A cold or upper respiratory infection is a viral infection of the nose and throat. These viruses are spread from one person to another by hand contact, coughing and sneezing - not by cold air or drafts. Since there are up to 200 cold viruses, most healthy children get at least 6 colds per year.
Symptoms include: A runny or stuffy nose, usually has fever, sometimes associated with a cough, hoarseness and red eyes.
Expected course: Usually the fever lasts for 3 days, and all nose and throat symptoms are gone by 2 weeks. A cough may last 2 to3 weeks. The main things to watch for are secondary bacterial infections such as ear infections or conjunctivitis. Thick yellow nasal drainage lasting longer than 2 weeks could be a sinus infection in children over 2 years of age.
Treatment: The best treatment is clearing the nose for a day or two. Older children should be
encouraged to blow their noses.
Infants can have secretions removed gently with a soft rubber suction bulb.
Fever (over 102 F) can be treated with acetaminophen or ibuprophen.
Warm salt water gargles and hard candies can soothe sore throats in children over 4
years of age.
Run a humidifier in the child's bedroom to provide extra moisture in the air.
Call the Office: If the fever lasts longer than 3 days
The nasal discharge last more than 14 days.
The eyes develop a yellow discharge.
You cannot unblock the nose enough for your infant to take adequate fluids.
Your child develops an earache.