The temperature in children can rise due to various diseases, but most often the cause is SARS. It is important to start timely treatment. You need to understand how important it is for a specialist to appoint him. In this case, negative consequences can be avoided, and recovery will be faster. Parents are interested in how much temperature the child holds. This will be discussed later.
Why the temperature rises
A child may have a fever for various reasons. Moreover, this is not always a sign of illness. If the child just got too excited, ran up, the temperature can jump to 38 º. The kid just needs to sit on a chair, give him a glass of water. Within half an hour, the temperature drops to normal.
She may rise because of drunk hot tea, too warm clothes. In this case, the child has no signs of the disease. But sometimes an increase in temperature is caused by a disease such as SARS. This is a group of autumn-spring ailments, which includes a respiratory viral infection, acute respiratory infections, colds, etc. How long a child can have a temperature depends on the reasons for its increase, which may be:
- Rhinoviruses. This is one of the most common diseases belonging to the category of acute respiratory viral infections. Symptoms in different people differ markedly. Some children tolerate the disease quite well, while in others the temperature rises significantly, almost to critical levels. Moreover, the flu has exactly the same symptoms. Therefore, it will be practically impossible to distinguish one disease from another without a laboratory study. A distinctive feature of rhinoviruses is the presence of a runny nose. This disease can be complicated by otitis media, sinusitis, and even pneumonia.
- Flu. An infectious disease that can occur without specific manifestations. Sometimes the ailment is accompanied by a serious increase in temperature.
- Parainfluenza Has symptoms similar to diphtheria.
- Adenovirus. In addition to such manifestations as rhinitis, pharyngitis, the disease can manifest as conjunctivitis. Children suffer from this disease more often than adults. Often the disease is complicated by the development of sinusitis and otitis media.
- Respiratory syncytial virus. They infect mainly newborns. In the future, because of this ailment, the child has a predisposition to asthma.
Sore throat, other respiratory diseases and chickenpox can become the cause of poor health. How many days does the child have a fever? To answer this question, you need to know what disease it is caused by. It should be borne in mind that the body is different for everyone. Therefore, the reaction to the pathology may be different. In any case, the disease should be controlled by the pediatrician, monitoring the well-being of the child.
Why does the temperature rise?
Many parents are interested in how much the child’s temperature keeps on teeth, with a viral or bacterial disease. This process is purely individual, but there are certain acceptable standards. First of all, you need to understand why such an organism reaction is needed at all.
High temperature, as a rule, is a sign of the fight of the immune system against infection. The higher it is, the more interferon is produced. This is a specific kind of protein that kills viruses and pathogenic bacteria. In addition, in heat, such microorganisms cease to multiply. It also leads to a gradual recovery. For this reason, pediatricians do not recommend lowering the temperature if it does not rise above 38.5 º.
However, it is not always possible to endure such an unpleasant symptom. Some babies do not tolerate even a slight increase in temperature. Even when the thermometer reads 37.2-37.5 º, they begin to cry, to be capricious. To reduce discomfort, pediatricians prescribe antipyretics. In this case, only special preparations for children are used. It is strictly forbidden to bring down the temperature with aspirin. In children under the age of 12, it can cause dangerous pathology that affects the brain and kidneys (Reye's syndrome).
Considering how much the temperature holds in children with the virus, it is worth noting another nuance. For children who are diagnosed with a neurological disease, it is extremely important to bring down the heat even at a thermometer reading of 37.5 º. Otherwise, febrile seizures may begin. Therefore, do not wait until the temperature drops on its own. It must be controlled and, if necessary, take antipyretic drugs.
Some nuances
How long does the temperature hold in children with a virus or infection? Parents should understand what options for deviations can be observed in the baby. Normal temperature is considered to be from 36 to 37 º. Moreover, it must be measured in the armpit. This technique is suitable for children over 3 years old.
For babies from birth to 3 years, it is recommended to use the rectal measurement method. In this case, the child should lie on the tummy in the lap of mom or dad. The thermometer is smeared with petroleum jelly and carefully injected into the rectum. The procedure lasts 2 minutes. In this case, the temperature is considered normal from 37 to 38 º.
At different ages, the baby's body reacts differently to the development of the disease. As a child grows up, the process of thermoregulation changes somewhat, it becomes more perfect. So, even with minor pathologies, the body temperature of the newborn can change several times a day. Therefore, even short-term changes in this indicator may indicate the development of an infectious disease. Because of this reaction, it is much more difficult to identify an ailment in infants.
How long can a child have a temperature of 39 ° C? This is the limit, upon reaching which it is necessary to take antipyretic drugs. If they do not help, call an ambulance. At this temperature, the likelihood of adverse effects is high.
Degree of increase
Studying the question of how many days a child has high fever, it is worth paying attention to the degree of fever:
- Low-grade - from 37 to 38 º.
- Febrile - from 38 to 39 º.
- Pyretic - from 39 to 41 º.
- Hyperpyretic - more than 41 º.
It should be noted that for the youngest children it is quite normal if the thermometer column is kept at a level of up to 37.5 º. Up to three years, this can be ignored.
It is necessary to lower the temperature if it becomes pyrethic or even hyperpyretic. In some cases, this is also required at febrile temperature. If the baby can tolerate this condition, do not use antipyretic drugs. This can adversely affect immunity. The body next time will not be able to effectively fight the infection.
Urgent action is needed to reduce heat in the following cases:
- The child has neurological problems.
- Diagnosed with chronic diseases of the heart, kidneys.
- For infants who have not reached the age of 4 months.
Fever duration
It is important to know how much the child holds. After the parents notice the first signs of SARS or the flu, they should call a doctor. The pediatrician will examine the small patient and prescribe the correct treatment.
