In the cold season, most often people encounter such a common diagnosis as acute respiratory viral infection, which does not bypass either children or adults. The viruses that provoke the disease penetrate the body at the time of weakening of the immune system, and hypothermia can precede this condition. In this regard, everyone should know how to treat a cold that begins. This article will outline effective ways to quickly defeat an unwanted illness.
Cold
A 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 healthy body is able to cope with them on its own. Unfortunately, such protection does not always exist, and for some reason weakened immunity paves the way for pathogenic pathogens. In the article, we will talk about how to cure a beginning cold, because the infection must be suppressed at the initial stage of its development. Otherwise, a progressive disease will lead to serious complications.
Typical symptoms of a cold are:
- nasal congestion or runny nose with copious discharge, sneezing;
- chills and pain in the joints and muscles;
- sore throat, cough and hoarse voice;
- headache;
- general malaise;
- temperature rise;
- dryness and swelling of the mucous membranes of the larynx and nasopharynx;
- lacrimation of the eyes.
Respiratory diseases are characterized by airway disorders, and often they begin with pharyngitis or laryngitis.
Causes
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 only being in the same room with the patient. In places with a large concentration of people, especially during epidemics, there is a chance of contracting an airborne infection. Sources of viruses can be all kinds of common objects, for example, door handles in educational and other institutions, as well as in public transport.
Subcooling leads to a long pastime in the cold, wet feet and the use of cold drinks. Also, careless ventilation and drafts are a common cause of the common cold.
A number of the following factors lead to a violation of the protective functions of the body: stress, allergic reactions, exacerbation of diseases of the stomach and intestines, malnutrition and vitamin deficiency.
Before treating a cold that begins, you should consider the above causes of its appearance and identify a type of viral infection. Well, if this is done by a specialist, 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 between the common cold and flu. Their symptoms are different. Treatment of the onset of a cold can be carried out independently, provided that the flu is excluded.
The spontaneous occurrence 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 colds. Sometimes this condition is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Unlike SARS, the flu may not have symptoms such as a runny nose, cough, and sore throat. A distinctive feature of this ailment is a pronounced redness of the eyes, up to the appearance of small vessels. With such symptoms, it is better to consult a doctor and not self-medicate.
A hospital visit is sometimes required for colds accompanied by suspicious symptoms. These include:
- sinus pain;
- dyspnea;
- persistent temperature;
- increased pallor of the skin;
- pain and wheezing in the chest;
- mucus of a different nature from the throat or nose;
- persistent headaches;
- pain in the eyes;
- discomfort in the stomach.
In the absence of dangerous symptoms, you can think about how to cure a beginning cold in the first days of its manifestation. This includes not only medication, but also the lifestyle that the patient will lead at this time.
What do 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 a cold that begins, some resort to taking antibiotics. However, this does not make sense, since these drugs affect bacteria exclusively. Viruses are intracellular parasites that are not capable of reproduction outside the cells. Moreover, antibiotic treatment for such infections can harm the kidneys, stomach and liver.
You can not bring down a moderate temperature, since it is also an indicator of the protective functions of the body. If it rises above 38 degrees, then this is already cause for alarm.
The use of vasoconstrictor drops from the common cold delays the healing process. They interfere with the normal secretion of mucus and toxins, which ultimately leads to complications.
Emergency measures
If a person has unforeseen circumstances or at the most crucial moment of his life a cold starts, what should be done to get rid of it instantly? Following a few basic rules and just one day of patience and the time spent on treatment will help you quickly forget about the disease:
- Bed rest. Due to the fact that some people carry the first days of the disease on their feet, it drags on for a longer period. But it is worth it to properly rest, 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 you need to sleep off, as required by the body. Healthy sleep is an important component in colds.
- Warmly. If the disease is the result of hypothermia, it is especially important to warm up well. The room should have a moderate temperature, but at the same time it should be aired periodically. You need to lie under a warm blanket and keep your feet warm. If there is no temperature, then a warm bath is allowed before bedtime. Additional warming procedures with dry mustard may also help. In it you can steam your legs, and then add a little to your socks and go to bed.
- Drink. During a cold, you need to take care of the presence of a large amount of interferon, produced with a sufficient intake of vitamin C. This protein does not allow infection to develop in the body's cells and protects them. There is a large selection of drinks rich in this vitamin. How to treat a cold that starts at home will tell you a personal taste. This tea with lemon, and a rosehip broth. For such purposes, it is good to harvest fresh raspberries and blackcurrants with sugar. From stirred in warm water and consumed every 2 hours. After such a drink you need to wrap up and sweat.
