Colds and Flu

A viral cold is usually a self-limiting infection lasting one to two weeks. The vast majority of these infections are not particularly disabling. Simple treatment is all that is required in most cases. Common symptoms of a viral cold are:

• Mild headache, usually for the first few days
• Sore throat, again lasting for a few days
• General lethargy
• Irritant dry cough becoming mildly productive later on
• Runny, blocked nose with catarrh, initially clear and watery but becoming thicker and yellow/green
• Blocked ears and muffled hearing if the congestion affects them also

Influenza or 'flu' is also a viral infection and tends to be more severe than a viral cold having many of the same symptoms. Characteristically there are muscle and joint aches and pains, lethargy, fever and headache in addition to the usual cold symptoms. Flu tends to last longer than a cold. In an uncomplicated cold or flu, as above, antibiotics are of no help. You can only treat the symptoms.

Headache, general aches and pains, and raised temperature should all respond to regular paracetamol.

Sore throat can be helped by soluble aspirin gargles and sucking boiled sweets.

Irritant coughs can be soothed by simple warm drinks and sucking sweets (e.g. honey and lemon). Cough medicines are expensive and rarely more effective.

Decongestants at night may help ease a blocked nose and make breathing easier, they may also help blocked ears.

Running nose can be stopped for 3-4 hours at a time by the use of a product such as Sudafed decongestant nasal spray.

Normally there is no need to consult your doctor, however it may be necessary for the following reasons:

• The fever is persistent beyond 3 days
• If the headache is severe and unrelenting despite adequate pain killers
• If there is a suggestion of a secondary bacterial infection such as:
  • Tonsillitis - very painful throat with fever making swallowing difficult
  • Ear infection - again very painful, often with reduced hearing
  • Sinusitis - leading to pressure and pain with fever and often green nasal discharge with blood (the sinuses are in the forehead, behind the bridge of the nose and in the cheek bones)
  • Bronchitis - A chesty cough, progressively worse with fever and possibly sharp chest pains

Sensible Precautions

• If you are asthmatic, consult your doctor if your inhalers are not helping wheezing or your peak flow drops by more than 30%
• Remember before taking any medicine make sure there are no ingredients to which you are allergic or intolerant or are contraindicated (e.g. people with high blood pressure should avoid decongestants)
• Many cold remedies contain paracetamol, PLEASE be careful, every year people accidentally overdose with paracetamol

Source: LSMP