commandments to face the effects of winter fluctuations on children.
Consultant doctors advised the necessity of taking into account the health status of children with the advent of the winter season and weather fluctuations, noting that the winter season is one of the seasons in which cases of seasonal flu or throat infections and the like increase.
At the outset, the consultant of family medicine and allergy, Dr. Khaled Obaid Bawaked, says:
The winter season is the cold season, during which some children may be exposed to some diseases such as seasonal flu, colds, colds or sore throats. This is normal in the winter season and there is no cause for concern.
He stressed the importance of following up with asthma patients - especially children - and being keen to follow up with the specialist doctor, coinciding with the different weather in some regions.
Bawaked described asthma as a chronic disease that is remarkably prevalent in society. The rate of its prevalence in the Kingdom varies from one region to another due to different weather factors, as the proportion increases in very cold cities and dry areas, while this percentage decreases in coastal humid cities.
He pointed out that asthma is a chronic inflammation of the membranes lining the airways in the lungs, which causes an increase in their sensitivity to any irritant (such as dust, smoking, and others) and leads to the constriction and narrowing of these people, and the retention of large amounts of air inside the chest, but this narrowing is expandable when using Appropriate treatment.
Regarding the causes of the disease, “Bawaked” said that there is a difference between the causative and the irritant of the disease, the first is that which leads to the occurrence of asthma in a healthy person, while the irritants of the disease are substances that lead to the occurrence of an asthma attack in a person who already has asthma, and there are some theories that attribute the causes of the disease. The onset of the disease is due to genetic factors.
Bawaked takes the side of the drugs used in treatment, saying: “The treatment is divided into two main parts: bronchodilators that relax the muscles surrounding the bronchi, expand the airways, and prevent the secretion of chemicals (such as histamine), and therefore they are often used when necessary and needed. And it works immediately after use, so it is taken when symptoms appear, such as coughing, stuffiness, chest tightness, or wheezing.
And he added: “The second section is the preventative (protective) drugs for the return of seizures, and they work by reducing chronic inflammation in the wall of the air passages, and some of them need several weeks to take effect and therefore must be continued on a regular basis several times a day for long periods according to the instructions of the treating doctor regardless of the presence of symptoms from Or not, so that these drugs can reduce inflammation in the airways.”
For his part, Dr. Reda Matbouli, a consultant urologist and kidney transplanter, advised members of society, especially children, to take care to drink two liters of fluid per day, especially water.
He pointed out that one of the most prominent wrong behaviors is that some people wait to feel thirsty until they take water, and this is wrong behavior, especially with the entry of cold weather, as care must be taken to provide the body with water in all seasons, whether hot or cold.
And that this applies to children as well, as most young children unfortunately do not care about eating water as much as they are interested in soft drinks and sweetened sugary juices that increase calories, and here comes the role of parents in guiding them to do so.
Matbouli concluded by saying that water is the only means that helps stimulate blood circulation, thus helping to regenerate cells and give them vitality to carry out their functions to the fullest. Drinking water daily in the appropriate quantities helps rid the body of toxins and waste that lead to many health problems.
In this context, pediatric consultant, Dr. Nasr El-Din El-Sharif, says
There are some diseases that may be recorded in children''s clinics with fluctuations and cold weather and the advent of winter, indicating that this is normal due to the different seasons of weather.
He said that there are 4 diseases that children may be exposed to more than others in cold weather:
First: seasonal influenza, a highly contagious respiratory virus. The onset of influenza is often sudden and accompanied by the following symptoms: high fever, cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, muscle or body pain, mild conjunctivitis (red or irritated eyes), and in Rare cases of vomiting and possible diarrhea in children.
Second, the common cold is a viral infection that is usually associated with milder symptoms. However, children can have a low-grade fever early in the illness, and although colds appear more often during the winter months, they can still occur. All year round, many different viruses can cause colds, which can last from 5 to 14 days.
Symptoms of the common cold are runny nose, congestion, cough, sore throat, fever.
Dr. Al-Sharif pointed out that the third disease is strep throat, which is a contagious bacterial infection that is more common during the fall, winter and early spring, and is especially common in children between the ages of 5 and 15, and symptoms of sore throat can include trouble swallowing, fever. Stomach pain, headache, and a red rash can sometimes occur in children infected with strep throat, which leads to the diagnosis of scarlet fever.
Fourth: gastroenteritis, stomach viruses are very contagious and can cause severe symptoms that vary in duration, usually vomiting may last 1-2 days, but some digestive symptoms may last for one week, and symptoms of viral gastroenteritis can include vomiting, watery diarrhea Abdominal pain, mild fever, headache, fatigue, and these viruses develop quickly - usually within 12 to 48 hours, so children and parents should make sure to wash their hands thoroughly and often.
The honorable children’s consultant advised adherence to the doctor’s treatment that is determined after the diagnosis of the condition, and it is also advised to provide fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and minerals that help immune cells to work better, and to guide children to rest, always advise children to wash hands and wash fruits and vegetables before eating, avoid smoking places Negative: The presence of the child in a smoky environment weakens his immune system and increases vulnerability to infections, allergy problems and asthma, and it also exacerbates the symptoms resulting from simple infections.
Dr. Al-Sharif stressed that children should not be given any medicines without consulting a doctor, as the use of misplaced medicines may pose a danger to children, so the child must be diagnosed to determine the nature of the disease and the type of cause, whether it is viral or bacterial, and thus determine the necessary treatment.