Treatment
By itself, bed rest does not save from an 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:
- Flushing the nose. A very effective procedure that prevents the development of microbes. It should be carried out several times during the day, the more often, the better. For washing the nose, special solutions are prepared from herbs and slightly salted water. This can also be done using soap solutions (even with laundry soap).
- Gargling. To stop perspiration and the inflammatory process in the upper respiratory tract and prevent bronchitis, you need to rinse your throat 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 salt can easily cope with such problems. It is very simple to prepare: 1 teaspoon is taken per 200 ml of warm water. salt and 3 drops of iodine. To achieve the expected result, rinses should be regular and frequent (at intervals of 30 minutes).
- Inhalation. Treatment is carried out using a special inhaler. It is filled with infusions of herbs such as sage, eucalyptus, oak bark or chamomile. The pharmaceutical market offers a wide selection of essential oils that are especially effective for inhalation. For such a procedure to have the proper effect, you need not only to breathe the steam, but to 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 conduct of this therapeutic method helps to thin the sputum and relieves inflammation.
If you are not a fan of folk methods and you have a cold, how to treat? Properly selected pills can also help to quickly cope with an ailment.
Drug use
For the prevention and treatment of acute respiratory viral infections, doctors recommend taking vitamin C, purchased in 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. There have been cases that taking vitamin C according to this scheme helps to cope with the virus in three days.
How to treat an onset of a cold in an adult is a matter of personal choice. Tools such as Arbidol, Coldrex, Tamiflu and Inosin help to cope with the infection quickly. Using these medicines, it is important to remember that they should not be carried away. Large doses of paracetamol, which are contained in these drugs, with constant use can become toxic to the body. They negatively affect the liver and kidneys and cause allergies.
We must not forget about the means of strengthening the immune system. Along with medicines, you can take drops of echinacea or other restorative drugs.
When choosing drugs and determining 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.
The common cold in a child
In children, it is not difficult to identify a viral infection. In addition to common symptoms, babies are usually moody. Lethargy and increased drowsiness are a signal of the disease. Caring parents in such situations are puzzled by how to treat the onset of a cold in a child.
- If the baby has a high temperature, it needs to be wiped with a napkin dipped in acetic solution. Wet tissue is primarily applied 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 in bed.
- Castor oil acts as an effective means. It is preheated over steam and rubbed with its chest.
- A drink from warm milk with the addition of butter and honey helps with sore throat.
- From drinks give juices, cranberry juice, herbal teas. During this period, the child should drink as much fluid as possible.
- Inhalations are carried out with soda solution or infusions of sage and calendula.
- The loss of fluid in the body of the baby is compensated with the help of cabbage brine. It needs to be slightly diluted with water. Such a healthy drink is rich in minerals and essential vitamins.
- To lower the fever, children are given Nurofen, Panadol, Ibuprofen and Paracetamol. From nasal congestion, Farmazolin and Nazivin are used. Drops can not be used for more than three days to prevent the occurrence of renitis. Only the attending physician should prescribe drugs.
- To eliminate dry cough, syrups are prescribed with herbal extracts, such as Prospan and Herbion. When sputum is released, Lazolvan, Mukoltin, and ACC are prescribed.
Pregnancy treatment
The first trimester of pregnancy is the most dangerous for both the expectant mother and the embryo. It is in this period of time that the basic systems of the body of the future baby are laid. Therefore, how to treat the beginning colds in pregnant women is a rather serious question. A double threat hangs over the fetus - a virus that has penetrated a woman’s body and the consequences of taking medication.
Complications left after the infection are not as dangerous as the consequences after taking antibiotics, alcohol tinctures, immunomodulators and antipyretic drugs. Given these facts, many experts in the treatment of pregnant women recommend stopping at homeopathic remedies and alternative methods of treatment. But they should also be prescribed by a doctor.
Expectant mothers should be warned of hypothermia and at the first sign of a viral infection, take the measures provided in our article. Of the above methods, only thermal procedures are contraindicated for pregnant women - you can not 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 her malaise.
How to treat the onset of a cold during pregnancy for those who decide to stop 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 inhalation from 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 component used.
Another effective way is to inhale the aroma of grated onion for 10 minutes. The same procedure can be carried out using garlic.
Output
Timely and consistent treatment protects against many negative consequences. Therefore, applying the advice and treatment methods offered in the article at the right time, and even more so if the cold is just beginning, you will save yourself from complications and unnecessary trips to the hospital.