Everyone gets a cold from time to time. Children get more colds than adults.
Colds usually last 1 to 2 weeks. You can catch a cold at any time of
year, but they are more common in late winter and early spring.
There is no cure for a cold. Antibiotics will not cure a cold. If you
catch a cold, treat the symptoms.
What are the symptoms?
Lots of different viruses cause colds, but the symptoms are usually the same:
Runny nose and sneezing
Red eyes
Sore throat and cough
Headaches and body aches
You will probably feel a cold come on over the course of a couple of
days. As the cold gets worse, your nose may get stuffy with thicker
mucus.
A cold is not the same as the flu. Flu symptoms are worse and come on
faster. If you have the flu, you may feel very tired. You may also
have a fever and shaking chills, lots of aches and pains, a headache,
and a cough.
If you feel like you have a cold all the time, or if cold symptoms
last more than 2 weeks, you may have allergies or sinusitis. Call your
doctor.
What can you do for a cold?
Good home treatment of a cold can help you feel better. When you get a cold:
Get extra rest. Slow down just a little from your usual routine. You
don't need to stay home in bed, but try not to expose others to your
cold.
Drink plenty of fluids. Hot water, herbal tea, or chicken soup will
help relieve a stuffy nose and head.
Take aspirin, ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin), or acetaminophen
(such as Tylenol) to relieve aches. Follow the package instructions
carefully. If you give medicine to your child, follow what your doctor
has told you about the amount to give. Do not give aspirin to anyone
younger than 20. It has been linked to Reye syndrome, a serious
illness.
Use a humidifier in your bedroom and take hot showers to relieve a
stuffy nose and head.
If you feel mucus in the back of your throat (postnasal drip), gargle
with warm water. This will help make your throat feel better.
Use paper tissues, not handkerchiefs. This will help keep your cold
from spreading.
If your nose does get red and raw, put a dab of petroleum jelly on the
sore area.
Don't take cold medicine that uses several drugs to treat different
symptoms. For example, don't take medicine that contains both a
decongestant for a stuffy nose and a cough medicine. Treat each
symptom on its own.
A nasal decongestant spray can help your stuffy nose, but make sure
you don't use it for more than 3 days in a row. You could get a
"rebound" effect, which makes the mucous membranes in your nose swell
up even more.
Do not give cough and cold medicines to a child younger than 2 unless
you've checked with the doctor first. If your child's doctor tells you
to give a medicine, be sure to follow what he or she tells you to do.
Using saline drops or a humidifier may help thick or dried mucus to
drain. To remove mucus from your baby's nose, use a suction bulb to
gently suction the mucus out. This is a safer way to treat your baby's
stuffy nose.
When should you call a doctor?
Call your doctor if:
You have trouble breathing.
You have a fever of 104 F (40 C) or higher.
You have a fever of 101 F (38.3 C) or higher that has not come down
after 12 hours of home treatment. Or you have a fever of 100 F (37.8
C) to 101 F (38.3 C) that has not come down after 3 days of home
treatment.
You have new symptoms that are not part of a cold, like a stiff neck
or shortness of breath.
You cough up yellow, green, or bloody mucus.
Mucus from your nose is thick like pus or is bloody.
You have pain in your face, eyes, or teeth that does not get better
with home treatment, or you have a red area on your face or around
your eyes.
Your cold seemed to be getting better after a few days but is now
getting worse with new symptoms.
How can you prevent colds?
There are several things you can do to help prevent colds:
Wash your hands often.
Be extra careful in winter and when you are around people with colds.
Keep your hands away from your face. Your nose, eyes, and mouth are
the most likely places for germs to enter your body.
Eat well, and get plenty of sleep and exercise. This keeps your body
strong so it can fight colds.
Do not smoke. Smoking makes it easier to get a cold and harder to get
rid of one.
