RECURRENT COLDS IN CHILDREN
Colds which do not go away with simple home remedies and anti-cold medicines or which tend to recur after stopping the medicines, are not simple common colds.
Symptoms may be in the form of watery or thick nasal discharge, nasal stuffiness, bouts of excessive sneezing, an itchy throat, brief episodes of cough, snoring, mouth-breathing, bad breath, headaches over the area of the brow, facial pain over cheeks when bending forward, feeling of a longstanding “blocked ear” and so on.
The commonest causes of recurrent or persistent colds in children are
Allergic rhinitis (hay fever) – allergic colds
- Occur at any age mostly commonly after 6-12 months of age
- Attacks of persistent sneezing
- Itching sensation of the nose
- Itching of the eyes
- Pink eyes
Adenoidal enlargement (adenoidal hypertrophy)
- More common in children 1-6 years of age
- Snoring
- Mouth-breathing
- Bad breath
- Feeling of blocked ears
- Itchy throat
- Recurrent throat infections
- Recurrent chest infections
Sinusitis
- Occurs in children from 7 years of age since all the sinuses (except the maxillary) open at this age
- Headaches over the brow area
- Pain over cheeks area when bending face forward
- Feeling of blocked ears
- Bad breath
Speak to your pediatrician for investigating these conditions and the appropriate treatment for the same.
