruses. An exception is infants under one year old. If the baby is 1 year old, and his fever is higher than 38.5, which has not subsided for about 3 days, this is a good reason to give an antipyretic agent. Komarovsky advises using "Paracetamol" or "Ibuprofen" for this.

Strong intoxication is also dangerous. In case of vomiting and diarrhea, which may accompany fever, the child should be given plenty of water, sorbents and electrolytes should be given. They will help restore water-salt balance and prevent dehydration, which is extremely dangerous for children in the first year of life.

Vasoconstrictor nasal drops with a cold should be used as carefully as possible.... For more than three days, small children should not drip them, since these drugs cause strong drug dependence. For cough Komarovsky advises not to give antitussives. They suppress the reflex by affecting the cough center in the child's brain. A cough with ARVI is necessary and important, since it is in this way that the body gets rid of accumulated phlegm (bronchial secretions). Stagnation of this secret can become the beginning of a strong inflammatory process.

Without a doctor's prescription, no cough remedies, including folk recipes for a respiratory viral infection, are needed. If the mother really wants to give the child at least something, let it be mucolytic agents that help to liquefy and remove phlegm.

Komarovsky does not advise getting carried away with medications for ARVI, since he has long noticed a pattern: the more tablets and syrups a child drinks at the very beginning of a respiratory viral infection, the more drugs will then have to be bought to treat complications.

Moms and dads should not be tormented by their conscience for not treating the baby in any way. Grandmothers and girlfriends can appeal to conscience, reproach parents. They should be adamant. There is only one argument: there is no need to treat ARVI. Reasonable parents, if a child is sick, do not run to the pharmacy for a bunch of pills, but wash the floors and cook dried fruit compote for their beloved child.

How to treat ARVI in children, Dr. Komarovsky will tell in the video below.

Do I need to call a doctor?

Evgeny Komarovsky advises to call a doctor for any signs of ARVI. Situations are different, and sometimes there is no such opportunity (or desire). Parents should learn the possible situations in which self-medication is deadly. A child needs medical attention if:

• There was no improvement in the condition on the fourth day after the onset of the disease.
• The temperature is increased on the seventh day after the onset of the disease.
• After the improvement, there was a noticeable deterioration in the baby's condition.
• Pain, purulent discharge (from the nose, ear), pathological pallor of the skin, excessive sweating and shortness of breath appeared.
• If the cough remains unproductive and the attacks become more frequent and worse.
• Antipyretic drugs have a short-term effect or do not work at all.

Emergency medical care is required if the child has convulsions, convulsions, if he loses consciousness, he has respiratory failure (inhalation is very difficult, wheezing is observed on exhalation), if there is no runny nose, the nose is dry, and against this background, the throat is very sore ( this may be one of the signs of developing sore throat). Call an ambulance if the child has vomiting on the background of fever, a rash or noticeably swollen neck.

Advice

• If it is possible to get your child vaccinated against the flu, then it is better to do so. True, parents should remember that she will only protect against the influenza virus. For other viruses mentioned above, vaccination is not a hindrance, and therefore the risk of ARVI and ARI remains high.
• According to Komarovsky, the prevention of ARVI and influenza with the help of antiviral agents is a story invented specifically to increase sales of expensive antiviral drugs. To save a child, you need to remember that the main source of infection is a sick person. During a period of mass morbidity, it is better to limit the child's visit to places where a large number of people gather. You need to walk more, take less public transport. It is much more difficult to get infected on the street (especially during the cold season) than in the cabin of a bus or trolleybus.
• A healthy child does not need a gauze or disposable mask. The patient needs it. It cannot be said that it will 100% protect others from infection, but to some extent it will reduce the spread of the virus from the patient in the environment.
• The child should not be forced to eat during illness. On an empty stomach, it is easier for the body to mobilize all its forces for the immune response. Drinking plenty of fluids is a must in the treatment of respiratory viral infections. The more the child drinks, the less likely the mucous membranes will dry out, the bronchial secretions will become thick and difficult to separate. The risk of complications will be significantly reduced.
• Flush your nose often with a saline solution, which is easy to make at home. You can bury it as often as you like. You can use ready-made saline solution, which is sold in any pharmacy.
• At high temperatures, you cannot rub the child with badger fat, make compresses, soar your feet in a basin, bathe the baby in hot water. All this disrupts thermoregulation. Bathing is best left for later when the fever subsides. Baths and saunas are also categorically not recommended - as, indeed, inhalation, cans, rubbing with alcohol-containing solutions.
• It is categorically impossible to take a child with ARVI to kindergarten or school, so as not to contribute to the formation of the epidemic. It is also better not to go to the clinic, so as not to infect children who are sitting in line with their parents for an appointment. It is advisable to call the doctor at home.
• If the temperature is high, the child should be put to bed. Bed rest will reduce the stress on the body. During the convalescent stage, when the airways begin to clear of phlegm, it is better to allow more movement. So the bronchial secretion will go away much faster.

Is it worth using antiviral agents with ARVI, see the transfer of Dr. Komarovsky.

The treatment of ARVI in children should be given due attention, given how important this issue is. Firstly, in the absence of proper therapy and in case of its untimely beginning, the likelihood of serious complications increases (especially since the child's body is not yet ready to resist the disease on its own). Secondly, children sometimes have to get sick with acute respiratory viral infections up to five times a year. This disease is highly prone to spreading rapidly.

To the healing process- especially when it comes to the health of the child - cannot be approached superficially... Before using this or that medication, you should definitely consult a doctor, read the instructions for the drug, find out its indications and contraindications, and read reviews of other users on the Internet. In addition, there are certain recommendations that should be followed to accelerate recovery.

The treatment of ARVI in a child must be approached seriously and responsibly

So, the treatment of ARVI in children will be ineffective if the following recommendations are not followed:

• Drink liquids as much as possible - in addition to ordinary drinking water, herbal, lemon and raspberry teas, compotes, and juices (preferably diluted) are useful.
• You should not feed the baby "by force" if he has no appetite and does not want to eat. Food should be easily digestible. In particular, one should remember about the benefits of dairy products, vegetables, fruits and cereals. Garlic is mandatory for inclusion in a therapeutic diet, since it contains phytoncides that destroy viruses.
• The room in which the sick child is located must be regularly ventilated. This will shorten the duration of the disease and avoid repeated self-infection. It is clear that while airing the baby it is better to take it to another room or dress it warmly.
• We must also not forget about wet cleaning, which helps to clean the surfaces of things and objects from viral agents that have settled on them. It's just undesirable to use chemical detergents in this case, so as not to harm children's health even more.

As a rule, it turns out to determine ARVI according to certain signs, which are sometimes difficult for adults to endure - what can we say about children (especially small ones) who suffer a lot because of:

• high temperature indicators of the body;
• severe rhinitis;
• coughing fits;
• general malaise.

Symptoms of the disease in children under 1 year old, 2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9 years old are, in principle, the same - only, the younger the child, the weaker his immunity (which has not yet been fully formed ) and, accordingly, it will be harder to endure the manifestations of infection. Is that small children who receive protective antibodies with breast milk are more resistant to the effects of the disease.

To reduce the suffering from too severe symptoms (and some of them - for example, too high a temperature - can generally lead to irreversible changes in the body, that is, are extremely dangerous to health), doctors prescribe drugs for the symptomatic treatment of ARVI.

What to give to a child with a high fever? Fever can be treated with antipyretics. In particular, children are allowed to use Panadol, Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, and so on.

The cough is treated with expectorants and antitussives (you should consult your doctor before choosing the appropriate drug for the appropriate therapy, as this depends on the nature of the cough and its causes).

Antiviral agents

How to treat a child if he is sick with ARVI? Without fail, the doctor prescribes antiviral drugs in order to eliminate the immediate cause of the disease, that is, the virus.

These drugs usually contain interferon, or inhibit this protein in the human body. It is interferon that kills the infection, preventing it from multiplying.

The earlier you start ARVI treatment, the easier it will be to cope with it.

In addition, drugs activate immune defenses, both local and general, as a result of which the virus is given a worthy rebuff.

Leukocyte interferon

This medicine is presented in the form of a dry powder for dissolution in water and instillation into the nose. It is sold in ampoules.

Designed to treat and prevent flu.

At the beginning of the treatment course, a couple of drops are instilled into each of the nostrils every couple of hours.

Also helps in the treatment of viral conjunctivitis.

Viferon

The treatment regimen for ARVI in children involves the use of Viferon suppositories, which have immunomodulatory and antiviral effects.

Along with vitamins, the drug contains artificial interferon.

As for the application, it is enough to put two candles a day, while the course is 10 days.

Grippferon

Here are nasal drops, which are often prescribed to children with ARVI. They can be drunk even by babies who have not yet reached one year of age. It is advisable to start using it at the very beginning of the disease. The duration of the therapeutic course is usually 5 days.

For children under the age of three, two drops three times a day are enough.

Children, starting from 3 years old and up to fourteen years of age, should also be given a couple of drops, but already 4 times a day.

Imudon

What to give a child who is 2 or 3 years old for the treatment of ARVI? These suckable tablets are fine.

Their main action is aimed at strengthening local immunity in the oropharyngeal region.

In addition to the therapeutic function, the agent is taken for the prevention of acute respiratory viral infections in children under 3 years of age.

The medicine wonderfully copes with the inflammatory processes that accompany the infection, treats stomatitis, pharyngitis and laryngitis.

Usually 6 tablets should be sucked in a day. You do not need to chew and drink.

Derinat

How to treat a child who is 1 or 2 years old and who has a cold? The doctor may prescribe Derinat drops, which have antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial effects. They also restore damaged tissues.

Derinat is an effective antiviral agent used to treat ARVI in children

For flu and other acute respiratory viral infections, it is necessary to take 3 drops every one and a half hours.

IRS-19

It is an effective nasal spray that strengthens local immunity. In addition to treatment, it is actively used for preventive purposes.

