Winter months often include lots of bouts with colds especially in children. Whether from other kids at school or daycare or siblings, kids tend to catch many illnesses throughout the year. RSV or respiratory syncytial virus can be hard to differentiate from a bad cold. However, RSV can cause further complications of the lungs including bronchiolitis and asthma.
Cold Symptoms
The common cold spreads easily amongst children. The virus travels on their saliva and mucus. Every time they laugh, sneeze or cough those droplets can infect another person including you. A typical cold includes a fever, runny nose, coughing and sneezing. Some cold symptoms can last up to two weeks. If symptoms worsen or persist, take them to their pediatrician or family medicine doctor. The doctor swabs the inside of the nose to determine whether the child merely has a bad cold or RSV. Further treatment may be ordered as needed.
RSV Symptoms
RSV often starts out looking like an ordinary or bad cold but can be extremely dangerous for children under the age of two. Beyond the typical runny nose, cough, fever and sneeze associated with colds, RSV tends to travel to the lungs causing breathing difficulties and behavior changes. Changes in behavior can include:
- Increased sleepiness
- Infants stop feeding well
- Unusually uncomfortable
- Increased irritability
Take Care of You
As a parent, you need to take care of yourself in order to help your kids during their illnesses. The winter months are ripe with colds, flus and RSV. While kids tend to catch just about everything, you don’t want to catch every illness they bring home. Be on top of your game by staying hydrated, active and eating a balanced diet. Some medspa services at Newport Medical and Wellness Center that might help you maintain or improve your health include:
- Weight Loss help—when you just need some extra help getting back into a healthy lifestyle
- IV Hydration—increases hydration so you can kick illnesses and wait to the curb
- Massage Therapy—reduces stress, aids in muscle recovery
Stop the Spread of Illness
The younger your children are, the easier it is to spread illnesses. Younger children sneeze and cough without covering their mouths, constantly put things in their mouths and don’t do the best job washing their hands. Teaching them some of these healthy habits can limit the amount of times they get sick.
When your kid is sick, you are on call. Make sure you are at your best, so you can help them return to better health. Nothing soothes a parent’s heart than their kid feeling better after an illness. If you or your child go down with a very bad cold or possibly RSV contact us at 949-631-9009 and we’ll help you get on track.
