Cold & Flu
The flu viruses that circulate can change from year to year. Completely new flu viruses can emerge and cause global pandemics.
The official flu season runs from May to September, and although anyone can get the flu, it doesn’t mean you will definitely get it every year. People who are fit and well are better able to ward off the flu. If you eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly and get enough sleep, your body will be in good shape to fight back against any invading flu virus.
So, how do you get the flu? The flu is a viral infection passed from person to person via infected droplets commonly spread by sneezing and coughing.
Symptoms of flu include:
• a fever greater or equal to 38°C
• at least one respiratory symptom, like a cough, sore throat, or runny nose
• rapid onset with at least one systemic symptom, like a headache, aches and pains, sweats or chills, or fatigue.
Flu symptoms are severe and are not to be confused with cold symptoms – with the flu you often don’t have the energy to get out of bed.
Some people are more at risk of getting the flu than others. The Ministry of Health has identified that the following groups are at higher risk of developing complications from flu viruses and are therefore eligible for a free flu vaccine. They include those who:
• are pregnant
• are significantly overweight
• use asthma preventers
• have diabetes
• are aged 65 years or over
• have heart disease
• have kidney problems
• have a serious medical condition, like cancer.
If you are unlucky enough to get the flu, you should stop the spread of flu germs by:
• staying in bed and not going to work or school
• covering your mouth when you cough and sneeze
• regularly washing your hands and drying them thoroughly
• avoid crowded settings.
This may all sound like doom and gloom, but flu prevention is better than cure. Help prevent flu by:
• washing your hands thoroughly and often and avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
• eating a balanced diet with fruit and vegetables rich in vitamin C
• getting enough sleep
• reducing your stress levels
• getting regular exercise.
And remember that flu can cause serious complications, like pneumonia, which can be deadly. So look after your health – it is your most cherished possession.
How to Tell if its a Cold or the Flu
Often people talk about having ‘the flu’. But what they actually have is a cold. Other times people may say they have a ‘heavy cold’ and what they are suffering from is influenza, or the flu.
Influenza is a serious viral infection that causes the death of many people each year. A cold is also caused by a virus, but is self-limiting. This means that although it is inconvenient and makes you feel miserable, it rarely causes any serious conditions to develop before the cold eases after about a week.
Common symptoms of both the flu and a cold include a cough, sore throat and tiredness. The flu is usually always accompanied by a high temperature lasting several days, whereas with a cold the temperature, if raised, is only at the initial stages of the infection. Headaches are very common with the flu, as is profound tiredness and aching limbs both severe and prolonged for several days, if not longer.
Generally with a cold the sore throat, congested sinuses and a hacking cough are the most prominent symptoms – starting with the sore throat, then as time goes by the congested sinuses and cough develop. Usually the onset of symptoms is gradual.
When you get the flu the first symptom occurs very suddenly - usually a high temperature, headaches, extreme body aches and feeling completely exhausted. Those that have suffered from influenza will generally volunteer to have an annual flu vaccination from then on in order to lessen the possibility of feeling so dreadful again.
In order to treat influenza, there are medicines specifically available to prevent the infection worsening, if treated at once. See your doctor or community pharmacist the moment symptoms develop, as they can be prescribed or purchased over the counter at a pharmacy.
To treat the common cold, you need to seek treatment for each symptom, as specific anti-cold medicines or vaccinations are not available. No antibiotics will help a viral infection, so if bothered by a cough, blocked nose, sore throat and other symptoms of a cold, your community pharmacy can provide symptomatic relief for you and your family.
If the only symptom is a sore throat, then there is a possibility that a ‘strep’ or other bacterial infection is affecting the throat or tonsils. These bacterial infections should be promptly treated by antibiotics, especially when they occur in children. Untreated bacterial throat infections may cause infections or travel to the heart or other parts of the body and cause serious conditions later on. It is important to be urgently referred to a doctor for antibiotics to treat the infection.
Because both colds and flu share some symptoms it is easy to confuse the two, as they both occur more frequently in winter. However, you cannot prevent catching a cold. Vaccination against seasonal influenza is available each year and is given by injection. Those more at risk of serious health consequences from the flu are offered flu vaccine; but others can choose to pay to be vaccinated at their doctor’s surgery or at a community pharmacy that has been trained to give vaccinations.
