The symptoms and treatments for intestinal flu in children

All parents should know what the stomach flu, the symptoms and treatment in children what are. There is virtually no child in the world older than 5 years, which is not spared to this disease. So you need to tell me what is this disease and why it occurs. What pathogens are the cause of intestinal flu? If there is subsequently an immunity to this intestinal infection? What are the main symptoms of rotavirus?

What is rotavirus infection?

Rotavirus infection (which is most distant from the medicine people are called intestinal flu) affects only the intestines of children.

The causative agent of intestinal flu is a virus similar to tire. It is called rotavirus. There are other, more familiar, name for this disease: intestinal (or gastric) influenza, rotavirus gastroenteritis.

Can purchase is a disease of infants and older children. But newborns this disease practically does not suffer, because even in utero the fetus receives from the mother's temporary immunity to this disease. Increases the risk of the disease stomach flu in the case when the child of breastfeeding goes to feeding mixtures starts to get a full meal intended for adults.

To get a child or sick person, or from someone who is a carrier of rotavirus. Infection occurs through dirty hands, contaminated food (most often it is any infected milk products), airborne droplets. And here in kindergartens one contagious child can cause epidemic diarrhoea. The time from infection to the onset of the disease the patient the baby is from one day to 4-5 days.

Signs of the disease

Parents with suspected stomach flu in children should pay attention to the following symptoms:

• the presence of acute abdominal pain (and pain occur such as fights);
• copious vomiting (at least 5-6 times a day);
• General weakness and lethargy of the baby;
• a sharp increase in temperature (38 °C or higher);
• a day later the baby begins to have diarrhea, feces color yellow, has a sour smell;
• sometimes there is redness of the eyes and mucous membrane of the throat;
• kids often refuse food and fluid intake.

The most dangerous failure of a kid from drinking. Diarrhea can lead to dehydration. Small children lose a lot of fluid in sweat and during breathing (due to high temperature). Therefore, it is necessary that the patientchild drinking at least 2 liters of water (it is better to give salted mineral non-carbonated water).

If the baby refuses to drink, you can drink using a conventional syringe (without needle) filled with water and squeezed in the mouth (aiming to the sides of the mouth).

The above symptoms of rotavirus must be distinguished from the relevant characteristics of such intestinal diseases as dysentery or cholera.

Usually after the baby has been ill with intestinal flu, he has a strong immunity to this disease, so recurrence of the disease almost never there.

In adults this disease is with a fuzzy symptomatology: there may be diarrhea, but no more than 1-2 times a day, the patient may refuse to eat, it is also likely small increases in temperature. At this point the person is infectious, although it may not realize that he runs rotavirus bowel disease.

The total duration of the disease

The rotavirus enters into the duodenum or unwashed food, or airborne - in the nasopharynx, where sneaking into the human digestive system with saliva.

That is the stomach flu in children is "the disease of dirty hands". Getting on the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, the viruses infect the cells of the mucosa and begin to proliferate there.

Incubation period (duration not more than 5 days) is usually completely asymptomatic. However, the baby is contagious.

Then begins the acute phase of the disease, but it has almost all the basic of the above symptoms of rotavirus disease. The most seriously ill with intestinal flu babies. The acute period of the disease lasts up to 8 days. The most dangerous diarrhoea and vomiting in children due to the likelihood of dehydration.

If children 2-3 years of age you can drink water to prevent dehydration, drink an infant is much more complicated.

The main signs of dehydration in infants:

• the mouth and tongue of the baby really dry;
• crying without tears;
• urination the infant occurs less than 3 hours.

At the first sign of dehydration, you must call the attending physician.

Then the child begins to recover. This process usually takes 4 to 5 days. During this period, the baby is no longer contagious, but still very weak. The baby can still be some signs of enteric and respiratory manifestations of the disease.

Treatment of rotavirus disease in a child

At the first symptoms of disease (diarrhea orvomiting) it is necessary to call on the doctor's house.

Do not attempt to treat such disease alone - most zapasnyh intestinal diseases observed similar symptoms in the early stages of the disease (dysentery, cholera or salmonellosis). Therefore, without qualified medical assistance is necessary.

Before you start the treatment of intestinal flu, it is necessary to remember that the rotavirus and any other viruses, antibiotics have no effect (this is the main difference of this disease from dysentery, for example). This happens because of viral infections drugs at all. They fight the human immune system. But without qualified medical assistance is not enough. Alone this disease will pass with time, but can still be complications.

Although man can do nothing with the causative agent of intestinal flu, but it is possible to reduce the risk of complications.

One of the exhausting toddler manifestations of rotavirus is frequent diarrhea. Because of it the baby may be complication is dehydration.

Therefore, a doctor is required to appoint rehydration therapy to replenish lost fluid in the body crumbs. Especially important are such activities for infants.

Children are given a drink or salted water solution (per liter of boiled water 1 teaspoon salt without slides) or special-type medications Regidrona. Babies do not give more than 50 ml of fluid for the 1st time. A greater number of introduced fluid for the 1st time may cause vomiting.

In the case of vomiting and diarrhoea must not consume dairy products (the virus turns milk protein into a toxin that will worsen the state of health), carbonated sugary drinks, bread, chips, candy, acid and hard to digest foods.

To bring out of the kid's body of toxic substances and waste products of bacteria, you need to give the patient drugs such as Smectite or activated carbon. The dosage of such drugs usually appoint a doctor, based on the age and weight of the child.

Slender the temperature of the child is usually not shot down. It is at this temperature, the viruses begin to die in the body of the baby. But if the temperature of 38.5 °C and above, it is necessary to give your child an antipyretic. Frequent diarrhea is not recommended to use this dosage form like candles. They can get out of the body together with the chair and not to bring the child any relief. Therefore, it is best to give reducethe temperature of the medium in syrup: Panadol or Nurofen.

If the baby is very concerned about Spamooborona abdominal pain, a doctor recommends a dose of shpy.

Conclusion on the subject

When rotavirus intestinal disease is on the decline, it is necessary to restore the disturbed microflora of intestines of the baby.

Commonly recommended probiotics or other products that contain live lactobacilli.

If the child refuses food during this intestinal disease, it is not necessary to feed him violently. With vomiting and diarrhea toddler disgusted with even the sight of food.