Everyone remembers the medical joke: a cold, if treated, goes away in seven days. And if not treated, then in a week. But if the child has been sniffing and coughing for several weeks, it is worth worrying. Viruses that cause acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections are dangerous because they leave "marks" in the body that attract pathogens. The child's immunity, weakened by a cold, is unable to repel more and more infectious attacks - hence the complications. What is behind the words ARI and ARVI? Both diseases are caused by viruses transmitted by airborne droplets. They are accompanied by an increase in temperature (possibly even up to 40 degrees), headache and muscle pain, aching joints, decreased activity, fatigue, runny nose, cough and lack of appetite. If these symptoms do not disappear within a few weeks, doctors state: the disease gave complications.
Why do complications arise?
The first reason for trouble - the wrong approach to the treatment of the disease. A child during illness should not attend school, he is prescribed bed rest.
All medical measures should be prescribed by a doctor. Parents should never give the student a pill on their own.
Second cause of complications - weakened immunity. The child's body becomes vulnerable to different groups of bacteria and viruses. If during this period the student suffers stress, gets overcooled, or gets too tired, malaise will not keep you waiting.
How to understand that the disease has not gone away, but stuck for a long time? First of all, it should alert you headache... If the child complains of constant pressure in the forehead, urgently consult an otolaryngologist. It is necessary to make an X-ray frontal and maxillary sinuses to exclude frontal sinusitis or sinusitis.
Pain can also appear in bright light or when pressing on the eyeballs. I would like to close my eyes, to be in the dark. The temperature is kept at 37.1-37.5 and does not fall even when taking antipyretics. The child has convulsions lethargy, hallucinations - this means that the virus has entered the central nervous system, and you urgently need to seek help to a neuropathologist.
The most common complications after acute respiratory viral infections - this is pneumonia, bronchitis, tracheitis, otitis media, pyelonephritis, subfebrile condition (high temperature for a long time). A few words must be said about each of these diagnoses.
Bronchitis
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchi. The causative agent of the disease is respiratory virusesas well as mycoplasma and chlamydia. The main symptom of bronchitis is coughing. At first it is dry and unproductive, then phlegm appears. The cough occurs against the background of a temperature of 37.1-37.5.
Bronchitis can also be accompanied by cervical lymphadenitis (inflammation of the lymph nodes). The little patient is shown bed rest and inhalation. At normal temperature and a strong productive cough, massage is necessary chest for better sputum discharge.
Pneumonia
Inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia) can start suddenly. During acute respiratory viral infections, against a background of high temperature, the child develops pain in the chest area, coughing up sputum (sputum can be rusty with blood streaks), shortness of breath, pain on inspiration. On auscultation, the doctor hears wheezing in the lungs. Pain can also occur in the abdomen with persistent coughing when the muscles of the abdominal wall are irritated. The student complains of weakness, loss of appetite, sometimes clouding of consciousness occurs. It is necessary to make an X-ray of the child's chest organs and contact the pulmonologist for the appointment of antibiotic therapy. The student is also shown breathing exercises and chest massage.
Laryngitis
This is an inflammation of the vocal cords and larynx. Swelling of the laryngeal mucosa leads to the appearance barking cough (false croup). The child is noisy and difficult to breathe, suffers from a hypoxic state when enough oxygen is not supplied to the body. His head is spinning, shortness of breath appears.
At the first sign of false croup it is necessary to call an ambulance. At home, an attack can be relieved with hot alkaline inhalation and a foot bath. Encourage your child to talk less. The pediatrician will prescribe to the patient physiotherapy and dry hot compresses on the neck.
Sinusitis
The first signs of sinusitis - inflammation of the sinuses of the nose, except for shortness of breath, are pressing headaches, swelling of the eyelids, cheeks, nasal nasal, purulent discharge. The occurrence of this complication is possible some time after the postponed respiratory illness.
Treatment can be done at home folk remedies: apply salt, buckwheat or a boiled hot egg to your nose. If the condition does not improve after three days, contact your pediatrician. Perhaps, it will not be possible to do without antibiotic therapy. In this case, it is desirable to combine it with physiotherapy.
Otitis
Usually, middle ear inflammation develops a few days after respiratory infection and manifests itself in shooting, throbbing pain. With otitis media, the child's temperature rises, appetite disappears, and in some cases, hearing. When the tympanic membrane is perforated, suppuration begins and an urgent need to consult a pediatrician, because there is a danger of meningitis. Antibiotic treatment is necessary in this case.