Consult your community pharmacist if you are unsure if you or your family may have a cold, the flu or a sore throat in order to ensure that the correct treatment is used to help assist a speedy recovery.
Post Viral Cough
Many people of all ages suffer from a dry and unproductive cough straight after suffering from a cold, flu or chest infection. Your cold may have cleared up, but your airways could still be irritated. And the worst is that cold drinks and cold air can set you off into a coughing frenzy.
The bad news is that this annoying cough - which is known by some as the 100 day cough - can last anywhere between three to eight weeks. In addition, antibiotics won’t work because the cough is generally a result of a recent viral infection. Sometimes the coughing fits can be so violent they cause hiccups or vomiting.
So what causes this cough?
- A post nasal drip: Mucus running down the back of your nose, and onto the back of your throat is quite common after a cold or flu. Sometimes the virus sensitises the throat so much that the dripping really irritates the throat and causes reflex coughing. This often occurs at night when you are lying in bed.
- Cold air: Breathing through the mouth when the throat is sensitive can cause coughing - especially when you are out in the icy winter air.
- Inflammation of the upper airways: Colds and flu cause sore throats and inflamed tonsils and upper respiratory tracts which can take some time to return to normal.
- Asthma: Asthmatics are generally more sensitive to the effects of colds and flu, which can set off asthma symptoms. This will mean that asthmatics need to start their “rescue action plan”.
The good news is that you can treat the symptoms. Do this by:
- drinking honey drinks to soothe the throat
- sucking lozenges (demulcents) to stimulate saliva production that inturn coats the throat to help protect it
- taking appropriate cough suppressants
- keeping the air around you warm and reasonably dry. You can do this by wearing a scarf over your mouth and nose to help warm air up before it gets to your throat. Very dry air can make the cough worse, so try and breathe through your nose which helps moisten the air and reduce the irritation factor.
There is no formal cure for this cough but boosting your immune system, and sticking to a healthy lifestyle, can help prevent you from getting a cold which in turn leads to the cough.
In some cases, a cough can be the cause of other underlying problems like food allergies, medicine side-effects, an ear, nose or throat problem, or something more serious. If the cough gets worse or has not improved in a few weeks always consult your community pharmacist or GP.
Sore Throat
When your throat starts being scratchy, and it’s sore to swallow, then you know that a dreaded sore throat is on the way. And to add to your woes, suffering from a sore throat often comes hand in hand with other conditions like the common cold.
Sore throats are a frequent condition and are a result of a bacterial or viral infection. When the throat becomes infected by bacteria or viruses, the body’s natural immune response to the infection leads to inflammation and pain.
Because a sore throat is usually associated with another condition, there are often other symptoms that accompany a sore throat. These symptoms may include:
- Severe swelling or pain
- Difficulty swallowing or breathing
- Yellow or white patches at the back of the throat
- Blood in the salvia or phlegm
- High fever
- Earache
- Swollen lymph glands in the neck
- Extreme tiredness
- Skin rash.
Unfortunately, antibiotics are not normally effective in treating a sore throat because most cases of sore throats are caused by viruses. Sometimes antibiotics are recommended to prevent a secondary bacterial infection.
To help prevent the discomfort of a sore throat, drink plenty of water, get lots of rest, eat a well balanced diet filled with fruits and vegetables and maintain a healthy mouth by brushing your teeth regularly.
Patients should visit their local community pharmacy and find out what medicines are available for helping with the pain. Pain relief may come in the form of tablets, throat gargles, throat sprays and lozenges. Products containing ibuprofen and aspirin are effective pain relievers and anti-inflammatories, however, these treatments aren’t safe for everybody. Check with your community pharmacist about what medicines are safe for you. Regular paracetamol also helps relieve pain and fever.
You should recover from a sore throat within seven days and begin to feel better after three days. If you have other medical conditions such as diabetes, have not recovered after seven days, if your young child or baby is sick, if you are unable to swallow water or saliva, or if you have neck pain, consult your doctor immediately.
Of course you can try and stop a sore throat in its tracks by:
- Practicing good hygiene
- Avoiding sharing utensils, drinks and towel with others
- Avoiding smoking and exposure to smoke.
And remember to chat to your community pharmacist about making changes to your lifestyle if you continually get sore throats.