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What is there to know about cold and flu medicine for kids? All the tips and information can help. Read further on now.
With the temperature turning colder, nearly all of us come under the effects of the weather. Children are more prone to getting cold, flu, and stuffy nose. It is very difficult to see your child dealing with a cough or stuffy nose. Children under the age of 5 are at a higher risk of getting affected during the chilly months.
As cold and flu are viral infections, antibiotics generally don’t help. There are certain steps you can take to improve the immune system of your children and educate yourself about the medication so that they heal at a faster pace.
Steps to Ensure Healing
Here are a few steps that you can take to help your child heal quickly:
Offer Fluids
The first thing you have to do to minimize the symptoms of cold and flu is to keep them hydrated. Fevers often result in dehydration which is never a great thing. It is common for your children to not feel thirsty while being sick. Hence, it is important that you encourage them to drink fluids. Some of the signs of dehydration are dry lips, soft sunken spots on the skin, less frequent urination, and decreased activity. Milk, natural juices, soups, and water are all great sources of hydration. After consulting with your doctor, you can also give them an oral rehydrating solution.
Help Them Breath with Ease
Your first thought would be to get a nasal spray. However, the over the counter medical nasal sprays are not recommended for young children. There are other things you can do to help clear out the stuffy nose of your child and help them breathe.
Keep a cool-mist humidifier in your child’s room. It helps to break up the mucus. Make sure to clean the humidifier between each use. Saline nasal sprays and drops also work really well for young children.
Aid the Cough
If your child is over a year old, give them about 2 to 5 milliliters of honey a few times a day. It helps ease the cough of younger children. Give them warm water instead of room temperature water. A combination of ginger tea and honey also soothes the throat.
Promote Rest
Your children need rest to recover. Make sure they are dressed comfortably. Avoid using heavy blankets or layering as it can make them feel hotter. A warm water bath can help them wind down and sleep comfortably.
Cold and Flu Medicine for Kids
First things first, do not give your child any medication without consulting with a doctor first. It is important to educate yourself about the medications though.
Cold and flu are caused by a virus so antibiotics do not work against them. Most doctors will prescribe antiviral medications to help your child feel better. Please note that it will take 1 to 2 days for your child to start feeling better. Let’s discuss some of the most commonly used medications:
- Relenza (Zanamivir) – It is a Diskhaler that is suitable for children over 7 years of age. Relenza works really well for influenza type A and B and is administered by inhalation.
- Tamiflu (Oseltamivir) is suitable for children who are 2 weeks older or above. It is available in the form of capsule and oral suspension and works for both Influenza type A and B.
- Symmetrel aka Amantadine is an older medication used to treat Influenza type A. It is also effective for the prevention of flu in children older than 1 year.
- Flumadine (Rimantadine) – It works wonders for the prevention of Type A Influenza and is used for children below 10 years of age.
Note: All these medications listed here are for educational purposes. Please do not give any medication to your child without consulting with your doctor.
Importance of Compounding Medication for Children
Medications and children don’t mix well. It can be quite challenging to give medication to your children especially when they are 2 years older or above. Even then, some kids find it extremely difficult to swallow pills. The limited options in medications make the process even more challenging. That is where pediatric compounding comes to the rescue. Pediatric compounding overcomes the challenges and tailor creates medicines for children.
Why Is It Useful?
Most children’s medication comes in chewable and liquid formulations. However, it doesn’t mean that they taste great. The taste alone makes the child repellent to taking the medicine. Crushing and swallowing the pills might not be a great option as some pills are meant to be swallowed. Compounding medication comes to the rescue and creates medications that are more suitable for children and are aligned with the medical needs. Some of the alterations are:
- Creating flavored medications
- Liquid sweet medication
- Topical creams, lotion, gels, and foams
- Medicines that resemble lollipops
- Dissolvable troches
- Popsicles
- Suppositories
Other Uses of Pediatric Compounding for Children
The benefits of Pediatric Compounding are not limited to the dosage form. It enables your pharmacist and pediatrician to work together and create a medicine that is tailored perfectly to the individual needs of your child. With compounding, multiple ingredients are combined to overcome barriers that come with the normal pediatric medications that are listed below:
Allergies or Sensitivities
Certain medications contain sugar, soy, gluten, and dyes. These medicines are not suitable for people who are allergic to them. Compounding medication creates medicine, minus the ingredients that can cause allergies.
Unpalatable Medications
Compounding medicine can add color and flavor to the medicine which makes it more appealing to children in terms of looks and taste.
Pediatric Dosing
Certain medications only come on adult dosing but compounding pharmacists can make it more useful for children and reduce the side effects.
Final Takeaway
We hope you found this article informative and helpful. It is important to protect yourself and your children against changing weather. Keep them warm, teach them to wash their hands often, and avoid cold food items such as ice cream and colas during winter months.
Last but not the least, always consult a doctor prior to using any medication.