Is RSV a Threat to Your Family?

There are many different viruses which can harm a person. Some occur during adulthood and can be dealt with as an adult. However there are also some which affect young children. These children can’t protect themselves obviously. They need help from parents and doctors to get healthy. RSV is one of these viruses.

RSV is very common and incredibly contagious. It affects a young child’s respiratory virus. In most cases it’s not a big issue. The child will get a cold and recover. However, other children can get a serious inflammation of the lungs or even pneumonia. These are all life threatening in a young child. Knowing about RSV will really help in spotting the symptoms and getting a child treated early.

Causes of RSV

As mentioned, RSV is the name of a virus. As a very contagious virus, the biggest cause of getting it is from other people. This means keeping hands constantly clean. Surfaces should be kept clean as well. People should be very careful around their child. Avoid kissing them when the potential for spreading the virus is around. It’s good to avoid crowds as well.

There are also many risk factors that could increase the chance of a child getting RSV. Babies who were born prematurely find themselves at a higher risk than others. Also, children that are born with either heart or lung disease are at a higher risk. Any young child or infant with a weakened immune system is at higher risk as well. This can occur due to illness or due to medical treatment. Very young children between 2 months and 2 ½ months old can also be at risk.

Symptoms of RSV

It’s important to recognize the symptoms in your baby or child and then contact a doctor quickly. They can help determine if it’s RSV and more importantly, determine if any complications have arisen. The common symptoms are:

• Issues Breathing - Your child may have some issues breathing regularly.
• Coughing - These are productive coughs that will produce mucus. The color can be grey, green or yellow.
• Change in Activity Levels - A child may be either very inactive or seem rather upset and antsy.
• Won’t Breast or Bottle Feed - A child with RSV will often not wish
• Dehydration - It can sometimes be hard to tell with a young child, but they will often lack tears as they cry or have almost no urine in their diapers.

Treatment of RSV

When it comes to treatment, typically the best form of treatment is prevention in the first place. Once RSV occurs, the virus itself needs to be worked through and medication isn’t going to make a real difference. Therefore, it’s all about the symptoms. Most treatment will be focused on in home care for infants and young kids.

People can use mist vaporizers to keep the air moist and ensure their children are able to breathe. It’s good to ask a doctor about safe over the counter medications for their baby. Some can work to reduce the fever. It’s also key to introduce liquids steadily in small amounts. This combats the potential dehydration.If a child needs to be hospitalized due to complications, they will focus on hydration and breathing. Medications will be used to help the respiratory system and hopefully lead to a speedy recovery.