On this particular rainy morning, I was woken up by my phone buzzing right into my ears.“Hello”, I picked up the call at 7.00 am in the morning and responded to a worried Mrs. F. She sounded tense and exasperated. Her first sentence was, “I’ve been trying to call you since forever!” I understood that there is something wrong, responded with an apology and asked her what the matter was. She told me her daughter has been coughing since 5.00 am in the morning and she is worried that her Asthma is returning. I could sense the fear in her voice… It was palpable…
There are many other such incidences witnessed by doctors especially in the rainy season. Respiratory disorders are common in children in general as compared to adults owing to various factors like genetics, environmental conditions, defence mechanisms of the body still being in the developmental phase etc. And while they are cumbersome, debilitating, giving rise to anxiety and nervousness; most of them are “treatable”, while some are curable.
Respiratory disorders involve the air passages and the lungs; starting from the nose.
Let’s begin with considering some of the commonest respiratory disorders that are encountered in the monsoons.
COMMON COLD/RHINITIS:
Common cold is a viral illness which can be caused by about 200 different types of viruses however; the commonest one among them is the rhinovirus which is responsible for more than 50% of the cases.
It is communicable and one can get it from coming in direct physical contact with an infected person. It can also be transmitted through ‘fomites’ that is infected materials or surfaces contaminated by the germs of a person suffering from cold. These include; doorknobs, computer keyboards, spoons, toys, books etc. They are transferred by touching these objects and then touching your mouth/nose with the same hand.
It is also transmitted by infected droplets released in the air by a cough or a sneeze. Inhalation of these droplets leads to infection.
Getting wet is not the cause for catching a cold. It might make you prone to cold due to hypothermia and issues with lowered immunity but, it is never the cause for getting a cold.
The symptoms of cold include: Stuffy Nose, Sneezing, Watery discharge from the nose (Corryza), Watering of the eyes, Scratchy/sore throat and Post-nasal discharge i.e. draining of mucus from the nose into the throat. This post-nasal discharge might lead to further irritation of the throat with cough.
Kids are more prone to colds because they spend their day at school, playschool or day care centres where they might catch the infection from another kid. Also, as kids, we are not conscious of sneezing into a handkerchief or keeping our hands clean or washing hands after a sneeze.
To top it off, the immune system in kids is still developing and hence, they catch infections more easily as compared to adults.
Most colds are self-resolving and disappear within 7-10 days. But, that is a long duration of struggle for parents as well as children. It makes the child irritable and cranky.
Also, as immunity is not well-developed in kids, these might progress to other infections prolonging the duration of sickness and debilitating the child.
Prevention
:
If your child is suffering from a cold, please avoid sending your child to school so that the infection is not spread to the other kids.
If anyone at home has a cold and cough, make it a point to stay away from children and avoid touching their toys or other things.
Nursing mothers suffering from a cold can definitely continue breastfeeding. Just keep in mind to avoid face-to-face contact, washing your hands before feeding, avoid sneezing or coughing on the baby’s face while feeding. Always use a tissue or handkerchief to cover your nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing. Just being mindful is enough!
Breast milk has antibodies which are specific to your illness and hence, it acts a preventive for your child.
Continue breastfeeding as breast ,ilk has antibodies specific to your illness. it acts as a preventive for your child.
Management:
Antibiotics are NOT effective against cold. It is a viral disease.
Do not take Antibiotics for a viral infection
Staying hydrated, bed rest, steam inhalation for nose block are best the best remedies. Anti-allergic medicines are useful for allergies and not common cold.
As mentioned earlier, it is a self-resolving condition. However, it is irritating and disturbing and hence, treatment in the form of symptomatic relief is sometimes given.
The best form of treatment for such conditions is Homoeopathy. It is based on recording the symptoms and prescribing a remedy based on the totality of symptoms for each particular case individually. And it gives instant relief in such cases as opposed to popular belief that ‘it takes time.’ Homoeopathy expedites the process of cure and is great in all cases of viral diseases as anti-virals are far and few and their effectiveness is still being studied.
Following up an acute homoeopathic remedy with a ‘constitutional’ treatment helps in preventing recurrence and building immunity.
FLU:
Influenza also known as flu is caused by the Influenza viruses A and B. Type C virus is responsible for very mild disease symptoms and is rare. It is a communicable respiratory disease which peaks in the monsoon season in India and also with change of weather.
Flu is similar to common cold but is much worse and the causative factors for both are usually different.
High grade fever, fatigue, weakness, bodyache and headache along with cold, cough, sneezing and sore throat are the usual signs and symptoms of flu. Vomiting and stomach ache are also usually seen in children.
Flu spreads via droplet infection, contact with respiratory secretions of an infected individual, sharing drinks, fomites and hence, it is extremely common in children.
Flu has greater risk of complications especially in infants and these complications include pneumonia, sinusitis, ear infections and occasionally breathlessness.
Prevention:
Apart from the preventive measures mentioned above for common cold, other measures useful in prevention of flu include the flu vaccine which is a seasonal vaccine recommended for prevention.
However, this vaccine is avoidable in most cases and provides as much immunity as an actual attack of flu might provide. It is recommended in children above 6 months of age especially to avoid complications related with flu. This immunity can also be transferred from the breastfeeding mother having flu to her child via antibodies in the breast milk.
The vaccine is associated with various side effects including Guillian Barre syndrome, allergies, low grade fever, muscle aches and pains etc. The immunity is partial and temporary and does not guarantee freedom from future attacks of flu.
This vaccine is not a preventive for swine flu as many parents think.
