With the arrival of the winter months, your child will catch cold one after the another and you will feel as if your child has been sick for months. This is really worrisome for parents as sometimes they do not recognize the cold symptoms and do not know how to prevent and how to treat it.
Is Cold a Virus or Bacteria?
Almost all parents do not know the difference between a virus and bacteria. Cold is caused by a virus and not bacteria. Around 200 viruses are the culprit of this cold infection in children and adults alike. But children below 2 years of age are more prone to catching colds, that is around 8 to 10 colds per year as they immune systems have not fully developed. While preschoolers may get around 9 colds per year and kindergarten kids around 12 colds per year as they go out and are more susceptible to viruses. Cold cannot be treated by an antibiotic as antibiotics treat bacteria and not a virus. However, homeopathic cough remedies are really helpful as they have no side effects and can be given to kids of all ages. The time period of a cold is usually 5 to 10 days after which it goes itself even without treatment.
Symptoms of Cold
There are many symptoms of cold in children. the initial symptom is they will feel lazy and tired and will tell you that they are not feeling well. The symptoms that will follow are
- Fever
- A runny nose
- Stuffy nose
- Itchy and watery eyes
- Dry or wet cough
- Mucus
- Pain in ears
- Sneezing
- A sore throat
Sometimes the cold gets sever and may even cause diarrhea and vomiting as the throat and bronchial tubes are also affected. Your child will generally feel cranky and uncomfortable.
Prevention of Cold
Cold is an extremely contagious virus. When children go to school they interact with all the kids around and if one of them has a cold, others might catch it too. The cold virus can be caught through touching all the objects touched by the person who had a cold such as books, doorknobs, pens, toys, bottles, tables, chairs, remotes and much other stuff. If your child has a cold make sure you do not send him to school as other children might catch it too. Some other prevention measures are
- Instill the habit of washing hands in your child regularly preferably with an antibacterial soap.
- Tell your children to use sanitizers.
- Make sure your children cover their mouths while sneezing or coughing and wash hands afterward.
Treatment of Cold
For cold treatment in children never opt for over the counter medicines or cough suppressants as they contain certain drug and ingredients which can be harmful to children below 4 years of age. You should opt for homeopathic cough remedies they are safe for children and have no side effects. Your child will be cured quickly as they different homeopathic medicines for different types of cold viruses.
When to Visit the Doctor?
cold in children goes away in around 9 10 days but you should see a doctor if your child is still unwell after a few days. If your child experiences high fever, extreme chills or pain in the body then you should visit a doctor. But a normal cold will generally go away by using homeopathic cough remedies.
