1.What are the causes of upper respiratory tract infections in winter and spring?
The cold climate in winter and spring, coupled with air pollution, the respiratory tract is affected by physical and chemical factors, and the immunity of the respiratory tract is reduced. Coupled with poor ventilation indoors and on transportation, the content of pathogenic microorganisms in the air increases significantly, making it highly susceptible to respiratory infectious diseases. Schools are crowded and students come from a variety of sources, making it easy to bring pathogens to school and cause disease epidemics in the classroom.
The most common diseases causing respiratory infections this season are viruses, which can account for more than 80%, like influenza virus, rhinovirus, etc. This is followed by bacteria, which account for about 20%, including streptococci, mycoplasma, etc. The immune system of middle school students has been more perfect, causing diseases mainly in the upper respiratory tract infections, unlike before the age of 8 which is prone to lower respiratory tract infections. However, upper respiratory tract infection is a starter switch, in poorer students, may further develop into pneumonia.
2.How to prevent respiratory diseases in winter and spring?
First of all, pay attention to physical exercise, but pay attention to the air condition, avoid big physical training when exercising outdoors, and change clothes in time after a lot of sweating. You can go outdoors at noon, while opening doors and windows for ventilation. Second, students who take crowded public transportation are recommended to bring masks, but pay attention to the daily cleaning of masks. The outer surface of the mask may carry viruses, so be careful not to roll it up and store it.
Third, students who have the flu are advised to wear masks in the classroom to reduce the chance of infecting other students, and to try to recuperate at home if the fever is severe.
Fourth, vaccination against influenza, which is highly contagious and serious, and the strain of virus prevalent every year is not quite the same, requires annual vaccination, which can only prevent influenza and not all colds, therefore, it cannot be said that the vaccine is useless because you still get the flu after vaccination.
Fifth, children who often have pneumonia are mostly infected with streptococcus pneumoniae secondary to viral colds, and can be considered for pneumonia vaccination.
3, how to choose cold medicine?
There are a variety of cold medicines on the market, the basic role is to reduce headache, nasal congestion, reduce fever, the most important ingredients are aspirin, paracetamol. Therefore, eat a cold medicine can, do not pursue the fast, and a variety of drugs together. There are more Chinese medicines for cold and flu, but they cannot be taken casually. In winter, most of them are wind-cold and wind-heat cold and flu, and you can take drugs such as Lotus Clear Fever and Golden Lotus Clear Fever in the early stage of the disease.
If you have a high fever (38.5 or more) for more than 3 days, or if your child is usually in poor physical condition, you can go to the hospital for an influenza A antigen test. If it is positive, it can be confirmed as influenza A. It is recommended to take anti-influenza drugs such as oseltamivir and zanamivir. These medications can shorten the course of the illness and prevent serious complications from occurring.
Antibiotics have no effect on the influenza virus and are not needed in the early stages of the flu. Antibiotics should be taken if the blood test is elevated, yellow sputum is produced, yellow nose is runny, and there are pus spots on the tonsils. Antibiotics should be taken according to your doctor’s advice. It is best not to take antibiotics on your own initiative.
4.Fever with cold, how to reduce the fever?
Cold is a common disease, most of them are relatively mild, and the general situation will heal itself in a week or so.
Body temperature does not exceed 38.5, good mental condition, can be handled at home, must pay attention to rest and warmth, appropriate increase water, eat some easily digestible food and fruits and vegetables. Turn on the humidifier for humidification, but be careful to disinfect the humidifier before use.
High fever of 38.5 or more, you can take oral antipyretics, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, etc. You can choose just one. Be careful not to give antipyretic drugs frequently, generally at most 4 to 6 hours to give a time on it. Improper administration of antipyretic drugs can cause serious toxic effects. If the fever is not satisfactory, you can use ice bags, wrapped in cloth or towels, placed on the occiput, armpits, groin and other parts of the fever, this antipyretic that is effective and safe. If you don’t have an ice pack at home, you can also use bags of milk, etc. instead. But be careful, if the child has chills, do not use ice bags, you can use warm water soaked towel, wipe the child’s forehead, hands and feet heart, etc., each time 10 minutes, interval 30 minutes visible repeat, until the body temperature drops to below 38 degrees.
5.What if I judge the condition of my child’s cold?
Look at the temperature: a temperature of 39 degrees or more for more than 2 days, fever with obvious chills often indicates heavy.
Look at the appetite: if there is no appetite when the fever is on, and the appetite improves after the fever subsides, it means it is lighter. If you can’t eat fruits and gruel even during the interval of fever, it indicates a heavy condition.
Look at the mental head: if you are drowsy and obviously wilted, it means the disease is serious.
Look at the cough and sputum: if there is a lot of sputum and yellow sputum, it means the condition is serious. Dry cough, even if the cough is very frequent and looks scary, is not actually heavy.
Look at whether the breathing is accelerated: if the breathing is rapid and it feels like holding the breath, the condition is very serious.
Look at the heart rate: If you still have panic, fast heart rate and chest tightness after the fever subsides, be careful. A very small number of children will develop myocarditis after upper respiratory virus infection, which usually appears 1 to 2 weeks after the cold, so be sure to pay attention to it.
6.How to choose a hospital to visit?
Colds are common and most of them can be cured by themselves. When you take your child to the doctor, you can choose a hospital with pediatrics above the second-tier level in your home. After an upper respiratory tract infection, the immunity of the respiratory tract decreases, so if you come into contact with strong pathogenic bacteria, you will easily get infected. Beijing Children’s Hospital and Shou Children’s Hospital are indeed good hospitals, but the emergency departments of these hospitals have a large number of patients every day, and children with serious illnesses around Beijing gather here for all kinds of diseases.