The drug is approved for children from the age of three.

No more than five injections are allowed per day. The course lasts until the symptoms of infections disappear. When injecting the product into the nose, you need to hold the bottle upright - the child's head should not be thrown back.

Arbidol

This drug helps the body produce the required amount of interferon. Children are usually given 50mg tablets:

• 2-6 years - one tablet a day is enough;
• 6-12 years old - you need to drink two tablets;
• everyone over the age of 12 (that is, the remedy is also suitable for treating adolescents) - 4 tablets are prescribed.

The treatment course lasts five days. At least 6 hours should pass between doses of the medicine.

Homeopathic remedies

Separately, it should be told about the benefits and effectiveness of homeopathic medicines, which are also prescribed for children.

Do these remedies help to cure ARVI in a child? Quite. In addition, one cannot fail to note their absolute safety and the absence of side effects. The most popular homeopathic remedies that can be used by children should be listed.

Oscillococcinum

This medicine is manufactured by French pharmacists. One tablet a day is enough, which is placed under the tongue and held there until it dissolves. it is best to do this a quarter of an hour before meals or an hour later.

Doctors note the possibility of allergic reactions in those who have an individual intolerance to the components of the drug.

Antigrippin (Agri)

Produced by a domestic manufacturer in the form of granules in a double bag (with two compositions). Differs in anti-inflammatory, sedative and antipyretic effects. Helps to cope with signs of intoxication of the body (headache, muscle aches, general malaise). Treats catarrhal symptoms (like runny nose, cough and throat pains). Does not allow complications to develop.

Among other things, this tool is used to prevent colds.

Antigrippin has anti-inflammatory, sedative, and antipyretic effects.

The medicine is taken internally, regardless of when the food is consumed. Take five pellets each time. For fever - every hour from two packets. After the temperature has subsided, two hours later. The course lasts until recovery, but should not exceed 10 days.

Aflubin

Produced by Austrian pharmacists. Performs anti-inflammatory, immunostimulating and antipyretic functions. Does not allow the development of bacterial complications, reduces the duration of intoxication.

The product is diluted in water (a tablespoon is enough) and taken at least half an hour before eating. Hold the medicine in your mouth before swallowing.

• For the smallest babies, it is enough to drink up to 8 drops a day.
• Children under 12 years of age - 24 drops a day will be enough;
• Everyone over 12 years old should drink up to 80 drops per day.

Anaferon

A drug made by a domestic manufacturer. In addition to stimulating the immune system, it successfully fights viruses.

The tablet should be resorbed: at first, take one tablet every 30 minutes, and then three pieces a day are enough.

The tool is used not only in treatment, but also to prevent infection with acute respiratory viral infections.

Influenza-Hel

Medicine from German pharmacists. Fights inflammation and stimulates the immune system. It treats flu-like conditions, including headache, fever, malaise, and loss of appetite.

It is advisable to take it already at the first signs of ARVI in a child. Three pills a day are enough, but if the case of the disease is acute, in the first couple of hours it is necessary to drink a pill every quarter of an hour.

The combination of this medication with Traumeel C, as well as with Engystol, is effective.

Influcid

Another medication from German pharmacists. Designed to increase the defenses of the child's body, fights inflammation and helps to cope with coughs.

Before swallowing the pill, it should be held in the mouth for a while. This is best done about 30 minutes before eating.

Influcid helps to strengthen the defenses of the child's body

Children under the age of 12 need to drink a pill every couple of hours (but so that they drink no more than 9 pieces per day). When the health situation improves slightly, three pieces a day are enough.

Sandra

Here is another medicine from a domestic manufacturer that will help your baby cope with ARVI.

Especially worth noting is its antipyretic effect, as well as its ability to cope with inflammatory processes.

Traumeel S

This drug is prescribed to children when the initial symptoms of viral infections appear. It is produced by a German manufacturer.

It effectively copes with tissue swelling, which is indispensable for inflammatory processes. But the remedy is useful not only as first aid, but also as a medicine that can be taken throughout the full course of treatment (up to recovery).

Enough three tablets per day. They need to be kept in the mouth until they are completely absorbed. It is best to do this before meals (half an hour), but it can also be done after meals (when at least an hour has passed).

Faringomed

This remedy, made by a domestic manufacturer, helps to alleviate the symptoms of infectious diseases, relieving people of swelling, redness and throat pain.

Children should love this medication as it comes in the form of a pleasant tasting caramel, which must be kept in the mouth until it is completely absorbed.

Viburcol

Suppositories from a German manufacturer that fight fever, soothe pain and relieve inflammation.

In the acute phase of the disease, you can use up to 6 suppositories per day. When there is an improvement, 3 candles are enough.

Babies who are not yet six months old are also allowed to use this medication, but no more than two suppositories per day.

conclusions

How and what to treat a child with ARVI, no matter how old he is, parents should learn from a qualified doctor. Trying to prescribe something on your own is not just useless, but unsafe, because instead of helping the baby, you risk harming him.

A sick child must be shown to a doctor.

As a rule, the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections should be complex, that is, along with taking various drugs, certain recommendations will need to be followed. Only in this case - with a serious and responsible approach to treatment - can we talk about the possibility of a speedy recovery.

Acute respiratory diseases (ARI), known as colds, account for more than half of all childhood illnesses. Two-thirds of visits to a pediatrician are associated with colds. This is due, firstly, to the infectious nature of acute respiratory infections, which can quickly spread in a team, and secondly, to the variety of microorganisms that cause diseases: most acute respiratory infections are caused by viruses. The ARIs caused by viruses are called acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI). These include influenza, parainfluenza, adenovirus, enterovirus and other infections. 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 every 3-4 years, when a type of pathogen appears against which most people have no immunity.

For the overwhelming majority of patients, only severe forms of the disease and complications that easily arise in children (pneumonia) pose a threat to life. The most severe among all SARS is the flu. SARS and flu usually end in recovery.

Causes of ARVI

Get infected children from patients who secrete viruses during the entire illness (7-10 days) and virus carriers.

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

Susceptibility to ARVI and influenza is high in children of all ages, including newborns. Children in nurseries, kindergartens, schools are especially often sick. Frequent recurrent diseases occur due to the fact that immunity after suffering ARVI 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. In children of the first year of life, colds with the same frequency are caused by influenza viruses, parainfluenza, adenoviruses. There is an opinion that newborns and children in the first two to three months of life, especially those who are breastfed, are less susceptible to colds due to the presence of immune protection transmitted by the mother. However, it must be taken into account that hereditary and congenital diseases of the respiratory tract, unfavorable environmental factors, inadequate child care, violation of the feeding regime and rules, the presence of colds in family members increase the risk of a child's illness.

Symptoms of ARVI in a child

The manifestations of acute respiratory infections in children of the first year of life, regardless of the type of virus, have common features. As a rule, the state of health worsens: anxiety appears, the child cries more often, he loses interest in the environment, sleep is disturbed, appetite disappears - all this is due to the development of viral intoxication, swelling of the mucous membranes and nasal congestion, "stuffing" of the ears and painful sensations in them. The child's temperature rises, often quite significantly (above 38-38.5). Against this background, lethargy, weakness, and seizures may develop. Frequent signs of ARVI are rapid breathing (shortness of breath), runny nose, sore throat and chest pain, perspiration, and coughing. All these manifestations of colds are due to the fact that viruses penetrate the cells lining the respiratory tract, irritate the mucous membrane and develop inflammation in different parts of the respiratory tract.

In young children, acute respiratory viral infections, especially influenza, are more severe and often cause severe complications. There is a very high risk of developing inflammation of the ear (otitis media), maxillary sinuses (sinusitis), inflammation of the bronchi and lungs (bronchitis, pneumonia). These diseases, in turn, determine the formation of a contingent of so-called frequently ill children.

ARVI treatment in children

Patients with mild and moderate forms of ARVI are treated at home. The indications for hospitalization are:

1. Severe ARVI, the presence of complications (pneumonia, croup - regardless of the degree of stenosis, etc.).
2. Children under 1 year of age and from 1 to 3 years old.
3. Epidemiological and material and living conditions: from closed children's groups, unfavorable living conditions, not provided with care, etc.

Basically, children should get sick at an early age, so they train their immune systems to deal with the harmful effects of the environment. But it is worth worrying about a decrease in immunity when the doctor took your child to the group "often and long-term ill children." The term "frequently ill children" is used to describe children with frequent acute respiratory illnesses. Currently, this category includes children with acute respiratory infections:

> under the age of 1 more than 4 times a year,
> at the age of 1 to 5 years - 5-6 per year,
> at an older age - more than 4 diseases per year

The term "long-term ill children" is used in children whose cold lasts more than 2-3 weeks with each episode of illness.

In order to prevent such complications, it is important to start the correct treatment as early as possible, when the first signs of a cold appear. However, parents' independent choice of over-the-counter drugs is a big tactical mistake. Only a doctor can correctly assess the child's condition, diagnose and prescribe the necessary treatment, taking into account the characteristics of infancy, the course of the disease and the action of the recommended remedies.

Every mother needs to remember that a rise in temperature, a change in the child's behavior, refusal to eat, the appearance of signs of a cold is a reason for consulting a doctor. You can call a doctor at home by calling the registry, on weekends you can always call the doctor on duty. If the child's temperature is higher than 38.5-39.0, does not get confused by the usual children's antipyretic drugs, or shortness of breath, noisy, shortness of breath joins, the child does not respond to stimuli, or convulsions appear - do not hesitate, urgently call an ambulance.

