Influenza is a respiratory disease of viral origin and a wave-like prevalence in the form of epidemics. Every year, several influenza epidemics occur in the world, the causative agent of which is a virus with a different set of proteins in the core, the so-called strain, which determines the severity of the disease.

Flu in children, symptoms and treatment, which depends on the strain, can cause various complications, which is why it is so important to vaccinate children with weakened immune systems in a timely manner.

Despite the fact that influenza is included in the group of acute respiratory infections, it is easy to distinguish from other respiratory diseases caused by rhinovirus, adenovirus, etc. However, from year to year the influenza virus mutates and appears to us in a new guise, and the symptoms of influenza in children also change.

How does flu infection occur?

The influenza virus is transmitted by airborne droplets from a sick person when microparticles of saliva are spread during coughing or sneezing. The virus, entering a new body, can die immediately if its quantity is not enough to attach to the mucous membrane or the person’s immunity is very strong.

For this reason, influenza is most common in children whose immune systems are not yet formed or are weak. When the influenza virus enters the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, it penetrates into the mucous membrane, where it produces its own kind at the cellular level. At maximum quantity

viruses, the cell membrane into which the virus is embedded bursts and the infection comes out, capturing more and more new territories in the body.

The incubation period, during which the amount of virus reaches its maximum, can last from several hours to several days, depending on the strength of the child’s immunity and his age. At the end of the incubation period, the activity of the immune system is mobilized and the child feels weak, sneezing appears, during which the virus tries to spread and invade another, healthy body. It is at this stage of the disease that influenza is most contagious.

The first signs of influenza in children, indicating its presence in the child's body, are general weakness and lethargy of the child, periods of sneezing and the appearance of liquid discharge from the nose. Exactly the child’s body tries to get rid of the infection - destroying it with the help of mucin(active protein contained in the nasal mucosa) and removed from the body with waste mucus.

When the virus has passed the barrier in the form of adenoids and the mucous membrane of the nose and throat, another protective reaction begins in the body, aimed at reducing the replication of viruses, namely, the temperature rises. The increase in temperature may be insignificant within 37 - 38 degrees, while the child feels unwell, and the disease may progress. With strong immunity, the number of antibodies increases, and when fighting the virus, they secrete a special substance that, entering the part of the brain responsible for thermoregulation through the bloodstream, unbalances its work. The child’s temperature begins to rapidly rise to 39–41 degrees, thereby destroying the virus and slowing down its spread and reproduction.

How long does the fever last for the flu in children? It depends on the intensity, a fever of 39 - 40 degrees can last for several hours, after which baby is coming to get better, subfibral temperature can last for several days, but it cannot be brought down. At moderate temperatures, viruses do not lose their ability to reproduce, since the protein in their core is not destroyed, as happens with fever, so new viruses are periodically released from the cell, which provokes a rise in temperature.

High temperature promotes recovery, but can cause complications in the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, especially in children under 2 years of age and with heart defects.

Flu has symptoms, which are more pronounced in children than in adults, among them the following signs of the disease can be listed as they appear:

General weakness of the body
Burning nose, sneezing
Pressure in the eyeballs
Runny nose, lacrimation
Heat
Muscle pain caused by viral toxins.

Influenza in children has symptoms similar to those of other infectious viral diseases; for this reason, pediatricians, without laboratory confirmation of influenza, diagnose ARVI, which in principle is true and does not affect treatment methods.

Treatment and care for children with influenza

Treatment of influenza in children consists of following bed rest and doctor's instructions and, in the absence of pathologies in the child, can be carried out without hospitalization. Wherein There is no specific cure for influenza, and all measures are aimed at alleviating the child’s condition and strengthening his immunity, which fights infection. Before treating influenza in children, it is necessary to call a pediatrician for diagnosis and treatment.

What your doctor can advise:

First of all, it is necessary to observe bed rest, since carrying the disease on the legs is fraught with complications and a more protracted course of the disease. This is due to the fact that the body spends all its energy fighting the virus, which leads to weakness and drowsiness in the child.
Viruses are known to release their metabolic products into the body, which leads to its intoxication. In order to quickly remove toxins through sweat and urine, the child needs to consume more liquid in the form of tea, natural fruit drinks and rosehip decoction, which has a diuretic effect and contains vitamin C.
In order to support immunity at first, they use antiviral drugs, although on the third day after the first manifestations, such treatment is considered ineffective. Moreover, the immune system weakens, since in the presence of synthetic antibodies, the amount of its own substances produced by the body decreases sharply.
How to treat flu in a child if there is no specific medicine and antiviral drugs cannot be used for more than 3 days? The body itself fights the virus, but the parents’ task is to provide the child with proper conditions during recovery, as well as provide treatment aimed at eliminating symptoms. So, at a temperature above 38.5 degrees, an antipyretic is used, to eliminate a runny nose, a vasoconstrictor is instilled in the first days, and then an antibacterial agent for rhinitis.
Flu in a child with adequate treatment and good care It goes away within a week, and some more time is needed to restore the body’s strength spent during recovery.

