About this topic
Influenza, or flu, is an infection caused by the influenza virus. It affects your childs throat, breathing tube, and lungs (the respiratory system). It spreads from a person who is sick to some other person from close contact. Flu may cause: ‚
- Fever over 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C)
- Chills
- Body aches
- Headache
- Cough
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Sore throat
- Tiredness
- Throwing up
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do to care for your child.
- Have your child drink lots of fluids, such as water, broth, sports drinks, and tea. This will keep your childs fluid levels up. This is very important if your child is throwing up.
- Your child needs to rest while getting better.
- Use a machine that makes steam like a vaporizer or humidifier. It may help open up a clogged nose so your child can breathe easier.
What follow-up care is needed?
The doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your childs progress. Be sure to keep these visits. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
- The doctor may order drugs to:
- Lower fever
- Help with pain
- Relieve body aches
- Control coughing
- Never give aspirin or any drugs that have aspirin in it to children younger than 18 years of age. Some examples of these are Pepto Bismol, Alka-Seltzer ‚ ®, or Excedrin ‚ ®. Aspirin may cause a very bad problem to your child.
- Do not give children younger than 4 years old any over-the-counter (OTC) cold drugs without talking to a doctor.
Will physical activity be limited?
Your child needs to rest while getting better. This means your child may need to limit activity until feeling well. Your child may go back to school after the fever is gone for 24 hours without the use of drugs to lower fever. ‚
What changes to diet are needed?
Give your child food that will not cause an upset stomach, such as: ‚
- Chicken soup or any broth
- Banana
- Rice
- Apples
- Toast
What problems could happen?
- Pneumonia
- Too much fluid loss. This is called dehydration.
- Sinus infection
- Ear infection
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Children from 6 months to 18 years should be vaccinated for seasonal flu each year. Vaccine comes in the nasal spray or shot forms. If your child is between the ages of 6 months and 9 years, your child may need 2 doses of vaccine given 21 days apart for the first time only.
- Keep your child from having close contact with sick people.
- Do not let your child share personal items with a sick person.
- Have your child wash hands often with soap and water for at least 15 seconds, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers also work to kill the virus.
- Keep your childs hands away from the nose, eyes, and mouth. The virus often enters the body through these areas.
- For a strong body that can help keep your child well, give foods rich in vitamin C or give vitamin C pills.
To keep from spreading germs in the house or other places: ‚
- If your child is sick, keep your child at home. Have your child stay in a separate room if possible. Your child may spread the flu from the day before there are any signs up to 7 days after getting sick.
- Teach your child to cover the mouth and nose with a tissue for coughs and sneezes. Also, your child may cough or sneeze into the bend of his arm. Teach your child to throw away tissue in the trash and to wash hands after touching the tissues.
- Keep your house clean by wiping down counters, sinks, faucets, doorknobs, telephones, and light switches with a cleaner with bleach. Wash dishes in the dishwasher or with hot soapy water. The flu virus can live on solid surfaces for 24 hours.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of fluid loss. These include soft spot on a babys head looks sunken, few or no tears when crying, dark-colored urine or only a small amount of urine for more than 6 to 8 hours, dry mouth, cracked lips, dry skin, sunken eyes, lack of energy, feeling very sleepy.
- Your child's fever or cough returns, does not go away, or gets worse.
- Throwing up or loose stools continue and your child can't keep liquids down
- Child does not want to interact with others, be held, or is confused
- Your child has trouble breathing
- Drugs are not working for your child
- Health problem is not better or your child is feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you about your child. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my childs condition.
- I can tell you what I can do to help keep my child's fluid levels up.
- I can tell you what I will do to keep others from getting sick.
- I can tell you what I will do if my child cannot keep liquids down or has fewer wet diapers, dry mouth, or little or no tears.
Where can I learn more?
Canadian Lung Association ‚
http://www.lung.ca/diseases-maladies/a-z/flu-grippe/index_e.php ‚
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‚
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/freeresources/updated/a_flu_guide_for_parents.pdf ‚
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/ ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/centers/flu_center.html ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