You Caught the Flu, Now What? Boys Town Has Some Answers

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Boys Town

Oct 24, 2013, 08:00 ET


Boys Town, NE (PRWEB) October 24, 2013 -- Influenza, also known as the flu, is one of the most severe illnesses of the winter season. A viral infection of the respiratory tract, including the nose, throat, trachea, and bronchi, the flu affects nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population each year.

Symptoms of the flu vary from child to child and may include fever, body aches, lack of energy, dizziness, and vomiting. As the flu progresses, respiratory symptoms such as a dry hacking cough, sore throat, headache, nasal discharge and sneezing, begin to increase. These symptoms will usually go away within four to seven days, while the cough and tiredness can last for weeks longer.

Boys Town Pediatricians suggest these home care remedies for the flu:

• For fever or aches, give acetaminophen every six hours or ibuprofen every 8 hours.
• For cough, give cough drops or cough syrup to children over 4 years of age and 1/2 teaspoon of honey for children over 1 year.
• For sore throat, give hard candy to children over 4 years and warm chicken broth to children over 1 year.
• For stuffy nose, use warm-water or saline nose drops and suction at least four times a day.

“Kids are at higher risk to have complications like becoming dehydrated and getting secondary infections like pneumonia, so anything we can do to prevent that, we want to do,” said Heather Zimmerman, M.D., Pediatrician at Boys Town Pediatrics.

For information and parenting advice, go to Parenting.org. The Boys Town National Hotline also offers free advice to parents 24/7. Call 1-800-448-3000.

About Boys Town
Nationally, Boys Town has been a beacon of hope for America’s children and families through its life-changing youth care and health care programs for more than 90 years. In 2012, Boys Town’s Integrated Continuum of youth care and health care programs impacted more than 500,000 children and families across America. This includes those who received services from Boys Town’s residential programs as well as those served by the many varied programs that comprise the Boys Town Integrated Continuum of Child and Family Services, including In-Home Family Services, health care services provided by Boys Town National Research Hospital and the Boys Town National Hotline.
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Kara Neuverth, Boys Town, http://www.boystown.org, +1 (402) 498-1305, [email protected]