How to quickly cure a cold in a child

A cold (or ARVI) is a common and frequent occurrence in children under 5 years of age. As a rule, a child rarely gets sick before the age of two. Firstly, because it is protected by antibodies that it received from mother's milk. Secondly, because he is not in contact with a large number of people. But when a baby starts socialization and goes to kindergarten, everything changes. Even a strong child can get sick almost every month. Do not worry, in most cases this is normal, many children go through adaptation. The body is formed, it learns to resist a huge number of viruses and microbes in the outside world. The task of parents in this situation is to facilitate the course of the disease in various ways, as well as to strengthen the immune system so that the defenses of the child’s body in the future can withstand the virus.In this article you will learn how to distinguish a cold from other diseases, how to suppress the disease at the very beginning, and we will tell you about the many ways to quickly and safely treat ARVI.

How to understand that the child is cold

The common symptoms of a cold are nose flow, nausea, sneezing, redness of the eyes. With a cold, the temperature may rise - although this is not a prerequisite. In general, the sense of well-being of the crumbs is spoiled - he becomes moody, tearful, asks for his hands, loses his appetite. If the child is more than two years old and he can already express himself, the children show what it is that hurts. Often with a cold, a sore throat - the child points to this. You can inspect the mucous throat with a clean spoon - if it is red, there should be no doubt - the baby caught ARVI.

Often a cold is confused with food poisoning. After all, often a baby at high temperatures can torment vomiting and diarrhea. If diarrhea and vomiting are repeated, it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible, dehydration is extremely dangerous for young children. In this case, to make the correct diagnosis will also help the throat. If it is not red - rather, everything, the baby is poisoned. If red - with high probability we can say that the crumb picked up SARS, which, by the way, can often manifest disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

Cold symptoms also appear in children who develop infectious mononucleosis. The disease causes the Epstein-Barr virus. In this disease, there is a high temperature that is difficult to bring down, purulent or red throat, lymph nodes increase. To identify the disease, you need to pass tests for atypical mononuclear cells. In any case, if you are not exactly sure that it is a cold, you need to consult a doctor for a correct diagnosis.

What to do at the first sign of a cold

If you notice the primary signs of illness in a child, it is very important to begin treatment as early as possible. After all, early response will help to suppress the disease at the root. So what to do if the child is cold or came from the garden with snot?

1. First of all, you need to warm the baby. If the child does not mind, you can take a hot bath. In any case, the water must first be comfortable and warm, and then the temperature can be gradually increased. Then warm the baby.
2. After that, the baby can do the washing of the nose. Firstly, this will allow the virus to be washed away from the mucous membrane, which, perhaps, has not yet fully absorbed into the body. Secondly, washing will help remove excess mucus and remove swelling, which will allow you to breathe again with your nose.For washing, you can use decoctions of herbs, a solution of furatsilina or miramistina, salt water. Rinsing can be done simply by putting a teapot spout on the baby's nose. The baby should turn its head to the side until the jet spills from the other nostrils. Show by example how the baby should act. Babies need to flush the nose with saline. Just drop a drop of saline with a pipette into each nostril. After that, use an aspirator for the nose, which will pull out all unnecessary mucus. In case of serious discharge (purulent character), the baby can be taken for washing to the ENT. The device "Cuckoo" will pull out all unnecessary from the sinuses, and the antibacterial composition resists the further development of inflammation.
3. In addition to washing the baby can make inhalation. An excellent nebulizer device sprays mineral water or special preparations into the smallest particles that fall directly on the lungs. Nebulizer perfectly treats cough, snot and red throat, suppresses inflammation on the vine. If there is no such device at home, you can simply breathe above the basin of hot water, covered with a towel.For inhalation, you can use a decoction of potatoes or chamomile, eucalyptus essential oils, or calendula tincture.
4. After that, the baby needs to make a mustard bath for the feet. The procedure is allowed for children over three years old. In order not to frighten and force the baby, simply lower your legs into the basin of hot water with it. Add a little dry mustard to the liquid. From time to time, pour hot water into the basin. After the bath, you need to dry your feet well, put on woolen socks on bare skin. This creates an additional effect on the active points of the foot. This massage strengthens the immune system and activates enhanced blood circulation.
5. Mustard bath should be done at bedtime. But before you wish the kid a good night, you need to smear his chest and back with badger or goose fat. Fat keeps warm for a long time and warms up well. If there is a cold, warm the sinuses with boiled eggs or warm salt in a bag.
6. After that, give the baby tea with raspberries. Raspberry has a powerful diaphoretic property. This drink will allow the body to thoroughly sweat - the main thing is not to get out from under the blanket.

Having fulfilled all these conditions, in the morning you do not remember that the child was sick yesterday. However, remember - this set of measures is effective only at the onset of the disease.