After consulting a doctor, you can start treating your child with safe and effective measures at the same time. These include the use of plant substances (phytopreparations). The pharmacies offer a wide selection of simple herbal preparations based on the herb thermopsis, thyme; roots of ipecac, licorice, marshmallow; pine buds, linden; eucalyptus leaves, coltsfoot, plantain, etc. Modern combined herbal preparations are very popular: bronchicum (cough syrup, balm, inhalate, bath extract), Doctor Theiss (cough syrup, balm), Doctor MOM (cough syrup, ointment), Tussamag (balm , cough syrup) and others. Combined preparations, which include simple herbal substances, are more effective, have optimal healing properties and are well tolerated. They can be used in the form of rubbing (rubbing), baths, inhalations, and also taken orally in the form of a cough syrup. Dosage forms such as decoctions, drops, elixirs, lozenges, lozenges, capsules are not prescribed for young children.

Modern drugs-immunomodulators have proven themselves well in the treatment and prevention of colds in children. They noticeably activate the immune response of the child's body to infection, due to which the duration of the disease is halved on average, the cold itself is noticeably easier, and the risk of complications is reduced to zero. Immunomodulators are effective, as a rule, if you start taking them from the first signs of acute respiratory infections, no later than the 3rd day of illness.

ARVI treatment at home

In addition to the use of drugs, there are a number of measures that can alleviate the condition of a sick child. Every mother should be able to carry out this or that procedure at home. First of all, in case of acute respiratory infections, it is necessary to raise the head end of the bed or place a pillow under the child's head, as regurgitation, increased salivation may occur, and with a cough and a runny nose - the separation of sputum and mucus from the respiratory tract. With a low head position, there is a risk of aspiration (inhalation) of the discharge and the development of suffocation. In addition, the elevated position of the head relieves the difficulty of breathing with a cold. The air in the room should be moderately humid and warm. Ventilate the room often, but not with a sick child.

Bed rest is prescribed until the temperature normalizes and the acute symptoms of ARVI subside (for 6-7 days). The child needs to be given an additional amount of fluid, since with fever there is an increased loss of it with sweat, breathing and physiological secretions. Food should be age-appropriate in calories and food ingredients, but mechanically and chemically gentle, moderately warm with limited sodium chloride, with sufficient vitamin content. A dairy-plant diet with the inclusion of fruits and vegetables is more commonly used. Children should be given water more often, giving tea with 5% sugar, compote, cranberry juice. During the period of convalescence, food should not differ from physiological, but be enriched with vitamins. Many children during the period of illness and for several days after it refuse to eat in the previous regime, in this case it is impossible to insist, the additional load on the digestive organs can slow down the healing process. Let the baby eat what he wants and how much he wants. After a complete recovery, the appetite will be restored.

When the first signs of a cold appear in young children, treatment can be started with rubbing, therapeutic baths and compresses. It must be remembered that these procedures can be carried out only at a body temperature not higher than 38 ° C and in the absence of damage and skin diseases. A temperature that does not reach this limit does not require special treatment: it indicates that the body is fighting the infection on its own. At temperatures above 38 ° C, non-drug treatments can be used. They will help to reduce the temperature of wiping with warm water: the child is covered with a sheet, the leg is opened, quickly wiped, put under the sheet, opened another, wiped, closed, and so on. Small enemas with room temperature water (20-30 ml) are also effective. In the absence of effectiveness from the procedure from medicines, it is safest for a child to use paracetamol from temperature in an age-specific dosage and form. At least 2 hours should pass between doses of the medicine.

Rubbing the skin of the chest, back, neck, legs and feet can be carried out using bronchicum-balsam, eucalyptus balm "Doctor Theiss", ointment "Doctor MOM", tussamag-balsam and others. Rubbing into the skin is carried out for 5-7 minutes 2-3 times a day and always at night, at the end of the procedure, the child should be wrapped in flannel or soft wool. Rubbing is recommended for children of all ages, starting from birth.

Healing herbal baths are also indicated for children of any age. For children under one year old, a water temperature of about 38 ° C is recommended, this temperature must be maintained during the entire bath, that is, 10-15 minutes. The required volume of the herbal preparation is dissolved in water: bronchicum bath with thyme (20-30 ml), eucabal balm (a 10-20 cm long strip of balm is squeezed out of the tube). Repeat the bath daily if necessary. After the bath, the child should be wrapped up and put to bed. In case of excessive sweating, it is necessary, some time after taking a bath, to carefully change the child's clothes into warm, dry clothes.

Compresses on the chest are made using any vegetable oil: the child is wrapped in a soft cloth moistened with oil heated in a water bath, after which thin polyethylene is applied, then a cotton or woolen pad, and all this is fixed on the chest with a bandage or kerchief. Compresses are made for a period of at least 2 hours, they can be repeated up to 2-3 times a day.

The therapeutic effect of rubbing, medicinal baths and compresses is due to the content of aromatic (essential) oils in herbal preparations. During the procedure, they freely penetrate the skin into the blood and lymph and have a healing and calming effect: the child's general well-being and heart function improve. In addition, when taking herbal baths, aromatic vapors penetrate the respiratory tract, contributing to the restoration of normal breathing.

Bronchicum-balm, eucalyptus balm “Doctor Theiss”, ointment “Doctor MOM”, tussamag-balm for colds contain eucalyptus, camphor, coniferous (pine) and nutmeg oils. They relieve inflammation, thin phlegm, eliminate obstacles to its excretion, improve breathing, and reduce coughing. In addition, when heated to body temperature, essential oils become volatile and have a healing effect also when inhaled. Thanks to the double effect, rubbing in balms and ointments is an emollient for colds.

Difficulty in nasal breathing with ARVI and influenza disturbs the child, interferes with sucking in infants, interferes with sleep. In young children who cannot blow their nose, it is easiest to remove mucus from the nasal passages with a rubber bulb, but this requires caution and skill, you can clean the nose with soft cotton swabs moistened with sterile vegetable oil or boiled water. If the child knows how to blow his nose, then each nostril must be cleaned in turn, pinching the other, otherwise the infection can get into the eyes and ears. The weak effect of medications for the common cold is most often associated, on the one hand, with the fact that the wrong medication is used, and, on the other hand, that it is premature to expect a result immediately after the first injection. Nasal drops, according to the mechanism of local action, refer to vasoconstrictor agents that relieve swelling of the inflamed mucous membrane and thereby improve the passage of air through the nose, therefore, such drops should be used only with congested nasal breathing. Naphthyzinum or galazolinum, the most commonly used for this purpose, have children's 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. To wash off microbes from the mucous membrane, it is better to use pharmacy saline solutions, including sea salt, at any stage of the common cold.

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

To reduce a runny nose and cough, it is advisable to use inhalations - inhalation of vapors of plant substances containing aromatic oils; they get directly into the respiratory tract, envelop and moisturize them, relieve irritation, cough. For inhalations are used: bronchicum-inhalate containing aromatic oils of eucalyptus, pine needles, thyme; ointment "Doctor MOM", eucalyptus balm "Doctor Theiss", tussamag-balm and other means. For newborns and infants, inhalation is carried out in a special way: with the help of evaporation from an open container (pan) of hot water with a herbal substance dissolved in it. In this case, the windows and doors of the kitchen (or other room where the waking or sleeping child is located) must be tightly closed. The proportions of the solution for inhalation: for 2-2.5 liters of hot water 2-3 teaspoons of balm, inhalate or ointment. The child should be in this room and inhale vapors for 1-1.5 hours.

The combination of baths, rubbing and inhalation leads to a speedy recovery. Correct rubbing, baths, compresses and inhalations with the help of herbal substances cannot harm the health of the child. However, these procedures must be agreed with the doctor, just like taking cough syrups by mouth.

Herbal cough syrups prescribed for infants from 6 months. Shake syrups before use. Store them in a cool, dark place. Here are the characteristics of some syrups:

Bronchicum is a cough syrup (contains thyme, rose hips, honey and other substances), it is prescribed by mouth for 0.5 teaspoon 2-4 times a day. It is undesirable to use syrup in the first months of life, since it contains honey. When taking bronchicum syrup on the 3-5th day, the cough softens, it becomes more rare.

"Doctor Theiss" - cough syrup with plantain, is applied orally by 0.5 teaspoon every 2-3 hours (with a night break). Recommended for coughs with difficult sputum separation.

"Doctor MOM" - herbal cough syrup (contains licorice, basil, saffron), applied orally 0.5-1 teaspoonful 3 times a day. Especially recommended for perspiration, irritable, convulsive cough.

Tussamag - cough syrup (contains thyme extract), used from 9-12 months, 0.5-1 teaspoon 3 times a day. It is especially indicated for dry coughs.
All herbal substances at home are used as directed by a doctor and only for the treatment of mild colds in young children. Severe ARVI, suspected complications require inpatient treatment.

Prevention of influenza

Prevention of influenza is carried out with the help of specific vaccine prophylaxis. The vaccination time must be prior to the onset of the influenza epidemic, as vaccines are designed to address circulating influenza viruses during a given season. Special vaccines are used for young children, schoolchildren, adults and the elderly. Rarely there is a reaction to the vaccine in the form of short-term malaise, fever. It proceeds much easier than the disease, and one should not be afraid of it. Immunity is formed only against the flu, so a vaccinated child may well get sick with another viral disease.

Anyone with the flu should be isolated from healthy people. You will say that it is difficult to isolate a child. And you will be right. After all, he constantly needs something. In order to minimize the risk of infection, put a 6-layer gauze bandage on the sick person if it is SARS or flu. Change the dressing for a new one every 3 hours. It is good to ventilate the room where the patient was, and regularly carry out wet cleaning. For everyone who comes into contact with a sick flu, it is recommended that interferon be instilled into the nose for a week, aflubin, arbidol, ascorbic acid or dibazol can be given. Adults are advised to take rimantadine in a prophylactic dose, arbidol. It is useful for children over 1 year old to prescribe algire.

The category of preventive measures also includes hardening, restorative procedures, a full summer rest, a healthy lifestyle: adherence to the daily regimen, regular walks, age-appropriate sleep, the use of fresh fruits, garlic and onions.

It should be noted that smoking by parents is harmful to the child, since the tobacco smoke that the child inhales has a harmful effect on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and promotes inflammation.

