Complications after the flu in children

Complications of influenza in children

Influenza for children is much more dangerous than a common cold. Every year, many children suffer from seasonal flu, and sometimes complications of the flu lead to death. What complications can a child have after the flu and how to reduce the risk of their occurrence?

Sad Facts about Influenza in Children

• Children often need medical help after the flu, sometimes because of complications do not live up to 5 years.
• Severe complications of influenza are most common in children under 2 years old.
• Children with chronic health problems such as asthma, diabetes and brain or nervous system disorders are at particularly high risk of developing serious complications of the flu.
• Each year, an average of 2, 00 children under the age of 5 years are hospitalized because of complications of influenza.

Seasons of influenza vary in severity, but some children die from the flu every year. From 2003-2004 to 2011-2012, the number of child deaths ranged from 46 to 153 per year. In 2009, when the influenza pandemic H1N1 passed, from April 15, 2009 to October 2, 2010, there were 348 child deaths.

What are the symptoms of flu in children?

Symptoms of influenza in children are much more serious than cold symptoms. Symptoms of influenza in children start suddenly and usually cause a worsening of the condition within the first two to three days from the onset of the disease. Symptoms of influenza in children may include the following:

• high temperature from 38 degrees Celsius
• chills, baby shakes in fever

• extreme fatigue
• headache and aches all over the body
• dry, hacking cough
• sore throat
• Vomiting and abdominal pain

If all these symptoms are manifested, you should immediately consult a doctor who will help prevent flu complications in children. Here are some of the most common ones.

Bacterial pneumonia in children

Bacterial pneumonia is the most common and serious complication associated with influenza B. Influenza virus can damage the lung surface in children, restrict breathing and increase the risk of bacterial infections, such as bacterial pneumonia.

Bacterial pneumonia occurs when harmful bacteria quickly enter the child's airways, causing swelling, fluid accumulation and inflammation in the air sacs of the lungs. Once the baby's lungs are filled with fluid, it can be difficult to breathe, which results in stitching pains in the chest, shortness of breath, fever and coughing.

Bacterial pneumonia can also be dangerous to life for the elderly and people with chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.

Encephalitis in children

A rare complication associated with influenza B is encephalitis. It usually occurs when the brain becomes inflamed as a result of viral infections such as influenza B. The reason for encephalitis is that the child's immune system is excessively stimulated in the fight against the influenza virus. Fever, headache are the first signs of a condition with encephalitis. Then there may be convulsions, confusion or loss of consciousness, drowsiness or coma. Encephalitis can affect people of all ages, but children younger than 7 years and adults over 55 are most susceptible to this infection.

Myositis in children

A frequent complication of influenza B, which primarily affects children, is myositis, or muscle inflammation. Symptoms of myositis - pain in the legs and muscles of the whole body, these pains often last from one to five days. Because of the influenza virus, the body muscles that are responsible for movement can become inflamed, which leads to muscle weakness and pain when walking or moving.

Reye's syndrome in children

A relatively small number of children and adolescents who recover from influenza B may develop a neurological disease called Reye's syndrome. This complication after the flu in children usually begins with nausea and vomiting and quickly progresses. Then the child may have confusion and nonsense.

Some children or adolescents may experience this condition after using aspirin to reduce the pain and chills associated with the flu. True, the percentage of these complications is low: less than three children with influenza, 10, 00 of whom suffer from Reye's syndrome, but to avoid these conditions it is always helpful to consult a doctor before taking aspirin as a child.

Protection against complications of influenza in children - vaccination

The only best way to protect your children from the flu is to vaccinate each year.

The seasonal flu vaccine protects against three influenza viruses. Studies show which of them will be most common during the next season: influenza A (H1N1), influenza A (H3N2) and influenza B.

Each baby 6 months of age and older should receive an inoculation against seasonal flu in order to avoid complications. Children under the age of 5 years, as well as children of any age with a disrupted state of health, for example, asthma, diabetes or a violation the state of the brain or nervous system is at a higher risk of serious complications of influenza (eg, pneumonia).

This must be taken into account to prevent the risk of complications of influenza in children from six months to 18 years.

