Treating the common cold
by Dr. David Melbye
This time of year almost everyone gets a "common" cold. Symptoms can include:
- Fever.
- Cough.
- Runny nose.
- Poor sleep.
- Decreased appetite.
- Crabbiness.
Treating cold symptoms
Colds are caused by viruses. There are no medicines that kill viruses like antibiotics kill bacteria so the best plan is to treat the symptoms. To treat symptoms of the common cold, try these suggestions:
- TylenolÒ and ibuprofen work as fever reducers. If your child has persistent fevers above 101 degrees, alternating doses of Tylenol and ibuprofen every four hours will help keep the fever down and make your child more comfortable.
- For coughing and runny noses, use saline nasal drops and nasal suctioning for younger kids. For older kids use saline nasal spray and nose blowing. The saline loosens the mucus and makes suctioning and nose blowing more effective. For younger kids, suction one nostril at a time, first filling it with saline drops and waiting 15 to 20 seconds before using the bulb to suction the mucous. Repeat this process multiple times throughout the day. You are probably thinking, "There is no way my child will let me do this." But if you are persistent, it will work, and your child will feel better.
- At night, elevating the head of the bed will alleviate some of the post-nasal drip that contributes to nighttime coughing. Use an extra pillow for older kids and a phone book under the head of the mattress, elevating it to a 30 to 45 degree angle for younger kids. Running a cool-mist vaporizer at night will help, too. Most colds last for 10 to 14 days.
As always, call your doctor if you have concerns. For more information about treating the common cold, visit www.chw.org.
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