4 yr old son has fever of 100.5, coughing, yellow drainage from nose and has some yellow drainage from left eye? i've dealt with the fevers and coughing before but not the drainage...im running a vaporizer and using chest rub and childrens robitussin cf f

Hi. : Hi. I'm sure your son is not feeling well! it sounds like he has the common cold. Often what will happen is a child will get a runny nose - when they lie down, it drains down the back of the throat and they cough. In terms of treating his symptoms, i think it is fine to get him to blow his nose (at 4 years old, he's not likely going to let you spray salt water up his nose and suction it out!). Also, the humidifier (or standing in a steamy bathroom with the shower running) and the chest vapor rub are fine (for younger children, i recommend putting it somewhere that they can't eat it!) however, cough and cold medicines are not recommended for children under the age of 6 years - they have not been shown to work, and in some children, they have caused serious side effects - even death! since he is over 1 years of age, you can try a teaspoon of honey to help soothe his cough. For his fever, i recommend using either Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen (as a mom, i know when i wake up at 2 am, i can't remember what i gave last!). Make sure the dose is appropriate for him - this is often based on his weight more than his age. Colds can often last up to a week - if it's not getting better after 7 days, if he starts having worsening symptoms (higher fevers, ear pain, trouble breathing) or anything that concerns you - please see your doctor right away! in the meantime, try to encourage him to drink lots of fluids (or popsicles!) to keep him hydrated. I hope this helps - good luck. Remember to wash your hands so that you don't get sick too!

May be infected: While some children may get mucous in their eyes with a viral infection, often drainage from a single eye with accompanying nasal discharge might be a sign of a bacterial infection. Discuss with your pediatrician or ophthalmologist.

Conjunctivitis: The yellow discoloration of mucus may occur with either a viral or bacterial illness. If there copious drainage from the eye, light sensitivity, redness of the eye, then conjunctivitis or pink eye is possible. It is treated with topical antibiotics. If the nasal discharge persists more than 10 days, or if there is fever for more than three days, maybe sinusitis- please see your doctor.