Treating colds in children
Although most colds in children do not cause serious complications, many parents feel nervous and anxious, and rush to give their children medicine to treat colds in children, knowing that most children get better on their own, and this medicine does not change the natural cycle for colds. But some cough and cold medicines can have serious side effects, such as slowed breathing and other potentially life-threatening effects, especially in infants and young children. For these reasons, it is important to know when your child needs medication, what treatments are recommended, and when to dispense medication?
Treating children's colds
Most of the time, you can treat children's colds at home To give your child as much relief as possible, try the following suggestions:
- Give the baby plenty of fluids: Fluids are important to avoid dehydration.
- Formula milk or breast milk is the best option. Encourage your child to drink the usual amount of fluids. Extra fluids are not necessary.
- If you're breastfeeding, don't stop as breast milk provides extra protection from the common cold-causing microbes.
- Suctioning mucus from the baby's nose: Keep your baby's nose clean with a rubber syringe.
- Squeeze the ball syringe to expel the air. Next, insert the tip of the ball syringe a quarter to an inch (about 6 to 12 mm) into the infant's nostril, pointing toward the back and side of the nose.
- Lift your finger off the ball, and hold the syringe in place while sucking the mucus out of the baby's nose. Then remove the syringe from your child's nostril, and empty the contents into a tissue by pressing the ball quickly with its lower tip. Repeat this as often as needed, in each nostril. Clean the ball syringe with soap and water.
- Use Otosan nasal spray for children that contains sea water and natural ingredients that help relieve cold symptoms and sinus congestion.
- Use saline nasal drops: Your child's doctor may recommend saline drops to moisten the nasal passages and thin your child's thick nasal mucus.
- Order these over-the-counter drops at Adam's Pharmacy.
- Apply nasal saline drops, wait a while, then use a ball syringe to suck out mucus from each nostril.
- Humidify the air: Running a humidifier in the baby's room reduces nasal congestion, change the water daily and follow the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning the device.
When do you visit the doctor?
Your child's immune system needs some time to fully develop.
If your child has a cold and there are no complications, he is expected to recover within 10 to 14 days.
Most colds cause some minor discomfort. A doctor is needed if symptoms do not improve or get worse.
If your child is younger than three months, the doctor should be contacted at the onset of the disease. In the case of newborns in particular, it is important to ensure that there is no more serious illness, especially if your child has a fever.
If your child is 3 months old or older, you should contact the doctor if your child has the following symptoms:
- has a high body temperature above 100.4 F (38 C)
- appears to have earaches, or is excessively irritableunusual
- redness of the eyes or a yellow or greenish discharge from the eyes has
- difficulty breathing or wheezing
- has a persistent cough
- thick green discharge from the nose for several days
- has other signs or symptoms that worry you, such as abnormal or worrisome crying, or Not getting up at lunchtime
Seek medical help right away if your child:
- Refuses medication or fluids
- Coughs so hard that it leads to vomiting or changes skin color
- Cough with blood-stained mucus
- Has difficulty breathing or is bluish around the lips Has
- an abnormal lack of activity or sleepy
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