In the cold season, most often people are faced with such a common diagnosis as SARS, which does not bypass children or adults. Viruses that provoke the disease enter the body at the time of weakening of the immune system, and such a state may be preceded by hypothermia. In this regard, everyone should know how to treat an incipient cold. This article will outline effective ways to quickly defeat an unwanted ailment.
Cold
The common cold is an acute disease that affects the upper respiratory tract with various infections. The nature of the course of the disease depends on which virus has infected a person. In fact, there are many infections, and a he althy body is able to cope with them on its own. Unfortunately, such protection does not always exist, and for some reason, a weakened immune system opens the way for disease-causing pathogens. In the article, we will talk about how to cure an incipient cold, because the infection must be suppressed forearly stage of its development. Otherwise, the progressive disease will lead to serious complications.
Typical symptoms of a cold are as follows:
- stuffy nose or runny nose with copious discharge, sneezing;
- chills and sore joints and muscles;
- sore throat, cough and hoarse voice;
- headache;
- general malaise;
- temperature increase;
- dryness and swelling of the mucous membranes of the larynx and nasopharynx;
- watery eyes.
Respiratory diseases are characterized by disturbances in the airways and often begin with pharyngitis or laryngitis.
Reasons
There are three main causes of colds: weak immunity, hypothermia and close contact with a sick person.
If we talk about the latter, then such communication is not limited to being in the same room with the patient. In places with a large crowd of people, especially during epidemics, there is a chance of contracting an infection transmitted by airborne droplets. Viruses can originate from all kinds of common objects, such as door handles in schools and other institutions, as well as in public transport.
Hypothermia is caused by spending too much time in the cold, getting wet feet and drinking cold drinks. Also, careless ventilation of rooms and drafts are a common cause of colds.
To violate the protectivefunctions of the body leads to a number of the following factors: stress, allergic reactions, exacerbation of diseases of the stomach and intestines, malnutrition and beriberi.
Before treating an incipient cold, one should take into account the above reasons for its appearance and identify the type of viral infection. It's good to have a specialist do it, especially when it comes to a child.
When and how can I start treatment on my own?
It is important on the first day of a cold to determine the nature of the infection. You need to learn to distinguish the line between the common cold and the flu. Their symptoms are different. The treatment of a beginning cold can be carried out independently, provided that the flu is ruled out.
The spontaneous onset of the disease and its too rapid development should alert the patient. Influenza is also characterized by a sharp increase in temperature (40 degrees) and excessive weakness. Lethargy and aches in the joints are felt much stronger than with a cold. Sometimes this condition is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Unlike SARS, the flu may not cause symptoms such as a runny nose, cough, and sore throat. A distinctive feature of this disease is a pronounced redness of the eyes, up to the visibility of small vessels. With such symptoms, it is better to consult a doctor and not self-medicate.
A visit to the hospital is sometimes required for colds, accompanied by suspicious symptoms. These include:
- sinus pain;
- shortness of breath;
- resistant temperature;
- increased pallor of the skin;
- chest pain and wheezing;
- mucus of various nature from the throat or nose;
- recurring headaches;
- sting in the eyes;
- abdominal discomfort.
In the absence of dangerous symptoms, you can think about how to cure the onset of a cold in the first days of its manifestation. This includes not only taking medications, but also the lifestyle that the patient will lead at this time.
What you need to know?
An illiterate approach to treatment can aggravate the situation and lead to the opposite result. It is important to consider that the first symptoms of colds show that the body is fighting the virus. In no case can they be eliminated with the help of potent medications. On the contrary, you need to help the body cope with the infection faster.
Being at a loss, not knowing how to treat the onset of a cold, some resort to taking antibiotics. However, this does not make sense, since these drugs affect only bacteria. Viruses are intracellular parasites that cannot replicate outside of cells. What's more, antibiotic treatment for these infections can harm the kidneys, stomach, and liver.
You can not bring down a moderate temperature, as it is also an indicator of the protective functions of the body. If it rises above 38 degrees, then this is already a cause for alarm.
The use of vasoconstrictor drops from the common cold delays the healing process. They interfere with the normal flow of mucus and toxins, which eventually leads to complications.
Emergency measures
If a person has unforeseen circumstances or at the most decisive moment of his life a cold begins, what should I do to get rid of it instantly? Following a few elementary rules and just one day of patience and time spent on treatment will help you quickly forget about the disease:
- Bed rest. Due to the fact that some people endure the first days of illness on their feet, it drags on for a longer period. But it is necessary to lie down properly, and the symptoms of the disease disappear. This does not mean that you need to lie around the clock. Undoubtedly, bed rest should be alternated with movement around the room. But it is necessary to sleep off, as required by the body. He althy sleep is an important part of a cold.
- Warm. If the disease is a consequence of hypothermia, then it is especially important to warm up well. The room should have a moderate temperature, but at the same time it should be periodically ventilated. You need to lie under a warm blanket and keep your feet warm. If there is no temperature, then it is allowed to take a warm bath before going to bed. Additional warming treatments with dry mustard can also help. You can soar your legs in it, and then pour a little into your socks and go to bed.
- Drinking. During a cold, you need to take care of the presence of a large amount of interferon producedwith sufficient intake of vitamin C. This protein does not allow infection to develop in the cells of the body and protects them. There is a large selection of drinks rich in this vitamin. How to treat a beginning cold at home will tell you personal taste. This is tea with lemon, and rosehip broth. For such purposes, it is good to harvest fresh raspberries and blackcurrants with sugar. From stir in warm water and use every 2 hours. After such a drink, you need to wrap yourself up and sweat.
