Anxious Parents (2) — Colds, Diarrhea, and Fever

Anxious Parents (2) — Colds, Diarrhea, and Fever

Parents cannot hope that, through meticulous care alone, the next generation will be spared from illness. Of course, within their abilities, parents can do a great deal to reduce the chances that their children fall sick, and some basic measures are often remarkably effective. For example, maintaining proper handwashing habits is not just about washing hands frequently; ensuring that handwashing is effective is even more important. In reputable hospitals, correct handwashing methods are often posted prominently, including how long to wash, which parts to clean, and how to use cleansing agents. We usually fail to realize that even something as simple as handwashing is knowledge won at the cost of countless lives. In a well-known medical trilogy, the author mentions that before microorganisms were discovered, the rate of maternal death from puerperal fever in maternity hospitals was far higher than among women who gave birth at home. The fundamental reason was that doctors had not yet recognized the importance of handwashing, leading to cross-infection. Likewise, bottle sterilization, properly heating food, and many other pieces of knowledge that seem like common sense are often neglected by parents, potentially posing very serious threats to infants’ health.

But microorganisms are everywhere, and any attempt to avoid illness through total sterilization falls into another extreme and misunderstanding. And if such measures were truly effective, that would be even more frightening. An immune system deprived of stimulation for too long may be crushed by the smallest unexpected blow. Objectively speaking, the influence of microorganisms on human beings has always been both beneficial and harmful. On the one hand, we rely on E. coli, staphylococci, streptococci, and other microbes to maintain normal bodily functions; on the other hand, any imbalance in these microbial communities can be dangerous, even life-threatening.

Precisely because they are inseparable from everyday life, a large number of common illnesses are caused by microorganisms. Up to now, the disease-causing microorganisms humans can identify are mainly bacteria, fungi, and viruses (without going into finer distinctions such as mycoplasma and chlamydia). Among these, viruses are often the most formidable in terms of harm. The common cold, influenza, and diarrhea are also most often caused by viruses.

Humanity has few truly effective weapons in the fight against viruses. We mainly rely on our own resistance and immunity, which means that if an ordinary cold or diarrhea is caused by a virus, then generally speaking there is no truly effective medication. Popular remedies such as Banlangen and various “antiviral” granules are basically placebos, with little real effect. Ordinary cold medicines can usually do no more than reduce discomfort, while also bringing significant side effects. In recent years, new drugs targeting some viruses have gradually come onto the market, many of them based in principle on interferon, but because of the mutability of viruses, we generally should not place too much hope in antiviral drugs. If a cold is caused by the influenza virus, symptoms are usually more severe, while the common cold often occurs when lowered immunity allows dormant viruses in the body to “rebel.” At such times, advice that sounds cliché—"get more rest" and "drink more water"—is often still the best and most effective approach. Only by mobilizing the body’s own immune system can we more quickly win the battle against viruses.

Bacteria were once even more destructive than viruses, but the advent of antibiotics, led by penicillin, temporarily gave humanity the upper hand in its fight against them. Before antibiotics were invented, pneumonia alone was an extremely deadly disease. However, as the problem of antibiotic abuse has grown increasingly severe, it has led on the one hand to the emergence of large numbers of drug-resistant bacteria, and on the other hand to the gradual weakening of the human body’s own defenses. In this shifting balance, the appearance of “superbugs” seems only a matter of time, and if that day truly comes, humanity may have little choice but to await disaster in the face of bacteria that are everywhere. Many people have become accustomed to using IV drips and antibiotic injections indiscriminately to treat illness. This practice likely became widespread in clinics lacking proper testing capability: while increasing revenue, broad-spectrum antibiotics could also often produce immediate effects against a wide range of problems. Patients lacking basic knowledge, however, do not realize that in the process, their most precious defense—their own resistance—is being steadily eroded. In recent years, antibiotic abuse has gradually come under greater restriction, but the constitutions of generations of people have already been fundamentally damaged. Ultimately, solving the problem of antibiotic abuse will require an awakening of awareness among those very people. When anxious parents face a sick child, if their worry meets an irresponsible doctor, they may first try broad-spectrum antibiotics. Yet this can easily harm a child’s liver and kidney function while also weakening their precious immunity, making the treatment more harmful than beneficial.

Ordinary parents often lack the basic ability to judge the nature of an illness, and even doctors need laboratory tests to determine the cause behind outward symptoms. Therefore, when a child develops a cold or diarrhea, necessary testing is indispensable. Once the root cause is identified, the condition should be treated accordingly. If it is caused by a virus, then unless medication is absolutely necessary, most of the time rest and recovery should be the main approach, relying on the child’s own resistance to heal. Any attempt to use antibiotics or folk remedies in such cases serves no purpose other than adding unnecessary suffering. But if it is a bacterial infection, then antibiotics are almost always necessary. In that case, if conditions permit, it is best to conduct a bacterial culture in the hospital and choose the most effective antibiotic in a targeted way, so as to eliminate the bacteria while minimizing damage to the body’s resistance.

There are two especially critical factors that can become fatal or cause permanent damage if neglected even slightly: fever and dehydration. Fever is often the body’s most effective way of clearing external threats. By raising its own temperature to interfere with viral spread, the body uses one of the most powerful weapons evolution has given us. But this weapon often harms the body while fighting the enemy, and it can also get out of control. Infants and young children have weaker temperature regulation, so fever requires especially close observation. If the temperature does not exceed 38.5°C, it is generally possible to observe and use physical cooling methods such as wiping with a towel or applying a cooling patch. If it exceeds this threshold, fever-reducing medicine may be needed. (Persistent low-grade fever is also something that deserves caution.) In cases of diarrhea, the greatest threat is dehydration, so children must be given plenty of fluids. If diarrhea is severe, oral rehydration salts should not be overlooked, in order to prevent electrolyte imbalance caused by fluid loss; in such situations, drinking only plain water can do more harm than good. And once a child shows signs such as decreased urination or no urination, absence of tears, or a sunken fontanelle, medical attention must be sought immediately, and fluids may need to be replenished through IV treatment.

In the end, our most effective weapon is still ourselves. Strengthening the body through regular exercise and maintaining good hygiene are more meaningful than anything else.