Often sick are children who have acute respiratory infections (ARI) occur 4 times a year or more.

Sometimes a child gets sick not only often, but also for a long time (more than 10-14 days, one acute respiratory disease). Long-term ill children can also be classified as frequently ill.

Outwardly, acute respiratory infections can be manifested by a runny nose, cough, reddening of the throat, general weakness, and a rise in temperature. Frequently ill children may have one but long-term symptom, such as a persistent cough or cough, persistent nasal discharge, and the temperature may be normal. If the child has a fever all the time, but there are no symptoms of acute respiratory infections, this is often a sign of a chronic infection and requires a detailed medical examination.

List of reasons

If a child is sick often or for a long time, this means that his immunity is weakened. Consider the main factors leading to a weakening of the immune system.

The functions of the immune system begin to form in utero, therefore intrauterine infection, prematurity or morphofunctional immaturity of the baby can lead to the fact that he will subsequently become sick often.

Another important factor for the formation of immunity is mother's milk, so children who are on breastfeeding, rarely get sick with acute respiratory infections, and vice versa, an early transition to artificial mixtures can lead to the fact that already in the first year of life the child will begin to suffer colds.

In the first year of life or at an older age, as a result of various adverse factors, the baby may develop background conditions that weaken the immune system (intestinal dysbacteriosis, hypovitaminosis, rickets).

A pronounced weakening of the immune system often occurs after serious illnesses or surgical interventions. If a child has been ill with dysentery, salmonellosis, pneumonia, tonsillitis, his immunity is weakened. Viruses greatly weaken the functions of the immune system. After suffering the flu, measles, and other viral diseases, the child has an increased sensitivity to infections and can often become ill.

The immune system is weakened by long-term use of certain drugs, including, for example, immunosuppressants, some anticancer drugs, oral steroid hormones, and most antibiotics.

In the event that the use of these drugs is necessary, it is advisable to take preventive measures to maintain the normal functioning of the immune system.

The presence of chronic diseases in a child also contributes to the weakening of protective mechanisms and can cause frequent illnesses. Such diseases can be chronic sinusitis, tonsillitis, adenoids, sluggish and atypical infections caused by pathogens such as mycoplasma, pneumocystis, chlamydia, yersinia, trichomonads. Often the cause of weakened immunity are worms and Giardia, which are quite difficult to diagnose by feces.

There are congenital immunodeficiency states, including isolated immunodeficiencies, when a child has a disorder in one part of the immune system. Children with such immunodeficiencies can often suffer from some kind of recurrent, that is, recurring, diseases. If a child constantly suffers from the same type of diseases, he should be examined for the existence of congenital immunopathology.

Finally, a proper balanced diet and regimen are of great importance for the normal functioning of the immune system. A child can often and for a long time get sick if his diet lacks vitamins or, for example, there are no animal products or the food contains a lot of carbohydrates, but few proteins and fats. If the child is rarely fresh air, leads a sedentary lifestyle, inhales tobacco smoke from smoking adults, this can lead to a weakening of his immunity.

break the circle

Frequently ill children are a social and medical problem. Such children, as a rule, have violated the schedule of preventive vaccinations, they cannot attend children's preschool institutions and at school age are forced to skip classes. Parents have to periodically stay at home with a sick child, and this is detrimental to their work.

In a frequently ill child, a vicious circle is formed: against the background of a weakened immune system, he falls ill with acute respiratory infections, which, in turn, further weaken the immune system. As a result of increased sensitivity of the body to various infectious agents and a decrease in protective mechanisms, there is a high probability of developing chronic, sluggish infectious and non-infectious diseases (gastritis and peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, bronchial asthma, chronic sinusitis, frontal sinusitis ...). The presence of chronic infections can lead to a delay in physical development, allergies.

Frequently ill children may develop various psychological problems, complexes. First of all, it is an inferiority complex, a feeling of self-doubt.

Action algorithm

If a child is often sick, it is necessary to start general strengthening preventive measures: vitamin therapy, balanced nutrition ... It is important to cure chronic diseases, especially the pathology of the ENT organs: chronic tonsillitis, sinusitis (sinusitis, frontal sinusitis), adenoids.

Parents of frequently ill children should consult a doctor (pediatrician, gastroenterologist, immunologist). You can first take tests that will help determine the cause of weakened immunity: feces for dysbacteriosis, blood for immune and interferon status. Depending on the clinical picture of frequently recurring acute respiratory infections, special tests can be taken: tests for the detection of pulmonary forms of chlamydia, mycoplasma and pneumocysts with persistent cough, a throat swab for chronic tonsillitis ...

For the treatment of frequently ill children can be used medications non-specific effects (vitamins, adaptogens, biogenic stimulants ...), as well as therapy with specific drugs aimed at certain parts of the immune system - immunocorrection (immunoglobulins, interferons, thymus preparations).

“I’ll get sick and die,” the boy (or maybe the girl) decided. “I’ll die, and then they will all know how bad it will be for them without me.”