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Adverse effects and possible complications of influenza

The unfavorable consequences of influenza in the form of various kinds of complications arise when untimely, incorrect and incomplete treatment of the aforementioned disease. Under the flu is commonly understood acute damage to the respiratory system, which is of a viral nature. In this case, susceptibility to the effects of viruses persists in people of any age. The disease is very contagious and almost every year spreads to the state of the epidemic. The adverse effects after the flu can be extremely serious, even to the point of death. According to statistics, during the seasonal epidemics in the world, on average, about 300-500 thousand people die, whose organisms could not cope with the disease - this state of affairs is most typical for underdeveloped countries that do not have the resources to provide proper medical care. Along with this, even without taking into account the lethal outcome, complications of influenza can be extremely unfavorable. You are invited to learn more about them.

Basic information on the dangers of influenza

As noted, the human respiratory system suffers the most from influenza. Along with this, the toxic effect of the virus can be subjected to all systems and organs. According to the location of the complications, the dangerous effects of influenza are classified into several main groups:

• pulmonary complications. Often these are the following ailments and pathologies: lung abscesses, pleural empyema, pneumonia;
• complications affecting the functioning of the cardiovascular system: myocarditis, pericarditis;
• complications of ENT organs: tracheitis and otitis, rhinitis and sinusitis, etc .;
• complications on the nervous system: neuralgia and neuritis, encephalitis, meningitis, etc .;
• muscle disorders, etc.

In addition to all of the above, the flu can lead to an exacerbation of asymptomatically occurring diseases of the cardiovascular and nervous systems.

Next, you are invited to learn more about the information on dangerous complications of influenza.

Possible complications after the flu

1. Pneumonia. One of the most common complications. As a rule, it develops as a secondary infection caused by staphylococci or streptococci. There are fewer cases of combined pneumonia caused simultaneously by bacteria and viruses. Even less often, primary viral pneumonia is diagnosed. This dangerous disease is characterized by a high level of fatalities. It develops when a person suffers from a highly pathogenic virus. The risk group includes patients with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. When a virus is damaged, there is a violation of the integrity of the walls of blood vessels that provide blood supply to the lungs, which provokes pulmonary hemorrhage and can lead to death.
2. Complications of the cardiovascular system. Against the background of an infectious-toxic shock, there is an increase in the heart rate, the pressure may drop to critical levels. Complications are particularly characteristic of older people. Rare are the consequences, expressed in the form of diseases such as pericarditis and myocarditis. On the background of pericarditis, heart failure may develop.
3. Complications that affect the organs of the ENT system. Against the background of intensive multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms in the respiratory tract, pronounced violations of the processes of airway cleansing from fine dust and other external inclusions are noted. In addition, influenza can lead to the development of various secondary infections, for example, otitis, sinusitis, rhinitis, etc. Complications in the form of otitis or rhinitis can result in inflammation of the brain.
4. Complications that affect the nervous system. Influenza can cause an exacerbation of diseases that previously occurred without significant symptoms: hypotonic or hypertensive crisis, neuropsychiatric diseases, radiculitis and other neurological disorders. In this case, the virus-pathogen has the ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. This, in turn, can provoke damage to the meninges and walls of the cerebral vessels. The risk group includes patients who have suffered head injuries, concussions, and alcoholism. The result of such lesions is often such diseases as encephalitis, meningitis, etc.
5. Complications of muscles and kidneys. The feeling of aching muscles is one of the characteristic signs of the flu. A similar condition can be noted and for some time after recovery, indicating the presence of myositis - an inflammatory process that affects skeletal muscles. Most often, these disorders are diagnosed in young patients. In this case, an increase in myoglobin concentration in the urinalysis can be noted, which indicates the presence of all the prerequisites for the development of acute renal dysfunction.
6. Reye's syndrome. Quite a rare complication, diagnosed mainly in young patients who have been infected with influenza type B. It is a consequence of improper treatment of influenza with drugs that include acetylsalicylic acid. The disease is classified as acute encephalopathy, accompanied by edema of the brain and liver infiltration. To exclude the risk of this complication, high temperature in young patients is "knocked off" by paracetamol, but not aspirin.

Effects of influenza in pregnancy

During pregnancy, women are particularly sensitive to their health and developing within the fetus. It is important to understand that no one can give a 100% reliable answer regarding the issue of the child's defeat with the flu.One can only say that the most dangerous for the fetus is the flu during the first 12 weeks - it is for this period that the formation of the tissues and organs of the developing baby falls.After the completion of their bookmarking the child simply grows, therefore, the flu is no longer capable of causing significant damage to the processes of forming the structure of organs.