Very interesting is the use of inhalations using essential oils - aromatherapy to protect against infections. Place an icon lamp in the middle of the room, drip fir or eucalyptus oil on a saucer and light a candle. Gradually evaporating, the molecules of the odorous antimicrobial substance will do their job. It is even better to all this, at night, each family member to eat a clove of garlic.

Prevention of ARVI in children

One of the topical issues in the autumn-winter period is the prevention of respiratory infections in children of different ages.

Non-specific prophylaxis involves the use of both general and special means and methods (drugs and procedures that increase non-specific resistance to infectious agents and antiviral drugs). Non-specific seasonal immunocorrection during an influenza epidemic or local outbreaks of other acute respiratory infections is complemented by emergency (according to epidemic indications) prevention, which is carried out with antiviral drugs.

Non-specific prevention of influenza and ARVI in preschool children.

The most time-consuming method, although more gentle for the body, is to increase the nonspecific resistance of the child's body, the so-called nonspecific prophylaxis, which includes a whole range of measures.

First of all, these are tempering procedures, ranging from the most affordable - foot baths or walking barefoot to visiting the pool and classes in health centers. When hardening, the following principles should be adhered to:

Hardening procedures can only be performed on healthy children; contraindications are febrile conditions, a period of early convalescence after acute respiratory infections, diseases with serious dysfunctions of the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous systems;
- start with low doses of hardening effects, followed by their gradual increase, for example, daily reducing the temperature of water for foot baths or herbal tincture for gargling by 1 degree;
- to use the effect on the body of various environmental agents - water, air, ultraviolet rays;
- carry out the procedures regularly, alternating between weaker and stronger hardening agents throughout the hardening period;
- strive to create positive emotions during the procedures.

Of paramount importance is complete nutrition, rich not only in proteins, but also in vitamins. The best way is to take a multivitamin.

Complex vitamin preparations Vetoron and Vetoron-E (orally 3-4 drops from 5 years old, from 7 years old - 5-7 drops once a day or in capsules with 6 years old, 5-80 mg once a day).

Vitamins C, A and group B should be widely used in age-related dosages. The optimal ratio of these vitamins is contained in the preparations "Geksavit", "Revit", "Dekamevit" and "Undevit". They are recommended to be taken in age-specific dosages 2-3 times a day after meals for a course of 20-30 days.
In the cold season, children are advised to use rosehip syrup, 1 teaspoon per day.

The recognized means of enhancing nonspecific resistance are adaptogens- harmless biologically active substances of plant or animal origin, capable of restoring impaired body functions. Many biologically active additives (BAA) are such drugs. As a rule, adaptogens are prescribed during periods of seasonal overvoltage of the adaptive mechanisms of the body - in autumn and spring. In relation to acute respiratory infections, these drugs have a fairly pronounced protective effect. Long-term use (for 1-2 months) of adaptogens is not accompanied by any side effects, but one should remember about the possible individual intolerance and the presence of contraindications for some of them, therefore it will be necessary to consult a pediatrician on this matter.

The most popular adaptogens are extracts from the roots of Eleutherococcus and ginseng, tincture of aralia, preparations of echinacea, seaweed (Fitolon), pine and spruce needles ("coniferous tablets-lesmin"), honey ("vitamedin"), as well as adaptogens of animal origin : from royal jelly - "apilak", mussel hydrolyzate - "viramid", from maral antlers - "pantocrin", etc.

Schemes for the use of the main adaptogens:

Immunal - 5-10 drops orally (1-3 years), 10-15 drops (from 7 years) 3 times a day;
Echinacin - 5 ml orally (up to 3 years), 10-15 ml (from 4 years) 2 times a day;
Dr. Theiss - Echinacea tincture - orally from 1 year old - 10-20 drops 3 times a day;
Echinacea Hexal - orally, 5-7 drops from 12 years of age and older, 2 times a day.
Eleutherococcus extract - 1-2 drops per year of life, 2 times a day for 25-30 days.
Aralia tincture - 1-2 drops per year of life 1 time per day 30 minutes before meals for 2-3 weeks.

For the specific prophylaxis of diseases of bacterial etiology in frequently ill children with reduced resistance, it is proposed to use vaccine-type immunomodulators containing antigenic determinants of the most common bacterial pathogens of respiratory infections.

To address issues of emergency prevention, great importance is attached to drugs that have a quick protective effect against all pathogens of acute respiratory infections. As means of emergency prophylaxis, irrigation of the oral cavity with decoctions of medicinal herbs (chamomile, calendula, sage, etc.), Kalanchoe juice, garlic and onion (diluted 20-30 drops per glass of water), as well as local bacterial immunocorrectors ( Imudon, IRS-19).

“My child has caught a cold again” - how often this phrase occurs in everyday life! Two thirds of visits to a pediatrician are due to a cold. But not a single doctor will write the diagnosis "cold" in children's certificates and cards. Instead, doctors use a mysterious combination of letters: "ARVI". What is it? We will consider the symptoms and treatment of this letter combination in our article.

ARVI: what is it?

There are more than 200 viruses that can cause ARVI.

ARVI (acute respiratory viral infection) is a huge group of diseases that are caused by various DNA and RNA viruses (there are about 200 of them). They affect the respiratory system and are easily transmitted by airborne droplets. The disease always occurs acutely and proceeds with pronounced cold symptoms. The following infections belong to ARVI:

• flu;
• parainfluenza;
• adenoviral;
• reoviral;
• rhinovirus;
• coronary viral;
• enteroviral;
• respiratory syncytial virus (PS viruses), etc.

During the course of the disease, several main stages can be distinguished:

• Penetration of the virus into the body through the mucous membrane of the oropharynx or gastrointestinal tract; its introduction into sensitive cells, followed by reproduction in them and their destruction (destruction).

Clinically, this manifests itself in the form of acute catarrhal phenomena: mucosal edema, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, lacrimation, etc.

• Entering the blood and circulating the virus in the blood (viremia).

At this time, symptoms of general intoxication of the body appear (lethargy, weakness, nausea, vomiting, loose stools, etc.) and an increase in body temperature.

• Damage to internal organs, mainly the respiratory system (but the virus can choose another location, for example, the liver, kidneys, heart, gastrointestinal tract, and also penetrate the nervous system: blood vessels and brain cells);

In this case, symptoms occur that are characteristic of inflammatory processes in the affected organs. So, when an infection enters the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea begins, and when brain cells are damaged, headaches, sleep disturbances, and pain in the eyes begin.

• Layering of bacterial infection.

This is due to the loss of its protective functions by the mucous membrane. In such conditions, it is much easier for pathogenic microorganisms to survive, they quickly penetrate into damaged tissues and begin to actively multiply there. Clinically, in this case, the mucous discharge from the nose or bronchi becomes purulent, acquires a yellowish-greenish color.

• Development of complications.

"Thanks to" viremia and the penetration of a new infection into the body, it becomes possible to develop various complications of ARVI, and not only in the respiratory tract. The nervous, genitourinary or endocrine systems, and the digestive tract can be affected.

• Reverse development of the disease leading to recovery.

In most cases, ARVI is quickly cured, leaving behind a short-term unstable immunity. But the pathogen can remain in the body for some time, and the adenovirus is the longest.

Despite the fact that the disease can be caused by different viruses, the mechanism of transmission of infection, symptoms and treatment methods are practically the same.

Parents should be aware that ARVI and ARI (acute respiratory disease) are not exactly the same thing. ARI is an even more generalized group of diseases, which includes both ARVI and other colds that are caused by bacteria and fungi, but still only affect the respiratory system and are transmitted by airborne droplets. The diagnosis of acute respiratory infections can be made if the doctor is not sure that the cause of the disease is the virus. The symptoms and mechanism of infection with acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections are almost the same. However, the treatment of these groups of diseases may differ slightly.

Causes of ARVI

The reason for the occurrence of ARVI is one: infection with a virus from a sick person (it releases the pathogen within 7-10 days from the moment of illness, with adenovirus this period can stretch up to 25 days); less often - from a virus carrier.

When coughing, sneezing or talking, the virus with droplets of sputum gets on the surrounding objects and things. Therefore, it is quite easy to catch ARVI: when kissing, using shared utensils, toys, towels, or simply being in an insufficiently ventilated room where there is a sick child.

Most viruses enter the body through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. And only enteroviruses and some types of adenoviruses can enter the body through the gastrointestinal tract.

Children attending child care facilities are especially often sick: kindergartens, schools, circles. After all, there they use common toys, utensils, and they just breathe on each other in playrooms that do not differ in a large area. With such close communication, the infection is transmitted very quickly, often causing quarantine at school or kindergarten. In addition, the child's immunity is not yet strong enough to cope with the numerous attacks of bacteria and viruses. Therefore, children get sick with ARVI more often than adults.

Sometimes it happens that, not having time to really recover, the child again falls ill. This is due to the fact that each time a specific immunity is developed, that is, strictly against a certain type of virus that the baby had had the day before. But for other types of pathogen, his body is still vulnerable. It should be noted that in any case, immunity to viral infections is unstable and short-lived. After a few weeks, it goes away, which can lead to repeated illnesses.

SARS symptoms

Catarrhal syndrome, which includes a runny nose, pain when swallowing, coughing, sneezing, lasts about 7 days.

The disease is of a pronounced seasonal nature. Most often, children get sick during the cold season, when the body is weakened by many factors (few sunny days, low air temperature, lack of vitamins, frequent hypothermia). All this sharply weakens the child's immunity, and his body becomes vulnerable.

Parainfluenza outbreaks occur during the transition period between winter and spring, and RS viruses are common in late December and early January. Enterovirus and adenovirus infections can occur all year round: both in winter and in summer.

All ARVIs begin equally acutely and are characterized by the manifestation of two syndromes: intoxication and catarrhal symptoms.

