Understanding The Common Cold
For more information about Dr. Gluzman, visit her website, BlossomPediatrics.com.
While you might not automatically associate dizziness with the most frequent symptoms of a cold, it can still happen.
A cold may sometimes cause dizziness because of the way that it affects your middle and inner ear, which is the part of your body that helps regulate your balance and stability.
There are a couple of different things that we mean when we say we “feel dizzy,” so let’s delve a little deeper into what dizziness actually is.
Breaking Down Dizziness
The word “dizziness” can be used to describe two different, but related, feelings: lightheadedness and vertigo.
So, if you are feeling dizzy, it can be helpful to hone in on which of these feelings you are actually experiencing, and if your child is dizzy, describing these feelings to them may help them figure out what exactly is bothering them.
- Lightheadedness: Lightheadedness is the feeling that you are on the verge of passing out, and this feeling does not come along with the sensation that the room is moving around you.
- Vertigo: On the other hand, feelings of vertigo can make it seem like your surroundings are moving, and you might feel off-balance or that you are spinning or tilting. Severe vertigo may make you feel nauseous, and you might have trouble walking around.
Now that we’ve outlined these two feelings, it is important to note that a cold can cause one or both of these… which may make your job as a parent a tiny bit more difficult when your kid comes down with a cold.
A cold can show itself in many different ways, and when your child has symptoms of a cold alongside a symptom like dizziness, it can be concerning even if you know that the culprit might just be a case of the sniffles.
Understanding the Common Cold
Typically, the first signs of a cold are a sore throat and runny nose, so the second your child comes home from school with one of these two things, you might already know what’s coming.
Coughing and sneezing tend to be the next step, but symptoms can occur in any order, and other symptoms include body aches, headaches, and dizziness. Most colds will resolve themselves in 7-10 days, but during that week the symptoms can be pretty miserable. Plus, anyone with a weakened immune system or compromised respiratory function is at risk of their cold turning into something more serious, like bronchitis or even pneumonia.
So, how can you protect yourself and your children from getting sick, and how do you know when you should see your pediatrician? The most basic things you can do to make sure your child has a strong immune system is making sure that gut health is optimized by eating whole, seasonal, unprocessed, fresh foods, as well as fermented foods for natural probiotics and lots of healthy fats to protect the integrity of the gut lining.
When it comes to the kids, sending them to school with “wash your hands” ingrained in their heads can help keep them germ-free even with all the high-touch surfaces they might encounter throughout the school day.
How To Treat a Cold and Dizziness
If it's too late and someone in your home has already caught a cold, it can easily be treated with the help of some home remedies or medicine.
A cold, and any dizziness that it may have come along with, can be eased by generally taking it easy and making sure to get sufficient rest and sleep. The time you spend asleep is your body’s opportunity to restore and heal itself, so this is crucial when you or your kids are fighting a cold. Additionally, laying down and getting some shut-eye can help reduce any feelings of lightheadedness or vertigo.
Simple at-home treatments like running a hot shower and sitting in the steam or drinking hot tea can work to soothe symptoms like congestion and a sore throat. Steam can clear congestion by easing inflamed nasal passages, and hot tea may soothe the irritation that causes a sore throat.
Sometimes, though, these methods just don’t suffice, and medicine may be needed… and this is when Genexa can offer a little aid.
Genexa is the first clean medicine brand, providing medicines that contain the active ingredients you need without the artificial ingredients you don’t need.
Their Kids’ Cold Crush cold medicine is a homeopathic remedy that works to address things like a cough, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, and mucus. In other words, this medicine is a powerful way to start treating all those pesky symptoms your kids might be dealing with.
Genexa was founded by two dads, so they know what it’s like to struggle with sick kids, and to struggle to find medicines that won’t add unnecessary, inactive artificial ingredients into the mix.
When To See a Doctor
Certain symptoms may be an indication that your illness is more than just a cold, and sometimes it is necessary to seek medical attention.
Especially in the case of dizziness, you should keep your eyes peeled for more severe symptoms your kids might exhibit that mean you need to seek immediate medical attention.
These symptoms include:
- A sudden and severe headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Slurred speech
- Difficulty walking and standing straight
- Numbness in arms and legs
- Seizures
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Confusion
Though uncommon, these symptoms are a sign that something more serious may be going on. A trip to the doctor’s office will help steer you in the right direction, and your doctor will be able to give you any necessary diagnoses or prescriptions.
Dizziness rarely signals any life-threatening conditions, but it is always better to play it safe if new and concerning symptoms appear. The way you should treat your dizziness depends on what is causing it, so if it is not linked to your cold, it’s a pretty good idea to consult a doctor.
Additionally, if your cold just won’t quit, this is another sign that a doctor’s help may be needed, as it may actually be a sinus infection or other illness that requires prescription medication.
The Bottom Line
Dizziness is not one of the most common symptoms caused by the common cold, but it still might happen in some cases because of the way a head cold affects your inner ear. Dizziness that is caused by a cold will go away when the cold does, and making sure to get enough sleep is the most important thing you can do to speed up your recovery.
Sometimes, at-home treatments might not be enough to cut through the discomfort of your cold symptoms, so Genexa’s clean medicines (same active ingredients you need, but without artificial fillers) might come in handy.
If you experience dizziness that comes along with more severe symptoms like a sudden headache, nausea and vomiting, or slurred speech and confusion, medical attention is necessary as this may be an indication of a more serious problem.
A cold is generally highly treatable with a short duration, so you and your kids should be back to normal in no time.