Cold & Flu Health Center

Do coughing spasms cause your child to turn blue or purple, but his or her color returns to normal when coughing stops?

Does your baby younger than age 3 months have spasms that cause vomiting after coughing spells?

Does your baby younger than age 3 months seem more sleepy than usual?

Is your child coughing up bloody sputum (mucus from the lungs with more than just an occasional streak of blood)?

Does your child make a harsh, high-pitched sound when he or she breathes in (stridor)?

Does your baby younger than age 3 months have a cough and a change in eating habits?

Has your child older than age 3 months had several spasms that caused vomiting after coughing spells?

Does your child have a barking cough with signs of mild difficulty breathing?

Does your child have an occasional streak of blood in his or her sputum (bloody mucus from the lungs, not bleeding from the nose or the back of the throat)?

Has your baby younger than age 3 months had a cough with no other symptoms for longer than 24 hours?

Has your child had a barking cough for 24 hours or longer but does not have other signs of difficulty breathing?

Has your child had a productive cough for longer than 24 hours?

Has your child older than age 3 months had a cough for longer than 3 weeks?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Do you have a medical condition that causes wheezing, and your moderate wheezing is not responding to prescribed medicine or treatment?

Did wheezing begin after taking a medicine?

Do you have new or increasing wheezing that is limiting your activity?

Do you feel short of breath, even at rest, but you can still speak in short sentences?

Do you have new or increasing wheezing but you are still able to complete your normal activities?

Do you have mild wheezing, even at rest, but you do not feel short of breath and can still speak in complete sentences?

Have you had new shortness of breath after any amount of exertion during the past 24 hours, but you are able to breathe normally when you are resting?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Did mild difficulty breathing begin after taking a medicine?

Do you have new or increasing mild difficulty breathing, even at rest, but you can still speak in complete sentences?

Have you had new shortness of breath after any amount of exertion during the past 24 hours but you are able to breathe normally when you are resting?

Do you have chronic mild breathing problems that have been stable and now are slowly getting worse?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Do you have severe chest wall pain?

Do you have chest wall pain that is causing mild true shortness of breath?

Are you coughing up blood?

Do you have pain deep in the leg or calf?

Do you have moderate chest wall pain?

Do you have mild difficulty breathing?

Do you have a fever of or higher with no other cause?

Do you think that you have a fever, but you are unable to measure your temperature?

Is chest wall pain that has continued for more than 24 hours interfering with rest or sleep?

Have you had sudden, sharp chest wall pain that lasts for only a few seconds but comes and goes for 24 hours or longer?

Have you had mild chest wall pain when you cough or take a deep breath for longer than 3 days?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Do you have a large amount [] of bright red blood in your sputum?

Do you have small streaks of bright red blood in your sputum?

Do you produce small streaks of blood or rust-colored mucus during all or most of your coughing episodes?

Have you frequently coughed up rust-colored sputum or a small amount of blood-streaked sputum in the last 24 hours?

Have you had occasional small streaks of bright red blood in your sputum and other respiratory symptoms for longer than 48 hours?

Have you coughed up rust-colored sputum or a small amount of blood-streaked sputum after other cold symptoms have gone away?

Have you coughed up rust-colored sputum or a small amount of blood-streaked sputum but you do not have a cold or other respiratory symptoms?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Do you have a fever of or higher?

Do you think that you have a high fever, but you are unable to measure your temperature?

Do you have fever of to ?

Do you think you have a moderate fever, but you are unable to measure your temperature?

Do you have mild shortness of breath?

Are you older than 60, and you have had an ongoing fever after 24 hours of home treatment?

Have you had a fever less than and coughed up sputum more than 12 times in 24 hours?

Have you coughed up sputum more than 12 times a day for longer than 48 hours, but you do not have a fever?

Have you had a productive cough for longer than 2 weeks without other respiratory symptoms?

Do you have a chronic cough that has been evaluated by a doctor and is not following the expected course?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Do you have a fever of or higher?

Do you think that you have a high fever, but you are unable to measure your temperature?

Do you have a fever of to ?

Do you think you have a moderate fever, but you are unable to measure your temperature?

Has a cough come on gradually over hours or days after a choking episode?

Are you older than 60, and you have had an ongoing fever after 24 hours of home treatment?

Have you had a fever less than despite 48 hours of home treatment?

Have you had a dry cough for longer than 2 weeks?

Do you have a chronic cough that has been evaluated by a doctor but is not following the expected course?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

You have answered "Yes" to a question that indicates you may need immediate care. Call your health professional now to discuss your symptoms and arrange for your care.

• Symptoms are likely to worsen without medical care.
• If you do not have a health professional, seek emergency care.
• Emergency transportation is not needed. However, if you are not able to travel safely either by driving yourself or having someone else drive you, call an ambulance.

You do not need to answer any of the other questions.

You have answered "Yes" to a question that indicates you need to call your health professional to discuss your symptoms and arrange for care.

• An appointment today is usually needed.
• Symptoms are unlikely to improve without medical care.

Return to the Check Your Symptoms section and answer the questions. You may need to see a health professional sooner if you have other more serious symptoms.

You have answered "Yes" to a question that indicates you may wait to see if your symptoms improve over the next 24 hours (or the specified time period). If symptoms improve, no appointment is needed.

• If symptoms do not improve after 24 hours (or the specified time period), an appointment within the next 24 hours is usually needed.
• If appropriate, try home treatment to relieve your symptoms.
• Check your symptoms in 24 hours, or sooner if there is any change.
• Call your health professional if symptoms get worse.

Return to the Check Your Symptoms section and answer the questions. You may need to see a health professional sooner if you have other more serious symptoms.