Children often fall prey to viral infections. Studies show that a child during his early growing years can be a victim of about 12 viral ailments in a year. Children often become the target of a virus immediately after recovering from another virus. However, the incidence of children catching viral infection generally decreases with growing age.
Viruses are contagious and may spread easily through personal contact. Many of the viruses are not dangerous and taking adequate rest is usually the best way to treat them. Antibiotics may not help cure a viral infection. Nonetheless, if a child suffering from a viral infection shows no improvement in 48 hours, it is advisable to seek medical treatment.
Infection produced by viruses or tiny germs in the body is called a viral infection. There are a plethora of viruses that can infect nearly any part of the body. They function like hijackers by attacking the normal cells and then using those very cells to grow and breed more viruses.
Viruses are responsible for the occurrence of common viral infections like flu, common cold along with a sore throat, diarrhoea and vomiting, warts. They can also trigger severe infections like smallpox, Ebola and HIV/AIDS.
A child can easily catch a viral infection from an infected child in school or any other public place as the virus can spread from a runny nose or virus infected hands, even a cough or sneeze. Viruses may also get transferred through faeces, vomit and insect bites. Viral infections can affect kids through contaminated food and water. Viral infections commonly occur during seasonal changes. Viruses usually get passed on either horizontally like from one infected person to the other or vertically like from a mom to her kid.
Some of the common diseases caused by viruses are listed below:
The symptoms can differ depending on the type of viral infection. The most common signs and symptoms of viral infection in a child can be:
If the symptoms of viral infection show no sign of subsiding after a few days, it is always advisable to contact your doctor. The doctor, in that case, may recommend some blood tests to ascertain which virus is producing the infection. Only then can he propose the right course of treatment.
The treatment for child viral infection usually involves management of the symptoms of viral infection. The doctor may prescribe ORS and zinc tablets in case of diarrhoea and ibuprofen for relief from pain and high fever. If the child has a cough and cold, the doctor may advise cough syrup and nasal drops.
However, viruses can be prevented in the first place by proper vaccination. They can be treated by antiviral drugs also. But usually, the best treatment for viral infection is proper rest, intake of sufficient fluids and to allow the infection to run its natural course.
Some of the home remedies that can prove useful in curing the viral infection in your child can be:
Viral infection in a kid can last for a couple of weeks even though he may make a recovery within a few days. There is usually a time lag of few days between getting infected by the virus and the appearance of the symptoms. A cough may linger on for quite some time. Sometimes kids develop rashes due to the viral infection which usually disappears on their own in few days.
When your child has a viral infection, you can expect the following things:
Normally, a viral infection is not a cause for concern, still it may result in serious complications. Therefore, if your kid shows any of the following signs, you may like to contact your doctor immediately.
A child with good immunity can successfully fight against viruses. A good immune system can create a physical barrier and prevent viruses from passing through the body. The white blood cells or leukocytes hunt for the viruses that may have entered the kid’s body to destroy them. The kid’s immune system also produces antibodies that identify viruses in the body and neutralizes them, thereby preventing infections.
Here is a list of things that can be done to prevent your child from getting a viral infection:
Certain tips that may help your child when he has a viral infection are listed below:
Viral illness in children is produced by viruses whereas bacterial infection is triggered by bacteria. A bacterial infection can be treated with antibiotic drugs which destroy only the bacterium that has caused the infection. However, antibiotics are ineffective in curing a viral infection in toddlers. A bacterial infection may manifest itself in a specific infected part of the body in the form of swelling, ache, redness. Therefore, if a kid is suffering from a bacterial sore throat, he may experience pain in his throat. On the other hand, viral infection in babies can include several parts of the body at a given time. Thus if a kid has a viral infection, he may develop a cough, runny nose, body ache, watery eyes. Recurrent viral infections in children may be a sign of weak immune system. Viral infection in children with a high fever needs to be taken to a doctor instantly as it may result in complications like pneumonia.
It may be difficult to protect your child from getting affected by a viral infection. However, you can always build and strengthen your child’s immune system to reduce his possibilities of falling prey to the viral infections. Maintaining balanced diet for your kid can go a long way in providing an effective resistance to all the viral infections.