Not every person knows what to do at the first sign of a cold. We decided to devote this article to this topic.
Some statistics
As medical practice shows, children are most often exposed to colds, as well as adults with weakened immune systems. In addition, the disease begins to disturb especially strongly mainly in the autumn-winter season, when the weather changes sharply from warm to cold and the body does not have time to rebuild. Although there are cases when the diagnosis of acute respiratory infections is made by a doctor in the summer.
So what should you do at the first sign of a cold? We will talk about this below.
What threatens a neglected cold?
If you feel chills, weakness and other signs of a cold, then you should immediately alert. After all, if you do not stop such a disease in time, then, very likely, very soon you will observe not a slightly elevated body temperature, but more serious symptoms that have arisen against the background of complications such as otitis media, pneumonia or bronchitis.
Signscolds
The symptoms of such a disease are known to almost everyone. This is aching muscles and joints, and a runny nose, and a bad cough, and sore throat, etc. It should be noted that a cold can occur due to completely different viruses that change regularly. In this regard, a vaccine has not yet been invented that can quickly and effectively save a person from this scourge. But doctors still know how to treat the first signs of a cold with various medicines. It is about them that will be discussed in the next section.
Cure colds with medical remedies
Drugs at the first sign of a cold are dispensed in pharmacy chains without a doctor's prescription. However, it is recommended to purchase them only after visiting the doctor. After all, the wrong treatment can worsen the already difficult condition of the patient.
Currently, there are quite a few medicines for this seemingly harmless disease. As you know, they are called symptomatic drugs. Quite often, they are recommended to be used at the first sign of a cold. After all, such funds successfully and fairly quickly eliminate all the symptoms, namely: high fever, weakness in the body, nasal congestion and swelling. If your body has enough strength to continue to fight the virus on its own, then these symptoms will not return to you after the medication stops. If your immune system is too weak, then you will need to take the drugs more than once. But, as mentioned above,this should only be done under medical supervision.
List of products intended for the prevention of colds
The first signs of a cold - what to take? Medicines that can quickly get rid of the unpleasant symptoms of the disease include the following:
- Coldrex;
- Fervex;
- Theraflu.
As a rule, these funds are used either in the form of tablets or in the form of a hot drink. The safest of these drugs can be considered "Fervex". After all, he has much fewer contraindications than the rest. It is allowed to be used by people suffering from diabetes, hypertensive patients and even children after 7 years.
Coldrex is milder, and therefore it is recommended to use it only when the patient's condition is not too severe. By the way, the basis of this remedy is Paracetamol. That is why this drug is especially effective at elevated body temperature.
As for "Theraflu", it is advisable to take this medication only with severe manifestations of a viral disease. It is highly discouraged to give it to children at the first sign of a cold.
When purchasing medicines to prevent colds, it should be remembered that not all medicines can cope with inflammation. After all, they only eliminate the symptoms for a while, but do not cure the disease.
Folk remedy at the first sign of a cold
Viral disease never goes away quickly. In this regard, one should not expect miracles from medicines. What's more, some alternative medicine advocates argue that over-the-counter remedies should not be taken at the first sign of a cold. Indeed, today there is a huge number of various recipes for folk remedies that do not contain artificial chemical compounds.
So, what actions should be taken to prevent the disease from "flaring up" in full force?
Bed rest
The first signs of a cold - what to do? First you need to forget about work, study and other everyday problems and arrange a rest for yourself. However, it should also be organized correctly. To do this, you need to ventilate the room, change into dry and warm clothes, and then go to bed and cover yourself with a thick blanket. If the room is cold, you can turn on the heater.
Purification
In order to prevent pathogenic bacteria from attacking the entire body, it should be helped to cleanse itself of already existing microbes. To do this, it is recommended to drink more warm liquid. If the patient has a stuffy nose and a sore throat, then it is advisable to use a solution of baking soda for regular rinsing of the nasopharynx (1 dessert spoon of the product per 1 cup of warm boiled water). In addition, you need to eat more antimicrobial foods (onion, garlic, lemon, ginger, etc.).
Improving the immune system
As you know,the common cold attacks only those people who have a weakened immune system. To restore it, you need to consume more vitamins. Someone gives their preference to pharmacy dragees, but we recommend drinking a cup of hot tea with honey, ginger or lemon every hour. As an option, it is allowed to use decoctions from such herbs and fruits as oregano, St. John's wort, viburnum or wild rose. These ingredients will saturate your body with the necessary amount of vitamin C, and you will immediately feel relief.
Inhalation activities and thermal treatments
The first signs of a cold - what to do? Especially if you have a sore throat? With seasonal viral diseases, the patient quite often complains that his tonsils are swollen and sore. To alleviate the patient's condition and relieve him of unpleasant symptoms, inhalation procedures should be carried out 2-3 times a day. To do this, you can use a decoction of oregano or any other solutions.
If you feel severe chills and aching joints, you are advised to warm up with hot foot baths. After this procedure, the feet should be wiped dry and put on warm socks. By the way, you can also warm up with the help of alcohol tinctures, which must be added to hot tea or decoction in the amount of a couple of dessert spoons. However, this method should not be used to treat a sick child.
Following all the above requirements to eliminate the first signs of a cold, you will definitely overcome it in the shortest possible time.
Cold Prevention
Surely many people know the folk wisdom that the disease is easier to prevent than to cure. And, indeed, in order not to get sick in the autumn-winter season, but to enjoy the new period of the year, you must strictly follow a few simple rules. Consider them in more detail.
- Taking vitamins. Each pharmacy sells vitamin complexes that will help you maintain your immunity at the proper level and prevent the reproduction of viral bacteria. It should be especially noted that vitamin C should be consumed most of all. Its daily intake for an adult is approximately 60 mg. By the way, if you do not trust pharmaceutical preparations, then you can get such a substance through the use of citrus fruits: oranges, tangerines, lemons, etc.
- Reception of natural phytoncides. These substances effectively and quickly destroy bacteria. Foods that contain phytoncides include: honey, garlic, onions, cloves and cinnamon.
Among other things, in the autumn-winter season, large crowds should be avoided. After all, if there are too many people in a particular room, then there is a high probability that among them there will be at least one who will spread pathogenic bacteria. If such accumulations are inevitable for you, then it is better to use a mask.
It is impossible to ignore the fact that flu shots are very popular today. If you have a desire, then for the prevention of a viral disease, you canuse and vaccination.
