Common Winter Illnesses in Children and How to Prevent Them
It’s that time of year again—the leaves are falling, and the kids are beginning to cough and sniffle. Unfortunately, the return to school brings a greater risk of contracting the most common winter illnesses. Here’s what to be on the lookout for.
The Common Cold
“This fall, in particular, we have really seen a return of more ‘typical’ common upper respiratory viral infections,” says Dr. Ryan Kearney of Summit Health’s Pediatrics team. “We had gone through a stretch of almost a year with very little community non-COVID viral prevalence, but that definitely seems to be changing now.”
The common cold is caused by a virus infecting the upper respiratory system. Many different viruses can cause it, but they have overlapping symptoms, including congestion, a runny nose, and a cough.
Viral Gastroenteritis
“Although not always caused by the influenza virus, this is a constellation of symptoms usually referred to as a ‘stomach flu,’” says Dr. Kearney. Gastroenteritis will often result in both vomiting and diarrhea. “If there is a large volume diarrhea, helping a child drink enough fluids is particularly important but sometimes challenging for younger children. In general, frequent small sips of liquids is the best approach. This is where popsicles can really shine!”
Although fever can be present in the setting of gastroenteritis, abdominal pain is usually not common. A child with vomiting and/or diarrhea who has abdominal pain could have another cause of their symptoms and should be seen by their pediatrician.
Influenza
The symptoms of the flu are a bit different than viral gastroenteritis — vomiting and diarrhea are present, but fever, body aches and respiratory symptoms tend to be a bit more common. “With COVID-19, we are all on the lookout for new or worsening breathing symptoms, high fevers or unusual fatigue in patients with known infections with the virus,” says Dr. Kearney. “These could be early signs of pneumonia or even myocarditis. While it might seem surprising, these are the exact things we pediatricians worry about and look out for every year in our patients infected with influenza.”
In fact, even healthy children under the age of two are considered high risk for complications from influenza. “It’s for this reason that we recommend annual flu shots for our patients and their household members.”
If you think you or your child might have influenza, prompt testing is important because there are also readily available and quite effective anti-viral medications that work well, particularly if started within the first two days of symptoms.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
“Although RSV usually produces cold-like symptoms, for some of our younger or more vulnerable patients, it can be a really challenging lung infection,” says Dr. Kearney. In older children and adults, RSV usually manifests as the common cold, although perhaps with a bit more of a pronounced runny nose or even coughing. For infants, however, and children with underlying chronic lung and/or heart conditions, RSV can be a much more serious illness. In fact, RSV is one of the most commonly identified viral infections in children hospitalized due to breathing problems.
Croup
Croup can start out looking like the common cold, but “the hallmark symptom is a barky, noisy cough,” says Dr. Kearney. “When it gets bad, croup results in what we call stridor, which is a high-pitched noise when a child is breathing in.” These symptoms are the result of swelling around the area of a child’s lower throat and voice box. If you hear a barking cough, stridor or notice any difficulty breathing, your child should be evaluated without delay.
Strep Throat
Sore throat is a common symptom of various winter infections. “While it’s usually associated viral infections or even colds, a sore throat can at times be caused by bacteria,” says Dr. Kearney. ‘Strep throat’ is by far the most common bacterial cause of a throat infection. Signs of strep are usually straightforward: pain with swallowing and fever. However, abdominal pain and headache are frequently seen as well. Strep can be transmitted to others easily, but once a child has been on appropriate antibiotics, they can usually return to school in 24 hours.
How Do I Protect My Kids?
The list above might feel overwhelming, especially with the ongoing risk for COVID-19. While the number of children getting sick decreased last year due to stay-at-home orders, social distancing, and mask requirements, Dr. Kearney says it’s important to be vigilant.
Continue ensuring your kids stay safe and healthy by:
- Making sure they wash their hands
- Teaching them to cough into their elbow instead of their hand
- Keeping them home when they feel sick
- Getting them the flu shot, as well as all other childhood vaccines
- Getting them vaccinated against COVID-19 if they are 5 years or older
It’s that time of year again—the leaves are falling, and the kids are beginning to cough and sniffle. Unfortunately, the return to school brings a greater risk of contracting the most common winter illnesses. Here’s what to be on the lookout for.