Subfebrile condition
This is a condition in which the body temperature for several days or even weeks after the transferred ARVI is kept at around 37.1-37.5. As a rule, this happens if infections such as mycoplasma or chlamydia join the ARVI. The child's condition may be satisfactory, but weakness, fatigue, and decreased appetite are also possible. Usually, the temperature decreases in the evening, that is, in a calm state, and rises with physical exertion. This condition is very exhausting for the child. It is necessary to find out whether the cause of subfebrile condition is really mycoplasma and. To do this, you need to take a blood test for these types of bacteria. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the child will have to undergo antibiotic therapy. If not, the pediatrician will have to find a focus of chronic infection in the child's body (sinusitis, tonsillitis, catarrhal otitis media, lymphadenitis), which gives such a complication.
Pyelonephritis
This infectious-inflammatory kidney disease can be caused by both bacteria and viruses. Mixed flora is also possible. The main complaints in pyelonephritis are pain in the lower back, sometimes in the abdomen, headache, temperature 37.0-37.9. If protein is detected in numbers greater than 0.140 g / l (acceptable value), the child must be hospitalized in a hospital. The student will be assigned bed rest and a salt-restricted diet. Children with pyelonephritis are registered at a polyclinic and a urine sample is taken every two weeks for three months.
Take care of your children, avoid complications. Do whatever you can to help them take the cold easily. Remember, during the child's illness, the doctor must visit him several times, even if the patient has only fever and rhinitis.
Tatiana Semenchenya, doctor of the Independent Laboratory INVITRO
However, a moderate short-term fever is not always observed with ARVI. For example, with flu, which also refers to ARVI, almost always the temperature in adults and children rises to high levels - 39 degrees and above. Other types of ARVI in adults with normal immunity rarely cause fever - thermometry values \u200b\u200brarely reach 38 degrees.
At the same time, the temperature in children with ARVI often exceeds 38 degrees. This is due to the immaturity of the immune system. This is the first time a child encounters most viruses, which is why the body reacts to them so actively.
Reovirus and rhinovirus infections can occur in children without fever. They are accompanied only by local symptoms - runny nose, conjunctivitis, etc.
Thus, thermometry indicators at viral infections depend on such factors:
- the patient's age;
- the state of his immune system;
- type and strain of a specific pathogen virus.
Reasons for the rise in temperature
Why is there a high temperature with ARVI? Fever is a protective reaction of the body to intoxication caused by the activity of the virus. There are such positive effects. elevated temperature:
Thus, the stronger the toxic effect of the virus, the stronger the fever.
A particularly strong toxic effect is observed when infected with influenza, and in children - also with respiratory syncytial virus and parainfluenza. It is noteworthy that if the blood contains antibodies to this virus (a person has already been sick with this infection), the body temperature either does not rise at all, or slightly rises.
The beneficial effects of fever apply when the body temperature does not exceed 39 degrees. With such indicators, a person may experience a severe headache, and the functioning of the liver, brain and heart may be disrupted. The main danger with prolonged severe fever is dehydration.
How long does the heat last?
Usually, the acute period of ARVI, accompanied by fever, headache and muscle pain and other symptoms of intoxication, lasts no more than 5 days, more often 2-3 days. Some ARVIs, such as rhinovirus infection, occur without fever at all.
However, there are also variants of prolonged viral hyperthermia. So, the fever lasts for a long time with these types of ARVI:
- with flu, a high temperature can last for 5 days, but the temperature peak is observed on the first day of illness;
- with ARVI caused by adenovirus, the temperature may not subside for a week;
- fever with parainfluenza also lasts for a long time - 7-14 days, while the peak of thermometry is observed on the 4-5th day of illness;
- in children, prolonged fever can also be provoked by a respiratory syncytial virus, which causes inflammation of the lower respiratory tract (bronchitis, etc.).
In the above cases, thermometry indicators are moderately high, rarely reaching 38 degrees.
If, with ARVI, an adult or child has a temperature of 39 degrees for more than three days, it is necessary to make sure that a bacterial infection has not begun to develop against the background of a viral infection.
Bacterial complications often develop on days 4-5 of a cold. The most common of them are sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses), bronchitis, pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs), tonsillitis (acute tonsillitis - a bacterial lesion of the tonsils). The kidneys, joints, heart, brain and spinal cord can also be affected.
