As cold and flu season approaches, it’s important to get ready for the sneezing, scratchy throats, coughs and fevers of winter.
Children, in particular, are susceptible to catching colds because of they are in school all day—a petri dish of cold and flu germs. Effective treatment of colds starts with correct diagnosis. It’s important to know if you are dealing with a bacterial or a viral bug, because each one is treated differently.
It’s also critical to know appropriate dosages for over-the-counter medications, and to be aware which ones are okay for which ages of child. There are also lots of products today that claim to ward off a full-blown cold if they’re taken just as soon as you feel sick.
Do any of these really work—and is it safe to give them to children? Parents also need to be able to judge when a child is to sick to go to school and should stay home—always a tough call.
To learn more about staying healthy this winter as a family, tune into SMG Radio and get prevention and treatment tips from Dr. Michelle Bender.
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Germs, Colds & Fevers, Oh My – Prevention and Treatment Tips
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Learn more about Michelle Bender, MD
Michelle Bender, MD
Michelle Bender, MD, FAAP, joined Summit Medical Group in 1996. Dr. Bender is Former Chair of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the Group. Dr. Bender is a board member for Intensive Therapeutics, a nonprofit, charitable organization that provides group and individual occupational therapy for children with special needs. She has been featured in New Jersey Family "New Jersey's Favorite Kids' Docs" listings and Millburn-Short Hills "Super Docs" listings.Learn more about Michelle Bender, MD
Transcription:
Germs, Colds & Fevers, Oh My – Prevention and Treatment Tips
Melanie Cole (Host): As cold and flu season approaches, it’s important to get ready for the sneezing and scratchy throats and coughs and the fevers of winter and children, in particular, are susceptible to catching colds and things because they are in school all day with other children that are sneezing and coughing as well. My guest today is Dr. Michelle Bender. She’s a pediatrician with Summit Medical Group. Welcome to the show, Dr. Bender. So, let’s talk first about susceptibility and the immune system and are some people and children just more susceptible to catching colds and flus?
Dr. Michele Bender (Guest): Definitely younger kids tend to put their hands in their eyes, nose and mouth frequently and they tend to mouth objects and share their secretions with other kids sitting next to them and on their toys and stuff like that. So, they definitely tend to spread germs a little more easily than some older kids and adults. The other thing is that they also have more colds, so their mucous membranes are disrupted and then they are more susceptible to getting another one.
Melanie: So, they’re in school, let’s start with—and even people that go to work every day that are in an office and, again, those places are big, huge germ capsules. What can you do to start to prevent and/or build up your immune system so, hopefully, you don’t catch as many?
Dr. Bender: Exactly. If you’re healthy to begin with and your immune system is working optimally even if you did come down with something, hopefully, it wouldn’t be as severe or take as long to get rid of. You definitely need to take care of yourself. Eat a very healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. You need to get plenty of sleep. A lot of studies are showing that Americans tend to not get enough sleep, so that’s a big one. Hand washing is also important. You can use good old soap and water and if that’s not available, you can use waterless soaps. You just have to be careful if it dries out your hands too much you can also be susceptible to germs through the breaks in your skin.
Melanie: Dr. Bender, you’re a pediatrician and I’m quite sure a lot of parents come to you wanting an antibiotic right away when their children start sniffling and sneezing. How do you know the difference between the cold and the flu and when you get an antibiotic and when you do not?
Dr. Bender: That is the million dollar question. As pediatricians, our responsibility is to really use antibiotics only when there is a bacterial infection. We do look for certain types of secondary infections, meaning that you start out with a virus but over time another infection develops--something like an ear infection or a bronchial infection, like a pneumonia. Sometimes conjunctivitis or an eye infection. You can also get some skin infections around the nose if you’re rubbing it too much. Those types of things we do usually treat with antibiotics. Strep throat is another one that we generally treat with antibiotics to prevent complications. A regular upper respiratory infection that can have fever, green mucus and cough and can persist for up to two weeks is not something that we generally treat with antibiotics.
Melanie: There are so many products on the market. Airborne and Vitamin D and Vitamin C and things that we’re not sure that we should be giving our children to help build up their immune system or at the first sign of a cold. What do you think about some of those things?
