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Children and adults are treated differently when they have a common cold. Babies can take over the counter medicine. So when you have a young infant or a toddler, you’re suctioning their nose out to physically remove the snot, because they can’t blow their nose. You’re keeping them hydrated and keeping them comfortable and watching for any complications like fever, worsening cough, ear ache, which might mean that they have an ear infection or now they’re getting a bacterial superinfection from the cold. School-aged children over the age of six can receive some of the over-the-counter medications if it can make them comfortable. Pseudoephedrines, guaifenesin, dextromethorphan for the cough, and they can blow their nose and make themselves more comfortable. And of course, adults will do the same thing. Adults might have to be a little cautious about anti-histamines because they have to drive and have to be at work. But the whole idea, the whole aim of treating a cold, if you will, is making the patient comfortable while you’re waiting for the cold to resolve. And it’s when you have the bacterial complications that then you are interceding or treating that with appropriate antibiotics.
