About 30 million Americans are coughing, sneezing, and blowing their noses while you read this. What's wrong with them? They have the most common illness we know, the common cold. The common cold usually lasts 3 to 7 days and the average person gets 3 or 4 colds a year.
Symptoms
Sneezing
Runny nose
Fever of 101oF or less
Sore throat
Dry cough
Causes
Colds are caused by viruses. You can get a cold virus from mucus on a
person's hands when they have a cold, such as through a handshake. You can also pick up
the viruses on towels, telephones, money, etc. Then someone else picks them up from you.
It goes on and on. Cold viruses also travel through coughs and sneezes.
Prevention
Wash your hands often. Keep
them away from your nose, eyes, and mouth.
Try not to touch people or their things
when they have a cold, especially the first 2-3 days they have the cold. This is the most
contagious stage.
Get lots of exercise. Eat and sleep well.
Use a handkerchief or tissues when you
sneeze, cough, or blow your nose. This helps keep you from passing cold viruses to others.
Use a "cool-mist" vaporizer in
your bedroom in the winter.
Check with your doctor about the use of
herbs, such as echinacea, to help prevent colds and to take when you get a cold.
Check with your doctor about taking zinc
lozenges when you get a cold. They may shorten the duration of a cold and ease cold
symptoms.
Are any of these problems present with the cold? Chest pain that doesn't go away Quick breathing or trouble breathing Wheezing |
 |
| Do you have any of these problems with the cold? Earache Headache that doesn't go away Bright red sore throat, or sore throat with
white spots Coughing for 10 or more days Coughing up mucus that is yellow, green, or
gray Fever of 104o F in a child under
12 years old Fever of over 103o F in an adult
under 50 years old Fever of 102o F or greater in a
person 50-60 years old Fever of 101o F or greater in a
person over 60 years old A bad smell from the throat, nose, or ears |
|
| Do you have pain or swelling over your sinuses that gets worse
when you bend over or move your head, especially with a fever of 101oF or
higher? |
|
Time is the only cure for a cold. Using these Self-Care Tips may make you feel
better:
Rest in bed if you have a fever.
Drink lots of liquids. They help clear out
your respiratory tract. This can help prevent other problems, like bronchitis.
Take an over-the-counter medicine for
muscle aches and pains, and/or fever. {Note: See Pain relievers in "Your Home Pharmacy".}
Use salt water drops to relieve nasal
congestion. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water. Place in a clean container.
Put 3 to 4 drops into each nostril several times a day with a clean medicine dropper.
Use a "cool-mist" vaporizer or
humidifier to add moisture to the air.
Eat chicken soup. It helps clear out mucus.
Check with your doctor before trying
vitamin C. It seems to make some people feel better when they have a cold and may help
keep them from getting a cold, even though this has never been medically proven.
For a Sore Throat:
Gargle every few hours with
a solution of 1/4 teaspoon of salt dissolved in 1/2 cup of warm water.
Drink tea with lemon (with or without
honey).
Suck on a piece of hard candy or medicated
lozenge every so often. (Do not give to children under age 5.)
HEALTH AT HOME - Your Complete Guide to Symptoms, Solutions, and Self-Care © 1999 by Don R. Powell. American Institute for Preventive Medicine.
Date updated 04/20/99