Dr. Bender: Well, the most recent studies have shown that over the counter products like Sudafedrin and Dextromethorphan which are cough suppressants and decongestants really do not work that great for kids. Not only that, we tend to overdose. Maybe mom gave a dose, didn’t tell dad; dad gives another dose by mistake or kids get into it in the cabinet and drink it when they’re not supposed to. We have gotten away from using a lot of those products. There are studies that show that honey works just as well or any type of thick liquid like that would work just as well with coughing as over the counter cough treatments. I also like to recommend essential oils like eucalyptus or peppermint. You can put some drops into a mister and that can help open up the nasal passages and help with some coughing as well. You can use some Vicks, which we never want to use on the mucus membranes directly but you can put it on the chest or feet, and that can be helpful for some kids. Just drinking plenty of fluids and having a more upright position can also be effective for kids. As far as Vitamins C and D, they are not harmful, so I think that’s a reasonable approach. There are mixed studies on that, so it may help you but it may not. It probably won’t hurt you.
Melanie: I do love that action of I hate when my kids are sick but I love putting that Vicks on. It’s a very motherly thing to do. It really is. Just rubbing it on their little chest so they can breathe easier and that’s such great advice. Now, a big question parents ask themselves, Dr. Bender, every single time a child is sick: do they go to school or do they not? When do you, as a pediatrician, recommend a child stay home from school? A cough? A sniffling nose? Sneezing? What prompts staying home?
Dr. Bender: Definitely a fever of over 100.5, you should be home because you’re probably contagious during that time. Then, after that I really think that you kind of have to go by how the child feels. If you have a kid who has some runny nose and coughing but is eating well, drinking well, sleeping well, I think it’s perfectly reasonable to attend school, daycare or whatever activities they normally do. If you wanted to stay home every time that you had that, for some kids that would be the entire winter. So, that’s just not going to work out. I think you have to use your judgement a bit. If you don’t have fever but you’re really uncomfortable, cranky and whatever activity you have won’t be fun anyway, then I think you might as well stay home for that one.
Melanie: If your child gets the flu, and we’ll have a minute to talk about the flu vaccine, but if your child does get the flu do you still recommend Tamiflu? Are we still giving any kind of an anti-viral for this to lessen some of the severity?
Dr. Bender: That’s a good question. We try to reserve using Tamiflu for only those people that really have an underlying condition that might predispose them to having more severe complications from the flu. So, for instance, someone who has asthma or a diabetic, someone who has any type of immune suppressing medication or if they seem to be having a complicated course with the flu like a very severe pneumonia or something like that. For the average person with influenza, we try not to use the Tamiflu. Tamiflu does have side effects. The one that I see the most with Tamiflu is nausea and vomiting which just adds insult to injury and it really doesn’t work that well. It doesn’t take the flu away. It may lessen the course by a day or two but it doesn’t really get rid of it the way you would want, for instance, an antibiotic, to get rid of a bacterial infection. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work as well as we’d like it to. Most of the time the side effects don’t outweigh the risks of using the medication.
Melanie: So, now what about the flu vaccine this year? If our kids are getting this vaccine, and if adults are getting this vaccine, is it going to cover what you’re seeing as a pediatrician?
Dr. Bender: Flu season hasn’t started yet here in the Northeast. Unfortunately, we won’t know for a while. I figure it’s always a good idea to get it because even if it’s not effective for all the strains, it should hopefully give you some immunity. Last year, we had a vaccine that did not match the strains of flu very well and we did have quite a number of flu cases. Thank God not too many were very severe. But, this year, we hopefully changed the vaccine a little bit and it will cover for our flu strains a little bit better. But, it remains to be seen.
Melanie: In just the last minute, Dr. Bender, give us your very best advice for, hopefully, preventing some of the germs and the colds and flus that are just going to go around for our little ones and for ourselves and why we should come to Summit Medical Group for care.
