pediatrician near me
Cold and flu are among the most common illnesses children experience. They cause similar symptoms such as cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, and tiredness, which makes it difficult for parents to tell them apart.
If your child has a cold or flu, it’s better to seek medical help from experienced paediatricians. Pune has become the hub for children’s healthcare services due to its well-equipped hospitals. Searching for “pediatrician near me” in Pune will help you get connected to experts who can provide appropriate treatments.
What is a Cold in Children?
A cold is a viral infection that mainly affects the nose and throat. Children experience several colds each year because of their weak and developing immune system.
Symptoms of a cold are:
- Runny or blocked nose
- Sneezing
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Mild fever
- Tiredness or feeling unwell
- Reduced appetite
- Difficulty sleeping
- Irritability in younger children
A cough can continue even after the other cold symptoms improve because mucus continues to irritate the throat and airways.
What is Flu in Children?
Flu, or influenza, is a contagious respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses. Flu starts suddenly and causes more noticeable fever, tiredness, body aches, headache, and cough.
Children with flu will experience these symptoms:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or blocked nose
- Headache
- Muscle or body aches
- Significant tiredness
- Reduced appetite
- Vomiting or diarrhoea in some cases
Cold vs Flu: What is the Difference
It’s difficult to differentiate between a cold and the flu for parents. Even though the symptoms can overlap, there are some general differences. A cold comes gradually, but the flu starts suddenly.
Both a cold and the flu are accompanied by a runny, blocked nose and sneezing. But a fever is not always common in the flu. But body aches, headache, and tiredness are more common in the flu
How Can Parents Care for a Child With a Cold or Flu?
Whether your child has a cold or the flu, you can care for them through these methods:
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Encourage Plenty of Fluids
The first step during a cold or the flu recovery is to encourage your child to drink more fluids to prevent dehydration. Younger children will need more frequent breastfeeding or formula feeds. Older children should be offered water and other suitable fluids.
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Encourage Rest
Children will feel more tired during a cold or the flu, so encourage them to sleep and rest more to recover. Allow them to rest and avoid forcing them to take part in strenuous activities.
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Help With a Blocked Nose
If your child has a blocked nose, get doctor-prescribed drops to make breathing and feeding easier for them.
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Manage Fever and Discomfort Safely
If your child has a fever or discomfort, feed them light meals while getting doctor-prescribed medicines to give to them. Children should not be given aspirin unless advised by the doctor.
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Soothe a Cough
To soothe the cough in children over 1 year, you can give them honey, but children under 1 year of age must not be given honey.
Moreover, parents must be careful with over-the-counter cough medicines; not every medicine is suitable for children.
How Can Parents Prevent Cold and Flu From Spreading?
If you have more than one child, it will be easy for a cold or the flu to spread from one to another. In such a situation, you can reduce the risk by:
- Encouraging regular handwashing
- Teaching children to cover coughs and sneezes
- Avoiding close contact with people who are sick when possible
- Cleaning frequently touched surfaces
- Improving indoor airflow
- Avoiding exposure to tobacco smoke
- Keeping children home when they are too unwell to participate normally
- Following recommended childhood vaccinations, including seasonal flu vaccination where appropriate
It is especially important to take your child to see a paediatrician. Searching for “children hospital near me” in Pune will help you find leading hospitals and paediatricians.
The Cloudnine Advantage
Cloudnine is among the leading providers of children’s healthcare services in India. They provide paediatric care for children with common illnesses and other health concerns. Consultations with their paediatricians help parents understand symptoms, monitor a child’s health and development, and receive age-appropriate guidance when a child has a cold, flu, cough, fever, or other illness.
Conclusion
Colds and flu are common in childhood and often cause similar symptoms such as cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, tiredness, and reduced appetite.
If your child is experiencing these symptoms, it’s better to search for “pediatrician near me” in Pune if you live there. And contact professionals like those at Cloudnine. When in doubt, a paediatrician can assess the child and guide parents on the appropriate care.