Measures to prevent influenza infection

Prevention of influenza in children is to strengthen the body. So daily walks, balanced diet, playing sports strengthens the immune system and the entire body as a whole. In addition, before a wave of influenza epidemic, scientists analyze previous strains and determine the one that will presumably spread. Therefore, the best prevention of the disease is vaccination against this strain.

Doctor Komarovsky: the child has FLU

Dear moms and dads! People!!! Remember the most important thing: the tactics of your actions are completely independent of the name of the virus. This is seasonal flu, swine flu, elephant flu, pandemic flu, it’s not flu at all - it doesn’t matter. The only important thing is that it is a virus, that it is transmitted by airborne droplets and that it affects the respiratory system. Hence the specific actions.

Prevention

Theoretically, here I should give (and I do) a link to a chapter from my book about acute respiratory infections (prevention of acute respiratory viral infections) and shut up, since everything has already been said. But practically, let's repeat all the most important things once again.
If you (your child) are exposed to the virus and you do not have protective antibodies in your blood, you will get sick. Antibodies will appear in one of two cases: either you get sick, or you get vaccinated.
You can only get vaccinated against seasonal flu. There is no vaccine against pork yet (in Ukraine). However, having protective antibodies to the three viruses included in the seasonal vaccine is better than not having any at all.

1. There is an opportunity to get vaccinated (vaccinate your child) - get vaccinated, but on the condition that, firstly, you are healthy and, secondly, to get vaccinated you will not have to sit in a snotty crowd at the clinic. The latter provision makes your chances of adequate vaccination illusory.

2. There are no drugs with proven preventive effectiveness. Those. no onion, no garlic, no vodka and no pills you swallow or put into your child can protect against any respiratory virus in general, or the influenza virus in particular. Everything you are dying for in pharmacies, all these supposedly antiviral drugs, supposedly stimulants of interferon formation, immune stimulants and creepy healthy vitamins, everything that has disappeared from pharmacies by today, everything that the government promised to fill pharmacies with in the coming days - all these are drugs with unproven effectiveness, drugs that satisfy the main mental need of the Ukrainian - “need work” - and the Russian - “need something do that."
The main benefit of all these medications is psychotherapy. You believe, it helps you - I’m happy for you, just don’t storm the pharmacies - it’s not worth it.

3. The source of the virus is man and only man. The fewer people there are, the less chance you have of getting sick. Quarantine is wonderful! The ban on mass gatherings is great! Walking to the stop and not going to the supermarket one more time is wise!

4. Mask. A useful thing, but not a panacea. It should definitely be on a sick person if there are healthy people nearby: it will not stop the virus, but it will stop droplets of saliva that are especially rich in the virus.

5. The patient’s hands are a source of the virus no less significant than the mouth and nose. The patient touches his face, the virus gets on his hands, the patient grabs everything around him, you touch everything with your hand - hello, ARVI.
Don't touch your face. Wash your hands, often, a lot, always carry wet disinfectant sanitary napkins with you, wash, rub, don’t be lazy!
Learn yourself and teach your children, if you don’t have a handkerchief, to cough and sneeze not into your palm, but into your elbow.
Chiefs! By official order, introduce a ban on handshakes in the teams subordinate to you.
Use credit cards. Paper money is a source of spreading viruses.

6. Air!!! Viral particles remain active for hours in dry, warm, still air, but are destroyed almost instantly in cool, humid, and moving air. In this aspect, a rally in the center of Kyiv, which attracted 200,000 people, is less dangerous than a meeting of 1,000 people in a club in Uzhgorod.
You can walk as much as you like. It is almost impossible to catch a virus while walking. In this aspect, if you are already out for a walk, there is no need to ostentatiously walk around the streets wearing a mask. You better breathe fresh air, and pull up the mask before entering a bus, office or store.
The optimal indoor air parameters are temperature about 20 °C, humidity 50-70%. Frequent and intensive cross-ventilation of the premises is mandatory. Any heating system dries out the air. It was the beginning of the heating season that became the beginning of the epidemic! Control humidity. Wash the floor. Turn on humidifiers. Urgently demand air humidification and ventilation of rooms in children's groups.
It is better to dress warmly, but do not turn on additional heaters.

7. Condition of mucous membranes!!! Mucus constantly forms in the upper respiratory tract. Mucus ensures the functioning of the so-called. local immunity – protection of mucous membranes. If the mucus and mucous membranes dry out, the work of local immunity is disrupted, viruses, accordingly, easily overcome the protective barrier of weakened local immunity, and a person becomes ill upon contact with the virus with a much higher degree of probability. The main enemy of local immunity is dry air, as well as medications that can dry out mucous membranes (of the popular and well-known ones - diphenhydramine, suprastin, tavegil, trifed - the list is far from complete, to put it mildly).
Moisturize your mucous membranes! Elementary: 1 teaspoon regular table salt per 1 liter boiled water. Pour it into any spray bottle (for example, from vasoconstrictor drops) and spray it into your nose regularly (the drier, the more people around - the more often, at least every 10 minutes). For the same purpose, you can buy saline solution or ready-made saline solutions for insertion into the nasal passages - salin, aqua maris, humer, marimer, nosol, etc. The main thing is don’t regret it! Drip, spray, especially when you go from home (from a dry room) to where there are a lot of people, especially if you are sitting in the corridor of the clinic.
In terms of prevention, that's it.

