We are in the full season of influenza and viruses and these respiratory disorders mainly affect children. The reason is simple: the immunity of the little ones is not as strong as the adults. What to do? Instead we “indulge” them with drugs and dietary supplements may be better to try to develop immunity as naturally as possible. How? “By repetition!”, explained pediatrician Mihai Craiu.
Children, affected during this period by the syncytial respiratory virus. Archive
Vaccination, first step toward immunization
Immunity, in order to work, must be stimulated from the first days of the baby’s life. The child’s immune system begins to develop, to truly gain power with the first vaccines to be given, explains pediatrician Mihai Craiu.
“It is sometimes necessary to happen to have greater or smaller episodes of the immune stimulus that can be represented, for example, by the vaccines of the first year of life. They do nothing but mimic serious infections that, in this way, prevents ”. Basically, vaccinated, the body is obliged to develop antibodies, the immune system is put to work and start working.
Pediatrician: “Leave the children in the community”
Then, the doctor explains, the child introducing into the community also has the role of strengthening immunity. “I refer to the banal infections that appear on the exposure in the community. Unfortunately, it must be said that there are many parents who, after the first two or three colds of the child enrolled in the small group, decide to withdraw it, move it to their grandparents or grow it with the help of the bones. And this is not a good solution for a healthy child. ”
The doctor also explains the reason: “In order to learn a foreign language, German for example, or music, or to learn to paint, we must go to hours of German, music or painting. It is so with immunity. We have to practice. We have, on the one hand, the born immunity, with which we come to the world. But we also have an acquired immunity, which reflects the level of antibodies existing in the blood. You cannot learn, as I said, German, music or painting, without taking some lessons. “
Mihai Craiu, pediatric doctor. Archive
How does the child take these lessons? “You can take the lessons by exercising with a training partner – the disease itself – or with a gentle, patient teacher, who does not stress you very much, do not overload: that is vaccination”. The latter is the simplest option, the doctor continues.
On the other hand, there is no problem if the little one becomes infected with metapneumovirus, for example. “A trivial cold will strengthen the immune system. But there are diseases whose severity is unpredictable in the ordinary child. I am referring here, for example, to meningococcal infection or invasive pneumococcal infections ”. In the case of these serious diseases the risk cannot be anticipated, and vaccination often prevents tragedies, because we are talking about conditions that can kill.
Sleep strengthens the immune system
However, beyond vaccination and exposure to the community, the child must benefit from as much outdoor movement. “He plays, climbing, with the tricycle, jumps on the trampoline, runs. In a word he makes a daily movement. ” Let us not forget then how important it is for the immunity of the little ambient temperature in our own homes. “There are many parents who believe that the cold comes with diseases. There is undoubted evidence that there are no more pathogens in the cold air than in the hot air. Therefore, if we keep in the baby’s room a temperature of 26/27 degrees this will not be a disease. ”
Last but not least, for a strong immunity sleep is essential, the child must sleep. “There is scientific evidence that a child frequently exposed to screens such as television, smartphone, laptop, various other devices will have attention problems, will suffer from eye diseases but will also have lower immunity. The reason? The screens can disrupt the circadian rhythm of the child ”.
The doctor states that the little ones also need food supplements to strengthen their immunity. “And then we resort to the resources in the jar. Vitamin D, for example, which is important ”.
Sandra Alexiu, family doctor. Archive
Where do we take our vitamins? Natural sources vs. natural supplements
As for strengthening immunity in adults, family doctor Sandra Alexiu told “Adevărul” that vitamins will help the immune system only if they have a very high bioavailability. “This means that all the amount you administer has to stay in the body to make its effect. For example, if you take a lemon and storage, you receive, say, a gram of vitamin C, an amount that is not removed from the body. On the other hand, if you take the same amount of vitamin C but not from the fruit, but from dietary supplements, 90% of the substance will be removed from the body. You want only 10%, a very small amount. This means a very low bioavailability ”, explains the doctor.
When choosing to take vitamins or dietary supplements, we must therefore be informed. “We do it with our heads. We should not bend the ear to all kinds of advertisements that do not help us but, rather, try products from natural sources ”, Dr. Sandra Alexiu also pointed out. This said that fever, for example, can be fought using medicinal spirit or vinegar. “As our parents proceeded when we, being children, had a fever, it is not really wrong ”, considers the specialist. “The socks soaked in vinegar or spirit help to lower the fever. And this is because alcohol evaporates quickly, and this process cools the skin. As well as packing with wet towels or cold compresses ”. However, the doctor draws attention, who resorts to such remedies should use spirit and not vinegar because it is very acidic, and in the case of the little ones it affects the skin. Then, parents need to know that packs are not made to children younger than one year. “I can trigger seizures. Instead, it is advisable to take it in your arms and go with it under the shower. ”
What were our grandparents or parents doing? They gave us tea with lemon and honey. “It is scientifically proven that honey relieves cough and improves the immune system and helps for respiratory infections. So, in honey, we really have evidence. On the other hand, vitamin C is extremely useful. However, we must know where to get it from ”, warns the specialist.
Before calling for medicines or dietary supplements, we should try natural treatment variants, says the doctor Mihail Pauatov who explained the idea in a video posted on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5naBrsesq
Like Dr. Sandra Alexiu, he said that the cough can be calmed by consuming a teaspoon of honey mixed with lemon juice. It is the most natural and effective treatment.
