For many people, it can be difficult to distinguish which disease is the flu and which is the common cold, since both ailments have similar symptoms. But for the fastest recovery, you need to know what the body is suffering from. It is necessary to accurately diagnose the disease in order to prescribe effective treatment... If the flu is treated for a cold and vice versa, then there is a possibility of harm to the body. Of course, no one needs such therapy. How to tell the flu from the common cold? Not everyone knows about this. First of all, you need to find out what is called the flu and what is called a cold. Let's figure it out now.
Influenza and colds
Influenza is an infection. It progresses rapidly in the body. It can be contracted as it is transmitted through the air. Usually, in the cold season, the spread of various forms of influenza grows, epidemics arise.
A cold is a disease of the body associated with hypothermia. It is usually easy to treat. But with advanced forms, it can turn into other more serious diseases.
That is, the flu manifests itself sharply in the human body, and a cold usually begins with a slight malaise.
What is a cold? Key features
As mentioned above, a cold is a consequence of hypothermia. You can get overcooled if your feet and hands get wet, if cold air enters the respiratory tract. The cold progresses slowly, it goes from one organ to another.
The main signs of a cold:
- Damage to the nasal mucosa. A person begins to sneeze, a runny nose and swelling appear.
- With a cold, there is a cough. IN respiratory tract phlegm and mucus appear.
- When a person has a cold, the body temperature rises to 38 degrees and above. This is a normal immune response to infections that hit the body.
Colds usually start with a slight runny nose. Then the temperature rises, then the cough begins. All processes occur gradually. The cough is usually present for a couple of days. Then all the symptoms go away. As a rule, after a week the person is fully recovered and returns to normal life. Here's how to tell the difference between the flu and the common cold.
What is flu? Key features
Now let's take a closer look at this ailment. The flu, unlike the common cold, is acute illness... Everyone knows outbreaks of various types of flu.
The main flu symptoms are:
- The first sign that a person has the flu is heat body. It can rise up to 39 or 40 degrees. A high temperature indicates that the body has been infected with a virus.
- As a rule, the patient's muscles begin to ache and bones ache.
- A person becomes weak.
The body fights the virus, so the body temperature rises. But the general condition of the patient is greatly deteriorating. He cannot get out of bed. The flu can be accompanied by headaches, dryness, and coughing. This ailment has similar symptoms with the common cold. In order to know how to distinguish the flu from the common cold, it should be remembered that the first illness can be different. What kind of virus infects the human body, such symptoms of the disease will be visible. For example, there are cases when only one symptom appears. For example, it could be an increased body temperature. It can last for several days without other symptoms. And in some cases, the entire set of complications is present.
Why is it necessary to clearly diagnose what a person is sick with?
How to tell the flu from the common cold? Some people might think, "Why differentiate between these diseases?" This is actually very important to do. Since the flu can pose a threat to human life.
There is a certain risk group - people who are more susceptible to infection. This includes retirees and children. This category of people has a weakened immune system. Therefore, they can get the virus in the first place. It is a well-known fact that an incorrect diagnosis can lead to a deterioration in the functioning of the body, and in the case of influenza, you should be especially careful. Since there is a risk of life threatening, it is therefore important to know how to distinguish the flu from the common cold in an adult. There are statistics that say that up to five hundred thousand people die from the flu every year. This is a very high mortality rate. And during periods of a pandemic, this figure rises to one million. Influenza can cause complications. Due to improper treatment, diseases such as meningitis, pneumonia and others can occur. For this reason, in order to be aware, many seek to learn how to distinguish the flu from the common cold in an adult. Since the flu has acute form leakage, the human body may not be able to cope with the virus. Therefore, at the first symptoms of infection of the body, you must immediately call a doctor. Modern medicine is developing rapidly, currently there are modern drugs that can cope with the virus. But there is a danger that it is developing very quickly. Therefore, it is important to take all the necessary measures on time.
