CHILDREN'S WINTER ILLNESSES: THE LOW DOWN

Winter has arrived, and along with it comes the dreaded cold and flu season.

Runny noses and coughs abound, especially among children. Here are some pointers outlining some of the more common winter illnesses – and key tips on how to keep your family healthy this winter.

COMMON COLD

A cold is a viral infection marked by runny nose or nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, or headache. Children may also have low level fevers early in the illness. Colds are caused by hundreds of different types of virus and can occur year round, although they are most frequent in the winter months. Most colds worsen over 3-5 days and then begin to improve and run their course by around 7-10 days.

CROUP

Croup often comes on suddenly in the middle of the night. You may wake up to your child coughing loudly. The croup cough often is described as 'barking' or 'like a seal'. Your child may also be making a high-pitched, or wheezing noise while breathing. Children with mild and moderate coughs can often be looked after at home. Severe croup will require a trip to the doctor for nebuliser treatments and steroids.

INFLUENZA

Commonly known as the Flu, it usually comes on quickly with high fever, cough, sore throat, headache, and muscle aches and pains. The fever often lasts up to 5 days. There are some antiviral medications available to help fight the flu, but generally, these are only recommended for children at risk of more serious complications. Some children aged 6 and under are eligible for the NHS' nasal spray flu vaccine – check with your GP.

NOROVIRUS

Also known as the winter vomiting bug, norovirus is an extremely infectious (viral) stomach bug. It can strike all year round, but is more common in winter and in places such as hotels and schools. The illness is unpleasant, but it's usually over within a couple of days.

SORE THROAT

Sore throats are common in winter and are almost always caused by viral infections. There's some evidence that changes in temperature, such as going from a warm, centrally heated room to the icy outdoors, can also affect the throat.

STREP THROAT

Strep is most often seen in school-aged children. Children frequently present with sore throat, headache, and stomach ache. Some children will get high fevers or vomit. Strep throat does not cause cold symptoms or coughing. It can usually be easily treated with antibiotics (it's a bacterial infection rather than a virus), and children with strep throat should be treated to help prevent later complications from this infection.

CONTROLLING THE SPREAD OF VIRUSES

You can take some simple steps to help prevent the spread of a virus, though it's worth bearing in mind that people are often contagious before their symptoms materialise. For example:

• wash your hands regularly, particularly before handling food

• always sneeze and cough into tissues – this will help prevent any virus-containing droplets from entering the air where they can infect others; you should throw away used tissues immediately and wash your hands

• clean kitchen and work surfaces regularly

• use your own cup, plates and cutlery

• don't share towels or toys with someone who has a cold.