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Coping with Illness
Coping with Colds and Flu
A-a-a-CHOO! Winter has landed in your upper respiratory system—but is it a cold, the flu or something else that’s making you sick? And how should you treat it?
Knowing what you’ve gotGoing strictly by the odds, you’ve probably got a cold. “It’s the most common infectious illness, caused by a mix of viruses and bacteria,” says family nurse practitioner Beth Hyde of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “On average, adults get two to four colds a year and children six to 10.”
The proper name for a cold is “acute upper respir-atory infection,” because it affects a whole region of your body. First comes the scratchy throat, then the stuffy nose or chest and mild fever. You’ll recover in a week or so—unless the infection has set up house-keeping in your sinuses, chest, ears or throat, where it can hang on for a month.
If you’ve been exposed to others with the flu virus and you suddenly feel feverish and achy all over, it’s probably the flu. “Flu symptoms often come on so fast, people can tell you the hour they got sick,” Hyde says. You may have mild cold-like symptoms, but mostly your head and muscles ache, and you shake with chills and burn with fever. Children may have nausea and vomiting as well, says pediatrician Michael Consuelos, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network.
A streptococcus infection also can cause fever and nausea, Consuelos says. But with strep, the patient will have an extremely sore throat and swollen glands just under the jaw.
Treating the problemWhen you have a cold, the best thing to do is drink lots of fluids and take it easy, says family physician David Zambo, D.O., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “Make sure you stay well-hydrated and get plenty of rest,” he says.
Ease fever and aches with acetaminophen, and loosen congestion with decongestants, cough syrup or steam from a hot shower, vaporizer or pot of boiling water.
“See your physician promptly if you think you have the flu,” Zambo says. “Your doctor may prescribe an anti-viral medication to shorten its course, but only if you can start taking it within 48 hours of getting sick.”
If it’s a child who’s sick, call the doctor right away if the child is lethargic and won’t drink fluids, Consuelos says. Also seek medical care if you suspect strep, a bac-terial infection that can be serious.
It’s not uncommon to have a dry cough and fatigue for several weeks after a bout of flu, Hyde says. But if you’ve been getting better and suddenly feel worse, with fever and rapid breathing or pulse, or pain when you move your eyes, call the doctor. This is especially important for children under age 2, adults over 65, or people with conditions like asthma, heart or lung disease, diabetes or immune disorders.
If necessary, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics—but only if necessary. “We face a serious public health crisis due to medical and agricultural overuse of antibiotics,” Hyde says. “It’s created bacteria that resist treatment.” Viruses never respond to antibiotics, she says. “And if your infection is bacterial as well, in most cases your body can conquer it naturally, with a little help from over-the-counter medications, time and TLC.”
Want to Know More about home remedies, over-the-counter medications and anti-viral drugs? Call 610-402-CARE or click here.
This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
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