Common Cold

Definition and Causes

The common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract including the nose, throat and sinuses. At least 200 different viruses cause the common cold. Children get colds frequently because they are exposed to new viruses (especially in daycare, play groups, church nurseries, and preschools). Colds are more common in the winter because people spend more time together indoors breathing re-circulated air. Exposure to second-hand smoke increases a child’s susceptibility to colds. Colds are not caused by immune deficiency, tonsil problems, poor diet, lack of vitamins, cold weather, air conditioners, or wet hair or feet.

Symptoms

Cold symptoms include cough, runny nose, sore throat, and fever. At the beginning of a cold, the nose produces clear mucus. After a few days, the mucus changes to yellow or green. This is normal and does not mean your child is infected with bacteria that needs antibiotic treatment. Most cold symptoms are much better by 14 days.

Home Care

Any child over the age of 5 without other symptoms (such as fever) may be treated at home for up to 10 days. While your child feels ill, restrict activity to bed rest and quiet play. Offer extra fluids. If mouth breathing, use a cool mist humidifier at bedtime. Keep your child upright as much as possible to relieve difficulty breathing or you can elevate the head of the bed slightly.

For a stuffy nose, put three drops of salt water in each nostril and leave in for one minute to loosen the dry mucus. The salt water can be a product such as NaSal, Ocean, or Salinex, or you can make it by dissolving ¼ teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of water. For an infant, suck out the mucus ‘gently’ with a nasal aspirator. For a child, have him/her blow his/her nose. Repeat this procedure several times in a row to clear the nasal passages. Cleaning a young infant’s nose is especially important before feedings and sleep.

Antibiotics do not kill viruses nor make the cold symptoms go away sooner. Unnecessary antibiotics can be harmful.

When to Call the Doctor

Please call for an appointment if you suspect any of the following complications of the common cold.

• Bacterial conjunctivitis (symptoms: green or yellow drainage from eyes).
• Middle ear infection (symptoms: excessive crying or irritability, earache, rubbing ears, shaking head).
• Sinus infection (symptoms: runny nose and a daytime cough, without improvement after 14 days of illness, eyelid swelling, bad breath, facial pain).
• Croup (symptoms: a cough that sounds like a dog or seal barking, hoarse voice, harsh noise when inhaling, difficult breathing).
• Wheezing (symptoms: whistling noise when exhaling, skin sinking down between ribs when inhaling, difficult or rapid breathing).
• Bacterial pneumonia (symptoms: fever, sudden deterioration, very ill appearance, difficult or rapid breathing, grunting, chest pain).
• If your child seems excessively ill or is getting significantly worse.

If your child is under 3 months old, be sure to call if the rectal temperature is above 100.4 degree Fahrenheit or if it is over 104 degree Fahrenheit at any age.