In general, statistics are not the most comforting: if after a mother suffered from influenza in the fetus there were significant deviations in development and formation, a specialist may propose termination of pregnancy. If the course of pregnancy after the influenza carried is maintained in a normal state, and no significant violations are detected during ultrasound, there is nothing to worry about with a high degree of probability.

If the viral disease was characterized by a very severe course and accompanied by complications, the risk of infection of the baby persists. Under similar circumstances, the use of the "triple test" is usually resorted to, according to the results of which the content of estriol, hCG and AFP is determined.

Along with this, the results of this diagnostic exercise are often not reliable, because indicators depend on many factors. In accordance with the indicators of the study (usually the test is given several times for greater confidence), a specialist or draws conclusions about the absence of risk for the child, or appoints additional examinations. In the course of additional examinations, a procedure called amniocentesis is performed.

The procedure for amniocentesis is reduced to the collection of amniotic fluid for research on various pathologies in the fetus. Before the appointment of the procedure, the doctor carefully examines the patient's condition in order to determine the likelihood of subsequent occurrence of complications - in 1-, % of cases there is a threat of premature delivery or miscarriage.

In case of detection of pathology, the final decision on the fate of the fetus remains with the parents.

How to avoid complications: recommendations for patients

First, do not engage in uncontrolled self-management. Secondly, do not suffer the disease on your legs - strictly bed rest. Thirdly, do not try to "knock down" the temperature less than 39 degrees, if it does not cause you significant discomfort. Antipyretic drugs should be taken solely on the advice of a doctor. Fourth, drink more fluid - the body will be easier to remove toxins and other harmful substances.

In due time address to the doctor, follow its or his references and be healthy!

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Possible complications of the heart after the flu

Complications of the heart after the flu are a serious threat to human health. What kind of complications can the influenza suffer? The question is very ambiguous. The flu itself is one of the viral diseases, usually proceeds in an acute form and is localized in the upper and lower respiratory tract. If immunity is weakened, the flu is a serious danger.

Unlike other acute viruses, this patient is difficult to bear. The vaccination against the flu will not save, as there is a mutation of the virus every year. Complications can occur in any person after a severe illness. Medical statistics say that most of the complications are in the heart.

Mainly:

• myocarditis;
• pericarditis;
• heart failure.

Myocarditis and its features

With rapid diagnosis and professional treatment, the disease passes without consequences and quickly enough. But if you do not start treating it in time, there may be complications in the form of heart failure. Depending on the severity of the course, different degrees of severity of heart disease are possible.

It should be noted that in some patients, even after an easy transfer of the flu, allergic destruction of myocardial cells of the heart can occur. Therefore, if a person falls ill with the flu, you must always observe bed rest and be cured to the end. In this case, children with myocarditis are at risk of arrhythmia.

To find out if the flu has given complications on the heart in the form of myocarditis, you need to pay attention to certain symptoms:

• in a person with a passive state there are failures in the heart rhythm;
• with mild physical exertion, for example, during walking, dyspnea occurs;
• the sternum feels pain;
• heat;
• edema appeared on the legs;
• there is an increased secretion of the sebaceous glands;
• the patient quickly gets tired.

If there are signs of myocarditis, you need to get to the cardiologist as soon as possible.The specialist will send an electrocardiogram, an echocardiogram, and give directions to the tests. When confirming the diagnosis, treatment in a hospital is recommended.

But if there are no obvious symptoms of an exacerbation, and a person had heart problems before the flu, it is still recommended to consult a cardiologist.

Patients with myocarditis need treatment under the supervision of medical staff in the hospital. They are assigned bed rest and a salt-free diet. The drugs are used depending on the disease that caused myocarditis. Also, antibacterial therapy is administered and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. Phytotherapy can not be used as the main method of treatment and has an auxiliary character.

Clinical follow-up of patients is conducted throughout the year. Treatment in the sanatoriums of the cardiac profile is prescribed in the absence of the main clinical signs of the disease. It is necessary to visit and the therapist once a month, to pass the analysis of urine and blood every six months.

Prevention of acute myocarditis is carried out taking into account the underlying disease, which caused complications. In the case under consideration, it is influenza. Therefore, during the epidemic of this disease, all preventive measures should be applied. With the first symptoms - reduce physical activity and call a doctor at home.

