Colds are very common. This viral infection manifested by a stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat, and sometimes a mild cough. Should we consult for colds? How do we know this is not quite the flu? How to avoid it? And if not, how not to forward it to the whole family?
Fever Treatment: Colds are highly contagious
With the arrival of cold winter, the body’s immune system gets less resistant and efficient. Thus victims of colds are most vulnerable at some point. Children are the most affected. They encounter, on average, six colds each year. Their immature immune system involved, but the virus is particularly contagious; community life (nursery) also plays an important role. The frequency of colds also decreases with age. The adult, reached 2 to 3 times per year and the elderly once, if at all, because the body is then immune against those viruses responsible for colds.
Fever Treatment: How to avoid a cold?
- The surest way not to catch a cold is to ensure not to weaken your immune system.
- Manage stress with yoga, relaxation, etc. because it positively affects immunity
- Regularly engage in physical activity: a half-hour walk a day for a sedentary person, it’s something!
- Balanced, varied-enough diet: this is not the time to start a restrictive diet.
- Get enough sleep and lie in regular time.
How to avoid spreading your cold around you?
1- Know that viral transmission is based on hygiene
- Wash your hands regularly and teach children to do it properly: water and soap, lather for over a minute, nail cuffs.
- Do not exchange cutlery, glasses, pacifiers, washcloths, etc.
- Ideally, wear a mask when you have a cold; otherwise, cover your face when you sneeze or a cough.
- Do not kiss if you have a cold, avoid handshakes, and push some visits (sick, elderly, young children).
- Do not kiss a toddler’s face.
2- Get vaccinated against the flu
The common cold is a mild infection of the upper airway that causes a runny nose, cough, and sore throat. The flu hits much stronger: fever, headache and muscle pain, and nausea and vomiting, in some cases, are among the symptoms. Get vaccinated against the flu! The flu vaccine is safe and is the best prevention. As the effectiveness of the vaccine decreases over time, it is essential to get vaccinated every year.
3- Do not skimp on cleaning
Viral droplets from coughing or sneezing by someone with a cold or flu found on all kinds of surfaces need to be cleaned. Be sure to disinfect objects frequently touched, such as door handles, remote controls, and telephones, especially if a family member or office mate has a cold or flu. Do not share a drink or toothbrush with a sick person. Clean children’s toys. Also, when you go to the gym, do not forget to wipe the equipment before and after use.
4- Study or work from home
One of the best ways to avoid spreading your cold around is to work or study from home wherever you can. For example, if you are studying a TWU online nursing program instead of going to a physical school, you won’t be at risk of passing your cold on to your peers through coughing and sneezing if you were in a classroom learning environment and attending lectures in person. The same applies to the world of work. If you can do your job from home with ease, ask to work remotely to prevent spreading your germs to your colleagues in the office. You could do this on a permanent basis or just while you are ill.
Should we consult the doctor for colds?
If there is a flu (very intense symptoms of sudden onset), a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible to benefit from antiviral therapy. However, if cold symptoms drag on more than ten days, they certainly indicate the presence of complications. It then becomes necessary to go to the doctor.
In children, it is more often from otitis media. But a cold can also degenerate into sinusitis, bronchitis as in pharyngitis or pneumonia. Also note that a cold, weakening the body can reactivate herpes (cold sores or genital herpes).
A cold case rarely needs to see a doctor unless you have the following signs:
- Your cold lasts more than 10 days.
- You have an earache or a flow rate of one ear.
- You experience severe pain in the face or forehead.
- Your fever is greater than 39 ° C. – Your cough persists.
- You are wheezing.
- You are upset, and your daily activities are reduced.
- Your symptoms are similar to those of the flu.
And what if it was flu?
Flu symptoms are similar to those of a cold. However, they have a particularity: they appear very suddenly and very severely. Moreover, the fever is higher from the outset with a feeling of malaise, weakness. Under these conditions, you have to very quickly see your doctor within 12 to 24 hours after symptom onset (at the latest within 48 hours). You can thus benefit from antiviral treatment that will block the flu or greatly slow down the symptoms.
How to cure a cold?
Treating colds is based on the symptoms (drugs against fever and pain, decongestants for the nose, cough syrup against dry when it persists). Remember that antibiotics do not affect viruses. They are, therefore, prescribed against bacterial complications.
You have a cold. Improve your day!
- Stay warm and rest.
- Clean nose with nasal sprays seawater.
- Drink a lot, including hot drinks.
- Do not overheat the room.
- Ensure adequate humidification of the room.
Natural remedies for colds
- Since a cold cure spontaneously, do not run to the pharmacy to fill medication: tablets, sachets, syrup, lozenges, etc.; they are useless or even dangerous. Against sneezing, runny nose, cough, sore throat, fatigue, mild fever, muscle aches, and headache, tap into natural remedies.
- Hygiene is essential: wash your hands as often as possible and after blowing your nose (into a disposable tissue) with warm water and soap. You will avoid the same time to pass on your germs to those around you (family, colleagues, etc.)
- Avoid touching your nose and eyes. Drink lots of water, of course, but also herbal teas and fruit juices. The goal is to hydrate to thin the mucus from your nose and throat, and thus help them evacuate.
- Drink even more if you have a fever. A hot drink (tea, mint) also has the advantage of relieving sore throats and decongest your nose—hydrate nasal mucosa by spraying saline or seawater.
- Do not smoke. Breathing other people’s smoke also aggravate cold symptoms. No alcohol. The little lift alcohol is prohibited. Alcohol useless fatigue on the body, and sleep enough Rest as much as possible. If necessary, make small naps.
- Against fever, take paracetamol. In herbal medicine, the herbal Echinacea helps relieve colds. This plant has immunostimulatory properties. Check at your home, especially your bedroom, and your workplace, that you have sufficient moisture.
