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I Wish I'd Asked My Doctor...Cold, Flu, or Allergy?
by Terri L. Pilcher, MSHS, PA-C (Terri's bio)
IMPORTANT!: Please read our legal notice regarding this health column by clicking here.
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"How do I tell if my kid has a cold, the flu, allergies, or something more serious?" - Louise D.
First, let’s look at the most obvious symptom: nasal discharge. Typically, nasal secretions during an allergy attack are clear, like thick water. Viral diseases usually create thick yellow discharge in the nose. If your child has yellow discharge, but a history of allergy problems, then press firmly on the lower cheekbone. This area is over the sinus cavity. If the child tells you it hurts when you press or complains of tooth pain, then this is probably a sinus infection. Make an appointment with your family healthcare provider.
Since solitary symptoms are rarely 100% accurate, clinicians look for other complaints as well. Patients with allergies often have itchy eyes, itchy ears, and seasonal problems related to the local release of pollen by plants (spring and late summer in the United States). If you want to consider long-term or seasonal medication to prevent allergies, contact your clinician to discuss the options.
If none of these scenarios fits your child, then maybe your child has a cold or flu virus. Colds can cause sore throats (due to dripping of nasal discharge down the back of the throat), fevers, and coughs. A case of influenza will look like a severe cold with higher fevers, body aches, chills, diarrhea, nausea, and/ or vomiting.
Antibiotics are not helpful to stop the viruses that cause the flu and the common cold. The best treatments are increased humidity from a vaporizer, Tylenol or Motrin to decrease fever, rest, and plenty of fluids.
Call your family healthcare provider in the following situations:
- Colds and flu create an ideal environment for unwanted bacteria to grow, so look for signs of ear pain such as tugging on the ears or a sudden increase in temperature. Ear infections commonly occur after a cold.
- If your child is sick for 5 days with a suspected cold or flu, but doesn’t show signs of improvement, then call your clinician.
- Viruses can cause meningitis, an inflammation of brain tissue. If your child tries to avoid light, keeps her neck stiff and refuses to bend it, or complains of a severe headache, it could be meningitis. This is serious, and your healthcare provider needs to be contacted immediately.
- Pneumonia is another common infection occurring at the same time as or following an upper respiratory infection. If your child has breathing difficulty or coughs that sound “junky”, a professional should listen to her lungs.
- Any fever over 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Any time you think your newborn child is ill.
Have a question for Terri? Click here.
Copyright 2002, Terri L. Pilcher. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
THE CONTENT OF THE "I WISH I'D ASKED MY DOCTOR" COLUMN IS PRESENTED IN SUMMARY FORM, IS GENERAL IN NATURE, AND IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THE CONTENT IS NOT INTENDED IN ANY WAY TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR FACE-TO-FACE, IN-PERSON, PROFESSIONAL, MEDICAL, PSYCHIATRIC, OR PHARMACEUTICAL HEALTH CARE ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN OR OTHER QUALIFIED HEALTH CARE PROVIDER WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING A MEDICAL CONDITION, HEALTH DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT. NEVER DISREGARD MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY IN SEEKING IT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ IN THE "I WISH I'D ASKED MY DOCTOR…" COLUMN. Please read our full legal notice.
| About Terri L. Pilcher: Terri L. Pilcher, MSHS, PA-C is a physician assistant with a Masters of Science in Health Sciences. She has worked in the fields of family practice medicine and occupational health. Her articles have appeared in Physician Assistant and JAAPA. Currently, she stays home with her daughters and writes. Contact her at AskthePA@prodigy.net. |
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