(From the secret thoughts of many boys and girls, as well as non-adult uncles and aunts)

Probably, every person at least once in his life had such a fantasy about his illness and death. This is when it seems that no one needs you anymore, everyone has forgotten about you and luck has turned away from you. And I want all the faces dear to you to turn to you with love and concern. In a word, such fantasies do not arise from a good life. Well, perhaps among fun game or on your birthday, when you were given the very thing that you dreamed about the most, do such gloomy thoughts come then? For me, for example, no. And none of my friends either.

Such complex thoughts do not occur to very young children, those who are not yet in school. They don't know much about death. It seems to them that they have always lived, they do not want to understand that they once did not exist, and even more so that they will never be. Such babies do not think about the disease, as a rule, they do not consider themselves sick and are not going to interrupt their interesting activities because of some angina. But how great it is when your mother also stays at home with you, does not go to her work and feels your forehead all day, reads fairy tales and offers something tasty. And then (if you are a girl), worried about your high temperature, the folder, having come home from work, rashly promises to give you gold earrings, the most beautiful ones. And then he brings them running from some secluded place. And if you are a cunning boy, then near your sad bed, mom and dad can reconcile forever, who have not yet managed to get a divorce, but have almost gathered. And when you are already recovering, they will buy you all sorts of goodies that you, healthy, could not even think about.

So think about whether it is worth staying healthy for a long time when no one remembers about you all day. Everyone is busy with their important things, for example, work, with which parents often come angry, wicked, and just know for yourself they find fault with your unwashed ears, then with broken knees, as if they themselves washed them and didn’t beat them in childhood. That is, if they notice your existence at all. And then one hid from everyone under the newspaper, “mother is such a lady” (from a replica of a little girl cited by K. I. Chukovsky in the book “From Two to Five”) went to the bathroom to wash, and you have no one to show your diary with fives.

No, when you're sick, life definitely has its good sides. Any smart child can twist ropes from their parents. Or laces. Maybe that's why, in teenage slang, parents are sometimes called so - shoelaces? I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing.

That is, the child is sick, of course, not on purpose. He does not utter terrible spells, does not perform magical passes, but the internal program of the benefit of the disease from time to time self-starts when it is not possible to achieve recognition among their relatives in another way.

The mechanism of this process is simple. What is beneficial for the body and personality in some way is realized automatically. Moreover, in children, and in almost all adults, it is not realized. In psychotherapy, this is called an annuity (that is, a benefit-giving) symptom.

One of my colleagues once described a clinical case with a young woman who fell ill with bronchial asthma. It happened in the following way. Her husband left her and went to another. Olga (as we will call her) was very attached to her husband and fell into despair. Then she caught a cold, and for the first time in her life she had an asthmatic attack, so severe that the frightened unfaithful husband returned to her. Since then, he had made such attempts from time to time, but he could not decide to leave his sick wife, whose attacks were getting worse. So they live side by side - she, swollen from hormones, and he - downcast and crushed.

If the husband had the courage (in another context it would be called meanness) not to return, not to establish a vicious and strong connection between the disease and the possibility of possessing an object of affection, they could succeed, like another family in a similar situation. He left her sick, with a high fever, with children in her arms. He left and did not return. She, having come to her senses and faced with the cruel need to live on, at first almost lost her mind, and then brightened her mind. She even discovered abilities that she had not known about before - drawing, poetry. The husband then returned to her, to the one that is not afraid to leave, and therefore does not want to leave, with which it is interesting and reliable next to her. Which does not load you on the way, but helps you go.

So how do we treat husbands in this situation? I think it's not so much the husbands, but the different positions that the women have taken. One of them took the path of involuntary and unconscious emotional blackmail, the other used the difficulty that arose as a chance to become herself, real. With her life, she realized the basic law of defectology: any defect, shortcoming, is an incentive for the development of the individual, compensation for the defect.

And, returning to the sick child, we will see that in fact, he may need an illness in order to want to become healthy, it should not bring him privileges and a better attitude than to a healthy one. And drugs should not be sweet, but nasty. Both in the sanatorium and in the hospital should not be better than at home. And mom needs to rejoice at a healthy child, and not make him dream of illness as a way to her heart.

And if a child has no other way to find out about the love of his parents, except for illness, this is his great misfortune, and adults need to think about it well. Are they capable of accepting with love a living, active, naughty child, or will he stuff his stress hormones into the cherished organ to please them and will be ready to once again play the role of a victim in the hope that the executioner will again repent and pity him?

In many families, a special cult of the disease is formed. A good person, he takes everything to heart, his heart (or head) hurts from everything. This is like a sign of a good, decent person. But the bad one, he is indifferent, everything is like peas against the wall, you can’t get him through anything. And nothing hurts him. Then around they say with condemnation:

And your head never hurts!

How can one grow up healthy and healthy in such a family? happy child if it is somehow not accepted? If with understanding and sympathy they treat only those who are covered with well-deserved wounds and ulcers from a hard life, who patiently and dignifiedly drags his heavy cross? Now osteochondrosis is very popular, which almost breaks its owners to paralysis, and more often - the owners. And the whole family runs around, finally appreciating the wonderful person next to them.