Treatment
In fact, the only drug that can destroy the influenza virus is oseltamivir, commercial name Tamiflu. Theoretically, there is another medicine (zanamivir), but it is used only by inhalation, and there is little chance of seeing it in our country.
Tamiflu actually destroys the virus by blocking the neuraminidase protein (the same N in the name H1N1).
Do not eat Tamiflu all at once for any sneeze. It's not cheap, and side effects a lot, and it doesn’t make sense. Tamiflu is used when the disease is severe (doctors know the signs of severe ARVI), or when a person at risk even gets sick mildly - old people, asthmatics, diabetics (doctors also know who is at risk). The bottom line: if Tamiflu is indicated, then at least medical supervision and, as a rule, hospitalization are indicated. It is not surprising that with the greatest possible probability, Tamiflu entering our country will be distributed to hospitals, and not to pharmacies (although anything can happen).

Attention!!!
Treatment with antiviral drugs has nothing to do with the absolute, overwhelming majority of those who read these lines.
FLU IS A MILD ILLNESS FOR MOST.
Treatment of acute respiratory viral infections in general and influenza in particular is not about swallowing pills! This is the creation of such conditions so that the body can easily cope with the virus.

TREATMENT RULES.
1. Dress warmly, but the room is cool and damp. Temperature about 20 °C, humidity 50-70%. Wash floors, moisten, ventilate.

3. Drink (water). Drink (water). Drink (water)!!!
The temperature of the liquid is equal to body temperature. Drink a lot. Compotes, fruit drinks, tea (finely chop an apple into tea), raisin infusions, dried apricots. If a child drinks too much, I will do this, but I won’t, let him drink whatever he wants, as long as he drinks. Ideal for drinking - ready-made solutions for oral rehydration. They are sold in pharmacies and should be there: rehydron, humana electrolyte, gastrolit, etc. Buy, breed according to instructions, feed.

4. Saline solutions are often used in the nose.

5. All “distracting procedures” (cupping, mustard plasters, poultices, feet in boiling water, etc.) are classic soviet parental sadism and, again, psychotherapy (something needs to be done).

6. If you decide to fight high temperature– only paracetamol or ibuprofen. Aspirin is strictly forbidden.
The main problem is that to dress warmly, moisturize, ventilate, not push food and give him something to drink - this in our language is called “not to treat”, and “to treat” means sending dad to the pharmacy...

7. If the upper respiratory tract (nose, throat, larynx) is affected, no expectorants are needed - they will only worsen the cough. Infections of the lower respiratory tract (bronchitis, pneumonia) have nothing to do with self-medication. Therefore, on your own, no “lazolvans-mukaltins”, etc.

8. Antiallergic drugs have nothing to do with the treatment of ARVI.

9. Viral infections are not treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics do not reduce, but increase the risk of complications.

10. All topical interferons are drugs with unproven effectiveness or “medicines” with proven ineffectiveness.

11. Homeopathy is not a herbal treatment, but a treatment with charged water. Safely. Psychotherapy (something needs to be done).

When is a doctor needed? ALWAYS!!!
But this is unrealistic. Therefore, we list situations when a doctor is definitely needed:

* no improvement on the fourth day of illness;
* elevated temperature bodies on the seventh day of illness;
* deterioration after improvement;
* pronounced severity of the condition with moderate symptoms of ARVI;
* appearance alone or in combination: pale skin; thirst, shortness of breath, intense pain, purulent discharge;
* increased cough, decreased productivity; a deep breath leads to a coughing attack;
* when body temperature rises, paracetamol and ibuprofen do not help, practically do not help or only help for a very short time.

A doctor is needed urgently and urgently:

* loss of consciousness;
* convulsions;
* signs of respiratory failure (difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, feeling of lack of air);
* intense pain anywhere;
* even moderate sore throat in the absence of a runny nose;
* even moderate headache in combination with vomiting;
* swelling of the neck;
* rash that does not disappear when you press on it;
* body temperature above 39 °C, which does not begin to decrease 30 minutes after the use of antipyretics;
* any increase in body temperature combined with chills and pale skin.

Source http://www.komarovskiy.net/blog/svinoy-gripp.html

For a month now, the H1N1 influenza virus, or the so-called swine flu, has been rampant in Ukraine. dangerous with complications in the form of pneumonia. And along with it there are two more not the most pleasant strains - Swiss and Phuket.

And although, according to Health Minister Alexander Kvitashvili, the epidemiological threshold has not been exceeded and we are still talking about a seasonal surge in the disease, it is still not worth testing yourself or your children for strength.