Influenza and colds: a comparison of diseases
Note that these diseases have a number of signs that can be used to distinguish when a person has a cold, and when he contracted the virus. How is the flu different from the common cold?
The main thing is that a cold disease spreads in the body slowly, in stages. And the flu makes itself felt quickly, rapidly. A person has sharp rise temperature, literally before our eyes, he weakens and becomes exhausted. It is very important to know how to distinguish the flu from the common cold during pregnancy. Since a woman in this position cannot take certain drugs, and she is also responsible for the unborn child.
If a person has a cold, then at first, as a rule, a slight runny nose appears. Then there is a coughing and a slight increase in body temperature occurs. And with the flu virus, body temperature rises sharply and muscle aches occur. Also, the disease is accompanied by a headache.
If a person has a cold, then within a few days after the onset of the disease, he has nasal congestion, and coughing increases. And with flu, the high temperature lasts for several days and a headache.
Flu and colds are accompanied by fever. The temperature at the first illness is higher. Also, when a person has a cold, the increase occurs in the evening or at night. And when the human body is infected with a virus, the high body temperature lasts for several days. And it doesn't matter if it's daytime or evening.
There is a cough with diseases such as flu, colds. His treatment should be carried out for both diseases. But this symptom in different cases it has a different shape. When a person gets a cold, the cough starts with perspiration and gets worse over time. And when it is a virus, then it has a sharp form. It is also accompanied by pain in chest... With the flu, phlegm is released along with the cough.
A clear manifestation of a cold is sneezing. If a person has the flu, then there is no such symptom.
A headache usually accompanies the flu. Often has the character of a migraine. And with a cold, headaches are much less common, although they are not excluded.
If a person has muscle pain, then this is a clear sign of the flu. Discomfort occurs when turning the head or bending over, also when working with other parts of the body, or when bending the arms or legs. If a person has a cold, then he will not have muscle pain.
When a person is sick with the flu, they feel pressure on their eyeballs. Moreover, the pain effect is quite strong. And with colds, this symptom is not so pronounced.
A phenomenon such as chills is often seen in children, so it is important to know how to distinguish a cold from the flu in a child. Since with a cold, the body temperature does not rise much, chills do not occur. This symptom is common with the flu.
Some patients may experience nausea when they contract the virus. If a person has a cold, then he will not have it. But this symptom can be caused by another malfunction of the body. For example, poisoning can be accompanied by nausea and fever. Therefore, the doctor needs to thoroughly tell all the symptoms that the patient observes. This is necessary for making an accurate diagnosis and prescribing a medicine.
A symptom such as weakness of the body is a sign that a person is infected with the flu virus. If the patient feels it with a cold, then it is not so pronounced and often comes later. And with the flu, weakness is present from the first day of infection of the human body.
Influenza and colds. The main differences between these diseases
Diseases can be distinguished by their course. Colds are milder and usually accompanied by a cough. Moreover, he can be very strong. And the flu is severe. At the same time, the person's condition is much worse than with a cold.
The rehabilitation period is another difference. After a cold, the body recovers quickly. And after the flu, a person feels tired for a long time. It also takes much longer for him to return to a healthy and vigorous state. If we are guided by the identification of the above differences, then it is possible to determine exactly what disease is present in the human body. If the disease is diagnosed correctly, then it will be assigned correct treatment, which will lead to a quick recovery. In order not to confuse the flu and the common cold, it is necessary to accurately determine the symptoms of the disease and take appropriate medications for recovery. You also need to see a doctor so that he listens to how the body's respiratory system, the heart, works.
Treatment of diseases
Various bacteria and viruses want to attack our body every day. Therefore, you should always remember this. It is better to prevent the disease than to cure it. In order not to get infected with any virus, you need to strengthen the immune system. The same must be done in order not to catch a cold. The difference is that in order not to get cold, you need to dress for the weather. This is especially recommended for people who live in the middle and northern latitudes of our country. Weather phenomena leave much to be desired. Therefore, you need to monitor the temperature regime and so that the body does not overcool.