My specialty is psychotherapy. More than twenty years of medical and maternal experience, the experience of coping with my own numerous chronic diseases led to the conclusion:

Most childhood illnesses (of course, not of a congenital nature) are functional, adaptive in nature, and a person gradually grows out of them, like out of short pants, if he has other, more constructive ways of relating to the world. For example, with the help of an illness, he does not need to attract the attention of his mother, his mother already learned to notice him healthy and rejoice in him like that. Or you don’t need to reconcile your parents with your illness. I worked as an adolescent doctor for five years, and I was struck by one fact - the discrepancy between the content of the outpatient cards that we received from children's clinics and the objective health status of adolescents, which was regularly monitored for two to three years. The cards included gastritis, cholecystitis, all kinds of dyskinesia and dystonia, ulcers and neurodermatitis, umbilical hernia, and so on. Somehow, at a physical examination, one boy did not have an umbilical hernia described in the map. He said that his mother was offered an operation, but she still could not decide, and in the meantime he began to play sports (well, do not waste time, in fact). Gradually the hernia disappeared somewhere. Where did their gastritis and other ailments go, cheerful teenagers also did not know. So it turns out - outgrown.

There is nothing worse for parents than a sick child. It is unbearable to look at a suffering child, especially if the child is constantly sick and instead of playing with walks, he sees thermometers and medicines. What are the causes of frequent illnesses of the child, and how to change this situation?

Why is the child often sick? External and internal factors

As a rule, often ill children are treated by parents for respiratory diseases and bronchitis. The most susceptible to such ailments are children under three years of age and toddlers of kindergarten age. As soon as the baby recovers and returns to the usual social circle, the cough appears again. What are the causes of frequent illnesses?

Internal factors of frequent diseases of the child:

• Immature immune system , respiratory organs, the body as a whole.
• Heredity (predisposition to respiratory diseases).
• Problems during pregnancy and childbirth . As a result - bad to the effects of the external environment, disturbances in the body.
• Manifestations allergies .
• chronic diseases in the respiratory organs.

External factors of the child's pain:

• Parental neglect proper care for the child (regime, physical education, hardening).
• Early visiting kindergarten .
• Artificial feeding v early age and illiterate further catering.
• Passive smoking in prenatal and subsequent periods.
• Frequent, uncontrolled use of drugs . This is especially true for antibiotics.
• Bad environmental situation in the city, locality.
• unsanitary conditions in the apartment (non-compliance with hygiene, pollution of the premises).

The child is often sick. What to do?

Children who often get sick need not only competent treatment, but, first of all, constant prevention of colds:

Inhalation using essential oils. For seasonal prevention of colds and flu, inhalations with essential oils are recommended. Proved that essential oils have anti-inflammatory and antiseptic action, helping to prevent the development of acute respiratory infections. These oils include: juniper, eucalyptus, clove, mint, wintergreen and cajeput. Experts recommend combining them to achieve the maximum preventive effect. V Lately There are more and more products that already contain essential oils. Among the most popular remedies is "Breathe oil", which combines essential essential oils that protect against colds and flu. The drug destroys viruses and harmful bacteria in the air, significantly reducing the risk of SARS.

• Organize a healthy baby good nutrition . Eliminate all products with dyes, preservatives, lemonade, crisps, crackers and chewing gum.
• Don't Overwork baby.
• Limit travel in public transport.
• Dress your child for the weather . You don't need to wrap up your baby too much.
• Try not to walk with your child in crowded places during a period of high growth in the incidence of viral infections.
• After the walk wash your baby's nose gargle. Before a walk, smear the nasal mucosa with oxolin ointment.
• In a timely manner examine the child at the ENT in order to avoid the transition of the disease to the chronic stage.
• Make sure family members who are sick wear masks and have less contact with the child.
• Do not start a cold crumbs, start treatment promptly .
• Stimulate the biologically active points on the feet of the baby through walking barefoot (on grass, pebbles, sand). In winter, you can walk barefoot at home, wearing socks for your child.
• Regularly (if possible) take your child to the sea. If financial position does not allow such trips, buy rounded pebbles at the pet store. They need to be poured over with boiled warm water with the addition of a drop of vinegar. The kid should walk three times a day on such a "beach" for five minutes.
• via multivitamin complexes .
• Necessarily follow the daily routine .

Strengthening the immunity of the child - folk remedies

If the baby has been ill with another cold, do not rush to return to work. You won’t earn all the money anyway, and the child’s body must get stronger after the illness (usually it takes about two weeks). How can you boost your baby's immunity?

Svetlana: Immunity needs to be boosted natural remedies. We tried ourselves colloidal silver, Siberian fir (almost a natural antibiotic) and another drug based on chlorophyll. Helps. Previously, they went to the garden for a week, then they got sick for two. Now much less often began to cling to this infection. But we approached the issue in a complex way - in addition to drugs, nutrition, regimen, hardening, everything is very strict and rigorous.

