Cold & The Flu (Children)
Coughs
To help to soothe your child’s cough, a glycerol-based cough mixture can help. You should call your IPSA physician if your child’s temperature goes above 38°C, if she/he has been coughing for longer than 2 weeks, if she/he has a cough that gets worse at night or is brought on due to exercise, or if your child finds it difficult to breathe.
The cough treatments are available as cough mixtures that your IPSA pharmacist or one of your IPSA Pharmacy team will be able to advise you about regarding which products are appropriate for your child.
Colds
The most common symptoms of having a cold are a runny nose or blocked nose and a general feeling of being unwell and tired. Your child may also have a temperature, a sore throat, a cough or a headache.
You child’s symptoms can be eased with an appropriate painkiller that will relieve both their fever and their headache. To help to ease your child’s breathing and lift congestion, use nasal drops or nasal sprays (e.g. saline nasal drops/sprays) and/or a vapour rub and inhalant. Apply your vapour rub or inhalant to your child’s clothing or bedding by following the instructions on the label.
Your IPSA pharmacist or a member of the IPSA Pharmacy team can advise you on the available products that will relieve the symptoms of your child’s cold and are appropriate given the age of your child.
The flu
Flu (or influenza) is a viral illness that is highly contagious and affects people of all ages. The flu differs from colds, as with influenza you will have:
- A rapid onset of a fever
- Aches and pains in your muscles
- Shivering and sweating
- A persistent dry cough
The treatment for flu is the same as that for colds. You should seek advice from your IPSA clinic if your child has got a temperature that cannot be controlled by using the appropriate painkiller, or if your child has any of the other associated symptoms (see the section on fevers/high temperatures) like sickness and diarrhoea or, more importantly, if your child is showing any of the signs of meningitis.