When should you bring down the fever?
With ARVI, the temperature has reached 38 degrees - what to do? Do not rush to grab onto antipyretic drugs - remember that this will prevent the body from fighting the virus. At 38 C, only dehydration threatens the body, therefore, fluid losses should be replenished - drink teas, compotes, clean water. You should not wrap up too much with a fever.
Doctors say that it is necessary to bring down the temperature (both with ARVI and any other diseases) from 39 degrees. The exception is children under 3 months old, as well as people suffering from diseases of the heart, kidneys and nervous system. Their reception of antipyretics is justified when reaching 38.5 C.
It is not only unnecessary to bring the temperature down to 38 C, but it is also harmful!
It has been proven that uncontrolled intake of antipyretics for colds increases the risk of complications. This is not surprising given the bacteriostatic effect of fever.
Help with fever
ARVI with a high temperature in a child and an adult requires treatment and careful patient care. Antipyretics and their dose should be selected based on the patient's age, weight, temperature level. For children, paracetamol and ibuprofen are best. Analgin and aspirin are prohibited for use by children in many progressive countries, but we continue to use them. Their reception can be justified only if it is impossible to bring down the heat in other ways. They need to be taken only as directed by a doctor.
Drink a lot if you have a fever. If the patient refuses food, it is not necessary to force him - this may result in vomiting. Keep the air in the patient's room fresh and clean, change him into clean clothes if he sweats.
In the acute period of acute respiratory viral infections, adults should also stay at home, keep bed rest. Take a sick leave for several days. ARVI "on the legs" is a direct path to the development of complications and chronic diseases. In addition, a person with an acute cold infects others.
Temperature tail
There is such a thing as "temperature tail after ARVI". This is the name of the phenomenon in which a person who has suffered a severe form colds, for some time after recovery keeps subfebrile temperature... A temperature of 37 C after ARVI in most cases should not be scary. To exclude the development of hidden complications, a blood and urine test should be taken. If infectious processes continue in the body, this will affect the number of leukocytes, ESR and other indicators. If everything is okay, there is no need to worry.
Some doctors believe that the temperature after ARVI does not drop in people with weakened immunity. They recommend that such people lead a healthy lifestyle - eat well, take vitamins, and temper the body.
Often, having fallen ill with a respiratory disease, people are in no hurry to go to a doctor, because in the pharmacy you can freely purchase any effective medicines and undergo treatment at home. But in such cases, it is important to know the characteristic symptoms of the disease so as not to confuse it with anything else. For example, you should pay attention to how long the temperature is with ARVI, what is its value, whether there are lesions of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
How many days and what is the temperature with ARVI?
Incubation period viral disease is no more than 5 days, and at this time a person can feel absolutely normal, until the pathological cells have penetrated into the blood and caused intoxication. With the development of the disease, bacteria begin to multiply, usually in the maxillary sinuses, lungs, oral cavity and bronchi. This is accompanied by a sore throat, discomfort in the nose, and mild headache. Over time, clinical manifestations of virus intoxication join, one of which is an increase in body temperature.
It should be understood that fever or fever is the normal response mechanism of the immune system to foreign cells in the blood. Most viruses and bacteria die when high temperatures, therefore, the body thus protects itself from the spread of infection.
Intoxication syndrome usually appears 2-3 days after the onset of the disease. Fever can reach fairly high rates (up to 39 degrees), but the considered process of activating immunity is short-lived. With adequate treatment and timely measures taken, the temperature decreases after 1-2 days, reaching normal values. It is worth noting that it is undesirable to eliminate fever with numbers on the thermometer up to 38.5 in order to provide the body with the opportunity to fight the infection on its own.
During further therapy for ARVI low temperature, up to 37 degrees. This is due to the fact that the patient's blood is saturated with antibodies that do not allow the emergence and progression of inflammatory processes.
After ARVI, a subfebrile temperature of 37
There are frequent cases of complications after the flu. They are characterized by the presence of symptoms of acute respiratory diseases (bronchitis, otitis media, pneumonia, sinusitis) and the constant presence of slightly elevated body temperature: 37-37.2.
Such signs, in combination with poor health of the patient, and also, can signal the development of severe health consequences or recurrence of chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract.
