Antiviral agents for children over 8 years old

The younger school age is a time of amazing discoveries. And parents really want no diseases to darken the everyday life of young researchers aged 8 years and older.

In fact, the immunity of children at this age is already quite strong compared to the preschool children, however it is in this age group that the risks of infection with viral infections are high. The fact is that younger schoolchildren go through a difficult period of adaptation to new conditions for themselves. They get used to school work, responsible tasks, independence, and a new team. This requires a lot of effort of a small organism. Therefore, sometimes it weakens, but the viruses do not sleep, and confidently attack the weakest point.

Many parents, especially often sick children, seriously think about the prevention of influenza and ARVI. Especially in the cold season, when the incidence of viral infections is high. And if the child is already sick, then moms and dads are trying with all their might to help him recover quickly. To do this, they have to turn to the development of pharmacists and buy children's antiviral drugs.

Let's try to understand how antiviral drugs work. When a virus enters the body of a child, and more often it occurs by airborne droplets, it begins to integrate into healthy cells, changing their genome in such a way that the cell stops performing its immediate duties and is committed to ensuring the life of an uninvited guest. Gradually, new particles are produced, which penetrate into healthy cells, and the affected cells die. This is how a viral infection spreads.

Antiviral drugs may act differently. One directly - to the virus, preventing the replication and release of new particles of their affected cells. Others stimulate immunity to give a decent “answer” to the invaders. Third - contain interferons, proteins that are actively involved in the destruction of viruses during the immune response. There are also antiviral drugs of homeopathic origin.

Each type of anti-virus medicine has its pros and cons. Homeopathic pills (“Otsillokotsinum”, “Anaferon children”, etc.), for example, have almost no side effects, however, and their effectiveness has not been clinically proven.

Drugs of direct action ("Rimantadine"And others like him) are quite aggressive not only in relation to the virus, but to the whole body of the child as a whole. Immunostimulants and immunomodulators (“Genferon”, “Tsitovir”, etc.) quickly “pump” natural defense, activate it, but have one unpleasant effect - the child’s immunity can get used to them, and then refuse to work independently. Doctors call such condition an immunodeficiency.

Preparations that contain interferon ("Interferon", "Viferon", etc.) deliver the ready protein obtained from donated blood cells or in the laboratory using advances in genetic engineering into the body of a sick child, but they have a large list of contraindications and side effects.

Advertising on television, radio and the Internet claims that "wonderful" powders and pills "will quickly and gently relieve children and adults from the symptoms of influenza and ARVI, but experts question the effectiveness of antiviral drugs. So far it has not been convincingly proved. Many doctors believe that the drugs in this group have no effect at all, and the cure for a viral infection is completely “imposed” on the child’s own immunity.

In relation to homeopathic drugs with antiviral effect, doctors are even more categorical. They were not only not properly investigated, following all the rules of clinical trials, they were not studied at all. Doses of active substances in them are so small that it is not possible to prove or disprove their effect on the human body.

Parents may object, because pediatricians so often prescribe antiviral drugs for children! Indeed, these drugs, with unproven efficacy, have long been firmly established in standard therapy. The doctor, as a responsible person, is obliged to appoint at least something, because moms and dads are waiting for him to do just that. And for viral infections, for reasons of common sense, it is not necessary to prescribe anything, since the immune system works and does everything itself.

You may get the impression that taking antivirus products is unnecessary and empty. In most cases, this is true. But There are situations when it is still better to give these drugs to a child. Let's look at them:

• If a child has flu and ARVI it is very hard, with high fever (above 39.0-39.5).
• If a child has a high risk of complicating a viral infection with a bacterial secondary infection.
• If a child has a weak immunity, for treatment and in the period of mass morbidity - for prevention.
• If the child is quite difficult with signs of intoxication, other viral infections are occurring - chicken pox, measles, rubella, scarlet fever, herpes infection, etc.

Do not give your child antiviral drugs more than twice a year.to avoid the occurrence of immunodeficiency and autoimmune diseases. Preventive doses should always be half the therapeutic.

Do not choose the drug yourself, it is better to entrust it to a doctor who will take into account both the age of the child, his state of health, and weigh all the possible risks of taking the medicine.

When choosing a drug for a child aged 8-9 years, it should be noted that for children of this age group, bans on solid forms - tablets - are lifted. Therefore, parents and doctors have a fairly large selection: you can safely use rectal candles, syrups and suspensions, oral solutions, eye drops and nasal, sprays, tablets. It is better to refuse aerosols until the child reaches the age of 10 years. Long-acting capsules are recommended for children from 11-12 years old.

When choosing an antiviral agent, the price says little. Expensive foreign drugs may have "generics", that is, similar drugs of domestic production. In composition, they will be absolutely identical, but the difference in cost can be 200-300%.

1. "Anaferon children" - sublingual tablets.
2. «Aflubin"- drops, lozenges.
3. "Otsilokotsinium" - granules for sucking.
4. "Ergoferon" - lozenges.
5. «Influcid"- solution and tablets.
6. «Engystol" - lozenges.
7. «Ingavirin 60 "- tablets.

1. «Immunal"- tablets and solution.
2. "Imupret" - pills and solution.
3. "Tsitovir 3" - powder, syrup, capsules.
4. «Kagocel" - pills.

1. "Viferon" - rectal candles.
2. «Kipferon "- candles rectal
3. "Interferon" - dry powder for solution, eye drops, ready nasal drops, in eyes, ointment, gel, spray, suppositories, tablets.

1. «Orvirem"- sweet syrup.
2. «Tamiflu"- capsules and dry powder.
3. "Alpizarin" - ointment and tablets.
4. «Amiksin" - pills.
5. «Relenza"- powder for inhalation.
6. «Rimantadine"- pills, syrup and dragee.

• Do not combine reception antivirals and antipyretic drugs. High temperature is a sure sign that a protective reaction is taking place in the body, its own interferon is produced. Knocking her, we kind of "forbid" the body to fight, and while giving drugs that stimulate the work of immunity, we put the child’s defense system at a standstill.
• Antibiotics with antiviral drugs can be combined if the development of a bacterial complication began on the background of a viral malady. Prescribe both drugs should only doctor to avoid the negative effects of self-treatment.
• Do not exceed the dosage set by the specialist, and the duration of treatment against viruses. This may be the reason that antibodies to the pathogen will begin to destroy quite prosperous healthy cells of their own organism.
• Before you ask your pediatrician to prescribe antiviral pills, ask if you can do with folk remedies for treating viral infections. An excellent natural "destroyer" of viruses - viburnum, any sour berries (cranberries, red and black currants, cherries). Age 8+ allows you to give the child honey, which strengthens the immune system as well as an expensive pharmacy immunostimulant drug. To help in the fight against influenza and ARVI come onion juice and garlic.
• On average, the course of treatment for the acute stage of a viral infection lasts 3-7 days. Reception of antiviral drugs is designed, according to the recommendations of the manufacturers, for about the same period. In order to prevent such medications prescribed in small doses according to a specific scheme 2-5. Two days a child takes a pill "Arbidol" or "Kagocella”, Then a break is taken for five days. The scheme of preventive treatment may be different, at the discretion of the doctor.
• Do not try to treat the flu or ARVI in a child with antibiotics. Antibacterial agents in this situation are completely powerless.

And now Dr. Komarovsky will tell us his opinion on antiviral drugs.