Olga: Children should begin to harden in the summer, and only according to the system. As for frequent colds: we also got sick, got sick, got angry, then we guessed to take a picture of the nose. Turned out to be sinusitis. Cured, and ceased to hurt so often. And from the means that strengthen the immune system, we use honey (in the morning, on an empty stomach, with warm water), onion-garlic, dried fruits, etc.

Natalia: The main thing is to protect children from antibiotics. More vitamins, positive in the life of a child, walks, travels - and you won’t have to be treated so often. Of the drugs that increase the defenses, I can note Ribomunil.

Ludmila: I count colloidal silver the best remedy! Effective for more than six hundred types of viruses and bacteria. In general, breastfeed longer. Mother's milk is the best immunostimulant! And after that, you can already have anaferon, and actimel, and badger fat. They also drank Bioaron and used aroma lamps. Well, plus different physiotherapy, vitamins, oxygen cocktails, rose hips, etc.

The common cold is a common name for an infection of the respiratory system of a viral or bacterial origin. In other words, when a child has a runny nose, cough and sneezes often, it is probably a cold. Doctors often suggest that mothers check the color of their baby's mucus. If it changes from watery to yellow or greenish, it is more likely to be a cold.

Why does my child often get colds?

If a child often suffers from colds, this means that the body's defenses are still not enough to protect against adverse conditions. environment.

Coughs, colds, vomiting, and diarrhea – children’s immune systems learn to cope on their own.

Illness is a baby's way of strengthening their immune systems for their future health.

When babies are born, they take the strength of the immune system from their mother. Antibodies are special proteins that fight infection, and babies are born with a lot of them in their blood. These maternal antibodies get off to a good start by helping to fight infections.

When a baby is breastfed, this effect is increased because the mother's milk also contains antibodies that get to the baby and help fight the disease.

As the child grows older, the antibodies that the mother gave die, and children's body starts to create his own. However, this process takes time. In addition, the child must come into contact with disease-causing organisms in order to create protective factors.

More than 200 different viruses and bacteria cause colds, and the child develops immunity to them one by one. Every time a pathogen enters the body, the child's immune system increases its ability to recognize the pathogen. However, there are so many pathogens around that when the body overcomes one disease, another infection comes. Sometimes it seems that the child is constantly sick with the same ailment, but usually these are several different pathogens.

Unfortunately, it is normal for a child to be sick. The baby gets sick more often than adults, because his immune system is not yet fully functional. In addition, he does not yet have immunity to a variety of viruses and bacteria that cause colds.

Being around other children also increases the risk of catching a cold. The carriers of viruses and bacteria also include older brothers and sisters who bring the infection home from school or kindergarten.

Studies have shown that children who attend educational institutions have more colds, ear infections, runny noses and other respiratory problems than "home" children.

During the cold months, the child often gets sick with colds, as viruses and bacteria spread throughout the country. This is also the time when indoor heating comes on, which dries out the nasal passages and allows cold viruses to flourish.

What is the normal frequency of colds?

It would seem that the norm should be considered as the absence of a disease, but medical statistics have established that the normal development of a child after birth does not exclude a relapse of the disease.

If a child under one year old has had at least 4 colds, he can already be classified as frequently ill. From 1 to 3 years old, these children catch colds 6 times a year. From 3 to 5 years, the frequency of colds decreases to 5 times a year, and then - 4 - 5 acute respiratory infections each year.

An indication of a weakened immune system is the frequency and duration of the illness. If an acute respiratory infection and a cold do not disappear after 2 weeks, then the child's immunity is weakened.

A number of conditions undermine the health and immune system of the child:

Frequent colds can lead to quite serious complications in a child. Although these complications are not very common, it is important to be careful and be aware of them.

Complications that may occur shortly after the child catches a cold:

• there is a risk that babies suffering from the common cold will develop an ear infection. These infections can strike if the bacteria or virus enters the space behind the child's eardrum;
• a cold can lead to wheezing in the lungs, even when the child does not have asthma or other respiratory diseases;
• a cold sometimes leads to sinusitis. Sinus inflammation and infection are common problems;
• other serious complications caused by the common cold include pneumonia, bronchiolitis, croupy and streptococcal pharyngitis.

How to help a child?

It is known that the health of the child will depend on the behavior of the mother during pregnancy and its planning. Timely detection and treatment of existing infections and proper nutrition, good health and successful childbirth has a beneficial effect on the health of the child. This is also important during infancy.

For example, not all parents understand that not only mom's smoking is dangerous for a child, but also volatile substances from tobacco products brought by family members on hair and clothes. But these measures are ideal as preventive measures.

