Cold

Cold

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What is a cold?

• A cold is caused by a virus. There is no medicine that can stop the cold virus or make it go away faster. Children's bodies fight the cold virus without extra medicine.
• Colds may last up to 14 days. Fevers with a cold go away in about 3 to 4 days. A cough may last 14 to 21 days.

How can I help my child?

• Your child needs plenty of rest.
• Offer plenty of fluids. For older children, warm fluids like soup or tea with honey can soothe a sore throat or cough.
• For cough, if your child is over 1 year, offering a 1/2 teaspoon of honey may help. For children older than 6 years you can offer 1 teaspoon of honey.
• Use a cool mist humidifier in your child's room. It can help your child breathe more easily. Be sure to clean it often using the directions from the company that made it.
• Use salt-water or saline nose drops to loosen mucus in your child's nose.
• Suction baby's nose using a bulb syringe or Nose Frida. This helps before sleeping, eating, and as needed.
• Good hand washing will prevent others from getting sick.

When should I come back to the Emergency Room?

If your child:
• Is breathing faster or harder than usual.
• Has signs of being very sick. This includes sleeping all the time, not drinking fluids or says there is more pain when breathing.
• Has signs of dehydration.  This includes not crying tears, dry mouth, no pee (urine) for 8 to 10 hours, or has poor activity.

ALERT

Call your child’s doctor, nurse, or clinic if you have any questions or concerns or if your child has:

• Has new ear pain or sinus pain.
• A sore throat that lasts more than 2 days or is more painful.
• A fever of 101 F or higher that last more the 2 days.
• A cough that last more than 7 to 10 days.
• A runny nose that lasts more than 14 days.
• Yellow discharge from the eyes that starts and lasts more than a day.
• Special health care needs that were not covered by this information.


Draft Number: 1928Revision Date: January 1, 2022

This content was created to help you care for your child and/or family member. It does not take the place of medical care. Talk with your healthcare provider for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up.