Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
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Signs and Symptoms of RSV
All Signs & Symptoms of RSV
Here are the top symptoms or behaviors listed by parents of kids diagnosed with RSV:
| Symptom | Frequency | Number of mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Coughing | Often | 153 mentions |
| Fever | Often | 123 mentions |
| Shortness of breath or trouble breathing | Often | 55 mentions |
| Runny nose | Often | 33 mentions |
| Wheezing | Often | 32 mentions |
| Congestion | Often | 31 mentions |
| Fatigue, tiredness, or lethargy | Sometimes | 20 mentions |
| Vomiting | Sometimes | 12 mentions |
| High fever | Sometimes | 11 mentions |
| Lethargic | Sometimes | 10 mentions |
When do symptoms start?
How to read this chart
Coughing
0 years oldAmount of children: 3%1 years oldAmount of children: 3%2 years oldAmount of children: 3%3 years oldAmount of children: 2%4 years oldAmount of children: 1%5 years oldAmount of children: 1%6 years oldAmount of children: 0%7 years oldAmount of children: 0%8 years oldAmount of children: 0%9 years oldAmount of children: 0%10 years oldAmount of children: 0%11 years oldAmount of children: 0%12 years oldAmount of children: 0%13 years oldAmount of children: 0%14 years oldAmount of children: 0%15 years oldAmount of children: 0%16 years oldAmount of children: 0%17 years oldAmount of children: 0%average 2 years 1 month old
Fever
0 years oldAmount of children: 3%1 years oldAmount of children: 3%2 years oldAmount of children: 3%3 years oldAmount of children: 2%4 years oldAmount of children: 1%5 years oldAmount of children: 1%6 years oldAmount of children: 0%7 years oldAmount of children: 0%8 years oldAmount of children: 0%9 years oldAmount of children: 0%10 years oldAmount of children: 0%11 years oldAmount of children: 0%12 years oldAmount of children: 0%13 years oldAmount of children: 0%14 years oldAmount of children: 0%15 years oldAmount of children: 0%16 years oldAmount of children: 0%17 years oldAmount of children: 0%average 2 years 3 months old
Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
0 years oldAmount of children: 3%1 years oldAmount of children: 3%2 years oldAmount of children: 3%3 years oldAmount of children: 1%4 years oldAmount of children: 1%5 years oldAmount of children: 0%6 years oldAmount of children: 0%7 years oldAmount of children: 0%8 years oldAmount of children: 0%9 years oldAmount of children: 0%10 years oldAmount of children: 0%11 years oldAmount of children: 0%12 years oldAmount of children: 0%13 years oldAmount of children: 0%14 years oldAmount of children: 0%15 years oldAmount of children: 0%16 years oldAmount of children: 0%17 years oldAmount of children: 0%average 17 months old
Change in symptoms of RSV*
What happens to common RSV symptoms over time?
| Symptom | Worse | A Little Worse | Stayed About the Same | A Little Better | Better | Completely Resolved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coughing | 1.3% | 3.4% | 4% | 6.7% | 18.8% | 65.8% |
| Fever | 0.8% | 2.5% | 5.1% | 6.8% | 13.6% | 71.2% |
| Shortness of breath or trouble breathing | 0% | 4% | 8% | 8% | 20% | 60% |
| Runny nose | 0% | 3% | 6.1% | 3% | 15.2% | 72.7% |
| Congestion | 0% | 0% | 3.3% | 10% | 16.7% | 70% |
| Wheezing | 0% | 3.3% | 0% | 3.3% | 20% | 73.3% |
| Fatigue, tiredness, or lethargy | 0% | 0% | 0% | 5.6% | 16.7% | 77.8% |
| Vomiting | 9.1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 18.2% | 72.7% |
| High fever | 0% | 10% | 0% | 0% | 20% | 70% |
| Lethargic | 0% | 0% | 0% | 11.1% | 0% | 88.9% |
Conditions with similar symptoms to RSV
Parents also mention the behaviors, signs, and symptoms associated with RSV when they describe these conditions:
Allergies
Symptom Frequency Number of mentions Sneezing Often 227 mentions Runny nose Often 177 mentions Coughing Often 99 mentions Hives Often 93 mentions Rashes (any cause) Often 77 mentions Watery eyes Often 73 mentions Itchy eyes Sometimes 60 mentions Itching Sometimes 59 mentions Congestion Sometimes 37 mentions Fever Sometimes 33 mentions Asthma
Symptom Frequency Number of mentions Wheezing Often 277 mentions Shortness of breath or trouble breathing Often 254 mentions Coughing Often 212 mentions Shortness of breath Often 190 mentions Hard or heavy breathing Sometimes 28 mentions Fatigue, tiredness, or lethargy Sometimes 26 mentions Chest pain Sometimes 24 mentions Heavy cough Sometimes 21 mentions Easily out of breath Sometimes 15 mentions Gasping for air Sometimes 15 mentions Headaches
Symptom Frequency Number of mentions Fever Often 30 mentions Headache(s) Often 24 mentions Frequent crying Often 19 mentions Dizziness Often 18 mentions Physical pain Often 16 mentions Crying Often 15 mentions Migraine headache(s) Often 14 mentions Vomiting Often 14 mentions Fatigue, tiredness, or lethargy Sometimes 12 mentions Tiredness Sometimes 9 mentions
Care of RSV
Common treatments, therapies, and parenting techniques for RSV
| Treatment | Rating | Discussion |
|---|---|---|
| 1Humidifier | Positive4.2 of 5 | Read 1 comments |
| 2Nebulizer / breathing machine | Positive4.2 of 5 | Read 0 comments |
| 3Breathing treatments | Positive4.1 of 5 | Read 1 comments |
| 4Acetaminophen (Tylenol, Paracetamol, and others) | Positive3.9 of 5 | Read 0 comments |
| 5Medication (unspecified) | Positive3.7 of 5 | Read 0 comments |
Less common responses for RSV
| Treatment | Rating | Discussion |
|---|---|---|
| 1Inhaler | Positive3.9 of 5 | Read 0 comments |
Discussion of RSV
What was your approach to RSV? What were the results?
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