What Every Parent Must Know About Colds and Flus

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Before you get into a panic at the slightest sign of a sniffle in your

child, relax.

There are quite a few strains of the flu knocking around, and the one that struck the world about

100 years ago (called the Spanish Flu) is only one among many.

The flu virus mutates very quickly. You may have heard the palaver about Swine Flu and Bird Flu

not that long ago.

These are other forms of flu, and scientists are very quick to put

people on the alert at the first sign of anything that looks like it just might possibly turn into a second

pandemic like the Spanish Flu.

And the majority of flu strains aren’t fatal, especially if they’re properly treated and your child

has a good immune system.

There are two main errors to fall into regarding colds and

flus.

The first of these is when your child has the flu but you think that

he/she just has a cold.

In this situation, a severe case could develop and your child could be in real trouble because he/she hasn’t been treated soon enough.

The second type of error is the reverse: when you think that your child has the flu but he/she only

has an ordinary cold.

So how can you tell the

difference?

With a cold, you get the characteristic runny nose and yellow snot all over the place.

Children (and adults!) get blocked sinuses, which can often lead to

headaches.

Children sneeze and cough, and they may get sore throats. Some people get a mild fever and mild

illness (the key word here is “mild”) but this doesn’t last very

long.

Your child will probably want to get up and play within a couple of days, even though they might still be coughing or their nose might

still be runny.

With the flu, the illness lasts longer (can be a week or so) and the fever and headaches are a lot

worse.

Those with the flu also start shivering and may have a dry cough, and they get muscular

aches all over. You don’t ache all over if you have a cold, and you don’t usually have a runny nose

for the flu.

Bed rest helps with colds if your child is feeling and acting

particularly miserable, and bed rest is essential in the case of the

flu.

Give your child paracetamol to stop the fever getting out of control and to deal with the

headaches associated with both conditions.

Drinking lots is essential whether you have a cold or the flu. If your child doesn’t seem to get better and want to get out of bed and start playing within a couple of

days, suspect the flu and get hold of your doctor.

You should definitely get hold of the doctor if your child gets

dehydrated, has extremely bad headaches or starts coughing

yellow or green phlegm. Antiviral medications are out there to help

with the flu.

The good old home remedies often do help with colds and flus, as they tend to contain immune boosters that help the body fight the virus as well as usually being

fluids.

Chicken soup (preferably home-made and with lots of raw garlic) and gently warmed citrus juice

with honey are great for children – but save the ones involving a small shot of whiskey (it’s a

painkiller inside the throat) for adults.

Do you have something to share about colds and flus in children?

Share them by leaving a comment below.

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