School has begun, the leaves are turning, and the days are getting darker. Unfortunately, this means that cold and flu season is upon us. It may come to no surprise to parents that kids get on average 6-10 colds per year (adults get 1-3 per year) and symptoms of each cold can last as long as 3 weeks. Combine those two facts together and you get a recipe for a child that seems to be sick all winter long.
The common cold is most commonly caused by a virus called Rhinovirus but there are hundreds of viruses that can cause colds. It can be difficult to differentiate the common cold from other illnesses like the allergies, flu, pneumonia, or strep throat.
A common question that I receive from parents is how to differentiate a cold from the flu. This chart breaks down symptoms of a cold and symptoms of the flu (adapted from SCH article1).
When you absolutely need to see your doctor:
- Any child younger than 3 months with a temperature >100.4F
- Any child over 3 months or adult with a fever of 104ºF or higher, or a fever of 101ºF or higher that lasts for more than three days
- Getting worse (instead of better) after 3 days
- Symptoms last for more than 1 week or appear at the same time every year
- Any of the following:
- coughing up a lot of mucus or difficulty breathing
-unusual tiredness
-inability to keep food or liquids down
-increasing headache or throat pain
-sore throat that interferes with swallowing
-earache
5 tips for preventing colds and flus:
1. SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP!
• Your mom was right. Sleep is so crucial to our immune function. A recent study showed that adults who slept less than 5 hours per night were 4.5 times more likely to catch a cold than those who slept more than 7 hours a night2.
• National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours per night for adults (>18years), 8-10 for teenagers (14-17 years), 9-11 for school age (6-13 years), and 10-13 for preschool (3-5 years).
2. Wash your hands regularly. For those of you with children in daycare or in school, consider changing your child’s shirt and washing their hands and face when they return home. This helps prevent the spread of germs from school to home.
3. Support your immune system by incorporating elderberry and garlic into your everyday diet.
- Drop by the clinic for a recipe for Elderberry Jiggle or make this recipe for garlic lemonade: Steep 2-4 cloves of garlic in 1 quart of boiling water for 30 minutes. Strain, add lemon and honey to taste. Serve hot and often.
4. Eat a diet full of colorful fruits and vegetables. Also consider fermented foods or a probiotic supplement.
5. Move your body regularly. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children get at least one hour of vigorous activity daily.Even when the weather isn’t perfect, there are many area indoor play options – check out a comprehensive list here.
When to return to work/school/daycare:
Your child can return to childcare or school once they have had no fever, vomiting, or diarrhea for 24 hours and feels well enough to participate in normal activities.
Dr. Jodie Murdoch is passionate about health for the whole family. She holds a Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University and specializes in women’s health, endocrinology (including hormone imbalances, thyroid conditions, infertility, diabetes), and pediatrics.
References:
1. Dowshen, Steven. (2013). Retrieved September 29, 2015 from http://www.seattlechildrens.org/kids-health/parents/general-health/sick-kids/is-it-a-cold-or-the-flu-/
2. Prather AA, Janicki-Deverts D, Hall MH, Cohen S. (2015). Behaviorally Assessed Sleep and Susceptibility to the Common Cold. Sleep. 1;38(9):1353-9
3. National Sleep Foundation. Retrieved September 29, 2015 from https://sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need
