Common cold

What is the common cold?

The common cold is an infection of the upper airway, meaning mostly the nose and throat. Many viruses, including the rhinoviruses, adenoviruses and enteroviruses, cause it.

The rhinoviruses are the most common, with more than 100 different types that can cause the common cold.

The infection makes the upper airway, particularly the inside of the nose, red and inflamed, with swelling and too much mucus being made.

Everyone has heard of the common cold; in fact, it is the most common infectious disease in childhood.

Many children will have 3 to 6 colds in the course of the year, especially during the winter, making it the most frequent reason for a sick child to visit a doctor.

Since the common cold is highly contagious for up to 3 weeks, it comes as no surprise that it is quickly spread from person to person.

Transmission occurs through airborne droplets from coughing and sneezing, or through direct hand-to-hand contact.

Treatment / What you should do

Since colds are caused by viruses, antibiotics (which kill bacteria) do not help. There are currently no treatments available to kill the viruses that cause the common cold.

There are treatments that may help reduce the symptoms of a cold. Encourage your child to drink lots of fluids. This can help to soothe a sore throat, quiet a cough, and make the mucus in the nose easier to clear.

Do not worry if your child does not want to eat solid foods, as the runny nose can decrease a child's appetite.

Your child needs extra rest and should stay away from lots of physical activity for the first few days of a cold.

A cool mist humidifier in the bedroom also may make it easier for your child to breathe. Be sure to clean it regularly, according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Saline (salt water) nose drops or nasal spray will help to loosen the mucus in the nose and also make it easier for the child to breathe. This helps keep the nasal passages moist, which may prevent complications such as an ear or sinus infection.

Decongestant nose drops may help to decrease the swelling of the mucous membranes, but these drops should not be used for more than 3 days in a row. You should allow at least 2 weeks to pass before the child receives decongestant drops again.

For older children, put an extra pillow under the head when sleeping, since being up a little bit makes it easier to breathe with a stuffy nose. Teach your child to blow his or her nose frequently, using disposable tissues that should be thrown away.

If your child has a fever, or feels uncomfortable, you may give acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Never give aspirin to children because it can cause Reye syndrome, a serious illness involving the liver and brain.

Histamines treat allergies and do not help with the common cold. Prolonged clear nasal discharge, often combined with sneezing, may be a sign of an allergy. You should discuss this with your doctor.

If your child has a persistent runny nose in only one nostril, you should contact the doctor to make sure that the runny nose is not something different than the common cold. For example, a runny nose on only one side suggests that the child may have pushed a foreign body up into the nose.

Contact the doctor if your child's overall condition doesn't seem right to you or he has a high fever breathing problems, worsening cough, severe sore throat, pain when swallowing, increasing headache, facial pain, earache, swollen glands in the neck or abdominal pain. All of these symptoms suggest complications, or a problem other than the common cold.