What to do if the child often has colds:

1. Proper nutrition. It is necessary to accustom the child to healthy food, because the right diet allows you to get the required vitamins and minerals. Various snacks are not only harmful in their composition, but also suppress the natural feeling of hunger, forcing the child to give up healthy and healthy food.
2. Organization of living space. A common mistake of mothers is the organization of complete hygienic sterility, which could compete with the conditions of the operating room. But to support the health of the child, wet cleaning, ventilation, and removal of dust collectors are sufficient.
3. Hygiene rules. Develop the habit of washing hands after the street, using the toilet and before eating in the child - cardinal rule. How more like a child hygiene habits are instilled, the more likely it is that he will begin to observe them without being under the control of parents.
4. hardening, which healthy child gets it naturally- light drafts, walking barefoot, ice cream and drinks from the refrigerator. But this is a prohibition for a constantly ill child. However, in order to accustom him to natural conditions, it is necessary to spend holidays at sea or in countryside, and the morning rubdown with cold water does not look so scary.

The child often gets sick in kindergarten

Almost everyone has this problem. When the baby is at home, he almost never gets sick, and as soon as the child goes to kindergarten, an acute respiratory infection (ARI) is diagnosed every 2 weeks.

And this phenomenon depends on a number of reasons:

• stage of adaptation. In many cases, the child often gets sick in kindergarten during the first year of his visit, and regardless of the age of the baby. For most parents, there is hope that the adjustment period will pass, stress will decrease, and permanent sick leave will stop;
• infection from other children. Not wanting to go on sick leave (or not being able to), many parents bring children with primary symptoms of a cold to the group, when the temperature has not yet risen. Runny nose, slight cough are faithful companions of visitors educational institution. Children easily infect each other and get sick more often;
• inappropriate clothing and footwear. Children go to kindergarten every day, except for especially cold days and weekends.

Make sure your child's clothes and shoes are always appropriate for the weather and comfortable for him. Shoes and outerwear should be waterproof and warm, but not hot.

If the child is very sick in kindergarten, the only way- try to strengthen his immunity. Start gradual hardening, ventilate the rooms, enroll the child in the swimming section, follow the principles of healthy nutrition and give vitamins. Regarding the latter, consult with your pediatrician first.

The ideal way to properly adapt to kindergarten is gradual addiction. In the first 2 - 3 months, it is better for a mother or grandmother to take a vacation or work part-time so as not to leave the child in the group for a long time. Gradually increase the time to reduce stress levels.

And when the child is sick, do not rush to go to work and return the child to the group. It is important to wait for an absolute recovery so that there are no relapses or complications.

Why does a child often get angina?

The common cold is, in fact, a big threat.

The lack of proper therapy and the refusal of bed rest are fraught with complications.

The most common type of respiratory disease complication is tonsillitis or, medically, tonsillitis.

Tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsil tissue due to a bacterial and viral infection.

The tonsils are part of the lymphatic system and constitute the body's first line of defense. They are present on the left and right side inside the throat and are two pink growths at the back of the mouth. The tonsils protect the upper respiratory system from pathogens that enter the body through the nose or mouth. However, this makes them vulnerable to infections, leading to tonsillitis.

As soon as the tonsils are affected and inflamed, they become huge, reddish, and covered with a whitish or yellowish coating.

There are two types of tonsillitis:

• chronic (lasts more than three months);
• recurrent ( frequent illness, many times a year).

As mentioned earlier, the predominant cause of tonsillitis is an infection of viral or bacterial origin.

1. Viruses that usually lead to angina in children:

• influenza virus;
• adenoviruses;
• parainfluenza viruses;
• herpes simplex virus;
• Epstein-Barr virus.

2. Bacterial infection is the cause of 30% of cases of tonsillitis. Group A streptococci are the main cause.

Some other bacteria that can cause tonsillitis are chlamydia pneumoniae, streptococcus pneumoniae, staphylococcus aureus, and mycoplasma pneumoniae.

In rare cases, tonsillitis is caused by fusobacteria, pathogens of whooping cough, syphilis and gonorrhea.

Tonsillitis is quite contagious and is easily spread from an infected child to other children by airborne droplets and household routes. This infection is mainly spread among young children in schools and among family members at home.

Reasons for a recurrence of the infection include the child's weakened immune system, resistance (resistance) of the bacteria, or having a family member who is a carrier of strep.

One study showed a genetic predisposition to develop recurrent tonsillitis.

3. Dental caries, inflamed gums cause the accumulation of bacteria in the mouth and larynx, which also causes tonsillitis.

4. The infected state of the sinus, maxillary, frontal sinuses quickly provoke inflammation of the tonsils.

5. Due to fungal diseases, bacteria that are difficult to treat accumulate in the body, which reduces resistance and causes frequent recurrence of tonsillitis.

6. Less commonly, inflammation can be caused by trauma. For example, chemical irritation from severe acid reflux.

When a child has frequent sore throats, you must understand that each time he receives a lot of damage. The tonsils are so weakened that they cannot resist germs and protect against infection. As a result, pathogens begin to cling one after another.

A child who often suffers from angina may experience many complications.

