01. What is a children's cold?
The cold is a common respiratory illness that is common in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Children's immune systems are more fragile than those of adults, so children are more susceptible to colds caused by viruses. Childhood colds, also known as acute upper respiratory tract infections in children, are inflammation of the upper respiratory tract caused by various pathogens, mainly viruses and bacteria, of which viruses account for more than 90%.
The disease usually affects the nose, nasopharynx, and pharynx. If the inflammation of a certain part of the upper respiratory tract infection is particularly obvious, it will be named according to the inflammation of that area, such as acute rhinitis, acute pharyngitis, acute tonsillitis, etc. Acute epithetization is primarily used to describe those in which localized infection of the upper respiratory tract is poorly localized. Nasopharyngeal infections may cause complications that affect nearby organs such as the larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs, mouth, sinuses, middle ear, eyes, and cervical lymph nodes. Sometimes, complications may persist or worsen even though nasopharyngeal symptoms have improved or disappeared.
02. Common causes of colds in children
1. Viruses and bacteria: All kinds of viruses and bacteria can cause children to catch colds, of which viruses account for more than 90%. Common viruses include rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, etc. Secondary bacterial infections may occur after viral infection, the most common bacteria are hemolytic streptococcus, followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, etc., and Mycoplasma pneumoniae is also uncommon in recent years.
2. Nutritional and environmental factors: nutritional disorders, such as vitamin D deficiency rickets, vitamin A, zinc or iron deficiency, etc., coupled with climate change and poor environmental factors, can also cause children to catch colds. Especially in infancy and early childhood, children are more susceptible to these factors, which can lead to recurrent colds or prolonged illness.
03. Symptoms of colds in children
Depending on the child's age, constitution and location of the lesion, the severity and severity of the disease will vary. In general, older children have milder symptoms, while infants and young children have more severe symptoms.
1. Symptoms of a common childhood cold include:
Local symptoms: nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, dry cough, pharyngeal discomfort and sore throat, etc. These symptoms usually heal naturally within 3~4 days.
Systemic symptoms: fever, irritability, headache, malaise, fatigue, etc. Some children may also have gastrointestinal symptoms such as loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Infants and young children have an acute onset and obvious systemic symptoms, while local symptoms are mild. They often have a fever, the body temperature may be as high as 39 °C ~ 40 °C, and the fever lasts for about 2~3 days to 1 week. Within 1~2 days of onset, high fever may cause convulsions.
On physical examination, pharyngeal congestion and tonsillar enlargement may be seen on physical examination. Lymphadenopathy of the jaw and neck is sometimes seen. Auscultation of the lungs is usually normal. In patients with enterovirus infection, different forms of rash may be seen.
In addition, there are two special types of upper sensations to be aware of:
1. Herpangina: The causative agent is coxsackie A virus, which tends to occur in summer and autumn. The onset is abrupt, and the clinical manifestations are high fever, sore throat, salivation, anorexia, vomiting, etc. Physical examination can find pharyngeal congestion, and several to a dozen gray-white herpes of 2~4mm size appear on the mucous membrane of the pharyngeal palatine arch, soft palate, and uvula, with redness around them. These herpes break down after 1~2 days to form small sores, and may also appear in other parts of the mouth. The duration of the disease is approximately 1 week.
2. Pharyngeal conjunctival fever: characterized by fever, pharyngitis, and conjunctivitis, and the pathogen is adenovirus type 3 and 7, which tends to occur in spring and summer, and may be sporadic or small-spread. Clinical manifestations include high fever, sore throat, and stinging eyes, sometimes accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms. Physical examination reveals pharyngeal hyperemia with white punctate lumpy discharge (no redness around the periphery and easy to peel) and one or both follicular ocular conjunctivitis (which may be accompanied by bulbar conjunctival hemorrhage). In addition, lymph nodes in the neck and behind the ears may be enlarged. The course of the disease is 1~2 weeks.
In terms of complications, infants and young children are more common and may cause otitis media, sinusitis, posterior pharyngeal wall abscess, peritonsillar abscess, cervical lymphadenitis, laryngitis, bronchitis and pneumonia. Acute glomerulonephritis and rheumatic fever may also occur in older children with group A hemolytic streptococcal angina.
04. Which children are susceptible to colds?
1. Parents are "overprotective". Some parents will make their children's living environment too clean, and they are not worried about their children going out to contact other children, lest their children be infected. In fact, when in contact with people, the human body will develop "adaptability" to germs, and immunity will also improve. If you do not come into contact with the complex environment for a long time, you will not be able to adapt to it when you suddenly enter, and you are more likely to be infested by germs.
2. Babies don't like activities. Children who do not like to exercise have slower metabolism, less food, weak digestion and absorption, low immunity, and are more likely to have repeated colds and fevers.
3. Don't bask in the sun. Modern "white" seems to have become a synonym for "beauty", and many parents are worried about their children being tanned and are reluctant to let their children be exposed to too much sunlight. However, more sunlight supplements vitamin D to promote calcium absorption, strengthen the body, and improve immunity.
4. Eat too much and wear too thick. Wan Quan, a physician in the Ming Dynasty, said: "If you want children to be safe, you must divide hunger and cold." This means that to ensure the safety and health of babies and young children, you must not feed them too much and dress them too warmly.
5. The bedding is too thick. When sleeping at night, many parents will cover their children thickly, and as a result, children will naturally kick off the quilt when they feel hot, and when they are cold in a hot sweat, the child will easily catch a cold.
05. Treatment of children's colds
1. General treatment: children's viral sexual sensation has a certain degree of self-limiting, and mild symptoms can be self-healing. The main goal of treatment is to prevent cross-infection and complications. At the same time, children should pay attention to rest, maintain a good surrounding environment, drink plenty of water and supplement a large amount of vitamin C. In addition, some Chinese herbal preparations such as the Herbal Conditioning Foot Bath Pack, which is filled with water every day to soak your feet or take a bath, can help relieve the symptoms of a cold and make the cold recover faster.
2. Anti-infective treatment:
(1) Use of antiviral drugs: Most upper respiratory tract infections in children are caused by viruses, so some antiviral drugs can be used.
(2) Antibiotic treatment: For patients with bacterial upper respiratory tract infection or bacterial infection secondary to viral upper respiratory tract infection, antibiotic treatment can be selected.
Symptomatic treatment of colds in children can be done with the following:
- When fever is high, acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be taken by mouth, or cold compresses, warm wet compresses, or alcohol baths can be used to cool down.
- If febrile seizures occur, sedation and anticonvulsive treatment should be given.
- If the sore throat is sore, a throat tablet (for older children) may be used.
- Proprietary Chinese medicine is also effective in treating children's colds.
3. Be cautious when using drugs
First of all, for the use of antipyretics, medical experts do not recommend that children cool down as soon as they have a fever, because fever is a manifestation of the child's own resistance to disease. When your child's body temperature is above 38.5°C, fever reducers can be used under the guidance of a doctor. It is preferable to use physical cooling methods, such as warm water scrub baths, cold compresses, etc.
Second, the use of antibiotics should be approached with caution. Antibiotics are not preferred for the prevention and treatment of colds, and there is no specific effect for the common cold (viral infection). In the treatment of colds, you should drink plenty of water, eat lightly, pay attention to rest, and take Chinese medicine appropriately. If you do have a bacterial infection, you should take antibiotics according to the instructions or doctor's instructions.
For children and the elderly, medication should be taken with particular caution. Their body's metabolism is weak, so it is not recommended to use drugs without permission. If you feel unwell, you should go to a regular hospital for examination in time, and use the drug reasonably according to the doctor's instructions or instructions to ensure the safety of medication.