|Written by Sheryl Wiesner|
Your husband or child comes home from work or school early, complaining that they don't feel well. Could it be just a Cold or something worse like the Flu?
Step 1: Know what the typical symptoms are of a cold?
Symptoms of a cold tend to come on gradually. Here are some of the most commonly reported symptoms seen in cold sufferers:
*body aches are reported as mild if at all
Step 2: Know how to properly treat a cold
Treatment is often directed at symptom management;
*Aspirin or Tylenol for the mild body aches
Step 3: Understand how we "catch" a cold and how to prevent one
*Colds are caused by a Rhinovirus (Rhino means nose)
When someone with a cold sneezes they send out millions of tiny water droplets, these droplets contain the cold virus.
There are more than 100 different rhinoviruses which can infiltrate the protective lining of the nose and throat. Once this happens it triggers an immune system response that can cause a throat sore cough and stuffy or runny nose which then make it difficult to breathe through the nose.
Step 4: Understand just how contagious a cold really is:
*Colds are most contagious during the first 2 to 4 days after symptoms appear.
Tips & Warnings:
*If you suspect the flu, call your doctor. This year it is especially important with the H1N1 Swine Flu Virus Outbreak. Make sure you are dealing with the flu and not just a cold before making that call.
*Drinking plenty of fluids is just as important with cold sufferers as it is when dealing with the flu. The more fluids you drink the more liquid your secretions are and the more comfortable you will feel.
*Children can catch a cold as many as 8 or more times each year!
*Colds are caused by a virus. Viruses are not treated with antibiotics so please do not push your doctor into prescribing antibiotics if you have a cold, they will not speed up recovery anyway. Antibiotic overuse is the #1 cause of bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics and becoming a serious health problem due to their being prescribed on a parent's insistence.
*Dry air can lower your resistance to infection by the viruses that cause colds by causing mucous membranes to crack making them more susceptable to infection.
*People who smoke are more likely to catch a cold than those who don't due to decresed activity of the bodies natural lung defense mechanisms.
*Being cold or catching a chill does not give you a cold! Colds are caused by a virus, these factors may however lower your immune system making you less resistant to catching a cold.
*Proper hand washing is your first and best defense against contracting a cold or the flu.
*Studies are inconclusive as to whether or not you can reduce your chances, reduce the duration or severity of the symptoms by using home remedies, extra Vitamin C or zinc.