How Flu Season Affects Children With Pre-Existing Conditions

How Flu Season Affects Children With Pre-Existing Conditions

Flu season is never a pleasant time for children and families. With so many viruses circulating, it’s hard to know if and when one will hit your household. If your little one has a pre-existing condition, flu season can be that much more nerve-racking. 

Knowledge is power when it comes to flu preparation and treatment. You should know how influenza will impact a kid with conditions that complicate their health. Learn how to combat flu season in your household and protect your vulnerable child. 

What Are Pre-Existing Conditions?

Any chronic medical condition that your child has been diagnosed with in the past is considered a pre-existing condition. The list includes asthma, diabetes, heart complications, and other diagnoses that put your child at additional risk when they’re ill. 

Other examples of pre-existing conditions include:

  • Autoimmune disorders
  • Congenital (present at birth) abnormalities and deformities 
  • Cancer
  • Epilepsy
  • Obesity
  • High blood pressure 
  • Sleep apnea
  • Blood disorders
  • Immunodeficiency 

Pre-existing conditions matter because they can extend or complicate the effects that upper respiratory illnesses like influenza have on your child’s health. For example, if your child struggles with asthma, coming down with the flu can cause dangerous breathing complications. 

Some kids have more than one pre-existing condition. It’s important that their pediatric pulmonologist knows about these conditions so they can properly treat them. Influenza viruses can cause long-term health problems in children with pre-existing conditions if they don’t receive the exact treatments they need. 

What the Flu Can Do to Your Child’s Body

Flu season can affect your child’s whole upper respiratory system. This includes their nose, throat, lungs, and even their ears. If they already struggle with a chronic illness, chances are they’ll take longer to recover from influenza and may develop serious complications. Keep these key flu complications in mind, especially if your child has additional health risks. 

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a type of lung infection that puts all infants and young children at risk. Viral pneumonia causes the tiny air sacs (alveoli) in their lungs to become inflamed and fill with pus and fluids. They may develop a hacking cough with phlegm (mucus) and struggle to breathe normally. 

Viral pneumonia resulting from the flu can be very dangerous for children. This is especially true if your little one struggles with asthma or other upper respiratory complications. 

Heart Strain

Whenever the human body is fighting off an infection, there’s always the potential for heart inflammation and other cardiac complications. In children with pre-existing heart conditions, influenza can be deadly. 

Flu infections may lead to:

  • Blood clots
  • Stroke
  • Heart attack
  • Reduced blood oxygen levels
  • Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart itself)
  • Pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue around the heart)

If your child was born with or has developed a heart condition, protecting them from flu season is especially important. 

Encephalopathy

Encephalopathy is an umbrella term for conditions that damage the brain. In young children, influenza infections can lead to flu-associated encephalopathy, which can quickly turn fatal. Children with pre-existing conditions may be more vulnerable to developing encephalopathy. 

Symptoms of flu-associated encephalopathy include:

  • Headaches
  • Seizures
  • Muscle pain
  • High fever 
  • Lethargy
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Confusion and disorientation
  • Neck pain and stiffness

These symptoms indicate that your child needs immediate medical attention. Flu-associated encephalopathy can result in organ failure and death within two days. 

Dehydration 

It’s hard to convince young children to drink enough fluids when they’re really sick. If you’re a seasoned parent, you know that this can become a battle and possibly result in an emergency room visit for IV fluids. 

Severe dehydration can worsen your child’s pre-existing medical conditions. Their body needs fluids to survive, and they may refuse water or other liquids when they’re struggling with intense flu symptoms. 

How to Know if Your Higher Risk Child Has the Flu

Influenza symptoms can vary widely between different children. In kids with pre-existing conditions, flu season can quickly take a turn for the worse. They may show more severe symptoms earlier in the infection than children without complicating health conditions. 

Common flu symptoms in children include:

  • Runny nose
  • Congestion
  • Sore throat
  • Coughing
  • Body aches and pains
  • High fever 
  • Fatigue
  • Chills
  • Vomiting 
  • Diarrhea 
  • Irritability
  • Nausea
  • Loss of appetite

If you notice these symptoms during flu season (which peaks in October through January), you should bring your child in for flu testing. A flu test will ensure that your child gets the proper treatment for their illness to help prevent complications. 

The Best Prevention for Influenza in Vulnerable Children is Immunization

The annual flu shot is the best protection against influenza infections in children. Getting their yearly flu vaccine will not worsen your child’s pre-existing conditions or aggravate flu symptoms in any way. In fact, repeated flu immunizations can provide a buffer against some of the worst symptoms of the flu. 

Why Do They Need a Flu Vaccination Every Year?

Both children and adults of all ages should get a flu vaccine every year before flu season starts. You might wonder why this is necessary. Flu vaccines aren’t “one-and-done” for a few reasons. 

The body’s immune system performs better against viral infections when it’s familiar with the viral strains going around. Yearly flu shots repeatedly expose your child’s immune defenses to the common flu strains circulating that year, making them less likely to become infected. If they do develop a flu infection, vaccination makes them less likely to suffer from severe complications. 

Each year, flu vaccines are updated with the new strains that are going around. Most flu vaccines contain several strains, which is why they’re called “quadrivalent” or “bivalent” vaccines. In order to get protection from the latest flu viruses, your family needs the latest flu shot.

Prepare Your Family for Flu Season 

It’s never too late to schedule your family’s yearly flu shots — “better late than never” also applies to your immune health. 

Other important measures, such as handwashing and avoiding people who are sick, will help prevent flu infections in vulnerable children. To increase their protection and reduce their risk of developing serious health complications, consider updating their flu shot this year. Visit Newport Children’s Medical Group to keep your child care up-to-date on their vaccines and pulmonary health.