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Common Colds
WHAT YOU SHOULD
KNOW
Colds (known medically as upper respiratory infections)
affect the air passages in the head, neck, and chest. The nose,
throat, sinuses, ears, windpipe (trachea) and airways of the
lung (bronchi) all can be involved. Without treatment, a cold
will improve in a week or two. Colds are the most common
illness among children. Although youngsters often feel better
within 3 or 4 days of developing the infection, they may
continue coughing for 2 to 3 weeks. Many children have 6 colds
a year.
Causes
Colds are caused by viruses. They can spread easily,
especially during the first 3 or 4 days of illness. You can
catch a cold at home, work, school, or day care by touching
someone who has one, or by being nearby when an infected person
coughs or sneezes. You are most likely to get a cold in the
winter, and are most susceptible if you are tired, under
stress, or plagued with allergies (especially hay
fever).
Signs/Symptoms
Typical symptoms include
sneezing, runny nose, stuffy nose, headache, cough, sore
throat, trouble breathing, fatigue, muscle aches, and red,
watery eyes. Some people develop a fever.
Care
Over-the-counter medications,
such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen may relieve a headache,
runny nose, or fever. However, antibiotics cannot cure the
common cold.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
-
Use over-the-counter medicines exactly as
directed.
-
Be careful not to blow your nose too hard, or you
might have a nosebleed.
-
To keep a young child's nose free from mucus, soak a
cotton ball with warm water and put 3 drops into each
nostril. Wait about 1 minute, then have the youngster blow
his or her nose. If the child is too young for this, use a
soft rubber suction bulb. Close one nostril, squeeze the
bulb, insert it into the open nostril, and release the bulb
so that it sucks up the mucus.
-
Use a cool-mist humidifier (vaporizer) to increase
air moisture so that you can breathe more easily. Do not
use hot steam.
-
Rest as much as possible and get plenty of
sleep.
-
Wash your hands often, especially after you blow your
nose. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you
sneeze or cough.
-
Drink 8 to 10 (soda-can sized) glasses of clear
liquids, such as water, fruit juice, tea, clear soups, and
soda, every day.
-
To avoid catching another upper respiratory
infection, wash your hands after touching someone who has a
cold; avoid crowded places, especially in the winter; and
eat a balanced diet.
-
Keep children at home until any fever has
gone.
Call Your Doctor If...
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You develop a high temperature or your fever lasts
more than a couple of days.
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You have a sore throat that gets worse, or you see
white or yellow spots in your throat.
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Your cough gets worse or lasts more than 10
days.
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You develop a rash.
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You feel large and tender lumps in your
neck.
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You develop an earache or a bad
headache.
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You have a thick, green or yellow discharge from your
nose.
-
You cough up thick yellow, green, gray or bloody
mucus.
-
Your child's eyes grow red and become coated with a
yellow discharge.
Seek Care Immediately If...
-
You have trouble breathing or develop chest
pain
-
Your skin or nails look gray or
blue.
-
A youngster with a cold seems sleepier than usual,
urinates less than normal, has a dry mouth and cracked
lips, cries without tears, or seems dizzy. These are signs
of dehydration.
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