Pediatric Cold & Flu Treatment Specialist in Frisco, TX

The common cold hits all of us regularly, with young kids and infants being especially prone to catching colds frequently as their immune systems grow and develop. The severity of the cold can vary, depending on the strain and the immune system’s ability to fight it. Sufferers can have one or two symptoms or several symptoms of the cold that can last up to roughly 10 days.

The most common symptoms of colds are a cough, stuffy or runny nose, and a sore throat. Additional symptoms of a cold can include congestion, mild headache, minor body aches, sneezing, low-grade fever, and a general feeling of being unwell. In most cases, the symptoms will clear up on their own with a week to 10 days, although some symptoms may linger for an extended period, such as a cough. Sufferers don’t often require treatment from a doctor, unless their symptoms don’t go away or if they get worse and are more severe. This can be an indication of something more serious than just a common cold, as cold symptoms can be similar to those of many other illnesses.

Colds and flu are often bucketed together when people refer to them, and also in the packaging of over-the-counter medications, due to the symptoms that they share. The causes of a cold and the flu are different though, as they are caused by different types of viruses. Both illnesses are highly contagious and affect the respiratory system, however, a cold is caused by rhinoviruses whereas the flu is caused by influenza viruses.

The symptoms of both are very similar, with the flu symptoms being much more severe and including a high fever and/or chills, aches and pains, headaches, and vomiting or diarrhea, which are not common symptoms of a cold. Symptoms of the flu will also come on much more abruptly in the span of a few hours, compared to the symptoms of a cold, which come on gradually over the course of a few days. Where cold is likely to include a runny or stuffy nose and sneezing, the flu will only occasionally have these symptoms.

Cold symptoms gradually develop over the course of a few days, often with a mild cough or runny or stuffy nose being the first symptoms to develop. In kids especially, cough or runny nose is usually the first, early sign of a cold, with additional symptoms developing as the cold pick up steam.

The common cold takes between a week and 10 days to typically run its course, with symptoms varying throughout that time as the body works to fight against the virus. With kids, some symptoms, such as a cough, can linger beyond the clearing up of the rest of the symptoms, as the body works to clear the last of the virus out of the system.

Many parents see an increase in colds in their kids at the start of the school year when the kids all come back together after a break. Usually, by the end of the first month of the school year, the cold has worked its way through the kids, and they get through the rest of the school year with the occasional cold here and there.

Colds and the flu share many of the same symptoms, making it difficult to determine if someone is suffering from the flu or if they simply have a cold. In both illnesses, sufferers typically experience a sore throat, cough, fatigue or weakness, and muscle and body aches and pains. Common colds will usually have congestion, sneezing, and a runny or stuffy nose, which can happen with the flu but only occasionally.

With the flu, the symptoms are typically rated as being moderate to severe, whereas with a cold they will be milder. The onset of symptoms will vary, with a cold gradually increasing in the severity or number of symptoms over the course of a few days and the flu typically coming on quickly and suddenly in the span of a few hours. If your child is suffering from symptoms of a cold or flu and you need medical care, reach out to the team at Healing Care Pediatrics. We can help diagnose whether your child is suffering from a cold or flu through our telemedicine platform and let you know what you can do to help your child feel better quickly. We serve patients from Frisco TX, Prosper TX, The Colony TX, Allen TX, Fairview TX, and surrounding areas.