To suspect pneumonia, the child has several specific signs: a long-lasting disease of the upper respiratory tract (runny nose, sore throat), shortness of breath, especially with inspiration, a severe cough, high fever or a relative increase in the background of shortness of breath. On the basis of this symptomatology, the final diagnosis can not be made, but the doctor must be consulted.
Do not self-medicate! The doctor will determine whether hospitalization is necessary or if you can be treated at home. Treatment of pneumonia begins with the establishment and elimination of the cause, which caused inflammation of the lungs. If it is a virus agent, then prescribe antiviral drugs, if a bacterium, then antibacterial, and not necessarily in injections. At the moment, there are a large number of drugs in the form of various syrups, which facilitates their reception by the child. The dosage of antibacterial drugs should be determined by the attending physician, in accordance with age, weight, and the severity of the course of the underlying disease. As a rule, with pneumonia, there is an increase in body temperature. What is the protective reaction of the body to inflammation, therefore, it is necessary to take antipyretics only with a significant increase in temperature.
Also, the treatment is aimed at cleansing the respiratory tract from sputum filling the baby's lungs. With pneumonia, sputum becomes thicker, as a result of which it is difficult to excrete with a cough. Often engaged in independent treatment of pneumonia, parents use antitussives, trying to save the child from coughing. However, there are quite a few types of antitussive drugs, there are also those whose mechanism of action is aimed at suppressing the cough center in the brain, which in no way improves the condition, but on the contrary leads to an even greater stagnation of sputum in the lungs. For its dilution and early release, special mucolytics and expectorants are prescribed, and they can be both vegetable (mucaltin) and chemical origin (ambroxol, bronchalitin). You need a lot of drinking. A wonderful remedy is tea made from rose hips with honey, which is not only a source of more vitamins, but a diuretic that will help to release the baby organism from toxins more quickly. A very important factor for sputum selection is the temperature and humidity in the room in which the child is. The temperature in the room should be from 19 to 21 degrees, and humidity is not less than 50%. It is necessary to carry out daily wet cleaning of the room and its ventilation. When cleaning, it is not advisable to use disinfectants, as they, as a rule, lead to irritation of bronchial mucosa. When the above conditions are met, the child's coughing should quickly become "wet" - productive, which will help clear the lungs of phlegm. In the presence of pronounced bronchospasm, the use of drugs that dilate the bronchi (bronchodilators) is permissible.
The nutrition of the child should be full and balanced, containing in its composition a large number of vitamins and trace elements. In the treatment of pneumonia, the use of homeopathic remedies is acceptable, however, only as an additional and not the main type of treatment. These drugs can also be used to improve the separation of sputum, lymph drainage, stimulation of immunity.
With the improvement of the child's condition, it is advisable to appoint physiotherapy procedures, and in the rehabilitation period, therapeutic gymnastics, which will contribute to a more rapid recovery of lung function. We hope that this disease will not threaten your child, but now you know exactly how to treat pneumonia in children.