Cold on a cold or chest infection?

[Galena]

DD (18mo) has had a cold for a week or two. Nothing terribly awful - a bit of snot, a bit of a cough, a little wheezing at times treated with her inhaler. Nothing I felt needed the doctor.

Today she has a lot more snot, her cough is sounding quite productive and her temperature is up a bit (only 37.7 this morning, but usually 36.5). She's a little more whingy than normal, but not dreadfully sorry for herself.

So, do I assume this is simply another cold virus on top of what she already had, or might it be a chest infection (as her cough has changed and she now has a slight temp)?

How do I know the difference?

[Galena]

Bump - anyone?

[CharlieBoo]

I still never know the difference to be honest. My dd is 17 months and also has an inhaler, had bronchilitis/chesty episodes last winter 3 times but it was always hard to tell the diff for me between a normal cold/cough and when she had bronchilitis/an infection because she never got a temp with it. Will watch this thread with interest, but if the temp continues I would go to GP.

[Galena]

Thanks Charlie - DD was hospitalised 3 times with bronchiolitis between Feb and May this year. She was always quite happy, but struggling to breathe. This time she isn't, and her cough is much more productive than then. Bless her, she's just so snotty and gunky at the moment.

Temp is still up - brought down with nurofen/calpol from 38 earlier. But she's been ok today - maybe slept a bit more than normal, but eating and drinking fine. Every time she was hospitalised it was the weekend! What's she got against them?!

[Galena]

Well, we've made it this far without needing Out of Hours doctor, but I may phone the Doc tomorrow if the temp doesn't settle. We're keeping it under control with Calpol/Nurofen but DD is still a bit miserable. Our doctors must get SO fed up of 'Mrs Galena phoned for an emergency appointment because GalenaDD has a grotty cough.'

Bloody rubbish prem baby lungs!