We are seeing a lot of colds and coughs and most children seem to have mild illness and we are treating symptoms only.  A fair number of kids are having fever (temperature 101-104F) and stomach ache due to a virus.  Push fluids and give a fever reducer as needed for pain control.  As always, watch your child... not the thermometer!  The height of the temperature is not as important as hydration, pain level, breathing difficulty, or other symptoms you can see without a thermometer.

Whooping cough has been in the area.  Teens and adults tend to be the most affected, but can spread the disease to infants.  This can be fatal to babies.  Be sure adults and teens have received the Tdap in the past few years.  If your last Tetanus shot was before 2006, you haven't had this.  They still give the old version tetanus shot without the whooping cough (pertussis) component, so you need to be sure you got the Tdap!  Infants and children get this immunization in another form (DTaP) at 2, 4, 6, and 12-18 mos, then again at 4-6 years.

A number of kids have colds and coughs.  With cold symptoms we often see earaches.  Croup causes a characteristic cough in infants and children (and laryngitis in adults).  We are also seeing some vomiting and diarrhea. 

As always, avoid people who are sick if possible, wash hands frequently and stay home if you are sick. 

For more treatment ideas, please visit our Illnesses, Symptoms and Conditions page.