Catarrhal syndrome(lasts about a week):

• sneezing (the virus enters the nasopharynx, the body tries to expel it);
• runny nose and watery eyes (mucus production increases, this suggests that the body is still trying hard to get rid of the enemy);
• cough;
• redness of the throat, pain when swallowing.

Intoxication syndrome:
In connection with the circulation of the virus in the blood and damage to other organs and systems, new complaints appear.

From the nervous system:

• general weakness, lethargy, increased fatigue;
• an increase in body temperature (another way the body continues to fight the virus);
• chills;
• sweating;
• headache;
• Pain in the eyes;
• muscle pain (legs, arms, back);
• joint aches.

From the gastrointestinal tract:

• decreased appetite;
• loose stools;
• vomiting (is a sign of the strongest intoxication of the body).

On the part of the immune system, there is an increase in regional lymph nodes as a result of their inflammation.

In addition to the symptoms that are characteristic of the entire ARVI group, depending on the type of virus that caused the disease, additional signs may be noted.

Varieties of ARVI in children

Flu

Influenza is the most serious illness of the entire ARVI group. At the moment, there are three independent types of influenza virus - A, B and C, as well as several of their varieties - A1, A2 and B1. But the virus constantly mutates, and every day more and more new serotypes may appear.

The favorite localization of the virus is the mucous membrane of the trachea. At the stage of viremia, it affects the nervous system, the epithelium of the respiratory tract and blood vessels.

The disease begins abruptly with a high temperature, while there are bright signs of intoxication, and catarrhal phenomena, on the contrary, are weakly expressed.

The main distinguishing features of influenza from other acute respiratory viral infections are high fever, severe intoxication, symptoms of tracheitis and hemorrhagic syndrome (nosebleeds, petechiae - punctate hemorrhages in the mucous membranes and skin).

The initial manifestations of the disease are high fever, chills, malaise, and muscle pain. Then there is a headache, which is localized mainly in the forehead; lethargy, delirium. The child's face turns red, small hemorrhages appear in the sclera. In severe cases, signs of meningism and encephalitic reactions can be observed: loss of consciousness, convulsions, vomiting. Damage to the pancreas and liver dysfunctions are also possible.

After 3-4 days from the moment of illness, the temperature drops sharply, and the symptoms of intoxication disappear. But as a result of such changes, the patient feels weak and overwhelmed. In addition, catarrhal phenomena may intensify at this time.

Possible complications of the flu:

• pneumonia;
• myocarditis;
• radiculitis;
• neuralgia;
• neuritis;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases.

Parainfluenza

Four types of parainfluenza virus are now known - 1, 2, 3 and 4. This virus prefers to infect the mucous membrane of the larynx, therefore, symptoms of rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngotracheitis and asthmatic bronchitis are often present. Croup phenomena sometimes occur.

The disease can begin both acutely and gradually. The body temperature rises slightly, but lasts longer than with the flu. Additional symptoms that are characteristic of parainfluenza:

• slight runny nose;
• dry, barking cough;
• hoarse voice;
• chest pain when coughing.

The course of the disease is more benign than with the flu. Catarrhal phenomena and symptoms of intoxication are less pronounced.

Complications of parainfluenza are the same as in other acute respiratory viral infections. It can provoke an attack of pseudo-croup (laryngeal stenosis, characterized by swelling of the vocal cords and subglottic space), which is life-threatening.

Adenovirus infection

A symptom that distinguishes an adenovirus infection from other acute respiratory viral infections is conjunctivitis.

To date, more than 50 types of adenoviruses are known. These viruses may well multiply not only in the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx, but also in the gastrointestinal tract, and be excreted from the body with feces. In this case, the mechanism of transmission of adenovirus infection becomes alimentary (through food), and not just airborne droplets.

The disease is characterized by a protracted, often recurrent course with a long latent (latent) period. The favorite place of localization of the virus is the mucous membrane of the pharynx, nasopharynx, tonsils and conjunctiva. Adenovirus infection of some serotypes is characterized by a triad of symptoms: fever, pharyngitis, and conjunctivitis (pharyngoconjunctival fever).

Only with this type of ARVI is it possible to generalize the inflammatory process with the involvement of parenchymal organs, most often the liver (hepatitis). The spleen is enlarged, and the lymph nodes are also affected, especially when the infection penetrates through the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, the lymph nodes located in the mesentery are affected - a structure of connective tissue that holds all the loops of the small and large intestines.

Complications of adenovirus infection most often result from the addition of bacterial flora:

• rhinitis;
• tonsillitis;
• otitis;
• bronchitis;
• pneumonia;
• pleurisy.

Rheo- and rhinovirus infection

More than 100 types of rhinoviruses are now known. The favorite place of localization of rhinovirus is the nasal mucosa, and reovirus prefers the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx and intestines.

Body temperature with this type of ARVI practically does not increase. The general condition is poorly disturbed and manifests itself in the form of headache, malaise and mild weakness. The main signs of such an infection are swelling of the mucous membrane, shortness of breath, profuse mucous discharge from the nose, redness of the conjunctiva. Further, there is a cough, sore throat and herpetic eruptions. The disease lasts for about a week. Sometimes complications may appear:

• sinusitis;
• sinusitis;
• otitis;
• bronchitis;
• pneumonia.

Respiratory syncytial viral (PC viral) infection

The most common cause of damage to the lower respiratory tract. The favorite localization of the virus is the bronchial mucosa. The pathogen can enter the body not only through the nasopharyngeal mucosa, but also through the smallest bronchioles. Because of it, bronchitis, pneumonia and bronchial asthma develop.

In this disease, catarrhal symptoms and symptoms of intoxication are weak, but there are signs of bronchitis or bronchiolitis. The main distinguishing symptom is a dry, excruciating cough, which progresses rapidly. At the same time, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, fever and sore throat appear.

The disease lasts 10-12 days, but in some cases it can become protracted and recur periodically. Clinically, this is manifested by frequent bronchitis.

Enterovirus infection

The main symptomatology of the disease repeats the picture of rhinovirus infection, but very often additional phenomena arise:

• paroxysmal abdominal pain, which may resemble appendicitis;
• loose stools;
• nausea.

The course of the disease can be complicated:

• serous meningitis;
• exanthema;
• herpetic sore throat.

Other complications of ARVI:

• encephalopathy;
• meningoencephalitis;
• polyneuropathy;
• stomatitis;
• diseases of the genitourinary system (cystitis, nephritis);
• various lesions of the digestive tract, including intestinal obstruction associated with an increase in mesenteric (mesenteric) lymph nodes with adenovirus infection;
• acute and subacute pancreatitis.

Diagnostics of ARVI

Diagnosis of the disease is not only about collecting complaints and examining a sick child. For the treatment to give the best result, you need to carry out several additional diagnostic procedures:

• RIF and PCR (mucosal smear studies);
• serological methods (RSK and RNA), which are now used quite rarely due to their duration;
• at present, the immunofluorescent express method for detecting the antigen of viruses in the cylindrical epithelium of the nasal mucosa is most often used for diagnosis; its results are ready within 3-4 hours after taking a smear;
• X-ray of the lungs and consultation with a pulmonologist;
• ENT doctor's consultation and examination.

ARVI treatment

ARVI treatment is symptomatic. During the period of fever, the child is shown bed rest, and then - semi-bed rest.

There is no specific treatment for ARVI. Doctors always prescribe symptomatic therapy. Basic principles of ARVI treatment at home:

• strict bed rest (if possible) or at least limitation of the baby's motor activity: for example, to interest the child in a board game or read a book to him;
• frequent ventilation of premises and maintenance of optimum air humidity, especially during the heating season;
• do not force the child to eat, but often offer him warm drinks; food should be light and nutritious, and drink abundant;
• carry out inhalations over boiled potatoes, with soda or eucalyptus;
• rubbing the chest with balms and ointments containing herbal essential oils and warming ingredients (for example, Dr. Mom);
• warming up the chest with mustard plasters (cannot be put on children under one year old);
• rinsing the nose with salt water or special solutions based on sea water: Aquamaris, Salin, No-salt;
• with a runny nose, bury children's combined drops into the child's nose, which have not only a vasoconstrictor, but also an anti-inflammatory, disinfectant effect;
• at a temperature, give antipyretic drugs in the form of syrups or suppositories (Efferalgan, Paracetamol);
• with an upset of the gastrointestinal tract (vomiting, diarrhea), you need to take Regidron or Smecta to restore the water-salt balance;
• for shortness of breath, bronchodilator drugs that dilate the bronchi - ephedrine, aminophylline, help;
• give vitamins as a fortifying therapy, offer pure lemon and honey;
• to strengthen immunity: immunostimulants as prescribed by a doctor;
• antihistamines (for example, Claritin, Fenistil) reduce swelling, relieve nasal congestion;
• gargling with infusions of herbs: chamomile, sage, as well as Furacilin;
• Antiviral agents effectively help, for example, the innovative drug Ingavirin, which has shown its effectiveness against influenza viruses of type A, B, adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, and other acute respiratory viral infections. The use of the drug in the first two days of the disease promotes the accelerated elimination of viruses from the body, shortens the duration of the disease, and reduces the risk of complications;
• mucolytics and expectorant drugs that make phlegm less viscous and facilitate its excretion.

For the treatment of young children, it is best to use drugs in the form of syrups, suppositories. The tablets are prescribed for older children.

Parents should be aware that ARVI cannot be treated with antibiotics. In this case, they are powerless and help only with complications that have already arisen.

Indications for hospitalization:

• severe ARVI;
• the presence of complications such as convulsions, pneumonia, croup and other conditions that threaten the life of the child;
• babies up to three years old.

For children of different age groups, the causes, complaints and the course of the disease may differ slightly.

Newborns and children under 1 year

This category of children rarely suffers from ARVI, since they practically do not come into contact with strangers. In addition, breastfed babies have temporary immunity, which they received thanks to the maternal immunoglobulins contained in breast milk.