Tonsillitis can lead to the following consequences:

• adenoid infection. Adenoids are part of the lymphatic tissue, just like the tonsils. They are located in the back of the nasal cavity. An acute infection of the tonsils can infect the adenoids, causing them to swell, leading to obstructive sleep apnea;
• peritonsillar abscess. When the infection spreads from the tonsils to the surrounding tissue, it results in a pocket filled with pus. If the infection subsequently spreads to the gum, it can cause problems during teething;
• otitis. The pathogen can quickly find its way to the ear from the throat through the Eustachian tube. Here it can affect the tympanic membrane and middle ear, which will cause a whole new set of complications;
• rheumatic fever. If group A streptococci cause tonsillitis and the condition is ignored for a very long time, it can cause rheumatic fever, which is manifested by severe inflammation of various organs of the body;
• poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. Streptococcus bacteria can find their way to various internal organs body. If the infection enters the kidneys, it causes post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. The blood vessels in the kidneys become inflamed, making the organ ineffective at filtering blood and making urine.

What to do if the child often has a sore throat?

Persistent sore throat can affect nutrition, lifestyle, and even the education and development of a child. Therefore, it is common practice to remove the tonsils if their inflammation creates a regular problem.

However, tonsillectomy (surgical removal of the tonsils) is not the preferred treatment option. If your child has frequent tonsillitis, there are some ways to prevent it.

1. Frequent hand washing.

Many of the germs that cause tonsillitis are highly contagious. A child can easily pick them up from the air they breathe, and this is often unavoidable. However, the transmission of germs through the hands is another common route that can be prevented. The key to prevention is good hygiene.

Teach your child to wash their hands frequently with soap and water. Use antibacterial soap whenever possible. Antibacterial hand sanitizers are great when you're on the road. Teach your child to always wash their hands after using the toilet, before eating and after sneezing and coughing.

2. Avoid sharing food and drinks.

Saliva contains germs that can cause infection. Sharing food and drink with an infected person inevitably allows germs to enter their body. Sometimes these germs are airborne and can land on food and drinks, which is inevitable. But the exchange of food and drinks must be excluded. Teach your child not to share food and drink to prevent cross-contamination. It is better to divide or cut the food, pour the drink into cups, but avoid sharing.

3. Minimizing contact with others.

You must try to prevent your baby from getting an infection that will lead to tonsillitis. When a child has tonsillitis, you should minimize his contact with others. This applies to any infection, especially if you know it is highly contagious. Let the child not attend school or kindergarten during the illness, do not come too close to the rest of the family at home, who may become infected. Even a trip to the mall or other walks means that the child can infect others. Let the child rest during this time and keep contact with people to a minimum.

4. Removal of the tonsils.

Tonsillectomy is very effective method stop frequent recurrences of angina. This does not mean that the child will never have a sore throat again. But it will give him a better quality of life. There are some myths and misconceptions about tonsillectomy, but it is a very safe procedure and complications are rare. Surgery is especially necessary if tonsillitis does not respond to antibiotics or if serious complications develop (for example, tonsillar abscess).

5. Gargling with salt water.

This is one of simple solutions but also very efficient. 1 teaspoon of regular table salt in a 200 ml glass of water makes this method quick and inexpensive.

It should only be used by children who are of an age where rinsing is safe. Remember that while gargling may be helpful, it does not replace medication prescribed by your doctor. Gargling with salt water soothes the throat and may give a child short-term relief from tonsillitis symptoms, but prescription drugs such as antibiotics will kill the bacteria that cause the problem.

Airborne irritants such as cigarette smoke are known to increase a child's chances of developing tonsillitis.

Cigarette smoking should definitely be eliminated from the home, but you also need to be careful with cleaning products and other strong chemicals, the vapor of which can also be an air irritant. Even dry air that doesn't contain the harsh fumes of chemicals can be irritating. A humidifier increases the moisture content of the air and helps with tonsillitis if you live in dry climates.

7. Rest and drink plenty of water.

Good rest for a child with angina can affect the duration and severity of his condition. It is necessary not only to be away from school or kindergarten and sleep all day.

Give your child plenty of fluids. Liquid foods are better tolerated than solid foods, which will chafe the tonsils and irritate them further. Maintain good nutrition to support the immune system to help fight disease along with the medications your child is taking.

8. Be aware of acid reflux.

Acid reflux is a common digestive disease. The acidic contents of the stomach rise up into the esophagus and may reach the throat and nose. Therefore, the acid will irritate the tonsils and even damage them, which increases the chance of infection. Heartburn is a typical symptom of acid reflux, but sometimes it doesn't happen.

Always supervise the child. And if he has acid reflux, change his diet and lifestyle.

Why does a child often get bronchitis?

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the walls of the bronchi - the airways that connect the trachea to the lungs. The wall of the bronchi is thin and produces mucus. It is responsible for protecting the respiratory system.

Bronchitis refers to diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Especially often it affects children from 3 to 8 years old due to immature immunity and structural features of the upper respiratory tract.

Causes of frequent bronchitis

The main cause leading to the development of bronchitis is a viral infection. The pathogen enters the upper respiratory tract, then attacks. This causes inflammation of the lining of the airways.

Other causes of frequent bronchitis:

Bronchitis itself is not contagious. However, the virus (or bacteria) that causes bronchitis in children is contagious. Hence, The best way prevent bronchitis in a child - make sure that he does not become infected with a virus or bacteria.

