Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Respiratory Syncytial Virus – General Information

Respiratory Syncytial Virus is a disease which is induced by a virus; it is characterized by the appearance of an infection of the respiratory tract or of the lungs. It is a disorder with a high frequency rate and most children have suffered from this disease by the age of 2. This virus, however, also affects the adults, not only children; in what concerns the older children and the adults who suffer from this disorder, the signs and symptoms which appear are mild and they seem to mimic a common cold and this is the reason why the disease can be treated with just a few self-care measures. On the other hand, if Respiratory Syncytial Virus affects young babies, it can result in a large number of severe complications, especially if the baby presents a weak general health condition.

The good part is the fact that the spread of the virus which causes this disease can be prevented if people take some regular precautions. The virus which induces this disease enters the body through the patient’s mouth, eyes or nose. The worst thing about this virus is the fact that it spreads extremely easily from a person to another; apart from the fact that it can be passed through direct contact and it can be inhaled, it can also live for a couple of hours on certain objects, such as toys, and it can then be acquired if a person touches one of the contaminated objects. Respiratory Syncytial Virus is more contagious in the first few days after the infection.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus – Symptoms

The first signs and symptoms which appear in the case of Respiratory Syncytial Virus usually develop after a couple of days after a person is exposed to the virus. In the case of children older than 4 and adults, the main symptoms which may appear can be easily mistaken to those which characterize a mild cold. They usually include dry cough, runny nose, sore throat, congested nose, a generalized feeling of discomfort, headache and a generalized feeling of unease. In the case of children younger than 4, the complications induced by this disease are more severe and they can even result in the appearance and development of an illness of the respiratory tract, such as bronchiolitis or pneumonia. In this case, the most common signs and symptoms include severe cough, wheezing, difficulty breathing, high fever, cyanosis (a condition characterized by the fact that the skin turns bluish) and rapid breathing.

Because of the fact that young babies are more severely affected by Respiratory Syncytial Virus, the doctors noticed the fact that it is also easier to observe the evolution of the disease in their case. Babies who suffer from this disorder experience shallow, rapid or short breathing, a problem marked by the fact that they retract their chest muscle. In addition they start to cough and even though they do not present any signs of an infection of the respiratory tract, they start eating less and they show a generalized feeling of irritability and lethargy. In some rare cases, this disorder can even become a life-threatening condition, especially for a young baby.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus – Treatment

If you notice the appearance of one or more of the signs and symptoms presented above or if you think that your baby may suffer from Respiratory Syncytial Virus, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible in order to obtain a sure diagnosis and to benefit from the best way of treatment. In order to obtain an appropriate diagnosis, the doctor has to perform a physical examination which consists in the fact that he listen to the lungs using a stethoscope; this offers him information about any abnormal sound which comes from the lungs. In addition to this examination, the doctor may also recommend you one or more of the following exams: a skin monitoring in order to measure the level of oxygen in the bloodstream, a chest x-ray which can tell if the patient suffers from pneumonia or not and a blood test which can offer information about the presence of certain agents in the blood, such as bacteria and viruses. The respiratory secretions can also be analyzed in the laboratory in order to detect the possible presence of a virus.

After the diagnosis is established, the doctor has to choose the best way of treatment considering the patient’s age and his general health condition; however, taking into consideration the fact that this disease is caused by a viral infection, the antibiotics are of no use. In some cases, antibiotics are still prescribed if the viral infection is associated with other bacterial problems, such as bacterial pneumonia or an infection of the ear. The drugs which are usually administrated to those who suffer from Respiratory Syncytial Virus are ibuprofen and acetaminophen; the dosage depends on the patient’s age. The young babies who suffer from this disorder usually need a few days of hospitalization and, during this period, they may be connected to a mechanical ventilator which helps them breathe.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus is not a severe disorder but, as the reports show, it is the major cause of other respiratory diseases. In the case of those children who suffer from this disease for the first time, the doctors say that it is possible that they also experience pneumonia, a middle ear infection or bronchiolitis and that they are more exposed to suffering from asthma later on in their lives. In most of the cases, those who suffer from Respiratory Syncytial Virus at some point in their lives are more exposed to undergo a recurrence of this disease. Even though this disease is not extremely severe and the treatment is quite simple, it is better to prevent this disorder than to treat it. At this point no vaccine is available against Respiratory Syncytial Virus, but being aware of a few preventive measures can prove quite useful. The most important precaution is the fact that one should wash his hands frequently; related to this, parents should teach their kids to wash their hands and explain to them how important this is. On the other hand, young babies should not be kept in the presence of sick people, who have colds or a fever.