Habits that easily harm children’s lungs during the cold season

Cold, dry air creates conditions for viruses and disease-causing bacteria to multiply and develop. They can float in the air longer than in other seasons, easily spreading from person to person through the respiratory tract. Master, Doctor Hoang Minh Tien, Department of Pediatrics, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi, said that children with pneumonia, bronchitis, bronchiolitis… increase during this time.

In addition to environmental factors, children with weak resistance and improper care habits can also increase the risk of respiratory disease. In severe cases, children may suffer complications from lung abscess, collapsed lung, respiratory failure, and death. Below are some habits that can easily damage children’s lungs when it’s cold.

Not dressed warm enough makes children susceptible to colds, airway irritation, and lung damage. Cold temperatures cause blood vessels under the skin to contract, restrict blood circulation, dry out the mucus layer that protects the respiratory mucosa, and reduce resistance. At this time, pathogens can easily enter the child’s nose and mouth.

Parents should keep their children’s nose, neck, chest, and soles of their feet warm by wearing turtlenecks or scarves, socks, gloves, shoes, hats that cover the ears, and masks when going out.

Soak your feet in warm water with herbs is not suitable for very young children. Because baby’s skin is very delicate, it is difficult to control the temperature and time of foot bath. Some medicinal herbs may be unsuitable and cause irritation to the child’s skin. Children cannot sit still on their own, causing burn accidents easily.

Dr. Tien advises parents to only let children over 6 years old soak their feet with herbs such as ginger, cajuput essential oil, mint… to keep the body warm, dilate blood vessels in the legs, promote blood circulation, and stimulate sleep. tastes better when it’s cold. The water temperature should only be about 40-50 degrees Celsius, avoid soaking in water that is too hot, which can easily cause burns, cracked skin on the feet, and increase the size of the blood vessels of the feet. Children should soak their feet for about 15 minutes to avoid affecting the circulation distribution in the body, protecting the health of the heart, lungs, and brain. Soaking your feet after meals for at least 30 minutes helps the body focus on digesting food effectively.

Stay in a closed room, turn on the warm air conditioner Continuously helps the body avoid cold winds but can cause air exchange to decrease significantly. Concentrations of pollutants, CO2 gas and respiratory pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi… increase. Doctors advise families to open the door for 1-2 hours when the temperature is high during the day or install additional ventilation fans to get fresh, moist air.

Improper heating can dry out the air, affecting the child’s nasal mucosa and lungs. The habit of burning wood or heating coal in closed spaces can cause fires, burns or the risk of CO gas inhalation. Parents should equip specialized heating tools and heaters appropriate to the space and area. Using a humidifier helps balance the humidity in the air, protecting children’s health.

Not washing your hands often can create conditions for bacteria and viruses that cause respiratory diseases to enter the body.

Children should wash their hands with soap and clean warm water before eating and after using the toilet. Parents let children bathe in warm water in a well-ventilated room. Be sure to prepare soft towels and warm clothes for your child. You should only bathe for about 5-7 minutes. After bathing, you should apply body-warming oil such as eucalyptus or cajuput oil to your baby’s back, chest, palms, hands and feet, and put on socks.

Not eating enough nutrition Cold weather can cause children to lack nutrients, reduce resistance, increase the risk of respiratory diseases, and damage the lungs. The diet should prioritize fresh fruits and vegetables containing lots of vitamin C. Some vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin C such as kale, broccoli, guava, citrus fruits, kiwi… support the body against harmful effects from free radicals and toxic chemical pollutants.

Carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, papaya… are rich in vitamin A, which helps with good digestion and supports the regeneration of respiratory epithelium. Protein-rich cereals, seafood, eggs, and beans can strengthen the body’s defenses. Parents let children drink enough water, divided into several times a day to help blood circulate well and reduce irritation and dry throat. In cold weather, use warm filtered water, milk and fruit juice should be kept warm at no more than 40 degrees Celsius.

Inhaling cigarette smoke or pipe tobacco causing the alveoli to lose elasticity, lung capacity to narrow, cilia to paralyze, mucus and toxins to accumulate in the lungs. Babies with long-term exposure to cigarette smoke are susceptible to difficulty breathing, persistent cough, and increased risk of lung diseases.

Lazy to exercise This is a common habit in children when it’s cold. This can reduce immunity and lung function. Parents encourage children to exercise outdoors when the weather warms up. Be sure to monitor air quality forecasts before going out to protect your lung health. On days when the temperature drops sharply or the air is polluted, children can exercise indoors.

Stay up late makes children susceptible to immunodeficiency, increasing the risk of infection. Children should go to bed before 10pm. Minimize stimulating factors such as light, noise, letting the child be hungry or overfed, wearing clothes that are too thick or tight, or lying in the wrong position. Avoid psychological trauma that can inhibit children before bed, such as threats and scolding.

No vaccination such as influenza, pneumococcus, tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, measles… on schedule puts children at risk of infectious diseases or complications, affecting lung health.

Don’t go to the doctor when the child has unusual symptoms such as not feeding, loss of appetite, fussiness, runny nose, stuffy nose that does not go away for a long time, cough, fever, wheezing. The habit of arbitrarily taking medicine without a doctor’s prescription can cause children to not recover from the disease or develop serious symptoms, become resistant to antibiotics, and be difficult to treat.

According to Dr. Tien, respiratory diseases in children often change quickly. Parents should take their children to a medical facility immediately when they show unusual symptoms.