1. Teach your child to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating.
2. Give your child nutritious and healthy food so that his immunity is strong enough to fight off infectious agents.
3. Keep your child away from family members who are sick or have a cold.
4. As soon as your baby is six months old, give him the flu vaccine every year to protect against a similar infection.
5. Do not allow family members to smoke in the home, as passive smoking can lead to chronic illness.
6. If you live in a heavily polluted locality Teach your child to wear a face mask.
7. Clean your child's nose and sinuses with a saline nasal spray to remove allergens and pathogens from the mucous membranes and nasal villi.
8. Supplement your child's diet with vitamin C to boost their immune system. Check with your pediatrician to find out the correct dosage for your child, as a high dose of the vitamin can lead to.

Parents should not limit the exposure of the baby to germs and diseases. After all, all children are susceptible to classic childhood illnesses, either through natural infection or vaccination.

Your baby is often sick now because it is the first natural exposure of a childhood illness to him, not because there is something wrong with the immune system.

Building and strengthening his immune system during these early years helps prevent future complications from contracting these diseases later, when they can be more severe.

The best way to keep kids healthy is to follow your doctor's recommended vaccination schedule, wash your hands often, eat right and exercise, and give your little one time to build a healthy immune system.

All children get sick, and all parents are very worried about this. Adults almost do not pay attention to their diseases, but the diseases of children immediately become a cause of increased anxiety. In fact, this is normal, because we do not live in sterile conditions, and the body reacts to the environment in this way. But what if the child is often sick? The answer lies not on the surface, but in the very depths - in the reason for such a frequent incidence.

As already mentioned, all children get sick. The only question is how often and where is the line between normal seasonal reactivity of the organism and pathological morbidity.

It is generally accepted among pediatricians that the normal incidence of children under 12 months is no more than 4 times a year. At the age of three to six years, it ranges from 3 to 6 diseases per year. In children school age- 2-3 times. This is due to the presence of the child in a close team. In a kindergarten, in its real conditions, the teacher is unable to make sure that everyone is well dressed, they do not pick up anything from the floor.

Just like modern parents, they do not always have the opportunity to stay at home with sick children and send them, with a cold, to kindergartens and schools, where they infect other children. This is especially noticeable in kindergarten teams. If one child gets sick, everyone gets sick in a couple of days. Thus, if a child preschool age sick more than six times a year, and a school-age child more than three or four times is a sign of frequent morbidity and a reason to pay attention to the state of immunity of your baby.

In addition, it is one thing if a child often suffers from simple viral respiratory diseases, and quite another if almost every respiratory infection is complicated, for example, by a sore throat. The difference is that the classic ARVI is caused by a virus and requires intensive antiviral therapy. A sore throat (in medicine - acute tonsillitis) is a complication in which a bacterial infection comes out against the background of a weakened immunity by a virus. And it won't get better without antibiotics.

The main question, if a child often has a sore throat - why? A bacterial infection can "attach" only to severely damaged tonsils, loose and inflamed, with enlarged lacunae - an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Angina is difficult to treat, and often parents stop treatment early, leaving traces of inflammation that make acute angina a chronic process. The most serious cause of frequent sore throats in children is improper treatment of viral infections, bacterial infections and weakened immunity. We will talk about the reasons for weakening the immune system below.

What are the causes of regular diseases?

There can be many reasons why a child can often get colds and sore throats. The main one, as mentioned above, is the presence of a child in children's team. It is worth noting that many reasons, including this one, should not be eliminated. It is better to influence other factors and significantly reduce the risks of the disease.

Among the reasons why the child is often sick, you need to pay attention to the following.

Lack of necessary vaccinations for the child . Alas, many parents refuse vaccination deliberately. Word of mouth broadcasts about the danger, and that after vaccination, supposedly children get sick even more. It is not true. A vaccine is a weakened or killed pathogen that causes the formation of antibodies to a specific disease. These antibodies give immunity that protects the child in the future. There are only two ways to form antibodies - vaccination (in which the child will simply have a temperature for a couple of days, but will not get sick) or the disease in full. And it is better to give the child immunity to the same measles, and protect it from the disease itself in the future.

Chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Whatever pharmacists say, any sinusitis is a chronic disease. If a child has been diagnosed with some kind of sinusitis, there is a very high chance that it will occur again. A chronic inflammatory process on the mucous membranes greatly weakens their protective properties. And the more often relapses (repeated diseases) occur, the stronger and more irreversible the defects of the mucous membrane become and the lower the immunity.

Lack of additional strengthening of immunity. All children, without exception, have weaker immunity than any adult. Therefore, it needs to be further strengthened. Old unforgotten methods and modern developments in medicine and pharmaceuticals can significantly reduce the incidence of children even in dangerous periods - autumn and spring.

Tendency to allergies. The first thing to remember is the hereditary nature of any allergy. That is, if one of the parents has a severe allergy in any of its variants, it is very likely that the child will also have it. Children with a tendency to allergic reactions get sick much more often. Therefore, any treatment they should take with the connection of antihistamine (antiallergic) drugs.

