Monday, January 18, 2010

Common Cold Treatment

Most of us will suffer from a few episodes of the common cold each year. A recent article by Lesley Alderman touches on what you can do to relief cold symptoms. Excerpts of the article are reproduced below:

[THERE is still no cure for the common cold, but that hasn’t stopped consumers from spending billions of dollars every year on vitamins, medicines and doctor visits. (I admit I do, too, from time to time.)]

[If you’re suffering but also trying to be a smart spender, read on for advice. Some of the best treatments, it turns out, will not cost you much at all.]

[Also, make sure you get enough rest, stay well hydrated and exercise moderately, all of which can help strengthen your system, said Dr. Schaffner, who is also an infectious disease specialist. Finally, wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.]

[Now on to a discussion of what you may want to avoid or use in moderation to treat your symptoms.

DOCTOR VISITS Most healthy people do not need to see a doctor for a cold or flu. But if you have a fever for more than three days, a cough that produces sputum, chest pain or difficulty breathing, call your doctor. These may be signs that an infection is developing complications, and your simple cold could turn into something more serious like pneumonia. If you’re not sure whether you need to see a doctor, call and ask to speak to an advice nurse or physician assistant, Dr. Lisa Bernstein, an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at Emory University, suggested. “A nurse can listen to your symptoms and figure out what care you need.”

ANTIBIOTICS You probably don’t need them. “Antibiotics have exactly no effect on the common cold,” Dr. Schaffner said. “That’s because viruses, which cause colds and flus, are uninfluenced by antibiotics.” Antibiotics attack only bacteria, and bacteria are rarely involved with respiratory infections.

Not only will the antibiotic be a waste of money, but it may also cause unpleasant side effects like diarrhea, a rash and possibly a yeast infection in women. Even more problematic, overuse of antibiotics leads to drug-resistant superbugs, which are difficult to cure.]

[If your cold or flu leads to a secondary bacterial infection, a course of antibiotics may then be necessary. Signs that you have such an infection include tenderness around your sinuses, reappearance of symptoms after your cold seemed to be abating and chest pain, said Dr. Shmuel Shoham, an infectious disease specialist at the Washington Hospital Center in the District of Columbia.]

[MULTISYMPTOM MEDICINES Cold medicines with multiple active ingredients like acetaminophen, a decongestant and an antihistamine have not been well studied. The reviews that have been done show they are no better than placebos in shortening the duration of colds, said Dr. Michael Brady, an infectious disease specialist and chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

These medicines may help with some of your symptoms, but be sure to read the labels carefully. There is a risk when taking these medicines that you may end up taking more active ingredients than you really need.

This is particularly important in young children. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends that over-the-counter cough and cold medications not be given to infants and children younger than 2 because of the risk of life-threatening side effects.

So, what does work? While few, if any, medicines can shorten the duration of a cold, some can help reduce the onerous symptoms of upper respiratory infections. Nasal sprays shrink swollen blood vessels and relieve stuffy noses, though the relief is temporary and you should not use spray for more than three days.

Acetaminophen and ibuprofen can reduce fevers and body aches. Rinsing your nasal passages with a saline solution or breathing steam can help loosen mucous and increase nasal secretions, which can help to prevent a secondary sinus infection. Humidifiers and hot showers also help. Drinking warm liquids like tea has been shown to reduce a variety of cold and flu symptoms.]

It must be remembered that most sinus infections come after a common cold. The main cause of sinus infection is chronic nasal congestion. Once the nasal passages are blocked and the sinuses and nasal passages are not ventilated, bacteria will begin to multiply rapidly. This could lead to acute sinusitis.

Acute sinus infection symptoms include sinus pressure, sinus headache and sinus infection dizziness.

Maintaining good sinus health is the key to preventing sinus infections. Learn more about effective sinus headache remedies.