Temperature helps the body resist infection. Therefore, it persists until the underlying disease has passed. Therefore, being interested in how many days the child’s temperature persists with angina, purulent otitis media, pneumonia, chickenpox, it is worth noting that on average it is observed for at least 5 days.
If this is a common cold, in a baby with an unimpaired immunity, the fever is observed for 2-3 days. With influenza, this period usually increases, amounting to 5-7 days. If the fever gradually subsides, but then again increases rapidly, this indicates the development of complications. This situation requires immediate action. Often this indicates the development of a bacterial type of disease against the background of a viral infection.
How long does the temperature with ARVI last in a child? Usually, even with the most severe course of such diseases, the immune system copes with the infection within 3-4 days. During this period, a fever is observed. If the fever is caused by the flu, it appears abruptly. In just a few hours, the baby becomes hot, and other unpleasant symptoms of a viral disease appear.
With pneumonia, the temperature rises gradually. For several days, it increases markedly if appropriate treatment is not carried out. On the first day, the temperature may be subfebrile. After another two days, it can rise to the level of pyretic or even hyperpyretic.
When the temperature lasts a long time, this indicates the presence of a potentially dangerous disease in the body. It must be properly and timely treated. Otherwise, the joined complications can be very harmful to health.
Factors Affecting the Duration of a Fever
Being interested in how much the temperature is kept during acute respiratory viral infections in a child or in the case of other diseases, it is worth noting a number of factors that affect this. If the child's temperature lasts more than 7 days, this may be due to the following reasons:
- Features of the disease, its form. So, for example, with purulent tonsillitis, in contrast to its catarrhal form, pyretic and hyperpyretic temperature can be observed. This form of the disease is more severely tolerated.
- The age of the baby. The smaller the child, the longer the temperature can hold. The recovery process in young children takes longer.
- Features of the immune system. If the child’s body is strong, even with a strong viral infection, the condition can stabilize after 3-4 days. Weakened immunity leads to an increase in the recovery period.
- The correctness of the treatment. The more effective the drugs chosen, the faster the heat will pass. With self-medication, the temperature above 38 º can hold for a long time. It is important that the doctor prescribes the drugs after a thorough examination. The pediatrician will select the drugs in accordance with the individual characteristics of the child, the nature of the course and the type of disease.
Knowing how many days the child has a temperature during SARS, parents can start to panic if the thermometer stubbornly keeps at around 37-38 º. This is normal if the disease is severe, and the pediatrician clearly controls its course. This condition of the child indicates that the body is still fighting the infection.
What to do with a fever
Considering the question of how much the virus temperature holds in a child, it is worth noting that there are several rules of behavior in such a situation:
- Be sure to provide the child with bed rest. You need to take it with quiet games, you can read books, watch TV, etc.
- It is important to take antipyretics correctly, if necessary. Dosage depends on the weight and age of the baby. The frequency of medication and other features of the reception is determined by the doctor.
- If the doctor prescribed antibiotics, they are taken strictly according to the prescribed schedule, at the same time.
- During the entire period of treatment, the child should consume a lot of fluids. This can be herbal teas with antiseptic properties, fruit drinks from raspberries or cranberries, a rosehip broth and plain purified water. This allows you to quickly remove toxins from the body.
- For diseases of the throat, it is important to periodically rinse.
- At night you need to change underwear, and sometimes bedding. If the temperature lasts a long time, it usually drops at night. Because of this, a lot of sweat is released. This leads to hypothermia and increases the risk of complications.
Knowing how much the child’s temperature can hold, parents should make an effort to shorten the recovery period. In this case, the heat subsides faster.
How to bring down the temperature?
Knowing how much the temperature holds in a child, some parents decide to give the baby an antipyretic. In some cases, such an action is justified. But a similar procedure must be performed correctly.
First you need to undress the child. If he is too warmly dressed, the temperature may rise by 1-2 degrees. A diaper must be removed from the baby. Otherwise, you may not achieve the desired effect. You can wipe the baby's body with cool water with the addition of vinegar (9%). They are mixed in proportion to a tablespoon of vinegar per liter of water.
You can arrange a swim that will not last longer than 10 minutes. It is advisable to dip the child with the head. Then they do not wipe it, but simply wrap it in a sheet. The child is brought to a previously ventilated area. During the procedure, it is important that the water temperature is only 1 º below the body temperature. With strong contrast, spasm of the vessels may be observed. Bathing is prohibited if the child has chills.
Parents who know how much the child’s temperature is kept and how the disease progresses understand how important the drinking regimen is. Infants should be fed on demand. Kids need to be given water. Older children should make teas. Sweating has an antipyretic effect. The child needs to immediately change into dry clothes, but you can not wipe it.
Hazardous conditions
It is important not only to know how much the temperature is held in a child, but also in what cases you need to immediately consult a doctor, call an ambulance:
- Cold arms and legs that portends cramps.
- A rapid increase in temperature in a child under the age of one year.
- Pallor, chills, extreme lethargy, confusion.
- Temperature is higher than 40 º.
- Dehydration, when fever is accompanied by frequent or prolonged vomiting or diarrhea.
- The child is constantly crying because of the heat.
- Febrile temperature lasts more than 3 days.
Medicines
Self-medication is strongly discouraged. Incorrect drugs can cause significant harm to the baby. If you still need to bring down the temperature, using medications for this, be sure to consult a pediatrician. Such drugs as Aspirin, Antipyrine, Analgin are prohibited for children. Most often, Ibuprofen or Paracetamol is prescribed to reduce fever.
It is best to purchase funds in drops or candles. The second option is suitable for those children who refuse to take medicine. Suppositories do not have a negative effect on the gastrointestinal mucosa.