Your Childrens Health

Is it the cold or is it the flu? Since both ailments have similar symptoms it may be hard to tell what your child is suffering from. Generally, the symptoms of the flu affect your child more than the symptoms of a cold. But that’s not always the case. To determine which is which, first consider how quickly the onset of symptoms came. If your child seemed to get sick rather suddenly, it’s probably the flu but if the symptoms came on gradually you are dealing with a cold. The flu also brings a high fever whereas a cold may have a low fever or none at all. The cough that comes with a cold is normally severe and hacking, but a flu cough will be dry. Other sure signs of the flu include achy muscles, chills, a decreased appetite and a headache. Keep in mind, however, that symptoms may vary in your child. If you suspect the flu at all, call your child’s doctor. If the flu is caught within the first 48 hours, your child may respond well to antiviral medication. This can shorten the course of the flu by 1 to 2 days. Whatever the case, make your child gets lots of extra fluids and rest.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, March 16th, 2006 at 7:19 am and is filed under Flu, Medical Care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.