Is diarrhea and runny nose in children a sign of the common cold?
Disease description:
My son has had a lot of nasal discharge today and experienced diarrhea three times. I’m not sure what’s causing this—could his diarrhea and runny nose be signs of a cold?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Xie Zixing
A child experiencing diarrhea and a runny nose may have a common cold. This could be gastroenteric (or “stomach”) flu, which commonly presents with symptoms such as rhinorrhea (runny nose), diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Gastroenteric flu may result from bacterial or viral infections, or from non-infectious causes such as abdominal exposure to cold or improper diet. The diarrhea may stem from gastrointestinal dysfunction triggered by the cold, or it may be associated with acute gastroenteritis, thereby causing the diarrhea.
