RSV: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment Methods

The Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a respiratory virus that infects an individual's respiratory tract and lungs. The symptoms differ with each individual. Hence, gaining thorough knowledge about this is essential to avoid medical emergencies. So, if you are curious to know more about it, keep scrolling!

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What Is a Respiratory Syncytial Virus?

As the name suggests, Respiratory Syncytial Virus is an air-borne virus and is highly contagious. This implies that you can get infected with RSV if an individual infected with that virus sneezes or coughs near you. It can also spread through direct contact. For example, if you shake hands with someone with this virus, you can also get infected.

The virus stays for a long period on hard items such as crib rails, toys, countertops etc. Remember, if you are infected with RSV, you are highly prone to transmit that virus to others between 3 to 8 days after becoming infected. However, infected individuals with weak immunity and infants remain contagious for up to 4 weeks even when they stop showing symptoms.

What Are the Symptoms of RSV Disease?

The symptoms may usually develop within 4 to 6 days after exposure to the virus. RSV causes the following symptoms:

Symptoms of Infection from RSV Among Older Children and Adults

Runny or congested nose
Dry cough
Low-grade fever
Headache
Sore throat
Sneezing

Symptoms of Infection from RSV in Infants

Decrease in appetite
Runny nose
Coughing and sneezing
Fever (when the temperature is more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit). Infants may or may not get fever in case of infection from RSV.

Symptoms of Infections from RSV in Young Infants of Less Than 6 Months Old

Irritability
Decrease in appetite and activity
Apnea

Additionally, some severe symptoms of infections among infants are:

Rapid, short and shallow breathing
Breathing difficulty (skin and muscles of chest pull inward with every breath)
Nostrils spread out with each breath
The colours of nails, mouths and lips appear blue due to lack of oxygen. The condition is known as cyanosis.
Poor appetite
Wheezing

Who Is at Risk of Developing RSV?

People who are more prone to develop an infection from RSV are:

Younger infants who are not yet matured
Infants aged below 6 months
Infants with a congenital lung or heart disease
Adults or children with weak immunity, especially those who are receiving chemotherapy or have undergone an organ transplant
Children suffering from neuromuscular disorders
Adults who are 65 years of age and above
Adults suffering from lung and heart diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma or congestive heart failure

How Do Doctors Diagnose RSV?

If you notice the symptoms mentioned above in you or your child, consult a doctor to treat this infection. A healthcare professional may examine the lungs with a stethoscope to check for abnormal sounds and wheezing.

Doctors may prescribe the following medical tests to diagnose infections from RSV:

Blood test to check for bacteria, viruses, germs, or white blood cells counts.
X-ray of chest to check for lung inflammation.
Swab test by taking a sample of secretion from the nose or mouth to check for the presence of virus
Doctors may use pulse oximetry to detect the oxygen levels in the blood.

What Treatments Do Doctors Prescribe to Treat Infection from RSV?

If you or your child have mild symptoms of infection from RSV, doctors may prescribe self-care measures as a part of treating RSV. However, in case severe symptoms develop, doctors recommend immediate hospitalisation.

Self-care Measures

A healthcare professional may prescribe medications like acetaminophen to lower the fever. However, a doctor does not recommend aspirin for children. Besides, he or she may recommend suctioning and using nasal saline drops to clear nasal congestion. If you or your child suffer from bacterial pneumonia, a healthcare professional may prescribe antibiotics.

While taking care of your child when he or she is infected, make sure to provide fluids to keep his or her body hydrated. Additionally, look for any signs of dehydration such as slight or no output of urine, extreme sleepiness, sunken eyes, or dry mouth.

Hospitalisation

Doctors may perform the following treatments in case you or your child is hospitalised due to severe symptoms of infection:

Using humidified oxygen or intravenous (IV) fluids to treat dehydration.
Using mechanical ventilator to assist in breathing; although is used in rare cases.

Besides, infants and children of 2 years or below who are prone to developing severe symptoms from RSV, doctors may inject palivizumab (Synagis) to protect them from such infection. Doctors usually perform this treatment in premature infants, children with weak immunity, severe lung diseases, or defects in their hearts.

How to Prevent Infection from RSV?

Follow some of the measures to prevent RSV from transmitting from one individual to another:

Wash your Hands Regularly

Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly for 20 seconds. If you do not have access to water and soap, use a hand sanitiser in which the minimum alcohol content must be 60%.

Avoid Exposure to the Virus

You must cover your nose and mouth while you cough or sneeze. Besides, avoid your child's contact with people having fever and other common cold symptoms. Avoid touching your nose, mouth or eyes with hands to prevent virus transmission.

Maintain a Cleaning Habit

Clean bathroom, kitchen countertops, door handles and doorknobs clean after using them. Throw away the used tissue and clean your child's toy to avoid spreading the virus.

Avoid Smoking

Avoid smoking before your child as it makes him or her more prone to infection from RSV, which often may develop severe symptoms.

Do Not Share Your Things

Do not share your glasses or dishes if you or another individual is sick. Instead, use disposable cups and plates and label each of them.

Stay Away from Crowds and Close Contact

If you or your child have weak immunity and fall sick often, avoid going to crowds and close contact with individuals infected with RSV. It is ideal to remain at home when you are sick.

No vaccine has been introduced to protect yourself from getting infected with RSV. So, keep these pointers mentioned above in mind to prevent getting infected by the virus.

Frequently Asked Questions

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What are severe infections that are caused due to RSV?

RSV can cause severe infections such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia among people at high risk of infection from RSV.

What is apnea?

Apnea may appear as one of the symptoms of infection from RSV. It is a condition when there are pauses in between breathing.