With flu season upon, it’s important to know what to do to prevent your child from getting flu.
It’s reported that children are likely to get the flu more than adults. Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a respiratory illness caused by a viral infection that affects your lungs, mouth and throat. It differs from stomach flu, which is caused by viruses in the gastrointestinal tract.
Flu is a highly contagious illness, it is spread just by coughing, sneezing, or touching your mouth and throat. If your child gets flu, they are contagious for 24 hours before their symptoms start showing.
How to prevent your child from getting the flu:
One of the best ways to prevent your children from getting flu is ensuring that the whole family, including your kids (over 6 months old) get flu shots. Although many kids are afraid of the shots, it’s always best giving them a reward or distracting them from the pain during the shot.
- Practice good hand hygiene with soap and water or hand sanitiser
- Clean and disinfect surfaces
- Teach your child to cough or sneeze into their sleeve or elbow
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, as germs spread this way
- Avoid close contact with sick people
Flu symptoms may appear as a common cold at first, but as time goes by, parents will be able to detect if their kids indeed have flu. Symptoms include feverish chills or sweat, congestion, runny nose, sore throat, coughing, headaches and body aches.
Flu can be treated at home with lots of rest and liquids. If you are concerned as a parent, it’s best to call your pediatrician first as they know your child’s medical history. In some cases, flu symptoms can be serious and need urgent medical attention. Children with chronic diseases like asthma and diabetes are at a higher risk of more serious complications.
Urgent medical attention is needed when your child is having trouble breathing, has a fever with a rash, vomits a lot, won’t drink liquids, appears dehydrated with dry lips, sunken eyes or decreased urination.
Compiled by Clement Matroos Source: www.childrens.com
