If this group of people are infected with influenza, use cough suppressants with caution! Symptoms may be masked

The year just passed

There has been a lot of news about the flu.

My throat itches when I see the news

But there are still many people

I don't think the flu is a big deal.

At most, I can take some medicine at home.

But be careful

Children should not take medicine randomly when they have flu

Especially cough suppressants!

Although coughing may seem like a loud reaction, it is actually a protective reflex that helps our body eliminate foreign matter and pathogens.

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If children use cough suppressants indiscriminately after contracting the flu, although the child's cough symptoms will be relieved in a short period of time, some symptoms may not be discovered in time and may even lead to more serious illness.

For example, sputum cannot be coughed up, leading to airway obstruction or development of lower respiratory tract infection , or even inducing pneumonia.

It is recommended to use it appropriately unless the child's coughing symptoms are very severe and have affected his sleep, eating, and even breathing.

Please pay attention to these points when using:

☆ Before using, carefully check the scope of use, usage and dosage of the drug . For example, cough suppressants containing codeine should not be used on children under the age of 18;

☆Try to choose drugs with a single ingredient , do not choose compound preparations, and do not recommend using multiple drugs together to avoid adverse effects on liver and kidney function;

☆ If your child coughs and has phlegm, be careful to use cough suppressants . Some cough suppressants can inhibit the secretion of respiratory glands and the movement of cilia, such as the central cough suppressant codeine, which can make the phlegm thick and difficult to cough up. If necessary, use expectorants to help your child expel the phlegm. Suppressants and expectorants are different according to the disease and medicine. You should choose the right medicine when taking them, and they can be used together when necessary.

☆If you find that your child is crying and restless, drowsy, has purple lips, shortness of breath, nasal congestion that affects breathing and eating, vomiting, etc. during care, you must seek medical attention as soon as possible.

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People who have had close contact with influenza can be prevented with medication , but two conditions must be met at the same time:

1. Those who are in the high-risk group but have not received influenza vaccine or have received the vaccine less than 2 weeks ago (no protection has been formed yet);

2. Have been in contact with someone suspected of having influenza, or have recently been to a public epidemic location.

People who meet the requirements can take drugs such as oseltamivir for prevention, but it is best to do so under the guidance of a doctor, and it is recommended to take it within 48 hours after exposure to the virus.

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In addition, the most effective way to prevent influenza is to get vaccinated!

Each year's flu vaccine is adjusted based on the virus strains prevalent in the previous year, and can basically provide protection against all common influenza viruses.

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Therefore, you must attach importance to influenza vaccination and don’t be afraid of the trouble, especially for susceptible groups such as the elderly, children, and people with underlying diseases.

The antibody protection of the vaccine generally lasts for 6 months, isn’t that good? It’s still not too late to get vaccinated now!

Influenza A usually comes on suddenly, with the following main symptoms:

1. High fever, body temperature can reach 39~40℃;

2. Common respiratory symptoms such as cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, etc.

3. Systemic symptoms such as body aches, fatigue, chills, and loss of appetite may occur;

4. Some patients, especially children, may experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting.

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Many people may be confused. Both influenza A and the common cold can cause coughing and runny nose, so how do we distinguish them?

Symptoms : Influenza A often causes body aches and fatigue, while the common cold does not;

In terms of course of illness : Both influenza and colds are self-limiting diseases, but influenza lasts longer, 5 to 10 days, while colds usually last 3 to 5 days;

Severity : Influenza A may further develop into many complications, such as pneumonia, myocarditis, meningitis, etc., while colds are rare.

Many people are afraid of suddenly getting influenza A. In order to detect and treat it early, they will buy some antigen reagents at home and test them as soon as they have symptoms.

In fact, antigen testing is not necessarily accurate!

Because the sensitivity of influenza antigen detection is generally low, especially when the early symptoms are mild, it is possible that a person has already contracted influenza A but the antigen is not detected.

Therefore, instead of testing yourself at home, it is better to go to the hospital as soon as serious symptoms appear (such as body temperature over 39 degrees Celsius and serious systemic symptoms). Once the diagnosis is confirmed, you can also get some medicine.

By the way, if children show obvious symptoms, such as persistent high fever, lack of energy or diarrhea, don’t worry about whether it is influenza or not, just send them to the hospital first!

Statement: This article is a medical-related educational popular science article. It does not involve specific treatment methods or medical behaviors and cannot replace hospital visits.

Experts who reviewed this article

References

[1] Ma Xiaowen, Shou Zhangxuan, Yang Xiuli. Antitussive drugs - Respiratory disease medication guidance series (I) [J]. Chinese Journal of Rational Drug Use, 2023, 20(08): 10-16.

[2] Liu Enmei. Do not use medication randomly for children’s cough[J]. Public Health, 2021, (12): 60.

[3] Yang Zhisheng. Common misunderstandings about children's medication[J]. Family Medicine. Happy Health, 2020, (10): 40.

Content Production

Editor: Zhang Fuyao

Map: Eastern Zhou Dynasty