Question
The child occasionally coughs during sleep and has a dry retching sensation. Currently, there is a runny nose, nasal congestion, a slightly elevated body temperature but not above 38 degrees, and occasional sweating. Appetite is normal. Two days ago, the child took pediatric medicine for wind-heat and flu, but there was no improvement. How can you distinguish whether the child has a wind-cold or wind-heat cold?
Answer
The coughing symptom in children indicates that inflammation has invaded the throat or trachea. Since children are unable to cough up phlegm, the dry retching is caused by the mucus stimulate throat. Subsequently, symptoms such as runny nose, nasal congestion, and a slight fever may occur due to an untreated tracheal inflammation, leading to decreased resistance and subsequent fever. The symptoms of wind-cold and wind-heat colds can change in the early and late stages. Considering the child’s cough and slightly elevated body temperature, it indicates that the body’s inflammation has spread. It is recommended that you take the child to the hospital for a doctor’s examination to confirm if there are any abnormal breathing sounds in the lungs. As the symptoms of pediatric pneumonia are not easily noticeable, it is important to avoid delaying treatment. A routine blood test and mycoplasma test can be conducted on the child to determine the pathogen so that effective medication can be chosen. Treatment for bacterial or viral infections can be relatively easily distinguished. If the child’s lungs show no inflammation and the body temperature is not above 38 degrees, and appetite is good, oral antibiotics such as cefixime or cefprozil can be used.