BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

How to care for a child with pneumonia at home

Whenever parents suspect their child's pneumonia symptoms listed below, take the child to see a doctor. Usually, pneumonia will be diagnosed through a clinical examination and lung auscultation. In unclear cases, blood tests and chest X-rays may be needed to make the diagnosis.

How to care for a child with pneumonia at home

What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an inflammation of one or both lungs caused by a virus or bacteria.
When inflammation occurs, it will destroy the respiratory mucosa, increase mucus secretion, and swell small air ducts and alveoli in the lungs, causing congestion and reduced ventilation, leading to decreased blood oxygen. severe case

Signs of pneumonia

Depending on age and the cause of pneumonia, however, children will often have one of the following signs:

  • High fever

  • Cough a lot

  • Rapid breathing, difficulty breathing, convulsive breathing, or chest indentation: common in young children

  • Older children: fast breathing chest pain may occur when coughing

  • Non-respiratory symptoms: fatigue, abdominal pain, diarrhea, irritability, fussiness, loss of feeding...

When your child has the above signs, you need to take your child to the doctor immediately. Usually, pneumonia will be diagnosed through a clinical examination and lung auscultation. In unclear cases, blood tests and chest X-rays may be needed to make the diagnosis.

Caring for children with pneumonia at home

  • Let the child rest
  • Provide enough fluids (water, milk, juice, soup...)
  • Compliance with antibiotic treatment: Enough days to completely treat the disease and reduce the risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
  • Fever reduction: According to the doctor's instructions, do not use ibuprofen for children under three months old or dehydrated children.
  • Limit cough medicine - even herbal medicine because it is ineffective. Many parents ask that cough suppressant medicine is not recommended because it will cause accumulation of mucus, leading to prolonged recovery.
  • Avoid dusty environments and cigarette smoke

How to treat pneumonia?

Bacterial pneumonia: requires antibiotic treatment, average treatment time is 7-10 days, pneumonia symptoms usually improve after 48 hours of taking medication. Severe cases or poor response to oral antibiotics require hospitalization for injectable antibiotics or oxygen support.

After a full day of antibiotic treatment and the infection is gone, many children will still have a slight cough, gradually decreasing 2 to 3 weeks later. So parents should not worry if their child still coughs a few weeks after pneumonia.

Pneumonia caused by viruses: usually milder than bacteria, however, clinically it is difficult to clearly distinguish between viruses and bacteria, especially in cases of accompanying bacterial infection. Recovery from viral pneumonia is often slower and in many cases symptoms last up to 4 weeks to improve

How do we prevent pneumonia?

  • Wash your hands with an antiseptic solution, and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
  • Fully vaccinated: flu vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine...
  • Limit contact with sources of infection in children with reduced resistance: malnourished children, children with underlying diseases
  • Appropriate nutrition and physical exercise will be the best way to increase children's resistance.

Related posts

Pneumonia - The leading cause of death in children
November 12 every year has been selected as World Pneumonia Day. This is the cause of death among children in Vietnam and around the world. According to the latest statistics of the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2015, pneumonia killed 920,136 children under 5 years old, accounting for 16% of all children dying at this age.

RSV Virus - The leading cause of respiratory disease in infants
During this month, respiratory disease has increased dramatically in children. Many children are hospitalized with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, especially wheezing, asthma. Because of weather changes, storms, changing seasons, one of the most noticeable respiratory failure factors in children under 2 years old is a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV virus).

By Dr. Lai Thi Bich Thuy

Recent posts

4 JOINT AREAS THAT ARE VULNERABLE TO PAIN AND DEGENERATION
Joint pain may affect the function of your joints and can limit your ability to do basic tasks. Severe, painful joints can interfere with your quality of life.

What Pregnant Mothers With Hepatitis Should Prepare For A Safe Pregnancy
Handbook of care for pregnant women with hepatitis B from A - Z. Hepatitis B is a common hepatitis caused by the HBV virus. This is also the leading cause of cirrhosis and other dangerous liver diseases. Many pregnant mothers infected with hepatitis B often worry about the risk of infection to their children and do not know what to avoid? Let's take care of pregnant mothers infected with hepatitis B properly with CarePlus.

By MD. Second Degree specialist Dinh Thi Ngoc Minh

What Causes Atopic Dermatitis? What Are The Symptoms Of Atopic Dermatitis?
Atopic eczema (atopic dermatitis) is one of the most common forms of eczema, a condition that causes the skin to become itchy, dry and cracked. It's usually a long-term (chronic) condition, although it can improve significantly, or even clear completely, in some children as they get older.

By Specialist Doctor. NGUYEN THI THUY LIEN

What are the common gynecological diseases in menopausal women?
Menopause affects both the physical and mental health of women. During menopause, the hormonal changes and estrogen deficiency make the vaginal wall dry and less elastic, leading to many gynecological diseases. Therefore, women should check their health regularly and not ignore abnormal body symptoms.

By DR. GIANG TRINH TU VAN

All You Need To Know About Shingles Nerve Disease
Shingles or also known as herpes zoster. This is a skin infection caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus VARICELLA ZOSTER. This causes manifestations in the skin and nerves. After knowing about the disease, we can prevent it more effectively.

By Specialist Doctor. NGUYEN THI THUY LIEN

{{currentDoctor.Name}}
*{{ errors.first('form-1.Register name') }}
*{{ errors.first('form-1.Phone') }}
*{{ errors.first('form-1.Email') }}
Patient info:
*{{ errors.first('form-1.Patient name') }}