If the subfebrile temperature does not decrease within a week after recovery, it is imperative to consult with a therapist, do X-ray examinations and donate blood for laboratory tests.
Re-increase in temperature with ARVI
Another equally dangerous situation is re-infection with the virus. It can come either from family members (neighbors 
in the apartment, room), which became carriers of ARVI when caring for a patient, or as a result of self-infection due to non-observance of hygiene and air disinfection rules in a living room.
A repeated increase in body temperature to high values \u200b\u200bindicates that inflammatory processes have resumed in the body, and a rapid intensive spread of the virus in the blood has begun. The problem lies in the possibility of the emergence of resistance of viruses and bacteria to previously conducted treatment, and used medications cease to have an effect, so the therapy regimen will have to be changed.
Cold does not go away
Everyone is familiar with the symptoms of a cold, but a runny nose, cough, sore throat, or even a slight chill do not seem to be a good reason for particular concern and cancellation of what was planned, and even more so - for thorough treatment, time-consuming sick leave at work and going to the doctor. But by saving time for treatment, we risk our health.
A cold, suffered "on legs", can undermine the reserve forces of the body, which will get sick again next month, and this is a new waste of time and money for treatment. Due to the weakening of immunity, a second can then be layered on one cold, the next one joins the second, the body's protective reserves are worn out, which in turn makes attempts to get out of this vicious circle to zero.
Cold medicine
It seems that curing a cold is easy, just visit the pharmacy. But did you know that the same drugs affect the organisms of different people in different ways? So, paracetamol preparations are contraindicated in patients with liver diseases, such as hepatitis and cholecystitis, and asthmatics should not take drugs containing aspirin and analgin - they can cause bronchospasm. In addition, in the annotations of all drugs, the terms of over-the-counter administration are indicated, and they should not be exceeded in any case. And if, for example, after a certain drug you have hives, then after drinking it after a while, you may well get an allergic shock. Is it worth it to risk your health? When a half-hour ENT consultation can solve the problem
“Every living organism is individual and unique, therefore, even with the same disease, the clinic can manifest itself in different ways. Cold treatment is mainly reduced to symptomatic treatment (elimination of symptoms), so it is difficult to prescribe a universal remedy that would help everyone, - notes the clinic "Stavko" Elena Yakovleva - Most often, the symptoms of a cold (acute respiratory infections, viral infection of the upper respiratory tract) during the week. But if the feeling of relief does not arise and the symptoms cause severe discomfort, which significantly reduces the quality of life, it is necessary to consult a doctor in order to prescribe adequate treatment and prevent complications (the addition of a bacterial infection that will require the use of antibiotics).
Knock down the temperature
To bring down the temperature of 37.4 ° C and go to work, people often resort to the use of antipyretic drugs. But there are serious risks hidden here. Firstly, antipyretic drugs eliminate only the symptoms, and not the very cause of the disease. Secondly, many antipyretic drugs have an inhibitory effect on mental activity and cause drowsiness, so employees who have a cold are more likely to make mistakes and do their job poorly, it is especially important to take this into account if negotiations are coming up or serious decisions need to be made.
What is a cold
In fact, a cold is a sudden cooling of the body, which is a condition that predisposes to illness. The common cold favors the growth of pathogenic bacteria.
But in everyday life, the word "cold" is used as a collective non-medical name for such scientific terms as ARVI and ARI.
ARVI is an acute respiratory viral infection. Infectioncaused by a virus and affecting the upper respiratory tract.
ARI - acute respiratory disease... The term ARI, unlike ARVI, is used not only for viral infections, but also for bacterial infections of the upper respiratory tract. That is, in fact, ARVI is one of the manifestations of ARI.
What happens to the body during illness
First of all, the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx is damaged - the entrance gate of any droplet infection: swelling of the mucous membrane occurs, vascular permeability is impaired (most pronounced with influenza), local immunity decreases. To reduce manifestations, you bury vasoconstrictor drops, which cause vasospasm and further disrupt the blood circulation in the nasal mucosa. The cold air that you breathe outside (most cases of colds and flu occur in the cold season) further reduces the local immunity of the already damaged mucous membrane, and the most favorable conditions are created for joining another infection, which the body would most likely cope with. be healthy.
An infectious disease, especially the flu, even if it is mild, puts additional stress on the heart and kidneys. The situation is complicated by the fact that viruses create a favorable environment for the attachment of a bacterial infection and the activation of conditionally pathogenic flora, which the body coped with while it was healthy.
