As adults, it is not unusual for us to see children having the sniffles. Children get sick at some point in their lives, having a runny nose, sneezing and coughing are among the symptoms we get to observe during these instances. Colds and flu are two of the most common childhood diseases our kids may encounter. In most cases, both these conditions exhibit the same signs and symptoms. Children who suffer from colds would complain of body aches, fatigue and a stuffy nose. On the other hand those who have the flu would manifest signs of extreme tiredness, dry cough and fever. With that in mind, a common cold is less severe in terms of symptoms compared to flu.

How does a cold differ from flu? Both these conditions are respiratory illnesses caused by different types and strains of viruses. The causative agent of colds can either be one of the 200 known cold viruses to date. Flu is caused by either the influenza A virus or the influenza B virus. Since flu has fewer causative agents, a vaccine can be used to prevent infection of such virus. Currently, vaccination shots for the common cold are not yet available. Symptoms that can be noticed in children who suffer from colds develop slowly and gradually, the first one that appears is nasal discharges often green-colored or yellow-colored. This runny or stuffy nose is accompanied by cough, sneezing and sore throat. As the condition worsens, the child can develop fever up to 102 degrees Fahrenheit, he will also have headaches, muscle aches, fatigue and watery eyes. Children, who suffer from flu, manifest flu-like symptoms more quickly than colds. These kids will have a stuffy or runny nose, a fever up to 102 degrees Fahrenheit, cough and headache. With time, other symptoms including nausea, night sweats and chills, loss of appetite and muscle aches on the back, arms and legs will eventually appear.

As we all know, the common cold doesn’t have any treatments available. This condition is managed by doing support measures such as increasing oral fluids, boosting the immune system by eating healthy and consuming items rich in vitamin C or ascorbic acid and getting enough rest and sleep to fight off the infection. For flu, doctors may prescribe anti-viral medications to get rid of the influenza virus. Support measures are also practiced to treat the condition’s symptoms. Like colds, drinking lots of oral fluids, avoiding smoke and alcohol, eating a healthy balance diet and having adequate amounts of rest and sleep can help the child heal and recover. Sore throat can be managed using saline gargles; salt water nose drops can also help loosen mucus secretions as well as moistened the inner skin of the nose. Over the counter medications such as analgesics, decongestants, cough suppressants and expectorants can treat the symptoms of both colds and flu.

These two conditions usually heal with time, but if the symptoms worsen and last more than 10 days, it’s best to seek medical help from the child’s pediatrician.