A common disease that affects children is SARS. Most often it occurs in the winter. You need to understand exactly how long the SARS in children lasts, how the disease progresses, what are the symptoms, and how to properly treat to prevent complications.
Therapy must be comprehensive, and it is also important to ensure proper care for the baby.
Features of the disease
SARS is a group of diseases that are caused by various viruses. They spread by airborne droplets. The disease always begins acutely and proceeds with rather pronounced symptoms.
All viruses that trigger the disease are considered parasites with DNA and RNA. They can completely destroy the epithelium. At the same time, adjacent cells, then deeper layers are gradually involved in the pathological process.
Often the disease can be cured quickly enough, but the pathogen can still be in the body for quite a long time. Despite the fact that the disease can be triggered by different types of viruses, the symptoms and treatment methods are almost no different. Parents need to understand how long the SARS in children lasts, how the disease is characterized, and how to properly treat it.
Main types
How long an acute respiratory viral infection lasts in children, largely depends on the type of ongoing disease. There are several subspecies of this disease, among which it is necessary to highlight such as:
- flu;
- parainfluenza;
- adenovirus;
- rhinovirus infection.
In the case of influenza, the incubation period depends on its subspecies. Basically, it lasts 2-48 hours. This period can increase up to 3 days, however, this rarely happens. Viruses affect the respiratory system. This leads to severe intoxication of the body and the appearance of dangerous symptoms. The disease manifests rapidly. On the first day, the temperature can rise up to 40 degrees. Among the main signs, it is necessary to highlight body aches, headaches, and phobia. After a couple of days, catarrhal symptoms appear. After about 5 days, the disease begins to recede and disappears within 12 days.
Parainfluenza mainly affects the mucous membranes of the nose and larynx. The virus has low viability in the environment and dies quickly. That is why, it can be transmitted only in close contact with the carrier. The incubation period lasts 2-6 days. The first symptoms are sore throat, redness of the larynx. After some time, mucous secretions appear from the nose, which eventually acquire a gray tint. Possible increase in temperature. Recovery occurs 10-14 days after the onset of symptoms.
With adenovirus infection, viruses mainly affect the mucous membranes of the respiratory system, eyes, bladder, intestines and lymphoid tissue. The incubation period is generally 1-5 days. In acute course, it can reach 14 days.
With rhinovirus infection, the nasal mucosa is affected. They have a low level of stability and die quickly enough at high temperatures, as well as under the influence of acids and disinfectants. Infection can occur when contacting an infected person or using his belongings. The incubation period lasts 1-5 days.
Causes of occurrence
It is important to understand how long SARS lasts in children, but also for what reasons it occurs. Virus infection comes from a sick person. It secretes the pathogen 7-10 days from the onset of the disease, with adenovirus this period can last up to 25 days.
When sneezing, coughing or talking, the virus, along with drops of sputum, gets on nearby objects and things. Therefore, it is easy enough to get ARVI when using common utensils, towels, a toy.
Most viruses penetrate the mucous membranes of the respiratory system. Children get sick more often than adults, as they are in close contact with their peers. In addition, the child's immunity is not strong enough to cope with numerous viruses and bacteria. Therefore, children suffer from SARS, much more often than adults.
Main symptoms
The disease is seasonal. It negatively affects the immunity of the child, and he becomes vulnerable to viruses and bacteria.
All colds begin the same way and are characterized by the appearance of two syndromes, namely, intoxication and catarrhal symptoms. Many are interested, with acute respiratory viral infections in a child, how many days the catarrhal syndrome lasts. Basically, it lasts about a week and is manifested by such symptoms as:
- lacrimation and runny nose;
- sneezing
- redness of the throat;
- cough;
- pain when swallowing.
Often there is an additional symptomatology. These signs include:
- lethargy;
- weakness, fatigue;
- temperature rise;
- excessive sweating;
- headache;
- chills;
- aches in the muscles and joints.
In addition, there is a decrease in appetite, diarrhea and vomiting appears. There is an increase in lymph nodes as a result of their inflammation.
How long does ARVI
Every parent wants to cure the baby as quickly as possible. It is important to know exactly how long the SARS in children lasts, in order to understand whether the treatment is prescribed correctly or if you need to change the drugs you take. It is quite difficult to answer this question precisely, since the duration of a cold depends on many factors, namely:
- the severity of the disease;
- the causative agent of the virus;
- following all the doctor’s prescriptions;
- the presence of complications.
Much also depends on whether the child observes bed rest. Answering the question of how many days ARVI lasts in children, it must be said that on average this period lasts no more than 2 weeks. However, this is only if during treatment no complications were found that could affect the duration of the disease.
Doctors recommend immediately contact the doctor immediately after the onset of the first signs of illness in the baby.
How much virus lives in the body
There are certain signs of a cold, the appearance of which you must immediately consult a doctor to examine the child. These symptoms include:
- sore throat;
- runny nose;
- body aches;
- severe weakness;
- temperature rise.
However, few people know that the virus enters the body long before the first signs of a cold. For a person, it is completely invisible, and to determine the duration of this period is very difficult. This mainly depends on many different factors.
In addition, the virus lives in the body after eliminating the symptoms of the disease. Basically, this period lasts 1-2 weeks. That is how much time passes from the moment of infection to the complete recovery.
How many viruses live in the environment
Many are interested in how much ARVI a child holds and how quickly help the baby cope with the disease. However, it is equally important to know how long the viruses live in the environment. Basically this period is 21 days, but much depends on weather conditions.
In addition, pathogens can normally exist indoors. As a result of numerous studies, scientists have found that bacteria live on solid and dense surfaces for 2 days. If these are porous, soft surfaces, then the life span of the virus is reduced to 8-12 hours. Therefore, it is recommended to regularly clean items with disinfectants, as well as conduct wet cleaning.
