Not everyone knows what should be done at the first sign of a cold. We decided to devote this article to this very topic.
Some statistics
As medical practice shows, children, as well as adults with weakened immunity, are most often exposed to colds. In addition, the disease begins to bother especially strongly 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 be done at the first sign of a cold? We will talk about this below.
What threatens a running cold?
If you feel chills, weakness and other signs of a cold, then you should be on your guard right away. After all, if you do not stop such a disease in time, then it is very likely that you will soon see 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.
Signs of a cold
Symptoms of such a disease are known to almost everyone. This is an ache in the muscles and joints, and a runny nose, and a strong cough, and a sore throat, etc. It should be noted that a cold can occur due to completely different viruses that regularly change. In this regard, a vaccine has not yet been invented that can quickly and effectively rid a person of this scourge. But doctors still know how to treat the first signs of a cold with various medications. It is about them that will be discussed in the next section.
Get rid of the common cold with medical supplies
Medicines at the first signs of a cold are dispensed in pharmacy chains without a doctor’s prescription. However, it is recommended to purchase them only after visiting a doctor. After all, improperly selected treatment can worsen the already difficult condition of the patient.
Currently, there are quite a few drugs for this seemingly non-dangerous disease. As you know, they are called symptomatic drugs. Quite often, they are recommended to be used at the first signs of a cold. After all, such funds successfully and fairly quickly eliminate all available symptoms, namely: fever, weakness in the body, nasal congestion and swelling. If your body has enough strength for further independent struggle with the virus, then these symptoms after the cessation of the action of medicines will no longer return to you. If your immunity is too weak, then you will need to take drugs more than once. But, as mentioned above, this should only be done under the supervision of a doctor.
List of remedies for the prevention of colds
The first signs of a cold - what to accept? The medicines that can quickly get rid of the unpleasant symptoms of the disease include the following:
As a rule, these funds are used either in the form of tablets or as a hot drink. The safest of these drugs can be considered "Fairx". After all, he has much less contraindications than the rest. It can be used by people suffering from diabetes, hypertension and even children after 7 years.
The Coldrex preparation is milder, and therefore it is recommended to be used only when the patient's condition is not too serious. By the way, the basis of this tool is Paracetamol. That is why this drug is especially effective at elevated body temperature.
As for Teraflu, it is advisable to take this medication only with strong manifestations of a viral disease. At the first sign of a cold, children are not recommended to give it.
When purchasing medications to prevent colds, it should be remembered that not all medications can cope with inflammatory phenomena. After all, they only for some time eliminate the symptoms, but they do not cure the disease.
Folk remedy at the first sign of a cold
A viral disease never goes away quickly. In this regard, one should not expect a miracle from medicines. Moreover, some proponents of alternative medicine argue that pharmacy products should not be taken at all at the first sign of a cold. After all, 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 domestic problems and arrange for yourself a vacation. However, it should be organized correctly. To do this, you need to ventilate the room, change into dry and warm clothes, and then go to bed and take cover with a thick blanket. If the room is cold, then you can turn on the heater.
Cleansing
In order to prevent pathogenic bacteria from attacking the whole organism, it should be helped to clear itself of existing microbes. To do this, it is recommended to drink more warm liquid. If the patient has a stuffy nose and sore throat, it is advisable to use a solution of baking soda for regular rinsing of the nasopharynx (1 dessert spoon of the product in 1 cup of warm boiled water). In addition, it is necessary to eat more antimicrobial products (onions, garlic, lemon, ginger, etc.).
Boost the immune system
As you know, a cold only attacks those people who have weakened immunity. To restore it, you need to use more vitamins. Someone prefers pharmaceutical tablets, we recommend every hour to drink a cup of hot tea with honey, ginger or lemon. As an option, it is allowed to use decoctions of such herbs and fruits as oregano, St. John's wort, viburnum or rose hips. These ingredients will saturate your body with the necessary amount of vitamin C, and you will immediately feel relief.
Inhalation measures and thermal procedures
The first signs of a cold - what to do? Especially if you have a sore throat? With seasonal viral diseases, the patient often complains that his glands 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.
In case you feel severe chills and aching joints, it is recommended that you warm yourself with the help of foot hot baths. After this procedure, feet should be wiped dry and put on warm socks. By the way, you can warm yourself with alcohol tinctures, which must be added to hot tea or broth in the amount of a couple of dessert spoons. However, this method should not be used to treat a sick child.
Observing all these requirements to eliminate the first signs of a cold, you are sure to overcome it as soon as possible.
Cold Prevention
Surely many people know the popular wisdom that the disease is easier to prevent than to treat. And, indeed, in order not to get sick in the autumn and winter season, but to enjoy the new period of the year, it is necessary to strictly observe several simple rules. Let's consider them in more detail.
- The intake of vitamins. Each pharmacy sells vitamin complexes that will help you maintain immunity at the proper level and prevent the multiplication of viral bacteria. It should be 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 volatile. These substances effectively and quickly kill bacteria. Products that contain volatile products include: honey, garlic, onions, cloves and cinnamon.
Among other things, in the autumn-winter season should avoid a large crowd. After all, if in one room or another there are too many people, then it is likely that among them there will be at least one that spreads pathogenic bacteria. If such clusters are inevitable for you, then it is better to use a mask.
We cannot ignore the fact that flu vaccines are very popular today. If you have a desire, then vaccination can also be used to prevent a viral disease.