For the majority of straight men, the function of water is no different from that of universal magic medicine.
Aunt pain? Drink plenty of water;
I’ve got a cold? Drink plenty of water;
Throat discomfort? Drink plenty of water;
…….
[Drink plenty of water] has almost become the gold standard for judging whether straight men are authentic or not, and even a proposition.
However, many mothers may find that in addition to their husbands who often say these three words, there is also a group of people who often talk about them, that is, doctors.
When a child with a cold goes to see a doctor, the doctor will say: Give the child more water.
Is the function of water really that magical? Why should children drink more water when they catch a cold?
We invited pharmacist Xu Xiaolin to tell us about it.
Drinking plenty of water can help the body defeat the virus faster.
1. Drinking more water can not only provide more energy, but also expel waste faster.
When a child catches a cold, the virus will invade from the child’s nose and mouth and then rapidly multiply in respiratory epithelial cells.
Naturally, our bodies are not vegetarian. White blood cells guarding the frontline will be dispatched quickly to prevent the cold virus from spreading further.
When white blood cells fight pathogens, the body is equivalent to an accelerated factory, consuming much more energy than usual.
Drinking more water can speed up metabolism, so that the body can generate energy faster and provide powerful logistical supplies for the war.
Metabolism is accelerated, and the body can also remove bad metabolites from the body by increasing urine, thus avoiding these bad reactions to body tissues.
While providing energy to the body, it can also expel [waste], killing two birds with one stone.
2. Drinking more water can promote drug metabolism,
If the cold virus is too strong, white blood cells will secrete a variety of cytokines, allowing the body to send more reinforcements.
These cytokines will cause the child’s body temperature to rise, the body temperature is too high, and the child feels uncomfortable. At this time, antipyretic drugs can be used.
Antipyretics (such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen) need to be metabolized by liver and kidney, although they are safe within a reasonable dose range.
However, giving more water to children can promote drug metabolism and discharge and further reduce adverse reactions of liver and kidney injury.
3. Drinking plenty of water can prevent cell dehydration.
As we said just now, during children’s colds, the metabolism of the body is much faster than usual. Water is directly involved in metabolism, so the demand is also greater than usual.
Especially when fever is reduced, children will take away heat through sweating, resulting in water loss.
Therefore, when we are ill, we should prevent cell dehydration and supplement liquid in time, especially infants and the elderly.
4. Drinking plenty of water can relieve cough.
When immune cells kill cold viruses, some will inevitably be killed. The bodies of cold viruses and immune cells cannot be buried in situ, but need to be discharged by coughing and runny nose.
But sometimes the cunning cold virus will destroy the child’s [cleaning system], causing the body to fail to discharge [waste] in time, and the child needs to cough to assist.
Drinking more water can not only relieve the respiratory tract and reduce the stimulation of foreign bodies to the respiratory tract, but also help children cough up secretions and make children feel more comfortable.
After watching it, do you think straight men’s [drink more water] do not seem to be so chicken ribs? The doctor said that drinking more water made a lot of sense?
However, isn’t it said that children under 6 months old don’t need to drink water? Yes, children of different ages actually pay attention to the amount of water they drink.
Children of different ages drink different amounts of water.
1. Children under 6 months of age
In principle, children under 6 months old generally do not need extra water.
However, when children catch a cold and get sick, they need more water. We can rehydrate by feeding breast milk or formula milk.
2. Children over 6 months old
You can drink water and rehydrate in an appropriate amount, but avoid affecting your child’s milk intake.
3. Children between the ages of 2 and 5
It is recommended to drink 600 ~ 800 mL of water every day.
When sick, the child’s demand for water increases. Parents can observe his condition to see if he has symptoms of water shortage such as less urine, yellow urine, dry skin and dry lips. If so, drink more on the normal recommended amount.
Some mothers may have questions: What is the appropriate amount? How much is it to drink more? In fact, there is no precise answer.
When a child catches a cold and falls ill, the most important thing is to observe his condition. Once he is found to be short of water, he can feed it several times in a small amount. Feed the child if he wants to drink, and don’t force him if he doesn’t want to drink.
When a child is ill, I believe every pair of parents hope that he can recover as soon as possible. Besides drugs, nursing is also a very important part.
Drink more water, although it sounds a bit straight and ruthless, is indeed a good medicine for sick children.