Most often, infection occurs from other household members, especially if the family has older children who can bring the virus from school or kindergarten. Sometimes the older generation becomes the culprit of the disease: parents or grandparents.

With an acute respiratory viral infection, the baby becomes restless, often cries, he loses sleep and appetite. Excessive moodiness appears, possibly upset stool. This is due to the development of general intoxication in the body and edema of the mucous membrane, which causes unpleasant sensations of nasal congestion and soreness of the ears. The body temperature rises, the child becomes lethargic and inactive. Seizures may occur at high temperatures.

Children under one year old may experience rapid breathing, shortness of breath, runny nose, cough, watery eyes, sore throat and sore throat. All these symptoms are associated with the fact that the virus gradually enters the body and gradually affects the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, causing inflammatory processes in them.

It should be noted that influenza in infants proceeds somewhat differently than in other age groups. It is characterized by a gradual onset and a low temperature, which indicates the child's inability to fight the infection. All this leads to the rapid addition of a secondary infection, purulent-septic complications and, as a result, to high mortality.

An attentive mother will always notice the first symptoms of discomfort. But how can you help your baby? First of all, call a doctor. Before he arrives, you can take some measures. Here are some guidelines:

1. Give your child as much liquid as possible, often and in small portions. This is necessary to eliminate intoxication. Babies up to 6 months old can only boiled water, a weak infusion of rosehip or chamomile, and older children - dried fruit compote, juices.
2. It is good if the baby is breastfed. This will strengthen the protective properties of his body.
3. If the child receives complementary foods, then he should contain as many vitamins as possible. Various fruit and vegetable purees are perfect for this purpose. It is better to exclude meat purees from the menu during the illness.
4. At a high temperature, the baby should never be wrapped up, otherwise it will overheat. It is best to put on natural cotton clothes and cover it with a blanket.
5. The temperature in the room where the sick baby is located should be kept within 20-22 0С.
6. Do not walk with the baby or bathe the baby until the temperature has subsided.

Subsequent measures can be applied only after examination by a doctor and according to his appointment:

1. At temperatures above 38 ° C, give an antipyretic (Nurofen, Efferalgan, Paracetamol), best of all in syrup or in suppositories, especially if the child has been vomiting.
2. With diarrhea and vomiting, you need to drink the baby with special drugs: Citroglucosolan, Regidron, etc.
3. For nasal congestion, you can use nasal drops in children's concentration, but not more than five days.
4. To strengthen the immune system, you can give Aflubin, Grippferon, Viferon.
5. Children from the age of six months can be given antitussive drugs in syrup: Dr. Thais, Dr. Mom, Bronchicum. But when buying, you need to be careful so that the pharmacist does not suggest medicines that suppress the cough reflex and lead to stagnation of mucus in the bronchi.

Preschoolers

Children attending preschool institutions - nurseries, kindergartens - most often get sick with ARVI. This is due to the fact that at this age (3-5 years) the child's immune system is still being formed and is not able to cope with the huge number of microorganisms with which it begins to actively contact. Particularly vulnerable are children who have only recently started going out. Such "home" kids, who used to rarely closely communicate with their peers and adults (perhaps on the playground), have practically no immunity to many viruses.

A characteristic feature of ARVI at this age is one: the disease can be complicated by asthmatic bronchitis with shortness of breath or signs of emphysema.

Pediatricians can advise on how to avoid frequent SARS at this age. The most important thing is not to rush to send your child to kindergarten. If there is no urgent need, then it is best to issue it for visiting an educational institution at the age of 4-5 years. It is at this time that the child's immune system will finally come on alert.

In addition, at this age, the child can already be explained why go to kindergarten. While younger kids are unlikely to understand the explanation, parting with their mother, even for half a day, will be very stressful for them. The body in this state is very vulnerable to infection.

But if, nevertheless, the child has to be sent to kindergarten, parents must do everything to make him sick as little as possible. Compliance with a few simple rules will help your baby to get stronger and less likely to stay at home due to illness.

1. Hardening the body is the first and most important component in strengthening the baby's immunity. These are frequent walks (not only with a kindergarten group, but also on weekends and evenings), running, walking barefoot, and water procedures. And it is advisable to start doing all this even before the child goes to kindergarten.
2. The doctor may prescribe drugs that strengthen the immune system, and vitamins.
3. Getting vaccinated on time is another step towards health.
4. After each return from kindergarten, you can wash your child's nose with a 1% solution of ordinary table salt, and before going outside, lubricate the nasal passages with antiviral oxolinic ointment.
5. What you can’t do is “overexpose” your child after an illness at home. Indeed, during this time, new viruses may appear in the group, to which he has not yet developed immunity, and he again risks getting sick.
6. But most importantly, the child needs to be set up to fight the infection. He must understand that these measures will help him not only to overcome the disease, but also to improve his health.

Pupils

This age group of children gets sick less often than preschoolers, which is due to the already finally formed immune defense of the body. But she sometimes fails. This is facilitated by numerous factors that appear only in this category.

Stress, overwork, inaccuracies in nutrition, cold rooms, running around naked on the street - this is not a complete list of factors that significantly reduce the immunity of a student. Irregular airing of the classrooms can also be added here; constant contact with pieces of furniture (desks, chairs, doorknobs), which almost no one ever carefully wipes; shaking hands between boys (girls can kiss each other on the cheek when greeting or use the makeup of a friend who has a cold).

These are just ideal conditions for transmission of infection by contact and airborne droplets. And only thanks to a strong immune system, ARVI does not so often "mow" the ranks of schoolchildren, especially high school students.

As for the treatment, here its principles do not differ at all from the therapy of toddlers or preschoolers, except perhaps with age-related doses of drugs.

The principles of prevention, which should be adhered to in adolescence, in many respects repeat those that are carried out in babies, only the priorities change:

1. The use of vitamins and vitamin-mineral complexes.
2. Children should not walk with wet feet; if this happened, then warming foot baths, which are prepared very simply, will help best here: you need to dissolve soda and mustard powder in equal amounts in water; after this procedure, be sure to wear warm socks.
3. If the child is cold, you can prepare a hot bath for him, but do not use this method too often, since water dries out the skin very much. Such baths are contraindicated at high temperatures.
4. More often prepare and give the child homemade vitamin drinks - fruit drinks from freshly frozen berries, juices, honey solution.
5. Schoolchildren can drink vitamin herbal teas to strengthen the immune system. It is best to take oregano, thyme, ivan tea, raspberries, calendula, chamomile, currants or lime blossom; herbs can be brewed either individually or as a collection. To get the result, you need to drink this tea for at least a month, 2-3 glasses a day.

Resume for parents

Frequent acute respiratory viral infections significantly reduce the child's immunity, promote the activation and development of foci of chronic inflammatory processes, and also cause an increased susceptibility of the body to various pathogens. In such cases, the formation of allergic reactions is quite possible.

If ARVI is layered on an already existing disease, then it will be difficult and with complications.

To avoid all these negative aspects, you need to teach your child from an early age to procedures that help prevent ARVI.

Prevention of ARVI requires patience, both from the parents and from the baby. But the reward will be the good health of the child and the good mood of the older generation.

Which doctor to contact

With ARVI, you need to contact a pediatrician. Treatment is carried out at home, only in case of severe disease, especially influenza, the child is hospitalized in an infectious diseases hospital. There he is examined by an ENT doctor and a pulmonologist, and if necessary, a consultation with a neurologist and other specialists is appointed. If the child is often sick, you need to visit an immunologist.

What to do at the first sign of a cold

ARVI is the most common viral disease. Almost all people tolerate it several times a year in a mild or subclinical form. SARS is especially common in children aged 1 to 6 years.

Newborns rarely become infected with the virus, since they have passive immunity received from their mother.

SARS usually starts with a runny nose

Why children get ARVI very often

According to statistics, normally a child can get ARVI from one to eight times a year. This is explained by the fact that the immunity that is developed by the child's body against one infectious agent is powerless over another. And there are a lot of viruses that cause disease.

Children who attend kindergarten are especially often infected. Some of them suffer from ARVI symptoms up to 15 times a year. They are referred to the group BSR ("often sick child").

The high incidence of ARVI is a serious pediatric problem. Indeed, a multiply recurring disease greatly affects the physical and mental development of the baby. His immunity decreases, and even chronic infectious foci can form in the body. Some children develop bronchitis, asthma, various pathologies of the pharynx and nose due to ARVI.

Causes of ARVI in a child

Among the main causes of ARVI, doctors distinguish:

• general hypothermia of the body;
• close contact with infected people (usually cold friends in kindergarten);
• the off-season period, when there are sharp changes in the weather, immunity is weakened;
• anemia, deficiency of vitamins and minerals;
• lack of physical activity;
• illiterate carrying out of tempering activities.

To avoid hypothermia of the child's body, he must be dressed for the weather.

These factors negatively affect the immune defense and contribute to the creation of conditions that are optimal for the spread and reproduction of viral agents.

Symptoms of ARVI in a child

Regardless of the infectious agent that provoked the onset of ARVI, the main symptoms of the disease are:

• inflammation of the respiratory system (runny nose, sore throat, perspiration, cough);
• damage to the mucous membranes, provoking the appearance of lacrimation, conjunctivitis;
• increased body temperature.

Also, with ARVI, the so-called general infectious syndrome is often observed. Under this term, pediatricians mean a condition when a patient suffers from pain in muscles and joints, his lymph nodes become inflamed and swollen.

ARVI always starts unexpectedly - the crumbs have a general infectious syndrome. If the causative agent is an adenovirus, then the respiratory organs are the first to be affected. But in some children, ARVI proceeds in an erased form. Then the parents cannot understand that the baby is sick. He becomes more moody, but he has no symptoms of infection.