For all those who have no time to collect information bit by bit, Dr. Komarovsky compiled and published it on his Facebook page detailed instructions, which explains step by step what to do in case of illness and reminds you how to avoid it..

Flu and ARVI: simple instructions

People, attention!!!

Remember the most important thing: the tactics of your actions are completely independent of the name of the virus. This is seasonal flu, swine flu, elephant flu, pandemic flu, it’s not flu at all - it doesn’t matter. The only important thing is that it is a virus, that it is transmitted by airborne droplets and that it affects the respiratory system.

Flu prevention

If you (your child) are exposed to the virus and you do not have protective antibodies in your blood, you will get sick. Antibodies will appear in one of two cases: either you get sick, or you get vaccinated. By getting vaccinated, you will not protect yourself from viruses in general, but only from the influenza virus.

If you have the financial opportunity to get vaccinated (vaccinate your child) and were able to get a vaccine, get vaccinated, but on the condition that you don’t have to sit in a snotty crowd at a clinic to get vaccinated. Available vaccines protect against all variants of the influenza virus that are relevant this year.
No drugs and folk remedies» with proven preventive effectiveness does not exist. That is, no onion, no garlic, no vodka and no pills you swallow or put into your child can protect against any respiratory virus in general, or the influenza virus in particular. Everything that you are dying for in pharmacies, all these supposedly antiviral drugs, supposedly stimulants of interferon formation, immune stimulants and terribly useful vitamins - all these are drugs with unproven effectiveness, drugs that satisfy the main mental need of the Ukrainian - “the need for roboticity” - and the Russian - "need to do something". The main benefit of all these medications is psychotherapy. You believe, it helps you - I’m happy for you, just don’t storm the pharmacies, it’s not worth it.
The source of the virus is man and only man. The fewer people there are, the less chance you have of getting sick. Walking to the stop and not going to the supermarket one more time is wise!
Mask. A useful thing, but not a panacea. It is advisable to see it on a sick person if there are healthy people nearby: it will not stop the virus, but it will stop droplets of saliva that are especially rich in the virus. A healthy person doesn't need it.
The patient’s hands are a source of the virus no less significant than the mouth and nose. The patient touches his face, the virus gets on his hands, the patient grabs everything around him, you touch it all with your hand - hello, ARVI. Don't touch your face. Wash your hands, often, a lot, always carry wet disinfectant sanitary napkins with you, wash, rub, don’t be lazy! Learn yourself and teach your children, if you don’t have a handkerchief, to cough and sneeze not into your palm, but into your elbow. Chiefs! By official order, introduce a ban on handshakes in the teams subordinate to you. Use credit cards. Paper money is a source of spreading viruses.
Air!!! Viral particles remain active for hours in dry, warm, still air, but are destroyed almost instantly in cool, humid, and moving air. You can walk as much as you like. It is almost impossible to catch a virus while walking. In this aspect, if you are already out for a walk, there is no need to ostentatiously walk around the streets wearing a mask. Better get some fresh air. The optimal indoor air parameters are temperature about 20°C, humidity 50-70%. Frequent and intensive cross-ventilation of the premises is mandatory. Any heating system dries out the air. Wash the floor. Turn on humidifiers. Urgently demand air humidification and ventilation of rooms in children's groups. It is better to dress warmly, but do not turn on additional heaters.
Condition of mucous membranes!!! Mucus constantly forms in the upper respiratory tract. Mucus ensures the functioning of the so-called. local immunity - protection of mucous membranes. If the mucus and mucous membranes dry out, the work of local immunity is disrupted, viruses, accordingly, easily overcome the protective barrier of weakened local immunity, and a person becomes ill upon contact with the virus with a much higher degree of probability.

The main enemy of local immunity is dry air, as well as medications that can dry out mucous membranes. Since you do not know what kind of medicines these are (and these are some antiallergic and almost all so-called “combined cold medicines”), it is better not to experiment in principle.

Moisturize your mucous membranes! Elementary: 1 teaspoon of ordinary table salt per 1 liter of boiled water. Pour it into any spray bottle (for example, from vasoconstrictor drops) and spray it into your nose regularly (the drier, the more people around, the more often, at least every 10 minutes). For the same purpose, you can buy saline solution or ready-made saline solutions for injection into the nasal passages at the pharmacy: Saline, Aqua Maris, Humer, Marimer, Nosol, etc. The main thing is don’t regret it! Drip, spray, especially when you go from home (from a dry room) to where there are a lot of people, especially if you are sitting in the corridor of the clinic. Rinse your mouth regularly with the above saline solution.

In terms of prevention, that's it.

Flu treatment

In fact, the only drug that can destroy the influenza virus is oseltamivir, commercial name Tamiflu. Theoretically, there is another medicine (zanamivir), but it is used only by inhalation, and there is little chance of seeing it in our country.

Tamiflu actually destroys the virus by blocking the neuraminidase protein (the same N in the name H1N1).

