The Truth about Colds and the Flu
Your child will probably catch six to eight colds this year - maybe more if brothers and sisters are around sharing their germs. Throw in the occasional bout of the flu, and he or she could spend a lot of time sniffling, sneezing, and feeling miserable.
If you're feeling confused about how to treat colds and the flu - or aren't sure how to help your child avoid these nasty bugs - you're not alone. A recent survey of parenting books found a surprising amount of misinformation and contradictions on the topic of colds.
Read on for some of the most common myths and misunderstandings about colds and the flu. You can learn to separate the facts from the fiction, keep your family healthier, and save yourself time, money, and frustration.
Myth 1: Over-the-counter cold and flu remedies work well for children
When it comes to treating your child's cold or flu, don't expect to get a lot of help from the drugstore. The oldest remedies - plenty of rest and fluids - are still the best.
If you do decide to give your child cold and flu medications, do it carefully: These products can cause drowsiness, upset stomach, sleeplessness, and other side effects. Follow the dosing instructions, and stop offering medicines that don't seem to be working. (Note: Most pediatricians recommend against over-the-counter cold medicines for babies under 6 months. And you should always check with your doctor before giving your baby or young toddler any medication.) Finally, never give aspirin to a child who has a cold or flu. The combination of aspirin and a viral illness can trigger Reye's syndrome, a rare but dangerous disease.
Myth 2: Antibiotics can kill the germs that cause colds and the flu
This is one myth that just won't go away. American doctors write millions of antibiotic prescriptions for colds and flu every year, often under pressure from worried parents. But no antibiotic will help a cold or flu. These drugs do only one thing: kill bacteria. And colds and flu are caused by viruses, a class of germs that aren't anything like bacteria. Unless your child has a complication of a cold or flu that might involve bacteria, antibiotics are not a good solution for treatment.
Not only are antibiotics useless against cold or flu, they can actually be harmful. Kids taking antibiotics can suffer from diarrhea, stomach cramps, and other side effects. And when antibiotics are overused, disease-causing bacteria can gradually build up a resistance to the drugs, making future bacterial infections harder to treat.
Myth 3: There's really no difference between the flu and a bad cold
It can be hard to tell the difference between a cold and the flu, but it's helpful to be able to distinguish one from the other. For one thing, colds almost always go away without causing trouble, but the flu can lead to complications such as pneumonia.
Quickly spotting a case of flu also opens up new possibilities for treatment. If your child is 1 or older, he can receive antiviral drugs, which kill the virus that causes the flu and can speed recovery. But these drugs only work if taken in the first two days of the illness. (Most children with the flu recover just fine without these medicines - they're mostly used for kids with chronic illnesses, such as asthma. But if you want to give them a try, contact your doctor as soon as you suspect a case of the flu.)
Here are some pointers to help you tell a cold from a case of the flu. Colds usually come on slowly. The first sign is often a sore, scratchy throat, followed by a runny nose and sneezing. Colds don't usually cause significant fevers in adults, but infants and young children often reach 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Other common symptoms include cough, headache, and stuffiness.
Flu, in contrast, usually hits like a truck. The symptoms come on quickly and tend to be severe. Your child will feel very weak, tired, and achy, and his fever may soar to 103 or even 105 degrees. Other symptoms include a dry cough, runny nose, chills, sore throat, strong headache, and eye pain.
Note: If you're having trouble identifying your child's illness, or are concerned about his symptoms, call your child's doctor. Sometimes it takes a lab test to tell a cold from the flu.
Myth 4: It's a good idea to take your child to the doctor when he has a cold
According to a 2003 report in Pediatrics, Americans made 25 million doctor visits in 1998 for treatment of colds. Another 1.6 million went to the emergency room.
A few kids with a cold do need medical help. Likewise, some kids with the flu develop complications that require immediate attention. The American Academy of Family Physicians recently listed symptoms that separate serious illnesses from the run-of-the mill variety. Whether you think your child has a cold or flu, you
should call your doctor if you notice any of these warning signs:
- A lingering fewer
- Any fever over 102 degrees Fahrenheit
- A cold that lasts for more than ten days
- Breathing troubles, including wheezing or rapid breaths
- Bluish skin
- Not drinking enough liquids
- An earache or discharge from the ear
- Seizures
- Extreme irritability
- Inability to wake up
- Flu-like symptoms that come back after seeming to subside, especially when they include a fever and a worsening cough
- A worsening of other conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes
Myth 5: There's no reason for kids to get flu shots
If your child is 6 months or older, many doctors recommend that you have her vaccinated for the flu. It's best to get this taken care of in October or early November, so your child has time to develop immunity before flu season gets into full swing. (The flu vaccine hasn't been approved for babies younger than 6 months old, but you can protect your infant by making sure that her caregivers and siblings get vaccinated.) Not only can a vaccination help your child avoid a lot of misery, it can help protect the entire family and maybe even the entire community. Children - especially school-age kids - are the main carriers of flu germs.
Myth 6: Dietary supplements such as vitamin C, zinc, and echinacea can ease children's cold symptoms
Zinc, vitamin C, and echinacea have all been heralded as natural immune-system boosters. Unfortunately, there's no good evidence that any of these products can actually ease the symptoms of a cold in adults or kids. But echinacea may still have some value in preventing kids' colds: A 2003 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that children who took 7.5 milliliters to 10 milliliters of an echinacea preparation when they had a cold were less likely to have more colds in the following months.
Although some children develop minor rashes after taking it, echinacea is generally considered safe in small amounts. (Zinc and vitamin C are also safe as long as you don't go too far over recommended daily allowances.) Still, you should talk to your child's doctor before giving your child this or any other herb. Keep in mind that nobody knows how echinacea might affect infants, and there's a good chance that the benefits aren't enough to outweigh the risks.
Myth 7: Kids in daycare will catch more colds than other children
There's actually some truth behind the stereotype of the runny-nosed daycare kid. These children can be more prone to colds when they're younger, because they're exposed to more germs. However, daycare kids may be less likely to sniffle through grade school. A 2002 study published in the Archives of Adolescent and Pediatric Medicine found that kids who attended large daycares as preschoolers suffered fewer colds in later years, presumably because they had built up immunity to most common cold viruses.
Myth 8: Breathing the same air as a sick person is the easiest way to catch a cold
Cold viruses can travel through the air - especially when a sick person coughs or sneezes - but it's not a very efficient way for them to find their next victim. They'd much rather hitch a ride on a person's hand. One of the best ways to catch a cold is to grab something that's coated with the virus, perhaps a telephone, a toy, or a friend's hand.
Myth 9: You're more likely to catch a cold if you're cold or wet
Despite your mom's warnings about bundling up and not going out with wet hair, it's not true that being cold can cause a cold. If a cold virus happens to land in your nose, it doesn't really matter whether you're wrapped in an electric blanket or standing in a bucket of ice water: You're probably going to get sick.
Myth 10: Hugging and kissing are great ways to spread cold and flu germs
Don't be afraid to give your sick child plenty of affection, and don't worry that a kiss or hug will spread your germs to him (or vice-versa). Cold and flu viruses like to enter the body through the nose or eyes, so a hug or a peck on the cheek isn't likely to be dangerous. Besides, sniffling kids need love too.