The Common Cold
“This fall, in particular, we have really seen a return of more ‘typical’ common upper respiratory viral infections,” says Dr. Ryan Kearney of Summit Health’s Pediatrics team. “We had gone through a stretch of almost a year with very little community non-COVID viral prevalence, but that definitely seems to be changing now.”
The common cold is caused by a virus infecting the upper respiratory system. Many different viruses can cause it, but they have overlapping symptoms, including congestion, a runny nose, and a cough.
Viral Gastroenteritis
“Although not always caused by the influenza virus, this is a constellation of symptoms usually referred to as a ‘stomach flu,’” says Dr. Kearney. Gastroenteritis will often result in both vomiting and diarrhea. “If there is a large volume diarrhea, helping a child drink enough fluids is particularly important but sometimes challenging for younger children. In general, frequent small sips of liquids is the best approach. This is where popsicles can really shine!”
Although fever can be present in the setting of gastroenteritis, abdominal pain is usually not common. A child with vomiting and/or diarrhea who has abdominal pain could have another cause of their symptoms and should be seen by their pediatrician.
Influenza
The symptoms of the flu are a bit different than viral gastroenteritis — vomiting and diarrhea are present, but fever, body aches and respiratory symptoms tend to be a bit more common. “With COVID-19, we are all on the lookout for new or worsening breathing symptoms, high fevers or unusual fatigue in patients with known infections with the virus,” says Dr. Kearney. “These could be early signs of pneumonia or even myocarditis. While it might seem surprising, these are the exact things we pediatricians worry about and look out for every year in our patients infected with influenza.”
In fact, even healthy children under the age of twos are considered high risk for complications from influenza. “It’s for this reason that we recommend annual flu shots for our patients and their household members.”
If you think you or your child might have influenza, prompt testing is important because there are also readily available and quite effective anti-viral medications that work well, particularly if started within the first two days of symptoms.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
“Although RSV usually produces cold-like symptoms, for some of our younger or more vulnerable patients, it can be a really challenging lung infection,” says Dr. Kearney. In older children and adults, RSV usually manifests as the common cold, although perhaps with a bit more of a pronounced runny nose or even coughing. For infants, however, and children with underlying chronic lung and/or heart conditions, RSV can be a much more serious illness. In fact, RSV is one of the most commonly identified viral infections in children hospitalized due to breathing problems.
Croup
Croup can start out looking like the common cold, but “the hallmark symptom is a barky, noisy cough,” says Dr. Kearney. “When it gets bad, croup results in what we call stridor, which is a high-pitched noise when a child is breathing in.” These symptoms are the result of swelling around the area of a child’s lower throat and voice box. If you hear a barking cough, stridor or notice any difficulty breathing, your child should be evaluated without delay.
Strep Throat
Sore throat is a fairly common symptom of various winter infections. “While it’s usually associated viral infections or even colds, a sore throat can at times be caused by bacteria,” says Dr. Kearney. ‘Strep throat’ is by far the most common bacterial cause of a throat infection. Signs of strep are usually straightforward: pain with swallowing and fever. However, abdominal pain and headache are frequently seen as well. Strep can be transmitted to others fairly easily, but once a child has been on appropriate antibiotics, they can usually return to school in 24 hours.
How Do I Protect My Kids?
The list above might feel overwhelming, especially with the ongoing risk for COVID-19. While the number of children getting sick decreased last year due to stay-at-home orders, social distancing, and mask requirements, Dr. Kearney says it’s important to be vigilant.
Continue ensuring your kids stay safe and healthy by:
- Making sure they wash their hands
- Teaching them to cough into their elbow instead of their hand
- Keeping them home when they feel sick
- Getting them the flu shot, as well as all other childhood vaccines
- Getting them the COVID-19 vaccine if they’re aged 12 or older