COMMON COLD:

All of us are susceptible to getting a “common cold” at some point throughout the year. The common cold is caused by a virus. In children, symptoms of the common cold may include sneezing, sore thrtoat, nasal congestion, cough, runny eyes and sometimes fever. Simple things you can do to help your child with their cold include applying nasal saline spray or drops to help relieve congestion, use of a cool mist humidifier at night, elevating the head of the bed to assist with post nasal drip related cough and keeping them well hydrated. Children over the age of 1 year may use a honey elixir to help with coughing at night. Children who develop a fever, worsening respiratory symptoms, or ear pain with cold symptoms or signs of dehydration will need to be seen by the pediatrician.

SORE THROAT:

Sore throat is one of the most common complaints in pediatrics. As mentioned above sore throat can be a symptom of the common cold as well as many other viral illnesses or allergies. STREP THROAT is a bacterial infection that causes sore throat and requires antibiotic treatment after confirmation with a throat swab.  If your child has a sore throat you can support them with pain relief medication, adequate fluid intake, and rest. If your child’s sore throat is accompanied by fever, difficulty swallowing, or vomiting they should be evaluated by one of our providers to rule out strep throat infection.