Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus that causes infections of the lungs and the respiratory tract, and it usually affects children by age 2 as well as adults. In older adult and healthy children, the symptoms of respiratory syncytial virus are mild and imitate the common cold. Infection caused by respiratory syncytial virus can be severe, especially with premature babies and infants with underlying conditions, adults suffering from heart and lung diseases and people with weakened immune systems. By enrolling in a first aid course, you can learn more about this condition.
Symptoms of respiratory syncytial virus usually happen about four to six days after exposure to the virus. In adults and older children, RSV causes mild cold-like symptoms such as the following:
- Dry cough, congested and runny nose
- Sore throat
- A mild headache and a low grade fever
Other symptoms of respiratory syncytial virus which are severe including the following:
- Severe cough and fever
- There is a rapid breathing or a difficulty in breathing, making the child prefer to sit, rather than lying down.
- A high-pitched noise or wheezing sound when breathing out or exhaling
- The skin becomes bluish because of lack of oxygen or cyanosis.
Infants are more severely affected by RSV. They have trouble in breathing and their breathing is usually short, shallow and rapid. Infants will have poor appetite and unusually lethargic and irritable. Children and adults recover from the illness in one to two weeks.
Causes of respiratory syncytial virus
The virus enters the body through the eyes, nose or mouth and will spread easily when secretions coming from coughing or sneezing are inhaled or will be passed to other people by direct contact like shaking of hands. The virus can live for hours on objects like toys and countertops. Touching these contaminated objects will easily transfer the virus. An infected person is very contagious in the first few days after the infection, but the virus can spread up to a few weeks after infection begins.
Treatment and home remedies
- Keep the room of the child warm but not overheated. If the air is dry, install a cool-mist humidifier or vaporizer in order to moisten the air and minimize congestion and coughing. Keep the humidifier clean to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold.
- In order to make breathing easier, let the child sit in an upright position. When sleeping, place the infant on his/her back and elevate the head of the mattress about 3 inches and place an object underneath the mattress.
- Let the child drink plenty of fluids like water and soup in order to help loosen thickened secretions. For infants, continue breast feeding or bottle feeding as done normally.
- Over-the-counter drops can also help like saline nasal drops. Apply several drops into the nostrils to loosen hard or thickened mucus and suction the nostrils using a bulb syringe. Do this in both nostrils. Do this procedure before feedings and before putting the baby to sleep.
- Take over-the-counter pain medications like acetaminophen in order to minimize the fever, relieve sore throat and improve ability in drinking fluids.
- Avoid smoke exposure.