Treatment
Bed rest by itself does not cure illness. It should be accompanied by effective methods of treatment, and even more so if a cold has already begun. How to quickly treat a runny nose and throat with effective, proven methods? The following are three such treatments:
- Rinse the nose. A very effective procedure that prevents the development of microbes. You need to spend it during the day several times, the more often, the better. For washing the nose, special solutions are prepared from herbs and lightly s alted water. You can also do this by using soap solutions (even with laundry soap).
- Gargling. To stop the perspiration and inflammation in the upper respiratory tract and prevent bronchitis, you need to gargle with furatsilin. If this remedy was not in the home medicine cabinet, then you can prepare an infusion of chamomile. A solution of iodine and s alt can easily cope with such problems. It is very easy to prepare it: take 1 tsp for 200 ml of warm water. s alt and 3 drops of iodine. To achieve the expected result, rinsing should be regular and frequent (at intervals of 30 minutes).
- Inhalations. Treatment is carried out using a special inhaler. It is filled with infusions of medicinal herbs such as sage, eucalyptus, oak bark or chamomile. The pharmaceutical market offers a wide range of essential oils that are particularly effective when inhaled. In order for such a procedure to have the proper effect, you need not just breathe the steam, but pass it through the respiratory tract. Therefore, it is taken in by the nose and released through the mouth. Do not breathe hot steam. Inhalations are carried out 4 times a day. The correct implementation of this therapeutic method helps to thin the sputum and relieve inflammation.
If you are not a fan of traditional methods and you have a cold, how to treat? Pills, chosen correctly, can also help to quickly cope with the disease.
Drug use
For the prevention and treatment of acute respiratory viral infections, doctors recommend taking vitamin C purchased at a pharmacy during the winter period. And at the first symptoms of the disease, within three days, the dose is increased to 700-800 ml and taken throughout the day, every hour. Cases have been noted that taking vitamin C in this way helps to cope with the virus in three days.
How to treat an incipient cold in an adult is a matter of personal choice. Means such as Arbidol, Coldrex, Tamiflu and Inosin help to quickly cope with the infection. When using these medicines, it is importantremember not to get carried away with them. Large doses of paracetamol, which are contained in these drugs, with constant use can become toxic to the body. They adversely affect the liver and kidneys and cause allergies.
The list of the most popular antiviral pills includes the following:
- "Cycloferon";
- "Relenza";
- Zanamivir;
- "Rimantadine";
- "Amixin";
- Oseltamivir;
- "Amantadine".
We must not forget about the means that strengthen the immune system. Along with medications, you can take echinacea drops or other general he alth products.
When choosing drugs and deciding how to treat an incipient cold in an adult, it is better to consult a specialist. Only then can you replenish your first-aid kit with a suitable medicine in case of illness.
Child has a cold
Children are easy to identify a viral infection. In addition to the general symptoms, babies tend to be moody. Lethargy and increased drowsiness serve as a signal of the disease. Caring parents in such situations are puzzled by how to treat a child with a beginning cold.
- If the baby has a high temperature, it should be wiped with a cloth soaked in vinegar solution. The wet cloth is applied first to the chest and back, and then to other parts of the body.
- While there is no temperature, you need to have time to steam the baby's legs with mustard powder. After the procedure, the child must be wrapped and laid inbed.
- Castor oil is an effective remedy. It is preheated over steam and rubbed against the chest.
- A drink of warm milk with butter and honey helps with a sore throat.
- From drinks they give juices, cranberry juice, herbal teas. During this period, the child should drink as much liquid as possible.
- Inhalations are carried out with a soda solution or infusions of sage and calendula.
- The loss of fluid in the baby's body is compensated with the help of cabbage pickle. It needs to be diluted with a little water. Such a he althy drink is rich in minerals and essential vitamins.
- To lower the high temperature, children are given Nurofen, Panadol, Ibuprofen and Paracetamol. From nasal congestion apply "Farmazolin" and "Nazivin". Drops can not be used for more than three days to prevent the occurrence of rhinitis. Only the attending physician should prescribe drugs.
- To eliminate dry cough, syrups with plant extracts are prescribed, such as Prospan and Gerbion. When sputum is discharged, Lazolvan, Mukoltin and ACC are prescribed.
Treatment during pregnancy
The first trimester of pregnancy is the most dangerous for both the expectant mother and the embryo. It is during this period of time that the main systems of the body of the unborn baby are laid. Therefore, how to treat the onset of a cold in pregnant women is a rather serious question. A double threat looms over the fetus - a virus that has entered the woman's body and the consequences of taking medication.
Complications remainingafter infection, are not as dangerous as the consequences after taking antibiotics, alcohol tinctures, immunomodulators and antipyretics. Given these facts, many experts in the treatment of pregnant women recommend stopping at homeopathic remedies and alternative methods of treatment. But they must also be prescribed by a doctor.
Expectant mothers need to beware of hypothermia and, at the first sign of a viral infection, take the measures provided in our article. Of the methods listed above, only thermal procedures are contraindicated for pregnant women - you can’t soar your legs and take hot baths. However, in order to keep warm, you can hold your hands in warm water.
A balanced diet, which includes a sufficient amount of vitamins, will help a woman's body fight malaise.
How to treat a cold that starts during pregnancy for those who decide to stay on folk methods? Basically, the treatment of the expectant mother can be carried out in the same way as the treatment of the child (which is described above).
Positive results are given by inhalations of potato peel and soda solutions, as well as with thyme, rosehip or hyssop oil. Aromatherapy is the safest and most effective method for a woman and her fetus, if there is no allergy to any of the components used.
Another effective way is to inhale the aroma of a grated onion for 10 minutes. The same procedure can be carried out using garlic.
Conclusion
Timely and consistent treatment protects against many negative consequences. So,By applying the tips and treatments suggested in this article at the right time, and even more so if a cold is just starting, you will save yourself from complications and unnecessary trips to the hospital.
