Has your kid ever experienced a cold? Learn about cold symptoms in kids and how to make the right diagnosis in this article.
Do you see your child sneezing, coughing, or complaining of a sore throat? Do you think he might be sick? Find out about cold symptoms in kids and how to diagnose them:
Cold symptoms in children
Children's cold symptoms vary depending on the disease's stage. At the beginning of a cold, you may notice that your child has sore throat and runny nose, and then you will notice the appearance of several symptoms.
Depending on the child's age, different cold symptoms will manifest. Usually, infants show different symptoms from those who are older, and these are the most prominent symptoms of a cold in children according to age:
1. Cold symptoms in infants
Symptoms of a cold in infants:
- Inability to sleep.
- crying.
- Nasal congestion .
- Vomiting and diarrhea.
- a rise in temperature;
2. Cold symptoms in older children
Symptoms of a cold in older children:
- Stuffy and runny nose.
- Cough.
- Nasal congestion.
- headache.
- A slight rise in temperature.
- goosebumps.
- sore throat.
- Watery discharge from the nose that turns yellow or green.
- Simple fatigue.
Additionally, some children may experience bronchial tube and ear inflammation as well as sinus congestion.
Cold symptoms in children that require a doctor's review
If your child exhibits any of the following symptoms, consult a doctor right away:
- The child's health does not improve after several days of infection.
- Note a high temperature.
- vomiting or chills
- shortness of breath
- Exhaustion.
These signs could point to a bacterial infection in your child. Do not hesitate to see a doctor if your child has chronic diseases, such as asthma or diabetes, in order to follow up on treatment and ensure that there are no drug interactions.
How do cold symptoms differ from flu symptoms?
There are several key distinctions between the symptoms of the common cold and the influenza virus.
- The flu causes a significant rise in body temperature as opposed to a cold, which only slightly raises body temperature.
- The flu comes with a persistent headache, whereas a cold occasionally causes headaches.
- The flu causes widespread fatigue that lasts for weeks, whereas a cold causes only minor fatigue.
- Flu-related extreme fatigue, whereas a cold-holder continues to function at his usual level of activity.
Diagnosing a cold in children
Children are typically diagnosed with colds based on their symptoms, despite the fact that cold symptoms can resemble those of other illnesses like allergies and bacterial infections.
To rule out other conditions that might require treatment, a throat swab and examination of the ears and throat are performed to determine whether the child has a cold.
A sore throat, sinus infection, bronchitis, or pneumonia may be the cause of the child's condition if it does not get better after three days and worsens instead.
If the symptoms last longer than a week, you notice that your child develops them around the same time every year, or they coincide with your child being exposed to dust, animals, or pollen, allergies may be to blame and not a cold.