Dr. Bender: Of course, you should come to Summit Medical Group because we have all kinds of generalists and specialists who can take care of the needs of the entire family. We have an electronic health record that goes throughout our group so all our doctors can be in excellent communication with each other and provide the highest level of care. Summit Medical Group definitely is number one in New Jersey and I think we should all be bringing our whole families here. As far as preventing illness, I think that, again, using common sense, dressing warmly when it’s cold outside; trying not to share food or drinks with your neighbors or friends; trying not to put your hands in your eyes, nose or mouth whenever possible. Handwashing is always good. I think that for the parents that are taking care of their kids, if they can try to, again, avoid putting the hands in the eyes, nose and mouth and use really great handwashing, you might be able to prevent it from spreading from kid to kid or from kid to parent which would be nice.
Melanie: Thank you so much. You’re listening to SMG Radio. For more information, you can go to SummitMedicalGroup.com. That’s SummitMedicalGroup.com. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
Germs, Colds & Fevers, Oh My – Prevention and Treatment Tips
Melanie Cole (Host): As cold and flu season approaches, it’s important to get ready for the sneezing and scratchy throats and coughs and the fevers of winter and children, in particular, are susceptible to catching colds and things because they are in school all day with other children that are sneezing and coughing as well. My guest today is Dr. Michelle Bender. She’s a pediatrician with Summit Medical Group. Welcome to the show, Dr. Bender. So, let’s talk first about susceptibility and the immune system and are some people and children just more susceptible to catching colds and flus?
Dr. Michele Bender (Guest): Definitely younger kids tend to put their hands in their eyes, nose and mouth frequently and they tend to mouth objects and share their secretions with other kids sitting next to them and on their toys and stuff like that. So, they definitely tend to spread germs a little more easily than some older kids and adults. The other thing is that they also have more colds, so their mucous membranes are disrupted and then they are more susceptible to getting another one.
Melanie: So, they’re in school, let’s start with—and even people that go to work every day that are in an office and, again, those places are big, huge germ capsules. What can you do to start to prevent and/or build up your immune system so, hopefully, you don’t catch as many?
Dr. Bender: Exactly. If you’re healthy to begin with and your immune system is working optimally even if you did come down with something, hopefully, it wouldn’t be as severe or take as long to get rid of. You definitely need to take care of yourself. Eat a very healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. You need to get plenty of sleep. A lot of studies are showing that Americans tend to not get enough sleep, so that’s a big one. Hand washing is also important. You can use good old soap and water and if that’s not available, you can use waterless soaps. You just have to be careful if it dries out your hands too much you can also be susceptible to germs through the breaks in your skin.
Melanie: Dr. Bender, you’re a pediatrician and I’m quite sure a lot of parents come to you wanting an antibiotic right away when their children start sniffling and sneezing. How do you know the difference between the cold and the flu and when you get an antibiotic and when you do not?
Dr. Bender: That is the million dollar question. As pediatricians, our responsibility is to really use antibiotics only when there is a bacterial infection. We do look for certain types of secondary infections, meaning that you start out with a virus but over time another infection develops--something like an ear infection or a bronchial infection, like a pneumonia. Sometimes conjunctivitis or an eye infection. You can also get some skin infections around the nose if you’re rubbing it too much. Those types of things we do usually treat with antibiotics. Strep throat is another one that we generally treat with antibiotics to prevent complications. A regular upper respiratory infection that can have fever, green mucus and cough and can persist for up to two weeks is not something that we generally treat with antibiotics.
Melanie: There are so many products on the market. Airborne and Vitamin D and Vitamin C and things that we’re not sure that we should be giving our children to help build up their immune system or at the first sign of a cold. What do you think about some of those things?
Dr. Bender: Well, the most recent studies have shown that over the counter products like Sudafedrin and Dextromethorphan which are cough suppressants and decongestants really do not work that great for kids. Not only that, we tend to overdose. Maybe mom gave a dose, didn’t tell dad; dad gives another dose by mistake or kids get into it in the cabinet and drink it when they’re not supposed to. We have gotten away from using a lot of those products. There are studies that show that honey works just as well or any type of thick liquid like that would work just as well with coughing as over the counter cough treatments. I also like to recommend essential oils like eucalyptus or peppermint. You can put some drops into a mister and that can help open up the nasal passages and help with some coughing as well. You can use some Vicks, which we never want to use on the mucus membranes directly but you can put it on the chest or feet, and that can be helpful for some kids. Just drinking plenty of fluids and having a more upright position can also be effective for kids. As far as Vitamins C and D, they are not harmful, so I think that’s a reasonable approach. There are mixed studies on that, so it may help you but it may not. It probably won’t hurt you.