Do not eat Tamiflu all at once for any sneeze. It’s not cheap, there are a lot of side effects, and it doesn’t make sense. Tamiflu is used when the disease is severe (doctors know the signs of severe ARVI), or when a person from a risk group gets sick even slightly: old people, asthmatics, diabetics (doctors also know who belongs to risk groups). The bottom line: if Tamiflu is indicated, then at least medical supervision and, as a rule, hospitalization are indicated. It is not surprising that with the greatest possible probability, Tamiflu entering our country will be distributed to hospitals, and not to pharmacies (although anything can happen).

The effectiveness of other antiviral drugs against ARVI and influenza is very doubtful (this is the most diplomatic definition available).
Treatment of ARVI in general and influenza in particular is not about swallowing pills! This is the creation of such conditions so that the body can easily cope with the virus.

Rules for treating influenza

Dress warmly, but the room is cool and damp. Temperature 18-20 °C (better 16 than 22), humidity 50-70% (better 80 than 30). Wash floors, moisten, ventilate.
Absolutely do not force anyone to eat. If he asks (if he wants) - light, carbohydrate, liquid.
Drink (water). Drink (water). Drink (water)!!! The temperature of the liquid is equal to body temperature. Drink a lot. Compotes, fruit drinks, tea (finely chop an apple into tea), raisin infusions, dried apricots. If a child drinks too much, I will, but I won’t, let him drink whatever he wants, as long as he drinks. Ideal for drinking - ready-made solutions for oral rehydration. They are sold in pharmacies and should be there: rehydron, humana electrolyte, gastrolit, normohydron, etc. Buy, breed according to instructions, feed.
Saline solutions are often used in the nose.
All “distracting procedures” (cupping, mustard plasters, smearing the fat of unfortunate animals - goats, badgers, etc.) on the body are classic Soviet sadism and, again, psychotherapy (something needs to be done). Steaming children's feet (by adding boiling water to a basin), doing steam inhalations over a kettle or saucepan, rubbing children with alcohol-containing liquids is crazy parental banditry.
If you decide to fight a high temperature - only paracetamol or ibuprofen. Aspirin is strictly forbidden. The main problem is that to dress warmly, moisturize, ventilate, not push food and give him something to drink - this in our language is called “not to treat”, and “to treat” means sending dad to the pharmacy...
If the upper respiratory tract (nose, throat, larynx) is affected, no expectorants are needed - they will only worsen the cough. Infections of the lower respiratory tract (bronchitis, pneumonia) have nothing to do with self-medication at all. Medicines that suppress cough (the instructions say “antitussive action”) are strictly prohibited”!!!
Antiallergic drugs have nothing to do with the treatment of ARVI.
Viral infections are not treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics do not reduce, but increase the risk of complications.
All interferons for topical use and for ingestion are drugs with unproven effectiveness or “medicines” with proven ineffectiveness.
Homeopathy is not a herbal treatment, but a treatment with charged water. Safely. Psychotherapy (something needs to be done).

When do you need a doctor?

Always!!! But this is unrealistic. Therefore, we list situations when a doctor is definitely needed .

no improvement on the fourth day of illness;
elevated body temperature on the seventh day of illness;
worsening after improvement;
severe severity of the condition with moderate symptoms of ARVI;
appearance alone or in combination: pale skin; thirst, shortness of breath, intense pain, purulent discharge;
increased cough, decreased productivity; a deep breath leads to a coughing attack;
when body temperature rises, paracetamol and ibuprofen do not help, practically do not help, or help very briefly.

A doctor is needed urgently and urgently

loss of consciousness;
convulsions;
signs of respiratory failure (difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, feeling of lack of air);
intense pain anywhere;
even a moderate sore throat in the absence of a runny nose (sore throat + dry nose is often a symptom of a sore throat, which requires a doctor and an antibiotic);
even moderate headache combined with vomiting;
swelling of the neck;
a rash that does not go away when you press on it;
body temperature above 39 °C, which does not begin to decrease 30 minutes after the use of antipyretics;
any increase in body temperature combined with chills and pale skin.

Prevention

If you have the financial opportunity to get vaccinated (vaccinate your child) and were able to get a vaccine, get vaccinated, but on the condition that you don’t have to sit in a snotty crowd at the clinic to get vaccinated. Available vaccines protect against all variants of the influenza virus that are relevant this year.

No drugs or “folk remedies” with proven preventive effectiveness does not exist. That is, no onion, no garlic, no vodka, and no pills you swallow or put into your child can protect against any respiratory virus in general, or the influenza virus in particular.

Everything that you are dying for in pharmacies, all these supposedly antiviral drugs, supposedly stimulants of interferon formation, immune stimulants and terribly useful vitamins - all these are drugs with unproven effectiveness, drugs that satisfy the main mental need of the Ukrainian - “the need for work.”

The main benefit of all these medications is psychotherapy. You believe, it helps you - I’m happy for you, just don’t storm the pharmacies - it’s not worth it.