A preventive in the form of a nasal spray is also available and can be given to children above the age of 2 years.
Adequate barrier, hygiene, hand washing and being mindful are great preventives in general.
Management:
Anti-virals are available for treatment and work by preventing viral replication. Antibiotics have no role to play in the treatment of flu.
Anti-febrile medicines for fever, cough suppressants for cough, anti-histamines for sneezing, nasal decongestants for nose block and analgesics for bodyache are used as symptomatic treatment in addition.
Instead of loading your child with all these medications, Homoeopathy can come to your rescue.
There are multiple preventives as well as curative remedies in Homoeopathy for flu and these have given amazing results in the shortest span of time.
A homoeopathic preventive for flu can be used if anyone in your family or school or neighbourhood is already under attack of flu and that puts you at risk. This preventive can be safely used by children as well as adults and provides protection against contracting flu, without any side-effects.
ALLERGIES & HAY FEVER:
Seasonal allergies and hay fever occur especially at the beginning or towards the end of the rainy season.
In India, there is a definite rise seen around the end of June/beginning of July and then around the end of the month of September.
These are the times when there is a rise in the dust particles and pollutants. These particles might get suspended in the humid air to produce a smog-like atmosphere.
Pollens are also released at the time of the month mentioned above.
In general it is believed that humidity or wet and damp conditions are favourable for people with allergies because it weighs down pollens and prevents them from spreading through air. However, rain drops tend to fracture the pollens already released in the air into tiny particles which are then released into the air in higher concentrations. They spread faster and are adsorbed easily hence aggravating allergies.
Signs and symptoms include inflammation of the mucosa of the nose causing sneezing, coryza, nose block, itching of the nose or the palate. There is also watering of the eyes, redness of the eyes, wheezing. Associated complaints include dry cough, itching and irritation of throat, headache and fatigue.
Prevention:
The major steps in prevention include using a dust mask to cover the nose and mouth to limit pollen and dust exposure.
In case of windy days with rains, keep your windows closed to avoid entry of pollens into the house or cars.
Adequate fluid intake.
Bathing after an evening of play outside or when back from school to wash off allergens if any.
Limiting allergen exposure is the most the most-effective way to deal with respiratory allergies.
Routine cleaning of the house with changing of bed sheets, covers, curtains and carpets regularly should be done.
Management:
Antihistamines are routinely used as medicines for treating or controlling allergies.
Steam inhalation for nose block is advisable.
Allergy testing and immunotherapy are the fairly new developments and their use is increasing day by day.
Immunotherapy for allergens is basically the administering of serial allergy shots with increasing doses of the allergen. The idea is similar to that of vaccination and helps in building immunity gradually.
Immunotherapy for allergies is upcoming but has various side effects and Homoeopathy is a safer and effective choice
But way before the idea of immunotherapy came in, a branch of medicine that targeted the immunity and helped in its development was already present i.e. Homoeopathy.
Homoeopathy has excellent treatment for allergies of all kinds and especially respiratory allergies. The treatment aims at building the immune system and strengthening it so as to be able to fight against the exposure to allergens and stop the seasonal recurrence of attacks.
Also, it has no adverse effects unlike immunotherapy which might have major side-effects especially in children. And it is pain free as compared to the immunotherapy which involves injections. The “sweet pills” hence have the upper hand in both effectiveness and avoidance of pain & side-effects.
ASTHMA:
There can be allergic as well as non-allergic triggers for asthma in the monsoons.
Asthma can be triggered by a variety of reason including moulds, pollens, precipitated gases, fungi or even viral infections in some.
Moulds are a major trigger for asthma in Monsoons
Also the fluctuations in temperature with sudden cold winds can trigger an attack of asthma.
Genetic factors as well as the environment, both have a role to play in asthma.
Asthma is associated with wheezing, breathlessness, tightness of chest, coughing.
Prevention
:
The basis of prevention in asthma is the avoidance of exposure to triggers.
Using of a dust mask is always advisable when leaving the house to avoid exposure to dust and allergens.
Keep the house clean and devoid of dampness or moisture so as to avoid the growth and proliferation of moulds.
Bed covers and bed sheets should be washed and changed frequently. Similar process should be followed with curtains.
Avoid using carpets in the house and if you do, vacuum cleaning them regularly is a must.
Pets should not be kept at home as their fur or dander can be responsible for triggering an attack. However if you do have pets at home, keep them away from your kids and from entering the kids room. In case of pets at home, additional efforts must be put into keeping the house clean.
Dander or fur from pets can trigger an attack of asthma
Management:
Inhalers and bronchodilators are usually given for the management of asthma.
If you are already on regular dose of inhalers, do not stop them without the advice of your doctor. Sudden withdrawal of inhalers can be very harmful.
Asthma is treatable and with proper medications the frequency and severity of the attacks can be reduced significantly.
In this aspect, Homoeopathy has a great role to play. It acts by strengthening the immune system against triggers and helps in decreasing the frequency and severity of attacks. Homoeopathy, when taken under the guidance of a well-informed physician can be very beneficial in children suffering from asthma.
There are several other diseases that can be triggered in monsoons due to cold breeze or the cool temperatures such as bronchitis or bronchiolitis. But these are rare, far and few. So, we will discuss them at another time in another blog.
The series on children and monsoons has a few more topics left to be discussed but with the end of monsoons coming, we will keep those for the next season. Till then, follow the general tips for the do’s and dont’s in the monsoons shared on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/drpriyamrsharma/ and Instagram account: your_homoeopathicpaedriatician; and keep safe.
And just like every time, in conclusion; stay healthy, stay happy 🙂
Comentarios