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Fainting & Flu in Children

Flu, or influenza, season comes every winter. Influenza is highly contagious and tends to spread very quickly. Both adults and children are susceptible to the influenza virus, with children under the age of five being most at risk of serious complications. Influenza can bring symptoms that may cause a child to faint.

  1. Influenza

    • Influenza is a virus and comes in three different strains: Influenza A is the primary worldwide seasonal virus; influenza B is the secondary seasonal virus, but only affects small, localized areas; and influenza C is an unseasonal strain of the virus that is rare and only causes mild symptoms. Influenza primarily affects the respiratory system, and causes symptoms much like a heavy cold.

    Fainting

    • Fainting, which is a brief loss of consciousness, usually occurs because there is not enough blood reaching the brain. This can happen for a number of reasons, such as standing for long periods of time. Influenza causes extreme coughing and sneezing, which may cause a child to faint if they cannot stop coughing long enough to catch their breath. Influenza may cause children to feel faint, but should not cause them to faint. However, about 5 percent of children are liable to faint because of no underlying disease. A fainting fit may coincide with influenza.

    Treatment

    • The basic treatment recommended for influenza is lots of rest and liquids. It is vital not to give a child with influenza aspirin to ease the fever, as this can cause Reye's syndrome. However, acetaminophen or ibuprofen are acceptable painkillers. As fainting is most often brought on by coughing fits caused by influenza, talk to your doctor about cough medicines that may help, and are good for children to take while suffering from influenza.

    Stomach Flu

    • Sometimes symptoms such as diarrhea, stomach pain and vomiting are called "stomach flu," despite not being a flu at all. One of the symptoms of this misnamed "stomach flu" is a feeling of weakness that, in extreme cases, can cause fainting. A child suffering from stomach flu needs to undergo rigorous rehydration, and should drink lots of liquids. Your doctor will decide on the best fluid replacement drinks for your child. If the stomach flu is causing fainting because it is severe, you child may require intravenous rehydration.

    Considerations

    • If your child faints while he has influenza, you should take him to see a doctor as soon as possible, as this may indicate that he has a weak heart or that he may actually have bacterial pneumonia instead of the flu.

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