To minimize the risk of infection, wash your hands regularly with soap. The virus can live on them for about 15 minutes.
How long does the incubation period last?
This disease is quite dangerous for health, which is why you should not underestimate it, especially if it concerns a child. Not everyone knows how long the incubation period of SARS in children lasts. It is worth remembering that it lasts about 3-5 days. During this period, the virus has already entered the body and activated the development of the disease. This means that pathogens have begun to attack organs and systems.
At the same time, it is almost impossible to detect infection. The duration of the latent form of the disease largely depends on what type of virus it was necessary to encounter. In babies, the incubation period can last only a few hours.
How long is the temperature
This is a completely normal reaction of the body. It occurs in response to the infection, after which the immunity triggers mechanisms to protect it. How long the temperature lasts for acute respiratory viral infections in children depends largely on how quickly the child's parents notice the course of the disease and begin to treat it. In addition, the duration largely depends on the immunity of the baby.
You need to understand, not only how long the temperature lasts during acute respiratory viral infections in children, but also how exactly this violation occurs. With a viral infection, fever usually proceeds in 3 stages. Initially, the temperature rises to 37.5-38.5 degrees. At the same time, the baby has chills, not fever. This is due to the fact that the baby begins to rebuild all the processes of thermoregulation.
In the second stage, the temperature reaches a certain value and no longer rises. At this moment, the baby has a feeling of heat. Many parents are often interested in pediatricians, how long does the fever with SARS in children last. Doctors say that this period lasts 2-3 days. If some other disease has joined the infection, then the temperature may not drop for a longer time. After that, heat transfer increases and perspiration intensifies. If the baby caught an adenovirus infection, then the temperature can last up to 7 days. With flu, the fever lasts up to 5 days.
The difference between the disease in adults and children
The course of the disease is very difficult to predict, as it depends on many different factors. Doctors believe that adults need much less time to recover and completely cure the disease than children. In a child, the course of the disease is 3-5 days.
Sometimes the healing process is delayed up to 10 days. Adults are able to fully recover literally in 2-3 days. They get sick much less often than children. This is because the child’s body is more susceptible to viruses. How long ARVI lasts in children up to a year is rather difficult to answer, since the baby's immunity is not yet fully formed. Therefore, the baby needs much more time to cope with the virus.
What to do if you suspect ARVI
When the first signs of the disease appear, you should immediately consult a doctor for diagnosis and subsequent treatment. The diagnosis is made on the basis of complaints after examining the child. In order for the treatment to give the best result, several additional diagnostic procedures may be required. These include:
- serological techniques;
- PCR and RIF;
- radiography of the lungs;
- examination and consultation of the ENT doctor.
Immunofluorescence rapid tests have now begun to be used more and more to detect virus antigen in the epithelium of the nasal mucosa.
How long is ARVI treated?
It is impossible to accurately answer the question, with SARS, how many days the illness lasts in children, since it all depends on the complexity of its course and the existing symptoms. Some children suffer only from a common cold, and in someone the disease is characterized by more severe symptoms, in particular, such as coughing, fever.
The most common symptom in acute respiratory viral infections is fever. To lower the temperature, taking antipyretic drugs is required. Sometimes, to completely get rid of this symptom, only a few hours are enough.
It is very important to know how long a cough lasts for a child with ARVI, since it causes significant discomfort to the baby. When this symptom appears, you do not need to postpone the visit to the doctor, as this can be a sign of bronchitis. If we are talking about a cough provoked by ARVI, you can cope with it in about 4-5 days. The most unpleasant symptom is a runny nose, which with proper treatment passes through 7-10 days.
How long an acute respiratory viral infection lasts for a child at 2 years old depends largely on the stage of the course of the disease. That is why it is important to consult a doctor in a timely manner, since the health of the baby depends on this.
Treatment features
ARVI treatment is symptomatic. In the acute period, bed rest is required. Specific therapy does not exist. It is very important to often ventilate the room and maintain optimal humidity. Do not force the child to eat, but often offer frequent drinking.
It is necessary to carry out inhalation over boiled potatoes, eucalyptus or soda solution. Rub the chest with ointments or balms containing essential oils of medicinal herbs. It is also shown washing the nose with salt water or special solutions, in particular, such as Salin, Aquamaris, No Sol.
With a runny nose, it is recommended to instill in the child’s nose the combined baby drops. The temperature should be reduced with drugs such as Paracetamol or Efferalgan. In case of violation of the digestive tract, you need to take "Smecta" or "Regidron."
Gargling should be carried out with infusions of medicinal herbs, as well as the drug "Furacilin." Antiviral agents, in particular, such as Anaferon or Amizon, help well. How long a cough lasts after an acute respiratory viral infection in a child largely depends on the correctness of the treatment. This requires mucolytics and expectorant drugs that thin the sputum and help to eliminate it.
Complications of ARVI
It is important not only to know exactly how much ARVI is held in a child, but also what complications may arise during the course of the disease. These include such as:
- meningoencephalitis;
- encephalopathy;
- polyneuropathy;
- diseases of the genitourinary system;
- stomatitis;
- damage to the digestive system.
To prevent complications, it is very important to properly treat and consult a doctor in a timely manner.
Prophylaxis
How long an acute respiratory viral infection lasts for a child at 2 years of age and older is individual and depends on many different factors, in particular, the state of the immune system. It is very important to carry out preventive measures in a timely manner to prevent the occurrence of the disease. It is necessary to ensure that the baby does not get cold.
In the epidemic season, he needs to be given multivitamin complexes. It is important to monitor the air temperature and the humidity level in the room.