Frequent stay in crowded places . This does not mean that it is necessary to limit the communication of the child. But still, it should be borne in mind that visiting such places by children under 10 years of age significantly increases the risk of the disease. It is necessary to carry out prevention.

congenital immunodeficiency . Bad habits of the mother before and during pregnancy, the influence of negative environmental factors, improper nutrition mothers during feeding, nutritional deficiencies, birth defects, prematurity - all this is the cause of congenital immunodeficiency in a child.

Refusal of breastfeeding. Mother's milk is the best immunostimulant; neither man nor nature has yet come up with anything more effective. Breast milk has a completely individual composition, that is, milk from a particular mother ideally satisfies the needs of her child. It contains substances that cannot be artificially recreated and placed in mixtures for baby food. So breast milk irreplaceable. In addition, studies show that children who receive breast milk all the time they need are 3-4 times less sick and have good health.

As you can see, it is quite possible to take all the causes under control and thereby reduce the risks of the disease.

What to do?

First of all, it is necessary to undergo a complex of examinations to find out the cause, it includes consultations of the following specialists:

All these specialists can and most likely will prescribe a series of analyzes and studies, among them:

• general analysis of blood and urine;
• blood biochemistry;
• coprogram and analysis of feces for helminth eggs;
• immunogram;
• allergen sensitivity tests;
• blood test for HIV / AIDS - you should not ignore it or panic, this is a standard procedure;
• fluorogram;
• Ultrasound of the abdominal organs.

When the cause is found out, the doctor will give specific instructions on how to eliminate the causes. On your own, you should do the following, and no matter how often the child gets sick:

If possible, the child should be taken from preschool for the autumn and spring period. You can socialize it on your own, as well as teach important skills. And contact with other children in confined spaces will be significantly reduced. These contacts are acceptable and even desirable in the open air, where there is good ventilation.

hardening . For children, hardening does not mean dousing with cold water and walking in the snow. But playing sports, changing places, swimming in the summer can significantly strengthen the baby's immunity and prevent respiratory diseases.

Proper treatment of ARI. The doctor prescribes the treatment not to improve the welfare of the pharmaceutical companies, but to cure the child. If the prescribed treatment turned out to be prohibitively expensive, contact your pediatrician again and ask if there are cheaper analogues or substitutes. In any case, it is important to remember that the treatment of any acute respiratory infection should last at least five days, and all this time the child should not visit children's groups so as not to infect other children and not complicate the course of his illness. Also, do not resort to self-medication and interrupt treatment before recovery.

Prevention . Today, there are a number of drugs that stimulate the production of natural immunity in children. They are divided into interferons natural origin and artificial. Natural interferons are more effective, as they are fully compatible with the body. Also, it will not be superfluous to periodically drink courses of poly- and monovitamins. For a detailed regimen of taking vitamins, you should contact your pediatrician.

Don't give up vaccinations . If you have concerns about the quality of vaccines, please consult and purchase the vaccines yourself. Try to keep up with the recommended schedule. Also, do not forget about preventive seasonal flu vaccinations. They should be done in the middle and end of summer, so that antibodies have time to develop by the fall.

Correct Mode . The nutrition of the child should be tasty, high-calorie (not synonymous with fat), balanced and fortified. Do not forget that the usual benefits of tea with lemon disappear as soon as you pour hot water over the lemon. The same applies to currant compotes and beets in borscht. Vitamin C breaks down at temperatures above 70 degrees.

You don't have to force your child to eat. The body itself knows when it is hungry. Children's is no exception. It is necessary to include in the diet as many fresh vegetables and fruits as possible. To obtain specific recommendations for your child, mom should contact a nutritionist.

The child should sleep at least 7 hours a day at night. Young children have their own sleep patterns. It is individual and also depends on the needs of each individual baby. The right mattress, pillow, comfortable temperature regime created by the blanket improve the quality of sleep. And warm milk a small amount honey will help you fall asleep faster. To avoid overexcitation before going to bed, do not allow children to watch TV, play on the computer in the last 2-3 hours before going to bed. Here is a moderate physical activity on the contrary, is welcome.

Water consumption. The child must drink a lot. In this case, portions of the liquid should be limited to one glass of liquid in 2-3 hours. Urination should be regular.

Fresh air . Systematic airing, good room ventilation and regular walks improve lung function. In addition, it is important to observe the correct temperature and water conditions in the room. The ideal temperature for a child's room is 18-22 degrees. The air in the room should be humid and cool. Warm moist air promotes the growth of bacteria, and dry air dries out the mucous membranes, causes a runny nose and a deterioration in the body's defenses.

Timely referral to a specialist . Regardless of the level of trust in medicine, the diseases of children are entirely the responsibility of the parents. Do not be lazy to look for a good pediatrician, you should not neglect the advice of other specialists and postpone treatment. Diseases tend to build up on each other when neglected. It is necessary to achieve high-quality diagnostics and treatment and insist on monitoring the recovery process.