COMMON COLD IN CHILDREN

Common Cold In Children

What causes common cold? Many believe that hundreds of cold viruses cause infection in the
upper respiratory system which in turn brings about common cold. Likely casualties of the
infection are noses, throats and ears. Although the most common of these viruses has been
identified and known as rhinovirus, the sheer number of cold viruses has made it difficult to find
the one dose or vaccination that can effectively prevent or arrest cold. The natural immune
system of the human body, harnessing the full force of its white cells, is still the best anti-dote
for common cold.

Persons infected by cold viruses scatter the disease when they cough or sneeze. Coughing or
sneezing causes the infected person to splutter saliva and sticky liquid called mucus. This liquid
contains the virus. When microscopic amounts of the liquid contaminate the surroundings, such
as the air or personal items like towels or handkerchiefs, people who come into contact with
them become vulnerable to the infection. The virus gets transmitted through the air we breath or
through our unclean hands when we touch our noses.

While the act of coughing and sneezing gives rise to the viral contagion, it is also the same
process by which persons afflicted with cold prevent the virus from infecting the other parts of
the body. The concentration of the cold virus inside the nose and the hostile reaction of the
white cells create irritating sensations that prompt the nerves to summon a sudden blast of air
from the lungs, sweeping the virus out of the way.

But cold viruses are tenacious. Although of infinitesimal sizes and invisible to the naked eye,
they are equipped with mooring contraptions which aid them to fasten themselves onto the
interior parts of the nose. They then begin to overpower the cells along the lining of the nose,
making it possible for them to multiply even more. The viral assault prompts our white cells to
react and fight, often emerging victorious in a week of deadly scuffle.

This explains why after several days we feel relieved from common cold even without
medication. Our anti-bodies are hard at work in our defense. Common cold is rather of greater
concern to children, whose immune systems are less developed than those of adults. Cold
sends children to the doctor more than any other illness does. Research data reveal that a child
contracts the cold virus more or less eight times per year, with each infection lasting up to an
average of seven days.

It takes three or two days for the symptoms of the disease to emerge when the cold virus infects
children. The afflicted child becomes bad-tempered; he or she complains of various discomforts
and pain such as sore throat, headache, muscle pain, among many others. He or she feels
weak and physically drained. The child often coughs and sneezes, develops runny nose or gets
the nasal cavities congested. In some cases cold in children can cause fever and body chills. As
cold viruses have definite life cycles, drugs are hardly effective in speeding up the process of a
child's recovery from cold virus infection. But medicines can help arrest further spread of the
virus and make the child feel more comfortable.

Although cold is common, children would do well not to take medicine without proper advice.
Parents need to be guided by what the doctor prescribes and to oversee the dosage and drugs
to be taken by their children. Decongestants ease the irritation and swelling of the nose lining,
making it easier for children to breathe. Antihistamines slows down mucus and helps to control
sneezing and runny nose. Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen can be taken when the child feels
severe headache and muscle pain.

Aside from medication, food and other forms of treatment can help the child recover quickly
from cold. Hot food and drinks help ease throat irritation and coughs. Chicken soup in particular
has been known for generations to be effective in providing relief from common cold. Hot
showers can freshen stuffy nose. Heat from whatever source induces nasal mucus to dry up.
Humidifiers work to loosen the mucus too and ease the irritation brought about by itchy eyes,
scratchy and stuffy throats.

Children also need to blow air from the nose frequently to get the mucus out of their body. Using
disposable tissues rather than handkerchiefs is better for nose blowing. Above all, total bed rest
for one or two days is recommended for children hit by the cold virus.
It takes proper nutrition, physical fitness through exercise, adequate sleep and other practices of
healthy living to hasten the full development of the immune system. It still is the child's best
defense against common cold.