Cold & Flu

The most common causes of bronchitis include:
viral infections (adenoviruses, rhinoviruses, the influenza and parainfluenza virus, the Coxsackievirus),
bacterial infection,
complications from the common cold or influenza which has not been fully treated (remember that even regular rhinitis combined with a wet cough may result in acute bronchitis).

If you want to effectively protect yourself against bronchitis, you should:
stop smoking, also try to avoid passive smoking– smoking increases the risk of bronchitis,
effectively treat the symptoms of even a regular common cold – a seemingly harmless infection of the upper respiratory tract (cough, rhinitis, sore throat), when not fully treated may result in bronchitis,
avoid contact with smoke, dust,
if possible, avoid staying among large groups of people in seasons of increased incidence,
wash your hands regularly,
make sure you get enough sleep, a balanced diet and do regular exercise outdoors – to strengthen the body’s resistance.

The basic treatment for rhinitis in children consists of using simple nursing treatments, namely: humidifying the air and removing the mucus gathering in the child's nose (use a nasal aspirator in smaller children). Humidifying the nasal mucous membrane is also important (using a saline solution or sea water in a spray which can be purchased in pharmacies over the counter).

Influenza is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract often mistaken for a regular common cold due to similar symptoms.

In infants and children, influenza can manifest itself with:
a significantly increased body temperature (fever can reach as high as 40°C in a short time),
shivering,
a feeling of weakness,
a loss of appetite,
a tiring cough,
rhinitis,
vomiting,
and even diarrhoea.
Treating influenza in infants and children consists, above all, in alleviating the symptoms of the infection by giving the following medications:
Analgesic and febricide – containing paracetamol or ibuprofen; depending on the age of your child, you can give this medication in the form of suppositories or syrup.

Treating bacterial tonsillitis in infants and children often requires using antibiotics which can be prescribed only by a physician.

In order to temporarily alleviate acute throat pain in children you may use:
painkillers and anti-fever medication (containing paracetamol or ibuprofen) in the form of suppositories or syrup (depending on the age of your child),
inhalations from a saline solution using a nebulizer,
rinses for the throat (sage brew or common salt solution) and lozenges for the throat – for older children (prior to giving the medication to the child, read the instructions carefully).