Source of the virus- a person and only a person. The fewer people there are, the less chance you have of getting sick. Walking to the stop and not going to the supermarket one more time is wise!

Mask. A useful thing, but not a panacea. It is advisable to see it on a sick person if there are healthy people nearby: it will not stop the virus, but it will stop droplets of saliva that are especially rich in the virus. A healthy person doesn't need it.

The patient's hands are the source of the virus no less significant than the mouth and nose. The patient touches his face, the virus gets on his hands, the patient grabs everything around him, you touch it all with your hand - hello, ARVI.

Don't touch your face. Wash your hands, often, a lot, always carry wet disinfectant sanitary napkins with you, wash, rub, don’t be lazy!

Learn yourself and teach your children, if you don’t have a handkerchief, to cough and sneeze not into your palm, but into your elbow.

Chiefs! By official order, introduce a ban on handshakes in the teams subordinate to you.

Use credit cards. Paper money- a source of spread of viruses.

Air!!! Viral particles remain active for hours in dry, warm, still air, but are destroyed almost instantly in cool, humid, and moving air.

You can walk as much as you like. It is almost impossible to catch a virus while walking. In this aspect, if you are already out for a walk, there is no need to ostentatiously walk around the streets wearing a mask. Better get some fresh air.

Optimal indoor air parameters - temperature approx. 20 °C, humidity 50-70% . Frequent and intensive cross-ventilation of the premises is mandatory.

Any heating system dries out the air. Wash the floor. Turn on humidifiers. Urgently demand air humidification and ventilation of rooms in children's groups. It is better to dress warmly, but do not turn on additional heaters.

Condition of mucous membranes!!! Mucus constantly forms in the upper respiratory tract. Mucus ensures the functioning of the so-called local immunity - the protection of mucous membranes. If the mucus and mucous membranes dry out, the work of local immunity is disrupted. Viruses, accordingly, easily overcome the protective barrier of weakened local immunity, and a person becomes ill upon contact with the virus with a much higher degree of probability.

The main enemy of local immunity- dry air, as well as medications that can dry out mucous membranes. Since you do not know what kind of medicines these are (and these are some antiallergic and almost all so-called “combined cold medicines”), it is better not to experiment in principle.

Moisturize your mucous membranes!

Elementary: 1 teaspoon of ordinary table salt per 1 liter of boiled water. Pour it into any spray bottle (for example, from vasoconstrictor drops) and spray it into your nose regularly (the drier, the more people around - the more often, at least every 10 minutes).

For the same purpose, you can buy saline solution or ready-made saline solutions for administration into the nasal passages at the pharmacy - Saline, Aqua Maris, Humer, Marimer, Nosol, etc. The main thing is don’t regret it! Drip, spray, especially when you go from home (from a dry room) to where there are a lot of people, especially if you are sitting in the corridor of the clinic.

Rinse your mouth regularly with the above saline solution.

In terms of prevention, that's it.

Treatment

In fact, the only drug that can destroy the influenza virus is oseltamivir, commercial name - Tamiflu. Theoretically, there is another cure ( zanamivir), but it is used only by inhalation, and there are few chances to see it in our country.

Tamiflu actually destroys the virus by blocking the neuraminidase protein (the same N in the name H1N1).

Do not eat Tamiflu all at once for any sneeze. It’s not cheap, there are a lot of side effects, and it doesn’t make sense.

Tamiflu is used when the disease is severe (doctors know the signs of severe ARVI). Or when a person from a risk group even gets sick easily - old people, asthmatics, diabetics (doctors also know who belongs to risk groups).

Essence: if Tamiflu is indicated, then at least medical supervision and, as a rule, hospitalization are indicated. It is not surprising that, with the greatest possible probability, Tamiflu entering our country will be distributed to hospitals, and not to pharmacies (although anything can happen).

The effectiveness of other antiviral drugs against ARVI and influenza is very doubtful (this is the most diplomatic definition available).

Treatment for ARVI in general and influenza in particular is not about swallowing pills! This is the creation of such conditions so that the body can easily cope with the virus.

