Dealing with Flu in children
Flu is a common illness that affects both children and adults. It is brought about by the influenza virus and comes with a number of symptoms. Your normally active child might be suffering from the Flu if he is not his normal self, and presents three or more of the Flu symptoms. These symptoms include fever, sore throat, nausea, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, stuffy nose, runny or body aches, dry or productive cough and irritated, red eyes.
Treating A Flu
To help your child get well, here are some tips to get you through the illness.
- Treat the symptoms
You can use specific medicines for specific symptoms such as ibuprofen for the aching head/body. Kids below 6 years of age should however not be given the medicines to treat multiple symptoms. Focus mainly on the symptoms that bother your kid the most.
- Fluids
Drink a lot of fluids to keep the kid’s body hydrated. The fluids will keep mucus running so as to avoid any sinus or ear infection.
- Hot water bottles and warm baths
Give your kid a warm bath or a hot water bottle to help ease the body aches and pains.
Should you see a doctor?
The above measures should make your kid feel better, but if you observe a high fever, severe headache or extreme dehydration, you may need to consult a doctor. A normal fever will fluctuate between very high and normal, so if the fever goes on and stays high (over 1020) for over four days, it is important to check with a doctor to ensure that it is only a Flu.
A visit to the doctor is especially crucial if the kid vomits persistently and the back of the neck is stiff and painful since these could be signs of meningitis. A severe cough that is accompanied with chest pain and short breath may mean that pneumonia is setting in. If this is the case, get your kid to a doctor immediately.
How to prevent the flu
- No nose picking
Flu germs are mainly spread through touch and droplet spread. Children often pick their noses and after that touch other people. Teach your kids to avoid this as well as to sneeze with their mouth and nose covered.
- Immune-boosting foods
For your kids to get better faster and their bodies to fight the flu virus, ensure that they get enough immune-boosting foods which include vegetables, fruits and fish. The deeper the color of the fruits and vegetables the greater their immunity-boosting capability is. Include tomatoes, green vegetables, blueberries and red grapes as well as wild salmon in your family’s diet. Oils such as flax and olive oil, nuts and spices like cinnamon and turmeric also help boost the body’s immunity so ensure that your family consumes them.
- Limit sugar
Some claim too much sugar can reduce the power of the white blood cells to fight off germs so if possible limit the amount you and your kids consume.
Lastly, remember a Flu is not fatal unless it is left untreated to the point of developing complications such as pneumonia. Therefore, treat your child’s flu symptoms and don’t worry too much.