Drink plenty of humid air

In all sources for the treatment of colds you can find recommendations for heavy drinking. However, few people know that the virus is not treated with drugs. All antiviral drugs have only the ability to relieve symptoms. Only liquid can help remove the virus from the body. The more the child pees, the faster he will recover. You really need to drink a lot. A child of three years should drink at least a liter of fluid per day (during illness). This is the only way to accelerate recovery. Offer a crumbs favorite juices, stewed fruit, sweet tea - anything you like, as long as he drank.

Humid air is another condition for rapid recovery. The virus lives and multiplies in dry and hot air. But in a humid and cool climate, he dies. Ventilate the room more often, install a humidifier, moderate the work of radiators in the winter, do daily wet cleaning. In addition to the fact that dry and hot air contributes to the development of the virus, it also dries out the mucous membrane in the nose. This leads to secondary infection.Indoor air quality for colds is one of the main conditions for recovery.

Drug treatment for colds

If this is really a cold, you do not need to treat her with medicines. Ensuring abundant drinking and humid air in the room is already a guarantee of quick recovery. However, often children need help to quickly get rid of the disease. Antipyretic drugs have an excellent anti-inflammatory effect. If you give them three times a day, regardless of temperature, they help reduce symptoms and alleviate the patient's condition. Among them are Nurofen, Ibuklin, Ibufen, etc.

If your baby has a stuffy nose, you need to use vasoconstrictor sprays and drops. However, observe the age limit - use only those drugs that are allowed for a child of your age. They can not be used for more than five days. If the cold has a bacterial nature, you need to add more powerful drugs - Isofra, Protorgol, Pinosol.

Antihistamine therapy is obligatory, even if the baby is not allergic. Zodak, Suprastin, Zyrtec will help relieve swelling and relieve nasal congestion.

Cough preparations can not be taken uncontrollably, they are permissible only if they are prescribed by a doctor. Antitussive medications, such as Sinekod, combat dry cough by suppressing the cough reflex. If cough with sputum, you need to get it out of the lungs. This will help Mucaltin, Lasolvan, Azz, etc. In case of sputum discharge, do not drink antitussive medications in any case - they muffle cough, sputum is not excreted, it can lead to stagnation.

How else to treat a cold in a child

We have collected for you the most effective and useful ways to treat colds.

1. If you have a sore throat, gargling can help get rid of them. Kids older than three years can already be taught to gargle. For rinsing decoction of medicinal herbs, antibacterial solutions or sea water (soda, salt and iodine) are suitable.
2. Parents make a big mistake when they make a sick child eat, saying that they will not have the strength to fight the disease. In fact, a lot of effort goes into digesting food. Do not force the child to eat if he does not want.
3. It is better to refuse for some time from sweet and fresh milk - they increase the inflammation in the throat.
4. If you have a strong cough, you can make a honey-mustard cake.Mix honey, a pinch of dry mustard, vegetable oil and flour so that the dough is obtained. From it, roll the cake and attach it to your chest. Leave overnight. Mustard slightly irritates the skin and increases blood circulation in the chest. It promotes the activation of immune cells and accelerates recovery. Honey gently warms, and the oil protects delicate baby skin from burns.
5. In the house you need to decompose chopped onions - it disinfects the air. So you not only treat the child, but also protect other households from infection.
6. In order for the child to breathe in pairs of garlic, place the sliced ​​slices of it in the yellow egg from the kinder and hang it around the neck. In the "egg" make a few holes. So the baby will constantly inhale the smell of garlic, which is very useful for colds.
7. If the child has a stuffy nose, you can use folk recipes and drops. Juice of beets, carrots, aloe and kalanchoe perfectly treat a cold. However, remember that they need to be diluted with water not less than half, because in its pure form juices are very hot. Before the child drops homemade drops in the nose, you need to try them on yourself.In no case do not drip breast milk into the baby’s nose. It has long been proven that milk is the best food for bacteria, such treatment will only aggravate the disease.
8. Eat more vitamin C. This is citrus, broth hips, kiwi. You can eat ascorbic - she is sour and many babies eat it instead of candy. If the baby is small, you can add vitamin C to food. The pharmacy has a lot of vitamin C in liquid form (usually in drops).

These are simple, but time-tested ways that will help you quickly lift a child to his feet.

When to see a doctor

You can not be treated without consulting a doctor, if there are purulent plaques on the throat - a sore throat is treated with antibiotics. If thick, yellow or green snot appeared, then a bacterial infection has joined and you also need a doctor.Any unnatural behavior of the child, uncharacteristic complaints or doubts in the diagnosis must be discussed with the doctor. You can be treated at home only if the symptoms are clear and characteristic of a cold.

To protect your child from colds, you need to strengthen the immune system - to eat right, to harden, to drink vitamins, to spend more time in the fresh air, to move actively. And then the cold will be less. And if they are, it will be much easier to flow. Remember, the health and immunity of the child is in your hands.

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