It can be challenging for you when your child is down with the flu. Flu causes symptoms ranging from body fever, general aches, fatigue, and cough, and these make the child very uncomfortable. The following are some of the ways that you can assist your child to recover more comfortably and faster if you are a parent.
Recognizing Flu Symptoms
Flu symptoms can possibly include fever, chills and sweats, body aches, fatigue, cough, sore throat, headache and occasionally vomiting particularly in young children. If your child has such symptoms, you should take him/her to a healthcare provider, to make sure it is not something else but the flu.
Steps to Help Your Child Recover
- Make sure that the child gets sufficient rest. Sleep is essential in the combating of the virus and healing so ensure that they stay home from school or daycare until they get better.
- Encourage them to take fluids as flu causes a lot of dehydration, this is especially true if the child has a fever or is vomiting. Provide lots of water, and other non-copious liquids such as water, clear soups and oral electrolytes. During such days and when your child has lost his/her appetite, fluids assume an even greater importance.
- Ensure a balanced diet for your child. Serve small-sized meals so as to help ease digestion. Opt for foods such as broths, soups, mashed potatoes and bananas. Refer to a best child specialist in Lahore for more information.
- He or she should also control fever and pain through the use of appropriate drugs such as acetaminophen and/or ibuprofen. These may assist in the bringing down of fever as well as the easing of body pains that are associated with the flu. Be careful always to adhere to dosing guidelines and it is always advisable to consult your pediatrician.
- Put a humidifier in the child’s bedroom to effectively help to unblock a stuffy nose and relieve the sore throat. Make sure that the humidifier is clean to avoid any spreadage of bacteria and mold.
- Ensure that they are warm by dressing your child in loose clothing and the use of soft blankets for them. Keep the environment of the rooms cozy, neither too hot or too cold, to aid the children to have a better sleep.
- Ensure they practice good hygiene to prevent the flu from spreading to other family members.
A person should change clothes, wash his hands with water that contains soap to reduce the chances of spreading the flu to the rest of the family. Wash hands more often, disinfect accessible surfaces and avoid the usage of shared plates and glasses.
When To Seek Medical Help
The flu in most children can be managed at home but there are signs that should be a signal for a visit to a Child Specialist in Karachi. If you have any doubt that your child could be seriously ill, if your child is having a hard time breathing; is very weak and unresponsive; has a high fever that does not come down despite medication; is vomiting and/or diarrhea and cannot hold fluids; has a very bad cough or chest pain, please take the child to be seen by a doctor immediately.
Conclusion
Flu takes time to heal however it should not be a worrying experience as there are ways you can help make your child’s flu less straining. If one gets a heavy wash, rest and hydrate adequately, and other supportive measures suffice to do the needful to get better. In this way, if your child has some abnormal signs, you can understand when to involve medical help and have your child back to his energetic state as soon as it is possible.