The consequences of a cold
Colds (ARVI, ARI) cause many problems to their owners. They lead to the emergence or exacerbation of such ailments as chronic rhinitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis, each of which, in turn, acquires its own inherent complications, which lead to the formation of subsequent ones, and as a result, we get a continuous chain of diseases that constantly provoke each other, the number of which continues to grow over time and can cause irreparable harm to health. For example, vasoconstrictor drops with prolonged use cause addiction to the nasal mucosa.
A cold is, first of all, an increased burden on the heart. In this regard, the risk of heart disease increases several times. Moreover, this dependence is observed in all groups of the population, regardless of the addiction to alcohol or smoking. The stress on the heart during a cold is so strong that it is quite enough for the development of a stroke and heart attack.
Ears are often blocked after a cold. This is due to a stuffy nose. If the patient has a runny nose, then mucus accumulates in the sinuses, which does not allow air to pass. Also, ear congestion can occur with frequent blowing of your nose.
After a cold, the head may hurt for a long time. Headache is not a disease, but a symptom of a wide range of diseases. For example, headaches can be a consequence of chronic nasal congestion and breathing problems.
The temperature keeps
If after a cold the temperature is 37.2 º, it means that the cold has not passed without a trace - against the background of the disease, foci of chronic infection very often appear. A low temperature is the main symptom of an inflammatory process. In 70% of cases, after an untreated cold, inflammation of the kidneys, bladder is found, in women - inflammation of the appendages. When the temperature does not subside, it is necessary to consult a doctor to determine the cause of the problem and begin treatment.
“If people who get sick with flu, sore throat, due to the severity clinical manifestations, turn to a doctor immediately for advice, then with acute respiratory infections it is usually customary to be treated on their own until the last (that is, before the occurrence of various types of complications).
The most common complication is the transition of cold symptoms to a chronic form. These can be chronic rhinosinusitis, laryngitis, tracheitis and otitis media.
Runny nose does not go away
Rhinosinusitis is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. Symptoms preceding these diseases are purulent rhinitis, headache and a feeling of pressure, distention in the projection of these sinuses (in the forehead and wings of the nose).
Hoarseness, dry cough, subfebrile body temperature at 37 ° C - symptoms of laryngitis, bronchitis, but the correct diagnosis can only be made professional doctor after the survey.
If a person has had any chronic diseases, especially those associated with a weakened immune system, then they can worsen. For example, pyelonephritis and other diseases of the genitourinary system may worsen.
The chronic course of the disease is a deviation from the norm, which becomes persistent and requires constant medication. If the symptoms of the disease bother for more than 3 weeks, as well as exacerbations occur 3 or more times a year, then we can already talk about the chronic course of the disease, ”comments Elena Yakovleva
Complications after a cold
Colds in the overwhelming number of cases lead to acute and later chronic diseases of the nasal cavity, mouth and lungs.
"When chronic disease the course of the disease is protracted. The reason for this may be resistance to previously used drugs (for example: with the irrational use of antibiotics in past attempts to stop inflammatory process antibiotic resistance occurs). That is why it is necessary, in the event of symptoms of the disease, to consult a specialist to prescribe more adequate treatment with the aim of a speedy recovery, - advises the otolaryngologist of the clinic "Stavko" Elena Yakovleva
It is colds that are the entrance gate through which they enter the body various viruses and bacteria, which greatly poison our lives. If one of the listed consequences of a cold befell you, the answer to the question "What to do" is obvious and unambiguous - you should see a doctor if you haven't done so before. Only a specialist can accurately and confidently make a diagnosis, direct you to the necessary tests, if necessary, and prescribe the drugs and procedures necessary - effective and appropriate in your case. Otolaryngologist Elena Yakovleva can do it in one or two days.
Cold course
Want to get rid of your chronic cold? Take a preventive course:
1. Course on the apparatus "Tonsilor" 5 procedures
2. Course on the apparatus of aerosol therapy "Cavitar" 10 procedures.
You must first consult with the ENT, Elena Yakovleva, as the procedures may have contraindications.
If you want to simultaneously save time, money, and, most importantly, preserve your health, instead of self-medicating, treating yourself lightly and making your body work for wear and tear, not paying attention to its alarming signals, it is better to immediately contact a doctor, because care about yourself - the key to success in everything.