Doctors are a useful tool in treating cold symptoms in your child. Although you may feel like you should rush every time your child shows signs of illness, there are times when you should wait and see how they recover on their own. When your child has common cold viruses, it’s not always necessary to bring them to the doctor. Staying at home, resting, drinking, and taking over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are usually sufficient. However, there are some instances when more prompt medical care is necessary; knowing when to act can help you avoid serious complications.
What Is a Cold?
During a cold, the body is infected with a virus in the nose, throat, and chest. While it can be difficult to work with a cold, they are usually a relatively harmless infection. The common cold is caused by several different types of viruses, and adults typically catch a cold 2-3 times per year. However, young people are likely to catch more colds. When your child catches a common cold, they usually recover within 7-10 days without needing to go to the doctor’s office. If they do not seem to be getting better or worse, bring them in to see a doctor.
What Symptoms Should You Watch Out For?
Symptoms of the flu tend to come on gradually and may include a stuffy nose, congestion, sneezing, a sore throat, muscle aches and headache, cough, chills and fatigue. Call your doctor if your child shows one or more of these signs.
If your child has a very sore throat that is preventing them from eating, drinking, or sleeping, they should see a doctor. A severe sore throat or one accompanied by a high fever should be treated by a doctor. A red, blotchy skin rash may accompany sore throat pain and discomfort in cases of streptococcal infection (strep throat).
Colds and the flu can cause headaches. The buildup of pressure in the sinuses and nasal passages that characterizes a cold may contribute to a headache. Headaches are common with the flu and tend to appear over the forehead, behind the eyes, or on the sides of the head. A headache caused by the flu or cold will usually go away on its own as other symptoms clear up. Secondary infections, or encephalitis, are rare.
The body’s response to infection is a fever, which is a temperature greater than 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Fever is one of the most common symptoms reported by doctors. A fever indicates that the body has a good immune response to infection; it is not an illness on its own.
When colds or flus linger for longer than usual, a person may feel congestion in their chest and throat. This can be a symptom of secondary infections such as sinusitis, acute bronchitis (also known as a chest cold), or pneumonia.
Conclusion
We hope this article proves to be useful when it comes to helping you take care of your chid. For the most part, the common cold won’t require professional care. With that being said, you will want to monitor your child and observe whether their symptoms get worse. If you find that your child’s sickness has become more severe, don’t hesitate to bring them to the doctor.
Your Kid’s Urgent Care offers quality pediatric urgent care services to you and your loved ones. Anytime and anywhere, we’ll be available–just give us a call. For more information on what we can do for you, visit our website today!