As for viruses, they can attack the body, even if a person is warmly dressed. Therefore, for prevention, vitamins should be taken. During periods of exacerbation viral diseases drink special preparations. You also need to eat right so that the food is filled with beneficial trace elements and promotes the growth of the body's ability to resist viruses. Sports, walking in the fresh air and other elements of a healthy lifestyle strengthen immunity well.
Treatment principles
We figured out how to distinguish a cold from the flu and SARS. When the first symptoms of these diseases appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. This is necessary so that he accurately diagnoses the disease and prescribes the correct treatment.
Let's list the basic principles of treatment.
First of all, you need to drink as much liquid as possible. As the body loses moisture and dehydration may occur. Therefore, drinking plenty of fluids is welcome in any case.
If the nose is stuffy, the doctor will prescribe drops that will provide free breathing, the person can sleep peacefully.
The doctor will prescribe antiviral drugs if the person has the flu.
There are many methods of treatment with folk remedies. For example, honey and milk, various herbal teas and so on. Modern medicine does not deny these funds and also uses them in combination with taking medications. It is not recommended to prescribe treatment yourself. It is always better to consult a doctor whether or not to take these or those folk remedies. Perhaps some of them will harm the body.
How to survive an epidemic?
How to tell the flu from the common cold and survive an epidemic? What is the difference between diseases, we figured out. Now we need to talk about how a person should behave during an epidemic of such diseases.
First, you need to wash your hands more often. Secondly, you should stay less in crowded places. Third, try to touch your face as little as possible. The fourth rule is to use oxolinic ointment. Before going outside, treat the nasal mucosa with this tool. Fifth, fill your diet with foods rich in vitamins, especially C.
Conclusion
Now you know how to tell the difference between colds and flu and SARS. From the above it is clear that with symptoms similar at first glance, these are different diseases. They need to be correctly diagnosed, it depends on what treatment will be prescribed.
In this regard, an important condition for the fastest normalization of health is the clarification of the diagnosis.
Influenza is a viral infection, quite often characterized by a severe course and the possibility of developing complications. At the same time, it is most difficult in those cases when the diagnosis was not established in a timely manner, and the patient continued to carry the disease on his legs. This clarification is important even when differential diagnosis with other acute respiratory viral infections, which, like influenza, are caused by viruses, and, therefore, are characterized by similar treatment methods. Moreover, it is important not to miss the flu if differential diagnosis is carried out with respiratory diseases caused by bacteria.
To clarify the diagnosis, it is necessary to determine how the flu differs from the common cold. First of all, the main difference lies in the cause of the development of flu and colds. The causative agent of influenza is a virus transmitted by airborne droplets from an infected patient to a healthy person. With a sufficient concentration in the air, it penetrates deep into the body through the nasopharynx and leads to the development of pathological conditions.
The role of hypothermia
As for the common cold, such a disease does not exist in the ICD. However, this term is widespread not only at the household level, but also among medical professionals... It denotes pathological conditions caused by hypothermia. Infectious agents are not involved in their development.
The reduced immunity of the patient leads to the fact that under the influence of hypothermia, conditionally pathogenic flora is activated, which causes the development of symptoms.
Most often, this effect leads to exacerbation of chronic pharyngitis, tonsillitis, sinusitis, laryngitis and bronchitis.
The clinical symptoms of a cold are very similar to those of the flu. However, it is necessary to distinguish the common cold from the flu. First of all, it is necessary to analyze the cause of the development of symptoms, whether hypothermia has taken place. It doesn't have to be frostbite in an ice hole or mountains. We are talking about hypothermia as a result of a cold snap and not enough warm clothing. A common reason colds are wet feet in bad weather.
With strong immunity, such tests are not terrible for the body. Insufficient immunity in this case will manifest itself as symptoms of a cold. In one group of people who find themselves in similar conditions, some will remain completely healthy, while others may end up in a hospital bed.