Melanie: I do love that action of I hate when my kids are sick but I love putting that Vicks on. It’s a very motherly thing to do. It really is. Just rubbing it on their little chest so they can breathe easier and that’s such great advice. Now, a big question parents ask themselves, Dr. Bender, every single time a child is sick: do they go to school or do they not? When do you, as a pediatrician, recommend a child stay home from school? A cough? A sniffling nose? Sneezing? What prompts staying home?
Dr. Bender: Definitely a fever of over 100.5, you should be home because you’re probably contagious during that time. Then, after that I really think that you kind of have to go by how the child feels. If you have a kid who has some runny nose and coughing but is eating well, drinking well, sleeping well, I think it’s perfectly reasonable to attend school, daycare or whatever activities they normally do. If you wanted to stay home every time that you had that, for some kids that would be the entire winter. So, that’s just not going to work out. I think you have to use your judgement a bit. If you don’t have fever but you’re really uncomfortable, cranky and whatever activity you have won’t be fun anyway, then I think you might as well stay home for that one.
Melanie: If your child gets the flu, and we’ll have a minute to talk about the flu vaccine, but if your child does get the flu do you still recommend Tamiflu? Are we still giving any kind of an anti-viral for this to lessen some of the severity?
Dr. Bender: That’s a good question. We try to reserve using Tamiflu for only those people that really have an underlying condition that might predispose them to having more severe complications from the flu. So, for instance, someone who has asthma or a diabetic, someone who has any type of immune suppressing medication or if they seem to be having a complicated course with the flu like a very severe pneumonia or something like that. For the average person with influenza, we try not to use the Tamiflu. Tamiflu does have side effects. The one that I see the most with Tamiflu is nausea and vomiting which just adds insult to injury and it really doesn’t work that well. It doesn’t take the flu away. It may lessen the course by a day or two but it doesn’t really get rid of it the way you would want, for instance, an antibiotic, to get rid of a bacterial infection. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work as well as we’d like it to. Most of the time the side effects don’t outweigh the risks of using the medication.
Melanie: So, now what about the flu vaccine this year? If our kids are getting this vaccine, and if adults are getting this vaccine, is it going to cover what you’re seeing as a pediatrician?
Dr. Bender: Flu season hasn’t started yet here in the Northeast. Unfortunately, we won’t know for a while. I figure it’s always a good idea to get it because even if it’s not effective for all the strains, it should hopefully give you some immunity. Last year, we had a vaccine that did not match the strains of flu very well and we did have quite a number of flu cases. Thank God not too many were very severe. But, this year, we hopefully changed the vaccine a little bit and it will cover for our flu strains a little bit better. But, it remains to be seen.
Melanie: In just the last minute, Dr. Bender, give us your very best advice for, hopefully, preventing some of the germs and the colds and flus that are just going to go around for our little ones and for ourselves and why we should come to Summit Medical Group for care.
Dr. Bender: Of course, you should come to Summit Medical Group because we have all kinds of generalists and specialists who can take care of the needs of the entire family. We have an electronic health record that goes throughout our group so all our doctors can be in excellent communication with each other and provide the highest level of care. Summit Medical Group definitely is number one in New Jersey and I think we should all be bringing our whole families here. As far as preventing illness, I think that, again, using common sense, dressing warmly when it’s cold outside; trying not to share food or drinks with your neighbors or friends; trying not to put your hands in your eyes, nose or mouth whenever possible. Handwashing is always good. I think that for the parents that are taking care of their kids, if they can try to, again, avoid putting the hands in the eyes, nose and mouth and use really great handwashing, you might be able to prevent it from spreading from kid to kid or from kid to parent which would be nice.
Melanie: Thank you so much. You’re listening to SMG Radio. For more information, you can go to SummitMedicalGroup.com. That’s SummitMedicalGroup.com. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.