Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work

A CHILD’S RUNNY NOSE: TIPS FOR PARENTS 

Your child has a runny nose. This is a normal part of what happens during the common cold 
and as it gets better. Here are some facts about colds and runny noses. 

What causes a runny nose during a cold? 

When germs that cause colds first infect the nose and sinuses, the nose makes clear mucus. 
This helps wash the germs from the nose and sinuses. After two or three days, the body’s 
immune cells fight back, changing the mucus to a white or yellow color. As the bacteria that live 
in the nose grow back, they may also be found in the mucus, which changes the mucus to a 
greenish color. This is normal and does not mean your child needs an antibiotic. 

What should I do? 
- The best treatment is to wait and watch your child. Runny nose, cough, and symptoms like 
fever, headache, and muscle aches may be bothersome, but antibiotics will not make them 
go away any faster. 

- Some people find that using a cool mist vaporizer or saltwater nose drops makes their child 
feel better. 

Are antibiotics ever needed for a runny nose? 
Antibiotics are needed only if your doctor tells you that your child has sinusitis. Your child’s 
doctor may prescribe other medicine or give you tips to help with a cold’s other symptoms like 
fever and cough, but antibiotics are not needed to treat the runny nose. 

Why not try antibiotics now? 
Taking antibiotics when they are not needed can be harmful. Each time someone takes 
antibiotics, they are more likely to carry resistant germs in their noses and throats. Common 
antibiotics cannot kill these resistant germs. Your child may need antibiotics that are more 
costly, given by a needle, and/or administered in the hospital. Since a runny nose almost 
always gets better on its own, it is better to wait and take antibiotics only when they are needed. 

For more information, call 1-888-246-2675 or visit www.cdc.gov/getsmart. 
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