In cases where there was no hypothermia in the history in the next 2-3 days, the patient was in a warm office, most likely, there can be no talk of a cold. In favor of the infectious nature of the disease, the presence of colleagues with a cough or runny nose, or fellow travelers with such symptoms may also testify.
All ARVI, and especially influenza, are highly contagious (infectious) diseases. The presence of a sick employee in the team, after a short time, will lead to an increase in the incidence.
From October to March, there is an annual surge in SARS and influenza. The aggravated epidemiological situation also speaks in favor of the viral nature of the disease. Weather conditions during this period also worsen, the chances of getting hypothermia increase. Consequently, it is more difficult to distinguish a cold from the flu in the fall-winter period. However, catching the flu in May is generally atypical.
Differences in the clinical picture
You can also distinguish the flu from a cold by clinical symptoms. Unlike the common cold, flu has an acute onset.
The patient can even indicate the approximate time when he felt unwell. At the same time, it is subjective sensations such as weakness, headache, lack of appetite, chills that come to the fore with the flu. Catarrhal phenomena, dry cough, runny nose join later, sometimes for 2-3 days.
With regard to temperature indicators, hyperthermia develops in the first hours of the disease. Its rise is noted up to 38-39 degrees.
With an exacerbation of pharyngitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis and other manifestations of the common cold, symptoms due to the localization of the process come to the fore. With pharyngitis or tonsillitis, this is a perspiration and sore throat, with laryngitis - hoarseness, cough. With bronchitis and tracheitis, a cough is a mandatory symptom. Sinusitis is manifested by nasal congestion, runny nose, headache.
All of these symptoms develop against a background of mild to moderate general malaise. In some cases, patients continue to go about their normal business. As for the temperature factor, hyperthermia is noted at the level of subfebrile numbers, or these pathological conditions proceed against the background of normal temperature.
The patient's life history can also help in the differential diagnosis of influenza and colds. The presence of an existing chronic pathology of the ENT organs or the respiratory tract indicates a possible exacerbation of these diseases at a given time as a result of a provoking factor, such as hypothermia. Of course, this does not exclude the development of influenza when the epidemic situation worsens.
An objective examination by a specialist, ENT doctor or therapist also contributes to the clarification of the diagnosis. If necessary, instrumental examination methods, X-ray examination, bronchoscopy, rhinoscopy can also help. Laboratory diagnostics will be informative only with pronounced changes in the nasopharynx and the respiratory tract. General analysis blood, characterized by an increase in ESR and leukocytosis, is characteristic of a bacterial pathogen.
Thus, summing up, you can determine the flu or cold based on
Clarification of the diagnosis is necessary to prescribe the correct treatment. In the case of the manifestations of a cold, most likely, it will be a question of prescribing antibiotics. Treatment of influenza involves detoxification measures, in severe cases - the appointment antiviral drugs... Antibiotics, however, are ineffective.
Consequently, a more accurate diagnosis contributes to the correct treatment and the fastest recovery of the patient.
Which falls on the junction of January and February, is still ahead, but infections never sleep. The question arises: in which case to be treated independently, and in which to go to the doctor, how to distinguish an ordinary cold from the flu, and when to worry about frequent colds The child has? Should we give the body a chance to overcome the temperature on its own or bring it down?
This is most likely a cold.
The common cold is the most common human ailment. It is likely that it is she who will overtake you. After all, there is a chance to catch as many as 250 types of viruses.
It is difficult to live a year without a cold and cough. The body will be able to overcome only those microbes that it has encountered before.
You can reduce the risk of infection by washing your hands more often and avoiding touching your face while in public. Viruses are transferred from the palms to the mucous membranes (lips, nose). How the virus will develop and in what form it attacks depends on the body's resistance, on its physical and mental state.
When should you worry?
Statistics show that an adult with good body resistance catches a cold on average two to four times a year. Children are naturally less resistant. Their immunological memory is just being formed. Over the years, we are less likely to get sick, not because we are less exposed to viruses, but because our body learns to recognize them and fight them.
