Cause
Dozens of viruses can cause infection of the upper respiratory tract, including rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), enteroviruses, and the influenza and parainfluenza viruses. These can affect the nose, throat, sinuses, ears, eustachian tubes (fleshy tubes connecting the throat with the middle ear), trachea, larynx, and bronchial tubes.
Symptoms
Symptoms include a tickle in the throat, runny or stuffy nose, and sneezing. Children may also have a sore throat, cough, headache, mild fever, fatigue, muscle aches, and loss of appetite.
How It Spreads
It is spread by breathing in the virus spread through the air in secretions from sneezing or coughing, or by person-to-person contact. Children get more colds than adults do, especially through exposure in child care or school.
Incubation Period
It takes two to five days for symptoms to appear after exposure to the virus.
How Long Symptoms Last
Symptoms usually last 7 to 14 days.
When to Call Your Child’s Doctor
It is not necessary to call your child’s doctor if typical symptoms (congestion, cough, sneezing, mild fever) are present, but call if there are other signs of concern. These include sore throat; coughing that produces green or gray sputum (mucus) or a cough that is getting worse or is not getting better over a three- to four-day period; fever lasting several days or higher than 101 degrees Fahrenheit; shaking chills; chest pain; shortness of breath, rapid breathing, or other signs that your child is working hard to breathe; or blue lips, skin, or fingernails.
Other signs include difficulty swallowing, unwillingness to drink fluids, unusual fatigue, or enlarged lymph nodes (glands) in the neck. Also, call your child’s doctor if your child has a very runny nose, especially with a green discharge, that lasts more than two weeks or if your child complains of headache or pressure behind the face.
Treatment
Because a cold is caused by a virus, antibiotics are not helpful.
Home Treatment
Infection resolves by itself; there is no cure. For relief of symptoms try saltwater drops in the nostrils to help relieve a stuffy nose, cool-mist vaporizer to increase air moisture, and petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on the skin under the nose to soothe rawness. Your child should get plenty of fluids and rest. For fever or headache, you can give your infant or child acetaminophen (Tylenol).
Do not give a child aspirin; aspirin in children is associated with Reye syndrome, a rare but lifethreatening disease. Over-the-counter decongestants and antihistamines are of questionable effectiveness, do not shorten the duration of symptoms, and can cause side effects potentially worse than symptoms from the cold itself, especially in infants and toddlers.
Prevention
If possible, avoid contact with the person who has a cold for the first two to four days of symptoms. Usually, however, the person is contagious before he or she is aware of the infection. Children with colds should wash their hands thoroughly, especially after blowing their nose, and should be taught to cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.
Contagious Periods
The contagious period depends on the virus causing the infection, but it is generally for several days after symptoms appear.