Pneumonia is one of the childhood illnesses that parents dread. Your child’s hacking cough, fever, and lethargy can put them out of school for a week or more. Avoiding viral infections is many parents’ top priority.
In order to avoid these illnesses, you must know the which symptoms can cause different viruses. The common cold and flu are both causes of pneumonia in children. Here’s what you should know about all three respiratory illnesses.
What Actually Happens In Your Child’s Lungs When You Get the Flu
Pneumonia is an inflammatory lung illness. Human lungs are made up of tiny air sacs that help you exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. This is how your body stays alive.
When someone contracts pneumonia, these crucial air sacs fill with mucus, pus, or other fluids. The lungs become inflamed, and the infected person struggles to breathe without coughing.
What leads to this inflammatory infection in children? The causes of pneumonia in children are often viral in nature.
Common Causes of Pneumonia in Children
You might be wondering, “How can my child get another viral sickness if they’ve just recovered from the cold or flu?”
Unfortunately, viruses can overload your little one’s immune system. This makes it easier for viral pneumonia to settle in and cause new or worsening respiratory symptoms.
Both the common cold and influenza viruses can lead to viral pneumonia. However, you may not recognize it at first and might think your child has lingering symptoms from their first infection.
Bacterial Pneumonia
It’s important to note that bacterial pneumonia is caused by an entirely different pathogen. As the name suggests, they’re caused by bacteria (usually Streptococcus pneumoniae or Mycoplasma pneumoniae).
Viral infections can make your child more vulnerable to bacteria that invade their lungs, but the common cold and flu don’t directly cause bacterial or walking pneumonia.
What Viral Pneumonia Symptoms Look Like
Viral pneumonia manifests over days or weeks, causing symptoms like:
- Lingering cough
- Hacking
- Wheezing
- Rapid breathing
- Congestion
- Chest pain
- Lethargy
- Chills
- Fever
- Nausea and vomiting (less common)
- Low oxygen levels (in severe cases)
This can be frustrating for a parent who is taking care of a sick child. Luckily, armed with the right knowledge, you can nurture your little one back to health.
Treating Viral Pneumonia
Viral pneumonia is most often treated with rest, fluids, and comfort care. This means giving your little one over-the-counter fever reducers and pain relievers to keep them comfortable.
Most cases of viral pneumonia go away on their own. Your child’s breathing should return to normal, and their congestion should clear up after a week or two.
If your little one contracted pneumonia from a virus, like the cold or influenza, their doctor may prescribe them antiviral medication. These are like antibiotics but are designed specifically for viruses. Antivirals work best when taken early in the infection.
Is Pneumonia Contagious?
When looking at common causes of pneumonia in children, you’ll notice that contagious illnesses like colds and the flu are at the top of the list. These viruses tend to spread quickly through groups of children.
Schools, daycares, after-school clubs, and camps are all highly contagious areas during peak cold and flu season. This means pneumonia cases may rise each year.
The most likely causes of pneumonia in children are viruses, and they are contagious. You should treat every case of pneumonia as if it’s highly infectious.
Keep your little one away from others until they feel better. Similarly, try to avoid close contact with people who have respiratory symptoms.
The Best Ways to Prevent Pneumonia During Childhood
No one wants their little one to suffer from respiratory symptoms. Whether they come from the common cold, a flu virus, or pneumonia, sick days are no fun for parents or their children.
Prevention is key to stopping the spread of pneumonia — and the viruses that cause it. Here are some proactive steps you can take to protect your child’s health.
Get Your Child Vaccinated
Vaccination is the best way to prevent viral illnesses from affecting your child and causing health complications. Vaccinated children’s bodies are much more efficient at fighting these infections and preventing negative health outcomes.
The pneumococcal vaccine series is recommended for children ages five and younger. If your child is immunocompromised or considered “high risk” for health complications, they should get vaccinated regardless of age.
Flu vaccines are also important. Get your child their annual flu shot to help prevent potential complications like viral pneumonia.
If you have an infant, the RSV vaccine can be life-saving. RSV can cause pneumonia in infants and young children, along with severe breathing complications. Follow your doctor’s recommended schedule for RSV vaccines.
Make Handwashing a Habit
Toddlerhood is the best time to instill healthy handwashing practices in children. Washing for at least 20 seconds with antibacterial soap clears germs and debris from children’s hands, reducing the likelihood of contracting a contagious sickness.
Teach your little one to wash their hands before and after eating meals, using the bathroom, and playing in groups.
Stay Away from Sick Relatives and Friends
It’s not always possible to avoid sickness. However, if you know someone has been coughing, sneezing, and showing other symptoms of illness, you should keep your little one away from them.
Viruses are often contagious for at least a few days after symptoms show up. Reschedule playdates and family visits when someone you know is under the weather.
Sanitize Toys, Cups, and Clothes Often
Cleaning can feel like a never-ending chore as a parent, but it pays off in the end. Whenever possible, sanitize your child’s toys, cups, bottles, and pacifiers to get rid of germs. You can clean soft toys and clothing by running a gentle laundry cycle with “free and clear” detergent.
See a Pediatric Pulmonologist at Newport Children’s Medical Group, Children’s Healthcare Provider
Stay on top of your little one’s respiratory health by visiting one of our pediatric pulmonologists at Newport Children’s Medical Group. Book an appointment with a healthcare provider today!