Acıbadem Taksim Hospital Pediatrics Specialist Dr. Betül Sarıtaş talked about effective ways to prevent influenza. Specialist Dr. Betül Sarıtaş said, “Recently, there have been intense applications to polyclinics with complaints such as sudden onset of high fever, sore throat, runny nose and muscle aches. Since the influenza virus is generally transmitted through the respiratory tract, the risk of transmission in both adults and children is extremely high. Common areas of use in nursery and school-age children also increase the risk of transmission," he said.
Emphasizing that influenza can cause serious problems such as lower respiratory tract infections and hospitalizations by being more severe in chronic diseases and children under 2 years of age, Pediatric Health and Diseases Specialist Dr. Betül Sarıtaş explained 7 important points to be known about influenza and made important warnings and suggestions.
It is most commonly transmitted through the respiratory route.
Emphasizing that the Influenza-A virus, also called swine flu, is most commonly transmitted through the respiratory tract, Dr. Betül Sarıtaş said: “After sneezing and coughing, viruses can hang in the air for 30-40 minutes and can infect people more than a meter away. After being infected with the Influenza-A virus, contagiousness can continue for 2-5 days, especially in the first 10 days.
The disease can appear after 4 days!
Child Health and Diseases Specialist Dr. Betül Sarıtaş said, “Influenza outbreaks generally begin to appear in October, reach the highest level in January-February, and gradually decrease in frequency in March-April. After the infection of the child with the Influenza-A virus, which is very common in recent days, the symptoms of the disease vary between 1-4 days.
It shows itself with these symptoms!
Stating that sudden onset of high fever, weakness, widespread muscle aches, sore throat, runny nose and cough are the most important symptoms of the influenza virus, Dr. Betül Sarıtaş emphasized that especially in children with fever lasting longer than 5 days, parents should be careful about possible complications and should consult a pediatrician.
Attention! Even if the test is negative!…
Child Health and Diseases Specialist Dr. Betül Sarıtaş said, “In the presence of these complaints, an influenza test can be performed quickly by taking a swab from the nose. A positive test makes the diagnosis, while a negative test does not necessarily mean that the disease is not present. Middle ear infections can develop in 15-50% of untreated influenza patients. At the same time, pneumonia, triggering of asthma in asthmatic patients, croup, febrile seizures and, albeit rare, ataxias can be seen in the course of the disease. For this reason, children should be observed well and a doctor should be consulted without wasting time when necessary.
Do not randomly give antibiotics!
Stating that antiviral treatment should be started within the first 48 hours in patients with a positive influenza test, Dr. Betül Saritas said:
“Since it is an influenza virus infection, antibiotics are not used in particular. If the disease progresses and bacterial infection is added, antibiotics can be used. For this reason, families should definitely avoid giving antibiotics indiscriminately without consulting a physician. However, drinking plenty of fluids, resting in bed, frequent ventilation of the patient's room, support of sleep patterns and healthy nutrition by families accelerate the healing process of children. Families should consider physician recommendations and avoid indiscriminate vitamin supplements.”
Pay attention to these suggestions to protect yourself from influenza!
Child Health and Diseases Specialist Dr. Regarding the ways to prevent the disease, Betül Sarıtaş said, “The most effective method of preventing influenza is vaccination. All children over 6 months of age can be vaccinated in our country. It is especially important to vaccinate children in the risk group, with low immunity and with chronic diseases. Influenza vaccine needs to be repeated every year. Close contact with those who have the flu should be avoided to prevent transmission. Masks should be worn in the environment where sick people are, and mouth and nose should be covered with a tissue in case of coughing and sneezing. Hygiene rules must be followed, hands must be washed before meals, hands should not be rubbed on the face during the day.
Avoid such mistakes!
Emphasizing that parents should not send their children with flu to school, Dr. Betül Sarıtaş said that in this way, other children will not be harmed due to the risk of transmission of the virus, and that rest is a must.
Noting that some families avoid having their children vaccinated because of the thought that influenza vaccine contains mercury, Dr. Betül Sarıtaş, “However, influenza vaccine does not contain mercury. Influenza vaccine can also be administered to children with egg allergy. For this reason, it will be very effective for parents to have their children vaccinated with the recommendation of a physician, in protecting them during the winter months.
Be the first to comment