Treatment rules

Dress warmly, but the room is cool and damp. Temperature 18-20 °C(better 16 than 22), humidity 50-70% (80 is better than 30). Wash floors, moisten, ventilate.
Categorically don't force him to eat. If he asks (if he wants) - light, carbohydrate, liquid.
Drink (water). Drink (water). Drink (water)!!!
The temperature of the liquid is equal to body temperature. Drink a lot. Compotes, fruit drinks, tea (finely chop an apple into tea), raisin infusions, dried apricots. If a child drinks too much, I will, but I won’t, let him drink whatever he wants, as long as he drinks. Ideal for drinking- ready-made solutions for oral rehydration. They are sold in pharmacies and should be there: rehydron, humana electrolyte, gastrolit, normohydron and so on. Buy, breed according to instructions, feed.
Spray your nose often saline solutions.
All “distracting procedures” (cupping, mustard plasters, smearing the fat of unfortunate animals – goats, badgers, etc.) on the body are classic Soviet sadism and, again, psychotherapy (“something needs to be done”). Steaming children's feet (by adding boiling water to a basin), doing steam inhalations over a kettle or saucepan, rubbing children with alcohol-containing liquids is crazy parental banditry.
If you decide to fight a high temperature - paracetamol or ibuprofen only. Aspirin is strictly forbidden.
The main problem is that to dress warmly, moisturize, ventilate, not push food and give him something to drink - this in our language is called “not to treat”, and “to treat” means sending dad to the pharmacy...
If the upper respiratory tract (nose, throat, larynx) is affected, no expectorants are needed - they will only worsen the cough. Infections of the lower respiratory tract (bronchitis, pneumonia) have nothing to do with self-medication at all. Medicines that suppress cough (the instructions say “antitussive action”) Absolutely impossible!!!
Antiallergic drugs have nothing to do with the treatment of ARVI.
Viral infections are not treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics do not reduce, but increase the risk of complications.
All interferons for topical use and for ingestion are drugs with unproven effectiveness or “medicines” with proven ineffectiveness.
Homeopathy- This is not a herbal treatment, but a treatment with charged water. Safely. Psychotherapy (“something needs to be done”).

When is a doctor needed?

But this is unrealistic. Therefore, we list the situations when:

A doctor is definitely needed

No improvement on the fourth day of illness.
Increased body temperature on the seventh day of illness.
Worse after improvement
Pronounced severity of the condition with moderate symptoms of ARVI.
Appearance alone or in combination: pale skin, thirst, shortness of breath, intense pain, purulent discharge.
Increasing cough, reducing its productivity, taking a deep breath leads to a coughing attack.
When body temperature rises, paracetamol and ibuprofen do not help, practically do not help, or help very briefly.

A doctor is needed urgently and urgently:

Loss of consciousness.
Cramps.
Signs of respiratory failure (difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, feeling of lack of air).
Intense pain anywhere.
Even a moderate sore throat in the absence of a runny nose (sore throat + dry nose is often a symptom of a sore throat, which requires a doctor and an antibiotic).
Even a moderate headache combined with vomiting.
Swelling of the neck.
A rash that doesn't go away when you put pressure on it.
Body temperature above 39°C, which does not begin to decrease 30 minutes after the use of antipyretics.
Any increase in body temperature combined with chills and pale skin.

Learn! This is better than standing in line at the pharmacy and exchanging hard-earned money for something unnecessary...

Doctor Evgeniy Komarovsky

On the eve of the autumn-winter season and the associated increase in the incidence of colds and flu, children's pediatrician Evgeniy Komarovsky publishes a memo on prevention. So,

Doctor Komarovsky's rules. Treatment and prevention of acute respiratory infections and influenza.

Prevention

2. There are no drugs with proven preventive effectiveness. That is, no onion, no garlic, no vodka and no pills you swallow or put into your child can protect against any respiratory virus in general, or the influenza virus in particular. Everything that you are dying for in pharmacies, all these supposedly antiviral drugs, supposedly stimulants of interferon formation, immune stimulants and terribly useful vitamins, everything that has disappeared from pharmacies by today, everything that the government has promised to fill pharmacies with in the coming days - all these are medicines with unproven effectiveness, drugs that satisfy the main mental need of the Ukrainian - “the need to do something” - and the Russian - “we need to do something.”

The main benefit of all these medications is psychotherapy. You believe, it helps you - I’m happy for you, just don’t storm the pharmacies - it’s not worth it.

3. The source of the virus is human and only human. The fewer people there are, the less chance you have of getting sick. Quarantine is wonderful! The ban on mass gatherings is great! Walking to the stop and not going to the supermarket one more time is wise!

Don't touch your face. Wash your hands, often, a lot, always carry wet disinfectant sanitary napkins with you, wash, rub, don’t be lazy!

Learn yourself and teach your children, if you don’t have a handkerchief, to cough and sneeze not into your palm, but into your elbow.

Chiefs! By official order, introduce a ban on handshakes in the teams subordinate to you.

Use credit cards. Paper money is a source of spreading viruses.

You can walk as much as you like. It is almost impossible to catch a virus while walking. In this aspect, if you are already out for a walk, there is no need to ostentatiously walk around the streets wearing a mask. It’s better to take a breath of fresh air and pull on your mask before entering a bus, office or store.

The optimal indoor air parameters are temperature about 20 °C, humidity 50–70%. Frequent and intensive cross-ventilation of the premises is mandatory. Any heating system dries out the air. It is the beginning of the heating season that becomes the beginning of the epidemic! Control humidity. Wash the floor. Turn on humidifiers. Urgently demand air humidification and ventilation of rooms in children's groups.

It is better to dress warmly, but do not turn on additional heaters.

