Colds

Hi -

My twins have had colds for almost 2 weeks now and I am so over it! THey have a cough that sounds like it's breaking up and runny noses but no fever and are acting fine.

At what point in your kids colds do you take them to the doctor? If I call and say they have a cough they will want to see them.

Is there anything that has worked to help yours get over a cold? I am giving them children's mucinex.

Thanks for the advice!

 

If it was a long lasting cold, I would take them in because it could be just allergies. Maybe they can get a med that will work better for that. I hope they feel better soon! :hug: :hug:

 

I am a nurse....so I make for a "bad patient". I tend to try and treat myself. No, I usually don't take them to the doctor unless they are running fever, colored drainage, rash, etc.... However, my peds. nurse is super nice and helpful. Often times, I can call in and talk to her without having to bring them in every time. PLUS my ped is VERY conservative and doesn't treat unless they are nearly dying. :ibiggrin:

Stuff we do at home for colds: mucinex, chest rub, vaporizers, nasal saline and suction, plenty of fluids to thin the mucous.

Hope yours get to feeling better soon!

 

Our ped said a cold should start to get better after about 10 days -- if it's just sniffles and keeps hanging on, it's not a big deal, but if it seems to be getting worse or if there's fever, they should be seen by a doc.

A cough, he says, can last for "weeks or more than a month," but doesn't need to be seen unless they are having trouble eating, breathing (obviously), or sleeping, or seem really miserable, or have a fever.

However, if a child tends to get coughs that last for weeks, he/she might have allergies or "reactive airway disease" (basically a kind of pre-asthma -- they rarely diagnose asthma in toddlers) and an inhaler can help. Sarah never has asthma when she's healthy, but until this past winter, every time she got the tiniest cold, she'd wind up coughing for at least a month. We started her on Flovent every day during cold season as a preventive, plus Albuterol every day when she actually had a cold/cough, and it made a huge difference.

 

Just had an appt today for this-- In our house, it depends on the kid. If it's Bryan, I give him about a week and a half, maybe two weeks to see how he's doing if it's your standard cough/runny nose. Most viruses should run their course in 7-10 days. But if it's Joel, it's another story. Kinda like Alden said-- every time he gets the slightest cold, he starts up w/ a cough that will last forever and ever and ever if it's not treated, and he'll start wheezing but not audibly. He's now on pulmicort, claritin all the time and albuterol when he gets a cold. So we're in the office A LOT- in fact, the ped said today she expects us to bring him in pretty much every time he gets sick. yay. fun.