Common Cold

Common Cold
The common cold is a contagious viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. A large variety of viruses are associated with common cold and that is why the body does not seem to be develop immunity against them. It commonly infects school-going children and the incidence of cold lessens with age. It is normal for a child to have cold eight or more times a year. This is because there are hundreds of different viruses and young children are meeting each one of them for the first time. Gradually they build up immunity and get fewer colds. Colds are caused by viruses and not bacteria, so antibiotics do not help.

Signs and Symptoms:
As the common cold mainly affects the upper respiratory tract, i.e. the nose, throat and the wind pipe, the symptoms mainly relate to them only. A cold often starts with a "tickle" in the throat, a runny or stuffy nose and sneezing. Children with colds may also have a sore throat, cough, headache, mild fever, fatigue, muscle aches, and loss of appetite.

Duration:
Cold usually takes seven to 14 days in recovery . In case of an added infection by the bacteria or complications like sinusitis, ear infection, laryngitis or bronchitis occur, the illness will be prolonged.

Prevention:
As described earlier because of the huge number of viruses that can cause common cold, it has not been possible to develop an effective vaccine for this. Therefore prevention remains the best cure for common cold.

To prevent spreading a cold, a child should avoid contact with other people for the first two to four days of the cold. Unfortunately, someone just coming down with a cold is contagious even before he/she knowsit is an infection. Children with colds should wash their hands thoroughly and frequently, especially after blowing their nose. When coughing or sneezing they should cover their nose and mouth.

Treatment:
Most of the colds are due to viruses and are self limiting, so treatment in the form of antibiotics is not generally required. Though medicine cannot cure common cold it can be used to relieve a few of the symptoms like muscle ache and headache.

Some of the treatments worth trying are: taking salted water through the nostrils to relieve nasal congestion and petroleum jelly on the skin under the nose to soothe rawness. An older child can suck on hard candy or cough drops to relieve sore throat.

Over the counter drugs like decongestants/ antihistamines should not be given to infants as they have been reported to cause hallucination, irritability, and irregular heartbeats in infants.

Plenty of extra fluids - juice, water, - should be consumed. Chicken soup, an age old remedy for the common cold is also worth trying for by the non-vegetarians.

Some times babies who snuffle can’t breath easily when feeding or asleep. Raising the head of the mattress slightly by putting a blanket underneath may help. Your doctor may prescribe nose drops, which can help. Nose drops should not be used for more than a few days otherwise they may make the situation worse. You could try gently tickling your baby's nostrils-a sneeze might help clear your baby's nose.

A menthol rub or capsules containing a decongestant liquid, can put on to a piece of cloth which may help your child breathe more freely, specially at night. You can buy them from the pharmacist. Don’t use menthol products for babies under three months without asking your doctor, and be careful not to let your baby swallow a menthol capsule.

Under normal circumstances common cold goes without any medication as such.

When to see the doctor:

• If the child has persistent fever lasting several days or over 101F
• The child has difficulty in swallowing.
• When the nasal discharge or coughing produces greenish or yellowish discharge.
• if the child has shaking chills, chest pain or shortness of breath.

Suggested Reading -
Childhood infections - pneumonia to pink eye - Childhood brings with it many common infections and illnesses. Get practical tips on how to recognize and handle there.

Common cold - Common cold, as the name suggests, is indeed very common. Sometimes though, it can lead to a few problems if not handled carefully.