High temperature with ARVI can persist for 3-4 days

When to call a pediatrician

To avoid the development of complications, it is important to seek medical attention for the following symptoms:

• the temperature is kept at around 38 ° C or higher, it does not get off well;
• the child is very lethargic, does not understand what is being told to him, loses consciousness;
• coughing up green or reddish sputum;
• there is swelling of certain parts of the body or limbs;
• the baby is tormented by convulsions;
• chest pain occurs;
• breathing is difficult;
• spider veins are observed on the skin.

Self-medication if at least one of these signs is present is unacceptable.

ARVI treatment in children

Treatment of ARVI in children under one year old and at an older age can be carried out at home if the doctor diagnosed a mild or moderate form of the disease. A pediatrician will prescribe a referral to a hospital for a child if:

• he is not 1 year old;
• there is a severe form of viral infection, fraught with complications.

First of all, with ARVI, intoxication is always removed. The patient is given a large amount of warm drink. If the treatment takes place in a stationary setting, droppers are given.

In a hospital setting, with a severe course of ARVI, a child can be given droppers

If a child has a fever, he is prescribed an antipyretic - syrup, tablets, rectal suppositories. The form of the preparation is always selected taking into account the age. If necessary, the drug can also be administered intramuscularly.

When coughing, bronchodilator compounds are used. If wheezing is heard, the temperature stays above 38.5 ° C, the question of the selection of antibiotics may arise. In parallel with them, it is advisable to drink antihistamines in order to minimize the risk of developing an allergic reaction.

If the larynx swells, antispasmodics are given, hydrocortisone injections are given (in the most severe cases).

Medicines to eliminate the symptoms of acute respiratory viral infections in children

Since ARVI is a viral infection, a sick child is shown taking an antiviral drug. Taking into account the severity of the symptoms, the state of the immune system and the age of the little patient, the doctor may prescribe:

• homeopathic composition;
• interferons, stimulants of interferon production;
• antiviral agent that destroys infectious agents;
• drugs to strengthen the immune system

Aflubin - help with ARVI

Among the most popular homeopathic antivirals are:

• Oscillococcinum;
• Aflubin;
• Vibrucol.

Interferon drugs include:

• Viferon;
• Grippferon;
• Kipferon;
• Amiksin;
• Cycloferon;
• Neovir.

• Ribavirin;
• Arbidol (Arpetol);
• Tamiflu;
• Rimantadin.

Strengthen and support the child's immune system:

• Immunal;
• Imudon;
• Riboxin;
• IRS-19.

Flu temperature

Children do not tolerate high temperatures well. Some even have seizures. To avoid them, it is necessary to give an antipyretic when the thermometer shows 38-38.5 o C.

If the temperature is below 38 ° C, it should not be brought down - the body needs it to destroy viral agents.

It is important for parents not to panic, to take measurements once an hour. With ARVI, the period of fever usually lasts no more than 4 days.

Cough in a child with ARVI

A cough with ARVI is usually accompanied by a runny nose, fever, pain when swallowing. It can be dry at first and then wet, or vice versa. If the cough is unproductive - the phlegm does not go away - the child's sleep is disturbed, appetite worsens.

With ARVI, sputum begins to stand out after 3-4 days. If a dry cough persists for a long time, it is necessary for the doctor to listen to the lungs of a small patient, since the likelihood of obstructive bronchitis is high.

If you have a strong cough, you need to visit the pediatrician additionally

Abdominal pain and vomiting from a respiratory viral infection

With ARVI, some children have a stomach ache. Because of this, parents begin to think that the child has an intestinal disorder. This symptom occurs due to the general intoxication of the body. But inflammation of the appendix can never be ruled out. Therefore, if the pain is severe, the baby is crying, you need to immediately call the ambulance team.

As for vomiting, with ARVI it occurs due to:

• a strong dry cough (viscous sputum irritates the throat, the gag reflex is triggered);
• intoxication;
• intolerance to drugs that were prescribed to the child.

Skin rash on the body

A rash on the skin of a child infected with SARS is the result of:

• the development of allergies to medications, food;
• fever (if the high temperature lasts for a long time, the permeability of the blood vessels increases, then small punctate hemorrhages resembling a rash form on the skin);
• complications of acute respiratory viral infections by meningococcal infection.

Conjunctivitis in childhood acute respiratory viral infections

Damage to the mucous membranes of the eyes with ARVI

Against the background of ARVI, conjunctivitis can be observed. First, one eye turns red and begins to fester, if the necessary measures are not taken, the infection passes to the second. The child complains of a feeling of sand, pain, lacrimation. He squints, cannot calmly look at the light.

With conjunctivitis, it is imperative to instill antibacterial drops such as Tobrex, Gentamicin sulfate. In this case, you need to process two eyes at once, even if the disease has so far affected only one of them.

Diet for ARVI in a child

With ARVI, children should follow a sparing diet. Parents should not force feed them. It is normal if appetite disappears during the illness - the body concentrates all its strength on destroying infectious agents.

It is necessary to offer the baby a plentiful drink, shabby soups, cereals. Berry and fruit fruit drinks, fermented milk products are very useful. Protein-rich meals should be the basis of the diet. If the patient is already 3 years old, he can be given fish - pike perch, cod.

You do not need to buy tasty harm to the baby, just to feed him at least something. From the use of muffins, chips, carbonated drinks, cheap yoghurts, his body will not receive any benefit.

How long can ARVI last in a child 1-6 years old

ARVI most often goes away in 5-7 days. In more severe cases, when the immune system is severely weakened, the symptoms of the disease can persist for up to 10 days.

It is believed that the patient becomes contagious from the first signs of the disease. The more time has passed since that moment, the less likely it is that others will get sick because of it. It also happens that a child looks healthy outwardly, but is already contagious, for example, if a viral infection proceeds in an erased form.

Hardening is the best prevention of ARVI

Prevention of ARVI in young children

In order not to get sick with ARVI, it is necessary to increase immunity. For this, pediatricians recommend:

• take walks in the fresh air more often, play outdoor games with the child;
• pay maximum attention to proper nutrition;
• sleep at least 10 hours a day;
• observe the daily routine

If a child is included in the BWD group, on the eve of the cold season, he needs to be given an immunomodulator, selected by an immunologist, a vitamin and mineral complex.

Consequences of ARVI in children

Every fifth child who has suffered from ARVI has complications. It can be:

• pneumonia, bronchitis;
• profuse rash all over the body;
• reactive arthritis (manifested by joint pain);
• sinusitis;
• otitis media, hearing impairment.

Therefore, there is no need to treat a viral infection as a disease that does not require attention. Her treatment must always be competent and timely.

When asked whether he ever had ARVI, each of us will answer in the affirmative. Indeed, acute respiratory viral infections are the most common infectious diseases. But when a nursing child suffers from this ailment, his parents are especially worried and worried.

The fact that these diseases, registered during periods free from mass outbreaks, are caused by different viruses, was proven back in 1987. Despite the variety of pathogens, acute respiratory viral infection, in general, always proceeds approximately the same. One of its first symptoms is fever, runny nose, and cough. Various pathogens, as it were, have not distributed among themselves the (respiratory) tract of a person, choosing for themselves a "favorite" place: rhinoviruses infect the nose; parainfluenza viruses - larynx; andenoviruses - pharynx; conjunctivitis - lymphoid tissue; respiratory syncytial virus - lower respiratory tract. The "attachment" of viruses to certain parts of the respiratory tract causes differences in the course of the disease. It is important to take into account that ARVI occurs not only in the form of acutely expressed forms, but also latently.

Disease manifestations

All ARVIs are characterized by the so-called symptoms of intoxication:

• temperature rise,
• anxiety, tearfulness,
• in children of the first year of life, stool disorders (more often - diarrhea) may occur,
• cough, runny nose.

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ARVI or acute respiratory viral infections are often called by the common name "colds". It is these diseases that prevail among diseases in children and force most often to turn to pediatricians.

What is the correct name: ARI or ARVI?

Both of these abbreviations are often found in medical records, and in certificates of a past illness, and in periodicals. Many parents do not understand if there is a difference between them, or if these are both valid names for the same disease.

Acute respiratory diseases (ARI) is the general name for the entire group of diseases of the respiratory organs of an infectious nature: both viral (ARVI) and bacterial. This means that acute respiratory viral infections are included in the group of acute respiratory infections along with bacterial inflammation of the respiratory tract.

In some cases, a disease that began as an obvious viral infection, with the addition of bacterial flora, can then be interpreted as acute respiratory infections. Both the name and understanding of the nature of the disease are sometimes important due to the different approaches to treatment.

Causes of ARVI

Symptoms and treatment of ARVI in children depend on the pathogen. SARS is caused by a whole group of viruses that differ in characteristic clinical manifestations, severity and other features. For example, influenza is one of the most severe viral infections of the respiratory tract, while rhinovirus infection is usually mild.

The following infections belong to ARVI:

• adenoviral;
• flu;
• reoviral;
• parainfluenza;
• respiratory syncytial;
• coronavirus;
• rhinovirus;
• enteroviral.

A virus carrier and a sick person are the source of infection. Viruses are released when talking, sneezing, coughing throughout the illness and infect objects around and in the air. The child becomes infected with a portion of the inhaled air. Viruses cause deep damage to the epithelial cells of the mucous membranes of the airways with a violation of their functions, the walls of blood vessels.

Susceptibility to viruses in children is high, even in a child under one year old. In the first three months, babies are protected by maternal antibodies obtained with breast milk.

The incidence is higher during the cold season. With a periodicity of 3-4 years, there are epidemics caused by a virus to which there is no immunity. SARS in children under 1 year old can cause parainfluenza viruses, enteroviruses, adenoviruses. The disease can be life-threatening in children at an early age with a severe course of viral infection and the development of complications (more often pneumonia)

Why children often get ARVI

Factors contributing to frequent ARVI in children are:

• closer contact of children in teams;
• a variety of pathogens: immunity, moreover, is not long-lasting, is developed only to one type of virus, other types and types of viruses can cause a new disease even in a child who has not fully recovered;
• insufficiently formed immune system in children under 2 years old or decreased immunity in older children under the influence of various factors;
• lack of physical activity or physical inactivity;
• the presence of chronic foci of infection;
• hypovitaminosis;
• anemia;
• insufficient care for children, allowing hypothermia, staying in wet shoes;
• insufficient hardening;
• unventilated rooms;
• lack of separation from a sick family member;
• unfavorable ecological situation;
• hereditary predisposition to respiratory diseases.

