My 6 year old always seems to have a cold…

Hi!

My 6 year old always seems to have a cold during the winter months. This means he has a constant runny nose and often a cough (worse at night.)

Is there anything I should be doing to prevent him getting a cold or to help with the symtoms? we use Tixylix and Calpol in the evenings, but it does’nt seem to help.

Should i take him to the doctors? (I’ve put it off as they say they can’t do anything for colds!)

Any advice would be great! Thanks

Mum S

Dear Mum S,

I’m sorry to hear that your little one is suffering from the dreaded winter germs.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to avoid these germs, especially when children are mixing at school with their friends. Ensure that your son is receiving plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, to boost his natural immunity. Encouraging regular hand washing could also help.

Once the dreaded cold has taken hold, there are things you can do to help your little one to feel more comfortable.

*Encourage lots of cool fluids . Don’t worry if you’re child does not seem very interested in food. It is more important to keep your child well hydrated.

*Give regular paracetamol to help with fever and any aches your child may have.

*Encourage lots of rest.

It is common for coughs to get worse at night. Mucous ( otherwise known as snot!) from the nose and throat tends to drain into the throat ( sounds horrible, I know!) , and this is what causes the cough. A cough that lasts longer than three weeks should be checked out with your GP.

Things you can do to help with night time coughs

*A cool mist humidifier in your son’s bedroom at night

*Raising the head of the bed may help.

*Cough medicines rarely help. It is thought that it is better to let the cough develop naturally rather than to try and suppress it.

Colds are caused by viruses, which will not respond to antibiotics. Most colds do get better on their own without any real treatment or needing to see a GP.  . The exceptions to this would be

*if your child has a high temperature , which does not settle with paracetamol

*if your child seems to be getting worse rather than better. A cold that lasts longer than a week , especially if your child is also coughing up green, yellow or brown sputum, could indicate a bacterial infection.

*if your child is finding it difficult to breathe.

*if your child is also complaining of throat or ear pain. Again maybe a symptom of infection.

*if your child is not managing to take any fluids.

Hope this helps!

Jenny