Autumn - time of yellow leaves, harvest, rain and... infections. But apart from the common cold is much more dangerous disease, protection from which we can and should take care in advance.
Modern doctors try to do the maximum for the prevention of diseasesPopularizing a healthy lifestyle, vaccination, giving as much information to parents. - Your task is to take this knowledge and use for other purposes.
How to protect yourself from the flu
Influenza - a viral infection of the respiratory system, it is extremely contagious, it is very easily transmitted from person to human contact-household (through contaminated objects or hands) and airborne droplets (sneezing, coughing, speaking) by. A special feature of influenza viruses is their variability they almost every year a few change their composition, and sometimes it turns so that they are perceived by the human body as an entirely new microorganism. So there are epidemic.
features Influenza is a manifestation of high fever, headache, "twisting" muscles begin suddenly, so that the person can specify not only the day but also the hour when she fell ill. Soon joined by a dry cough, sore throat, runny nose with a little blood.
However, the flu itself is not too terrible, but on the other respiratory viruses it features a much higher percentage of complications. Especially dangerous this infection for young children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with chronic disease - diabetes, asthma, heart disease, kidney, etc. Therefore, they need our protection..
The most effective means - vaccination, Not only people at risk, but also those around them. After all, the baby in the stroller and her grandmother, walking with him in the park, do not have too many chances to get infected from strangers. But parents have picked up the virus from work colleagues, can easily pass it on to children and elderly relatives. Therefore, vaccinating against influenza adults of working age, we protect all family members.
The most common infection, which need to be afraid autumn / istockphoto.com
Flu shots
Vaccination is best done every year in October and November, but even in winter, it also makes sense.
Infants vaccination allowed to 6 months (the half of the dose is administered), pregnant - at any stage. Current vaccines are well tolerated and developed new year taking into account the varieties of influenza viruses that WHO predicts will circulate in the current season. For example, forecasts are sometimes wrong, but modern science does not stand still, and finds more and more sophisticated ways of monitoring influenza viruses change.
If your baby has a contraindication to vaccination or it is not possible for other reasons, Vaccinate yourself and stick simple rules of hygiene:
- scrubbing
- avoiding contact with sick and mass gatherings,
- regular wet cleaning
- ventilation
- walks in the open air.
How not to get whooping cough
Whooping cough - a typical airborne infection, the peak incidence of which is in the fall and winter when people spend more time in stuffy rooms. Caused by the bacterium - stick pertussis and has a number of specific symptoms, it can be attributed to the most dangerous childhood diseases.
For pertussis susceptible everyone, from newborns to the gray-haired, immunity after diseases or vaccinations retained only 5-7 years, which means that you can get sick again. After contact with the patient held in average 7-10 days until the first signs of pertussis.
The disease has several stages.
Catarrhal stage. The first week everything reminds mild viral infection: a slight increase in temperature, transparent mucous nasal discharge, cough. Establish the correct diagnosis is now almost impossible, and the infectiousness is high. Pertussis bacillus multiplies in the respiratory tract, and in large quantities released with the mucus out. At the same time it releases a powerful toxin (poison) in the blood. He is attached to the patient's nerve cells in brain regions responsible for coughing and breathing. Now the baby coughing is not by microbial action on the mucous membrane of the throat and bronchial tubes, and the action of pertussis toxin on the nervous system. But she had a stick will be destroyed by the immune system without any problems.
Spazmatiesky cough. 7-10 day disease takes on a new development and changes in spasmodic cough stage. Cough worse, it becomes paroxysmal and more concerned about the night. Cough shock follow each other continuously, making it impossible to breathe. Baby face swells, turns red and then turn blue. When the end of an unhappy inhales, it is accompanied by a loud noise, and then everything is repeated again.
Attack transparent completes release of mucus and / or vomiting. Excitation in the cough center, caused by toxins, for a while go out, but after a while there is a new force and repeated attack. Between fits of coughing baby looks healthy and experienced doctors during the inspection can not find any abnormalities. Pink throat, wheezing not normal temperature... Of course, if an attack takes place directly at the reception, the diagnosis becomes obvious, but is not always.
At the stage of spasmodic cough, even a detailed survey of the parents can already establish the correct diagnosis, but to alleviate the suffering of the patient - no longer exists. So, the baby almost does not emit pertussis wand, ie it is not contagious, but also to confirm the diagnosis by laboratory testing also becomes problematic.
Thus, the microbe destroyed immunity, but before it will indicate the poison of the nervous system and the child recovers, runs an average of 4-12 weeks, and accelerate the process impossible. Will not help either antibiotics or expectorants or folk medicine. The only thing that somehow facilitates the attack - stay in the open air, for example, in the park or the river.
In the final step spasmodic cough bothers the baby less often disappears vomiting, restores sleep. Full recovery will come only after 3-6 months, but in subsequent ARI body can issue a long time cough, recalls the attack in whooping cough.
The younger the child, the more dangerous for her whooping cough. Thus, in newborns often it happens stop breathing at an altitude of spasmodic cough, require hospitalization and sometimes resuscitation. There cerebrovascular accident, dehydration and weight loss due to vomiting, pneumonia, or otitis media by joining other microbes.
Vaccination against pertussis
It is compulsory for children from two months of age and to create a sufficient protection against severe and complicated forms of the disease. To protect the newborn, who was not yet 2 months, experts worldwide recommend to vaccinate pregnant women against whooping cough on 20-36 week. Thus mother has time to pass on their antibodies unborn child! Also, in some countries, the practice of so-called "method of cocoon", when all the senior members of the family are vaccinated for a certain time until the crumbs into the light. Then no mom and dad or older brother does not bring the infection to the newborn.
Complications of influenza, SARS, Haemophilus
Very often, talking about SARS, we are frightened complications - pneumonia, suppurative otitis, sinusitis, and other troubles. Why are there complications? Simplistically it can be explained as follows: in the nose and throat of a person there are many different microbes, some of them are good for us, some can cause diseases, and some - neutral, just live nearby. Last, under certain conditions, can become aggressive and cause problems.
So, our immune system is busy fighting the virus, which means that time can not hold back the rapid growth of bacteria, leaving the control of viral inflammation of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract. Needless to warm and dry air, liquid shortage, background chronic diseases also increase the probability of bacterial complications.
Most often, all those are caused by pneumonia and otitis Haemophilus influenzae and pneumococcus. Kids under 5 years old are at high risk, and therefore they offered vaccination against these infections.
Vaccination against Hib included in the list of those provided by the state, and a vaccine against pneumococcus can be done in Ukraine, at their own expense.
Whom vaccinations are vital
• Infants born prematurely;
• kiddies with malformations or chronic diseases (e.g., heart disease, lung, asthma, diabetes, chronic renal failure);
• Kids who attend pre-school establishments;
• Persons over 65 years.
Also you will be interested to read this: when you need to get a flu shot, not to get sick