Symptoms

The incubation period of ARVI in children is short: from several hours to 3 days, depending on the type of infection, the infecting viral dose, the state of the child's defenses.

The first signs of ARVI in a child:

• anxiety or, conversely, lethargy;
• decreased appetite;
• fever with chills;
• sneezing, nasal congestion;
• dry cough;
• children in older age have a headache.

Symptoms of ARVI in children depend on the age of the child:

1. In the first year of life, the child becomes capricious, restless. A stuffy nose is the reason for breastfeeding and sleep disturbance, since the baby does not yet know how to breathe through the mouth. Acute respiratory illness quickly causes shortness of breath. When a child coughs, it can vomit.

Often, high fever is poorly reduced by antipyretic drugs. Children with high fever may experience seizures. It is not uncommon for a respiratory infection to be accompanied by an upset stool.

In many children, the smell of acetone is noted from the mouth due to intoxication, the manifestation of which can also be vomiting, gray skin color.

The condition can be complicated with the development of false croup: difficulty breathing due to spasm of the glottis. It is manifested by whistling noisy breathing, pronounced anxiety, shortness of breath with difficulty breathing, a barking rough cough, a bluish tinge of the skin. Often, ARVI is complicated by pneumonia.

1. In children 2-3 years old, the infection causes damage to the larynx, bronchi. clinically, this is manifested by intense coughing, hoarseness. The inflammatory process can capture the Eustachian tube and is often complicated by otitis media. Severe ear pains prevent the child from falling asleep.

SARS at this age is dangerous due to frequent serious complications: inflammation of the maxillary sinuses, inflammation of the bronchi or lungs. At high temperatures, the smell of acetone and febrile convulsions are also possible from the mouth.

The manifestations of ARVI also depend on the type of infection, each of which, in addition to general symptoms, has some peculiarities.

So, for example, the symptoms of intoxication are characteristic of influenza in the first two days (more pronounced than catarrhal phenomena):

• sharp headache;
• severe weakness;
• fever to high numbers;
• pain in the eyeballs when moving them;
• muscle pain, body aches, etc.

On the 2-3rd day, manifestations of tracheitis appear in the form of a dry annoying cough and pain along the trachea.

Parainfluenza differs in a slight increase in temperature and damage to the larynx (barking cough, hoarse voice), a relatively mild course. But in babies at an early age, laryngostenosis may develop.

Adenoviral the infection is characterized by conjunctivitis (with discharge from the eyes), inflammation of the tonsils, swollen lymph nodes. Quite often, dyspeptic manifestations in the form of loose stools and vomiting appear in children. A long course of the disease with a second wave of fever is often noted.

Rhinovirus the infection often proceeds at normal temperature and is characterized by profuse runny nasal discharge, lacrimation.

Respiratory syncytial an infection that affects the lower respiratory tract is especially dangerous for infants due to the development of bronchiolitis and interstitial pneumonia.

Hazardous symptoms requiring immediate medical attention:

1. Hyperthermia: if the temperature has reached 38.5 0 C and continues to rise rapidly, not responding to antipyretic drugs. A danger sign for complications is the duration of the fever for more than 5 days.
2. Violation of consciousness in a child, fainting.
3. Convulsions.
4. Severe headache, repeated vomiting.
5. Rash on the skin of any nature.
6. Dyspnea.
7. The sputum is pink in color or streaked with blood.

Complications of ARVI in children may be associated with:

1. With the most viral infection:

• infectious toxic shock - a pronounced intoxication of the body caused by the action of the toxin of the pathogen;
• serous meningitis - inflammation of the meninges when viruses overcome the blood-brain barrier;
• encephalitis - inflammation of the very substance of the brain;
• hemorrhagic syndrome - increased bleeding due to damage to the vascular wall.

1. With the addition of a bacterial infection:

• sinusitis;
• bronchitis;
• pneumonia;
• otitis media, etc.

Diagnostics

The doctor makes the diagnosis based on the clinical manifestations of the disease. To accurately determine the type of virus, one of the methods of laboratory research of nasopharyngeal mucus - PCR or express immunofluorescence method - can be used. In retrospect, the diagnosis is confirmed by examining paired blood sera according to an increase in the titer of antibodies to a certain type of virus.

Treatment

ARVI treatment in children under one year old is carried out in a hospital. Children of any age are also hospitalized with a severe course of infection, with the development of a complication or with unfavorable living conditions.

How to treat ARVI in children? The most important thing is not to self-medicate. From the first day of the illness, you need to contact a pediatrician and carry out all his appointments. Only a pediatrician can determine exactly what kind of medicine is needed at a certain stage of the disease and taking into account the age characteristics of the child's body.

A typical protocol for the treatment of ARVI as a basic therapy recommends keeping bed rest during the period of fever. Create an elevated head position using a pillow. This will make breathing easier and prevent the aspiration (inhalation) of vomit in case of vomiting. The air in the room should be fresh, humidified

It is also obligatory for the child to drink plenty of water in the form of boiled water, fruit drinks, rosehip broth, tea.

You can also prepare solutions Glucosolan, Regidron, etc. Let the child drink the liquid that he likes. This will compensate for the loss of the body at an elevated temperature and prevent the thickening of phlegm in the respiratory tract. The liquid must be injected regularly, even if the child refuses, using a syringe (without a needle).

But it is not necessary to force-feed children during illness. Food should be easily digestible, mainly dairy-vegetable, fortified and age-appropriate in composition and calorie content.

Many mothers are interested in the question: how to quickly cure ARVI in a child? We must strive not for a quick cure, but for the correct treatment so as not to harm. Young children must be sick: in this way, the child's immune system "learns" to fight microorganisms and adverse factors. Not a single treatment regimen for ARVI in children guarantees a quick effect: the body itself copes with the disease, you just need to help it with this.

It is possible to cure ARVI in a child without special medications, helping the body to cope with some problems. One of these problems is nasal congestion and the inability to breathe through the nose. At the same time, it is recommended for babies to bury saline solutions bought in a pharmacy (with sea salt), or freshly prepared beetroot or carrot juice into the nose.

In babies, you can free the nasal passages with a small rubber bulb or cotton swabs (moistened with boiled water or vegetable oil). Vasoconstrictor nasal drops (children's forms of Naphthyzin, Galazolin, Protargol) can only be used with a stuffy nose in babies after 6 months. no more than 3 days, so as not to cause mucosal atrophy.

Reduction of a runny nose and cough will be ensured by inhalation - inhalation of the vapor of aromatic oils. For this purpose, the following are used: bronchicum-inhalate, tussmag-balm, balm "Doctor Theiss", etc. For this, you can add a vegetable substance to an open saucepan with hot water (2 tsp of balm for 2 liters of water). With the doors and windows closed, the child, being in this room, will inhale therapeutic vapors for about an hour.

The temperature should not be reduced to 38 0 С, it indicates the body's resistance, and viruses die with it. Temperatures up to 38 0 С should be reduced in babies up to 2 months. or if the child has febrile seizures. At temperatures above 38 ° C, you can use Paracetamol, Nurofen in an age-specific dosage, suppositories with antipyretic drugs. You can also lower the temperature with an enema with water (room temperature) or rubbing the body with the same water.

Phytopreparations can also be used in the form of medicinal herbal baths and rubbing with balms ("Doctor Theiss", Bronchicum-balm, "Doctor MOM", etc.). You can rub them into the skin 2-3 p. per day for about 5 minutes. children of any age (including newborns).

Water for healing bath should be at a temperature of about 38 0 C. A herbal preparation is added to it (20-30 ml or a strip from a tube of 10-20 cm), the duration of the bath is up to 15 minutes. When rubbing, inhaling the vapors, essential oils penetrate the body and have an anti-inflammatory, soothing effect, thin phlegm, and reduce coughing.

Cough syrups can be used from 6 months. Lozenges, lollipops, decoctions are not recommended for young children. Bronchicum syrup is not advisable for infants and children prone to allergies (it contains honey). Plantain syrup "Doctor Theiss" is prescribed for difficult sputum separation. Syrup "Doctor MOM" will help you with a convulsive dry cough. All herbal remedies should be used as directed by a pediatrician.

Antiviral drugs with ARVI, it should be used from the first hours of infection, but no later than 3 days. Recombinant (synthetic) interferon preparations (Viferon, Anaferon) are used in children of any age, they stimulate the production of interferon in the body, increase local immunity in the respiratory tract mucosa. Effective with influenza Remantadin in 1-3 days of illness (used from 7 years). Convincing data in favor of the effectiveness of other antiviral drugs in ARVI have not been obtained.

Antibiotics they have no effect on the virus. They are used for complications, with layering of bacterial microflora, with prolonged fever, with a high level of leukocytes in the general blood test. They use drugs of the penicillin group, cephalosporins, macrolides.

Prophylaxis

Prevention of ARVI in children includes non-specific and specific measures.

Non-specific measures include:

• good nutrition in terms of composition and calorie content;
• providing the body with vitamins;
• hardening according to an individual scheme, providing for the regularity of hardening procedures, a gradual increase in the hardening dose of exposure;
• sufficient physical activity of the child;
• daily walks in the fresh air, etc.

Specific preventive measures include influenza vaccination, the use of antiviral drugs when there is a threat of infection (Oxolinic ointment, Remantadin, Interferon).

It is unlikely that anyone will be able to avoid ARVI in a child, given the prevalence of viruses and short-term immunity after infection. It is only important to contact a pediatrician in a timely manner and follow his recommendations in order to cure ARVI in a child without allowing complications.