7. Condition of mucous membranes! Mucus constantly forms in the upper respiratory tract. Mucus ensures the functioning of the so-called. local immunity - protection of mucous membranes. If the mucus and mucous membranes dry out, the work of local immunity is disrupted, viruses, accordingly, easily overcome the protective barrier of weakened local immunity, and a person becomes ill upon contact with the virus with a much higher degree of probability. The main enemy of local immunity is dry air, as well as medications that can dry out mucous membranes (of the popular and well-known ones - diphenhydramine, suprastin, tavegil, trifed - the list is far from complete, to put it mildly).

Moisturize your mucous membranes! Elementary: 1 teaspoon of ordinary table salt per 1 liter of boiled water. Pour it into any spray bottle (for example, from vasoconstrictor drops) and spray it into your nose regularly (the drier, the more people around - the more often, at least every 10 minutes). For the same purpose, you can buy at the pharmacy saline solution or ready-made saline solutions for administration into the nasal passages - Saline, Aqua Maris, Humer, Marimer, Nosol, etc. The main thing is not to regret it! Drip, spray, especially when you go from home (from a dry room) to where there are a lot of people, especially if you are sitting in the corridor of the clinic.

First aid kit

Vitamins - primarily C, A and group B.

Bee products (honey, propolis, royal jelly, etc.).

Homeopathic remedies.

Interferon inducers

Phytoimmunomodulators - i.e., herbal preparations that improve immunity.

Treatment

FLU IS A MILD ILLNESS FOR MOST.

Treatment for ARVI in general and influenza in particular is not about swallowing pills! This is the creation of such conditions so that the body can easily cope with the virus.

TREATMENT RULES.

1. Dress warmly, but the room is cool and humid. Temperature about 20 °C, humidity 50–70%. Wash floors, moisten, ventilate.

3. Drink (give water). Drink (water). Drink (water)!!!

The temperature of the liquid is equal to body temperature. Drink a lot. Compotes, fruit drinks, tea (finely chop an apple into tea), raisin decoctions, dried apricots. If a child drinks too much, I will, but I won’t, let him drink whatever he wants, as long as he drinks. Ideal for drinking - ready-made solutions for oral rehydration. They are sold in pharmacies and should be there: rehydron, humana electrolyte, gastrolyte, etc. Buy it, dilute it according to the instructions, drink it.

4. Saline solutions are often administered into the nose.

5. All “distracting procedures” (cupping, mustard plasters, poultices, feet in boiling water, etc.) are classic soviet parental sadism and, again, psychotherapy (something needs to be done).

6. If you decide to fight a high temperature - only paracetamol or ibuprofen. Aspirin is strictly forbidden.

8. Antiallergic drugs have nothing to do with the treatment of ARVI.

9. Viral infections cannot be treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics do not reduce, but increase the risk of complications.

10. All interferons for topical use are drugs with unproven effectiveness or “medicines” with proven ineffectiveness.

When do you need a doctor?

No improvement on the fourth day of illness;
- elevated body temperature on the seventh day of illness;
- deterioration after improvement;
- pronounced severity of the condition with moderate symptoms of ARVI;
- appearance alone or in combination: pale skin; thirst, shortness of breath, intense pain, purulent discharge;
- increased cough, decreased productivity; a deep breath leads to a coughing attack;
- when body temperature rises, paracetamol and ibuprofen do not help, practically do not help, or help very briefly.

A doctor is needed urgently and urgently:

Loss of consciousness;
- convulsions;
- signs of respiratory failure (difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, feeling of lack of air);
- intense pain anywhere;
- even moderate sore throat in the absence of a runny nose;
- even moderate headache combined with vomiting;
- swelling of the neck;
- a rash that does not disappear when you press on it;
- body temperature above 39 °C, which does not begin to decrease 30 minutes after the use of antipyretics;
- any increase in body temperature combined with chills and pale skin.

Flu and pregnancy

The most important thing: if, while pregnant, you still get the flu, then with a 99% probability (!) it will not affect the child in any way. Therefore, there is no need to throw tantrums at the slightest runny nose. You need to clearly know what you can do, what you need to do, and not succumb to the provocations of others, because intimidation of pregnant women is our national sport.

Now a few words about specific actions.

Prevention:

Vaccination!!! It’s especially great if you do it before. Modern vaccines that do not contain live viruses.

In conditions of a real threat of an epidemic, vaccination is advisable even during pregnancy, regardless of the period. It definitely makes sense to vaccinate everyone who could potentially bring the flu into the house: husband, older child, etc.

If possible, avoid crowds, shops, clinics, and cultural events. Don't be shy to use protective mask, if you couldn’t avoid it.

Ventilation of premises - real way protection.

Numerous tablets supposedly for the prevention of influenza are, as a rule, safe, but their effect is rather psychotherapeutic.

Treatment:

Maximum food volume limit.

Increasing the amount of fluid you drink.

Mode of clean, cool, humid air (but dress warmly), optimal temperature is 18–20 ° C, relative humidity is 50–70%.

Saline drops in the nose (for example, saline solution) - without restrictions.

Any other medications - only in consultation with the doctor.

Remember: the flu is caused by a virus. Antibiotics do not work on viruses and have nothing to do with the treatment of influenza!

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