Cold: symptoms, signs and treatment methods

It is an acute respiratory disease of the upper respiratory tract, which occurs as a result of a viral infection. Viruses affect the respiratory organs (nose, throat, bronchi) and cause inflammatory processes, which are accompanied by unpleasant symptoms.

Symptoms of a cold appear gradually and include:

• nasal congestion;
• sore throat;
• cough;
• fever (sometimes there is a course of ARVI without fever);
• headache;
• general weakness.

Is a cold contagious?

Yes, a common cold is contagious and is transmitted by airborne droplets. You should be especially careful in crowded places.

How to treat a cold?

We asked the family doctor Alla Snitsar.

Alla Snitsar

family doctor

• consultant on breastfeeding

Symptomatic treatment includes:

1. Comfort in the room

• Frequent ventilation
• Temperature 19–24 °C
• Install a humidifier or do wet cleaning more often (so that the air humidity is at 40–60%).

2. Plenty of warm drinking!!!

You need to drink a lot — up to 2.5 liters of fluid per day. This can be water, tea, or compote. Do not neglect this point, in the treatment of viral infections this is the most important.

3. In the case of fever (over 38.5 °C), you may take antipyretics based on ibuprofen or paracetamol. If there are severe headaches — take painkillers.

4. If you have a runny nose, rinse it with isotonic saline solution, which you can make yourself: 9 g of salt per 1 liter of water.

5. Be careful with vasoconstrictor drops — use no more than 5 days in a row, and for children — only as prescribed by a doctor!

What should not be taken for ARVI?

• Antibiotics (after all, they only act on bacteria, and in ARVI / COVID-19 the cause of the disease is a virus!).
• Antibiotics are used only when there are complications — the addition of a bacterial infection.
• Antivirals (for ARVI, antivirals have no proven effectiveness, we would say this is a “marketing ploy” of pharmaceutical companies)
• The effectiveness of antivirals has been proven: for influenza, herpes infection and the treatment of hepatitis.
• Immunostimulants.
• Cough syrups and mucolytics without a doctor’s prescription.

6. For a sore throat, try ice cream. It relieves swelling and pain well (children are happy, and parents are shocked until they check it themselves 🙂 )

If desired, take regular mint candies to increase saliva production and moisturize the mucous membrane.

How to cure a cold quickly?

To effectively treat it, you should follow the basic recommendations outlined above. In addition, try to rest and, if possible, adhere to bed rest — the body will fight the virus faster.

Can you get a cold from freezing?

The common cold is a viral upper respiratory infection caused by viruses, not freezing. But hypothermia might weaken your immune system, making it easier to catch a viral infection.

Can you get sick from a draft?

No. Of course, if you stand in direct strong wind, it may cause muscle spasms in a specific area of ​​the body, which can be accompanied by pain and limited mobility, but this will not lead to a cold.

How to treat a cold in a child?

A cold in a child requires special attention. It is important to ensure that the child is in bed, given warm drinks, monitor the temperature, and also use only those drugs that are recommended by a pediatrician or family doctor. The rest of the recommendations are the same as for adults.

Read more about immunity in the article.

Cold Prevention

To prevent colds, you should avoid hypothermia, lead a healthy lifestyle, and support your immunity with a balanced diet and physical activity.

If you want to learn more about strengthening your immune system, go to the MEDplus YouTube chann – https://www.youtube.com/@MEDplusUKR