Alexander M. Patch Elementary School
Stuttgart, Germany

Colds, Coughs, etc.

Colds, coughs and runny noses…Children's resistance comes with time.

    Colds are known as upper respiratory infections.  They can result from more than 200 different viruses, the most common of which strike in a specific season.  In the fall we see more influenza virus and in winter more respiratory virus.  The symptoms vary with the type of virus involved.  For the school age child, typical symptoms can include sore throat, fever, irritability, restlessness, sneezing, runny nose, cough, headache, aching muscles and decreased appetite.
    These symptoms can hang on for different lengths of time.  The fever should subside in 1 to 3 days.  The runny nose and sore throat should pass within a week to ten days.  The cough could persist for 2 to 3 weeks, and perhaps this is the reason parents take their child to the Clinic.
    Many MYTHS still circulate about how children "catch " colds--For example, by standing out in the rain, breathing cold air or losing sleep.  These conditions may decrease your child's immunity, but the cold virus must be present for your child to become infected.  Cold viruses can survive on HANDS for several hours, and hand-to-hand contact is one way to spread this infection.  Sneezing and coughing are the other ways.
    There still is NO cure for the common cold.  Nor is there any medication that will speed up your child's recovery from this virus.  Antibiotics are of NO use against viral infections.
    Knowing this, you can take some common sense precautions to slow down the spread of cold viruses:

• Remember to keep your child at home if he or she has a temperature of 100 degrees or greater.  This will decrease the spread of the virus in your child's classroom.
• Encourage your child to wash his/her hands frequently
• Keep the kitchen and bathroom countertops clean especially when someone in your family has a cold.
• Teach your child to cover their mouth and nose when they cough or sneeze and to discard used tissues right away…Flushing is the best way.
• Lastly, let the immune system do its work.

    Don't reach for medication if a low-grade fever develops.  Cold viruses "like" cooler environments.  By raising body temperature a couple of degrees, your child's immune system help create a hostile environment for the virus.  Encourage lots of fluids, especially if your child is experiencing a fever.
    The one positive note about the cold virus is…as children get older, they develop a repertoire of antibodies that provide the immunity they need to fight off future colds.  CALL your child's physician if the cold lasts more than 14 days.

This article is for informational purposes only, please do not misconstrue it as medical advice. If you feel your child has developed additional signs or symptoms of infection contact your physician and schedule an appointment for proper diagnosis and treatment.