How can you tell if you have a cold? What can be done to recover faster?
The common cold affects millions of people every year. It can attack a person's immune system at any time, but most people get sick in winter and spring.
symptom
Pain in body
Nasal congestion
cough
Headache
Loss of smell and taste
runny nose
sneeze
Sore throat diagnostics
Once you have identified symptoms, pay attention to time of year you are sick (sick season)
Colds are most common in winter and spring. You can also catch a cold in summer, but symptoms are usually different.
There are also special seasons, such as US flu season, which usually starts in October and ends in February.
Allergy season is strongest in first week of May, but people suffer from allergies in spring, summer, and fall. Record course of disease
Adults and infants: A cold usually lasts 7 to 10 days.
Influenza lasts from 7 to 14 days. .
Seasonal allergies can last from a few weeks to a few months, or can persist as long as you're exposed to harmful allergens. treatment
Place a warm towel over your nose and forehead. When you sleep, heat expands nasal passages, relieving nasal congestion.
Turn on humidifier in room. Humid air thins mucus, which can lead to nasal congestion.
Take an antihistamine or antipsychotic before bed.
anything else? It is best to avoid following unless directed by a doctor:
risk factors
Difficulty breathing
Wheezing
Breathe quickly
High temperature
High temperature for more than 4 days
Increased cough, sore throat, or headache.
Worse symptoms after 10 days from onset.
Infants and children under 6.
Older people aged 65 and over
Immunocompromised patients
Heavy smoker
prevention
There are over 200 viruses that can cause common cold, including coronaviruses and EBV. These viruses infect upper respiratory tract, causing symptoms such as cough, sore throat, runny nose and sneezing. Colds usually go away on their own (self-healing) without a visit to doctor. There is currently no vaccine for virus that causes common cold, but there are steps you can take to speed up your recovery and prevent future illness.
However, it is important to make sure you have a cold and not some other illness. In this article, we will discuss following:
symptom
Symptoms appear 1-3 days after "risk of infection". Then symptoms tend to get worse in first few days. You may experience several clinical manifestations:
The common cold is very similar to other viral infections, including flu and COVID-19. This is due to fact that all these diseases affect upper respiratory tract.
However, there are ways to tell if you have a cold, an allergy, or something else.
Check your symptomsThe fastest way to diagnose a disease is to look at symptoms. For example, fever is a common symptom of common cold and COVID-19, but not common cold. See table below for a list of notable symptoms:
Once you have identified symptoms, pay attention to time of year you are sick (sick season)
Finally, don't forget to keep an eye on when you're sick.
If you have ruled out diseases other than common cold, find right treatment. Other illnesses are related to allergic reactions or fighting flu. If you are sure you have a cold, there are many remedies available. Some of them will help speed up your recovery.
Here are six cold remedies:
1. Don't get dehydrated. A cold can dehydrate you and deprive you of vital nutrients you need to fight virus. So it's important to make sure you're drinking plenty of fluids.
Warm fluids like soup and decaffeinated tea have been shown to help relieve symptoms, including a sore throat and runny nose.
Avoid drinks that cause dehydration, such as caffeinated drinks and alcoholic beverages. You can also cut down on sugary drinks such as sodas, sports drinks, and fruit juices. Juice may contain vitamin C, which can help with colds, but too much sugar can negate all of benefits, further contributing to dehydration.
Also, limited animal studies show that excess sugar can suppress immune system, but more research is needed to determine how this might affect recovery time.
2. Eat right. Concentrate on eating foods rich in vitamin C, namely:
Other Foods to Eat with a Cold Nutritious foods boost immune system and speed up healing process. These nutrients include vitamins A, E, B6, D and minerals such as zinc and iron. Here are foods rich in these nutrients:
3. Get enough sleep. During sleep, body fights inflammation and infection.
4. Take over-the-counter medications. OTC medications such as antihistamines and antipsychotics will ease some of discomfort, but will not help you recover faster.
anything else? It is best to avoid following unless directed by a doctor:
Excessive exercise. When you have a cold, you are already dehydrated, and sweating will only speed up this process. Therefore, try not to aggravate dehydration due to strenuous exercise
Antibiotics. Antibiotics are first choice if you have a bacterial infection such as strep throat or a urinary tract infection (UTI). Since common cold is a viral infection, antibiotics cannot treat it. Also, antibiotics can weaken immune system if taken unnecessarily.
Antiviral drugs. Antiviral drugs help treat viral infections. However, there are currently no antiviral drugs for common cold.
Medicinal herbs. Small preliminary studies show that herbal remedies such as garlic and ginseng can relieve symptoms and speed up recovery.
risk factors
As a general rule, healthy adults should recover from a cold without seeing a doctor.
However, a cold is a viral infection, and sometimes virus can get out of control. This is when you experience more severe symptoms such as:
If you experience these symptoms, seek immediate medical attention.
Anyone can develop serious complications from a cold, but following groups are most at risk for worsening symptoms:
prevention
The common cold is a contagious disease that is usually spread through air through droplets of virus-infected mucus, such as when someone sneezes. In fact, droplets of a large number of viruses can be spread up to 26 feet when sneezing, and secondly, virus can be transmitted through indirect contact. Therefore, frequent handwashing, opening windows to ventilate, more exercise to increase body resistance, regular work and rest, etc. are all effective methods of protection.
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