Cold Specialist

What is a cold?

Colds are viral infections of the upper respiratory tract, or your nose and throat. While colds often cause unpleasant symptoms, they’re usually harmless and subside within 7-10 days. Children younger than age six have a higher risk of developing colds, but common colds affect older kids, too. Seeing your child’s pediatrician for an evaluation helps rule out serious health problems.

What are the symptoms of a cold?

The following symptoms may indicate your child has a cold:

• Runny or stuffy nose
• Congestion
• Sore throat
• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Mild headache
• Slight body aches
• Low-grade fever
  
  

Colds can sometimes lead to complications, such as an ear infection, asthma attack, sinus infection, and strep throat. Colds sometimes lead to secondary infections like bronchitis or pneumonia.

Check in with your Old Fourth Ward Pediatrics specialist if cold symptoms are severe or don’t subside within a week, your child isn’t eating or drinking enough, they’ve had a fever for more than two days, or the is fever higher than 100°F.

How do colds spread?

The cold virus is highly contagious and can spread through droplets in the air when an infected person talks, coughs, or sneezes. It enters your child’s body through their nose, eyes, or mouth. Colds are spread through hand-to-hand contact or touching contaminated surfaces, doorknobs, towels, toys, and other shared objects.

Encourage your child to wash their hands often or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Disinfect or wash their items regularly. Make sure they get plenty of sleep and proper nutrition to keep their immune system strong.

What is the treatment for colds?

While there’s no cure for the common cold, treatment and proper at-home care helps relieve symptoms and may accelerate your child’s recovery. Examples include:

Medicines

While antibiotics don’t work against viruses, your pediatrician might recommend over-the-counter pain relievers, decongestant nasal sprays, or cough medicines. If your child develops a secondary bacterial infection, such as strep throat, your doctor may recommend antibiotics.

At-home care

The best way to help your child recover from a cold is with proper at-home care. Offer them plenty of fluids, such as water, clear broth, juice, and warm lemon water. Encourage your child to sleep as much as possible. Consider using saline nasal drops, a cool-mist humidifier, and gargling with salt water. Good preventive care against colds includes a healthy diet and multivitamin supplements to keep your child’s immune system strong.

Don’t let a cold turn into something more serious. Schedule an appointment with Old Fourth Ward Pediatrics over the phone or online at the first sign of a lingering fever, high fever, or severe cold symptoms.