Pericarditis as a complication

Most often, suspicion of pericarditis can be said if the patient has pain in the chest and the pain increases with coughing, deep breathing, or with a change in body position.

Symptoms include shortness of breath and fever.

The ailment is very dangerous and requires hospitalization. When the case starts, it develops into a heart failure. Clots can appear in the cavities of the heart. With pericardial inflammation and serous membrane of the heart. Blood vessels dilate, in the tissues there is a congestion of leukocytes.

Primary and secondary pericarditis are distinguished. In the localization of inflammation - limited (at the base of the heart), partial or capturing the entire area of ​​the serosa.

Acute illness proceeds quickly and lasts a maximum of six months. Chronic develops slowly, more than 6 months.

It is necessary to diagnose the disease in a timely manner, as it threatens the patient's life. It is important to be able to differentiate pericarditis with other diseases, such as acute myocardium, myocardial infarction.

Diagnosis consists of the following activities, such as:

1. Collection of anamnesis of the patient.
2. Listening and tapping of the heart.
3. Blood test.
4. ECG. It is carried out to detect rhythm disturbances and conduction.
5. Phonocardiography. Notes diastolic and systolic noises.

Acute pericarditis involves bed rest.

Chronic pericarditis can be tolerated without bed rest, but with limited activity, depending on the patient's condition.

The diet is also prescribed: the food is fractional, but varied, with reduced consumption or complete refusal of salt. In acute pericarditis, anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics for the removal of severe pain, potassium-containing drugs are prescribed.

The prognosis for recovery at an uninfected stage of the disease is usually favorable. In order to prevent recurrence, it is necessary to observe a cardiologist and rheumatologist, and regularly perform ECG.

Heart failure

It arises because the heart muscle weakens and loses the function to ensure normal blood supply to the body. There are right-sided heart failure and left-sided (depending on the ventricle - left or right).

By nature, the disease is divided into:

• chronic;
• sharp.

After the flu, acute heart failure may occur.

It flashes suddenly. The signs are rapid breathing, blue skin, high blood pressure, foamy sputum may appear on the lips. This condition requires immediate hospitalization.

Drug therapy significantly alleviates the condition of the patient. Prescribe drugs that dilate the blood vessels and normalize the heart rate.

With heart failure apply:

• inhibitors;
• antianginal drugs;
• cardiac glycosides;
• b-adrenoblockers and diuretics.

They can also prescribe drugs containing magnesium, carnitine, coenzyme, creatine and amino acids.

But herbs for treatment can be used as an auxiliary therapy with extreme caution. It is necessary to first study the side effects and their interaction with each other. Necessarily need consultation with a cardiologist.

Basically, it is allowed to use hawthorn, Canadian hydrastis, berberine. Follow the recommendations and be healthy!

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Why does my head hurt after the flu?

Many are worried about the question - why the headache after the flu. It would seem that the disease is cured, but the head is still spinning and hurting. This can be a sign of serious illnesses, so you can not delay with a visit to the doctor.

Headache with influenza is the body's response to the action of viruses, but after a complete cure, no pain sensations should arise.

Some try to relieve the headache with analgesics, but sometimes it only helps for a while, and then the pain returns again. It should be understood that painkillers will not eliminate the cause of the pain, which may be a symptom of a serious illness.

Arachnoiditis can be the cause of a headache after the flu

A very frequent consequence of influenza is arachnoiditis, a disease in which the soft membrane of the brain or spinal cord inflames. In this case, the spider web is significantly affected. The disease is polyethological. The reasons for which the disease may occur include various infections (measles, scarlet fever), including those causing the flu.

With this disease, which is a complication after the flu, thickening of the arachnoid membrane occurs, in the connective tissue there are spikes or cysts filled with a transparent and turbid liquid.

The symptoms of the disease include, in the first place, headache, most often arising in the morning. It can intensify with physical exertion, with strengthening often there is nausea and vomiting. In some cases, people begin to feel dizzy, memory weakens. Against the backdrop of these processes, patients become irritable, sleep is disturbed, apathy appears, is noted the main signs of an organism intoxication are fast fatigue and weakness, increased sweating. This complication can cause even epileptic seizures.

