Flu or Common Cold, How Can You Tell The Difference?

Although vaccination is the best way to prevent the flu, practicing healthy habits can also lend a hand in prevention. For example, washing your children’s hands and asking them to cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing is a good way to avoid spreading germs. Of course it always best to stay away from people who are sick.  

Flu vs. Colds

Flu symptoms can vary from child to child – and they can change as the illness progresses. The flu has symptoms that make a child worse than symptoms associated with a common cold. However, it is not that easy to tell the difference between the two. To help decide whether your child is fighting the flu or a cold, ask yourself these questions about your child’s symptoms.

What to do if my child has the flu?

Unlike other infections, the flu does not always require treatment. But it is always best to make an appointment with one of our providers since the illness can become complicated if your child is running a fever and/or dehydrated. 

Providers may prescribe an antiviral medicine, but in reality, these medicine usually only shorten the course of the infection by just 1 or 2 days-provided your child’s illness is reported at an early stage. 

Here are a few helpful tips one can do to help your child feel better should he or she come down with the flu.

• Offer plenty of fluids. Try ice pops, icy drinks and soft fruits should your child get tired of drinking water.
• Encourage bed rest.
• Acetaminophens (such as Tylenol) and ibuprofens (such as Advil or Motrin) tend to relieve aches and pains. Do not give aspirin.
• It is important to continue encouraging healthy habits by washing you and your family’s hands thoroughly and often. 
• Keep them home from work or school. You will help prevent others from catching their illness. 

Common Colds

Common cold symptoms may include sore throat, headache, mild fever, aches and loss of appetite. 

Unfortunately, no effective cold vaccine has ever been developed, so it is not easy to prevent. But much like the flu, practicing healthy habits can go a long way. 

Some people believe that kids may be more vulnerable to colds if they do not eat nutritious meals; they are stressed or tired; if they are exposed to cold or wet weather, but there is little evidence to support these beliefs.

Treatment for the common cold is “time.”  

There isn’t much one can do. However you should make an appointment with our office if there is: 

• Increased throat pain 
• Coughing which produces green or gray sputum or lasts more than 10 days. 
• Fever lasting several days or over 101F.
• If the child has shaking chills, chest pain or shortness of breath
• Difficulty swallowing, poor intake of fluids.
• Pain in the ear, unusual lethargy, enlarged, tender glands in the neck
• Blue lips, skin or fingernails.

New Requirement to Enter into the 6th or 9th Grade

As you may be aware, in the past few months, we’ve seen an increase in pertussis cases, commonly known as “whooping cough,” in the McHenry County. Hundreds of cases had been reported.  

As a result, the IL Department of Public Health has issued the implementation of Tdap vaccination requirement for children entering the 6^th and 9^th grade this coming fall.  Students without proof of Tdap vaccination, or an approved medical or religious exemption on the file with the school, or an appointment to receive the Tdap shot during the school year will be subject to exclusion. 

If your child has not received the vaccine, we would encourage you to make an appointment with our office so that we can not only provide the necessary vaccinations, but we can also complete a full assessment of your child’s health. More importantly, a complete head-to-toe health exam may:

•  Find and treat health problems before they become serious.
•  Allow parents and children to ask questions about the child’s health.
• Help parents and children establish a relationship with a primary care physician or nurse practitioner.
• Help establish a healthy baseline to aid diagnosis when children become sick.
• Health help children stay healthy.

Keep in mind that Whooping cough is an extremely contagious disease and symptoms are similar to those of a cold, including runny nose, sneezing, low-grade fever and a cough that gradually worsens. Immunizations are the single most protective factor against pertussis.

Give us a call at 847-854-9402 at your earliest convenience so we can schedule that appointment soon.  And we thank you for entrusting us with the healthcare of your child. 

To read a FAQ, go to this link.