Treatment of arachnoiditis depends on which infection caused the disease. Therapy includes the appointment of antibacterial, desensitizing and antihistamines. Treatment of this disease is long and complex. In order not to cause harm to the body, with only appearing painful sensations in the head immediately after the transferred flu, you should consult a specialist. With timely treatment, the prognosis is favorable.

Many believe that a severe headache is a consequence of the flu, but this is completely wrong. Pain sensations signal that an inflammatory process has begun in the brain, ears or nasal sinuses, which must be treated immediately. The flu is not terrible as an independent disease, it is dangerous because of its consequences, which sometimes kill adults and children.

What are the complications after the flu?

Meningitis is a fairly dangerous disease in which the meninges become inflamed. If a person was not vaccinated on time from meningitis, the onset of the disease after the flu occurs in 99%.

With a progressive disease in a person, the head is very sore, the neck is numb (it is not possible to tilt the head forward because of pain), essentially the body temperature rises, the consciousness is disturbed, over time, photophobia, increased sensitivity to touch, sounds. The disease progresses very quickly.

In no case can self-medication of this condition be carried out, since the started meningitis that have appeared against the background of the flu, very often cause death. If a person comes to the hospital with a headache after the flu and he has been diagnosed with meningitis, the doctors carry out emergency and intensive therapy.

The patient is in the intensive care unit for the first few days, where he undergoes anti-bacterial therapy, antiviral treatment. Only if the person turned on time, the result of treatment will be positive. The main prevention of meningitis after the flu is grafting. A common cause of meningitis after the flu is self-medication. Therefore, parents should remember - the child does not need to be treated independently, always go to the pediatrician to exclude such terrible consequences.

Headache after the flu with sinusitis

A sinusitis is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. The disease occurs against the background of the influenza. If you do not make timely treatment, then the disease develops into a chronic form.

The main signs are headaches and pain sensations in the nose, nose, above the eyes, depending on the localization of the inflammatory process. Basically, the pain appears in the evening. Can increase with tilts. In addition to these signs, a person becomes difficult breathing, he begins to talk "in the nose." Excretions from the sinuses are transparent or purulent, depending on the stage of the disease and inflammation.

Almost always sinusitis is accompanied not only by headache, but also by increased body temperature, lack of appetite, fatigue, sleep disturbance. Diagnose the disease based on X-ray, ultrasound, computed tomography. The main task of treating sinusitis is to reduce pain, remove swelling and eradicate the infection. For this purpose, antibacterial drugs, physical therapy, vasoconstrictive drugs are prescribed.

In those cases, if the head hurts after the flu, nasal discharge and purulent medication does not give practically no results, doctors use a surgical operation. Sinusitis is a complication after the flu, which, if untimely, can cause meningitis, neuritis, and osteomyelitis. Therefore, doctors do not recommend delaying with treatment.

Possible complications after the flu are otitis media

Another disease that causes pain in the head after the flu is otitis. And it is widespread enough not only in childhood. Very often negligent parents independently treat the flu, so in the future the children not only begin to have a headache, Otitis, which can accompany a person all his life, but also there are such terrible consequences as a heart disease.

With the flu, human immunity is greatly weakened, giving good soil for viruses. Therefore, as a consequence - a viral infection settles in the ears. Headache is provoked by swelling and inflammation. The main symptoms of otitis are pain in the head, in the jaw area. Not always this type of inflammation is accompanied by an increase in temperature. Therefore any atypical painful sensations after a flu in the field of a head should become "zvonochkom" for the person.

In the event that a person has recently had the flu, but the head did not stop ache after recovery, and this is an indisputable sign of otitis, it should be:

• 2 times a day bury the ears with special alcohol drops, which the doctor prescribed;
• make warming compresses throughout the day;
• observe the general condition of the body and periodically visit the doctor.

Self-treatment can lead to the spread of infection. In some cases, otitis treatment requires the patient to be in a hospital in a stationary position. This is necessary to exclude possible more serious diseases, such as meningitis.

If the otitis is not treated, then it is fraught with a rupture of the tympanic membrane, exudative otitis, deafness, complete deafness.

Infectious diseases, bacterial infections, including microorganisms that cause the flu, can cause irreparable damage organism, but if a person turns in time for medical help - unpleasant consequences and complications can be avoided. It should be remembered that the head after the flu should not be ill. This symptom indicates the progress of another disease.

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