Infants and children in their first year of life have a runny nose six to ten times a year.
Preschoolers are constantly exposed to viruses in kindergartens, on playgrounds, while communicating with other children, so they can get sick up to twelve times a year.
How to recognize a cold?
Colds develop slowly. It may take a few days before we really feel bad. Most often, the virus infects the mucous membrane of the nose or throat in the form of a profuse watery runny nose, sore throat, or hoarseness. After a couple of days, breathing problems appear, a dry paroxysmal cough develops.
How to treat a cold?
• If possible, stay in bed for a few days.
• Eat foods that you can easily digest (avoid fatty meats and dairy products, which make your nose worse).
• Try not to overwork.
• Do not treat colds, even severe ones, with antibiotics.
• As soon as you feel weak, act quickly. The speed of recovery depends on the speed of the reaction.
• Take 1 gram of vitamin C right at the start.
• Drink plenty of warm drinks.
• A runny nose is best treated with ephedrine drops or pills, which constrict the blood vessels in the nose and reduce the flow of secretions, making breathing easier.
• Take dry cough syrup to avoid the fatigue caused by recurring coughs.
• Not lower than 37.5 degrees. Elevated temperature - a sign that the body is fighting the disease. If the temperature persists for two or three days, then take anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, paracetamol - for children under 12 years old). Children of this age should not be given aspirin as it can cause liver damage.
• Avoid sitting at home if you or your child has a cold. You can take a walk in the green area away from crowds.
When to see a doctor?
If the poor state of health does not go away after three days of home treatment and there is no noticeable improvement, then a visit to the doctor is required.
With age, viral colds happen less often. But more often bacterial infections that require antibacterial treatment are overcome.
Flu should not be underestimated
We like to ignore the flu, often confusing it with a bad cold. This is, unfortunately, very risky behavior. Influenza is an extremely contagious disease that hits the body much stronger than a cold. The virus develops very quickly: you can meet the disease in the morning, and in the evening you can hardly stay on your feet. There is a temperature, often reaching 39 degrees, chills, pain in muscles and joints, headache, increased skin sensitivity. With flu, there is no appetite, drowsiness, lethargy, and difficulty concentrating are observed. The flu goes away in about a week, but feeling unwell, especially weakness, accompanies the next few weeks.
The flu should not be taken lightly, because it has many side complications. In 30% of patients, the flu ends with pneumonia, sinusitis and even depletion of the heart muscle. Complications are especially dangerous for people with health problems. Influenza threatens the health of people with diabetes, heart failure, and patients with neoplasms. It is advisable to beware of the flu for the elderly.
How to protect yourself from the flu?
The most important thing - limit contact with sick people... Especially when they have a high fever, as well as the next few days after its decline, because then the virus spreads the fastest. If your body is weakened, then it is enough to enter the unventilated room in which you were sick to get sick.
Doctors recommend vaccinations. The best month for this is September. But you can get vaccinated until January. Doctors say that even at the beginning of the year it makes sense to do this, since immunity is formed after two weeks. The antibodies produced protect against illness for 12 months.
Skeptics will ask, why get vaccinated when the flu virus is constantly mutating? But the specialist knows that behind such doubts there is only a grain of truth.
Vaccinations and mutations
Every year a new one is produced flu vaccine... It is created based on the predictions of doctors and scientists who, to a certain extent, are able to predict the direction of the virus mutation. This is possible, because there are three main types of the virus, as well as the scheme of its modifications, which are responsible for mutations. The vaccine is quite safe, as it contains a dead virus that cannot turn into an active form and attack the body.
In addition, doctors say that if after the vaccination you get sick, then the disease will proceed more easily and will not weaken the body as much as the flu in the absence of developed immunity.
How is flu treated?
• A warm bed should be the only place for a person with the flu.
• You should stay in bed until the temperature subsides.
• It is better to bring down high temperature with medicines.
• When the temperature goes away, you need to take care of yourself for a few days: avoid stress, stress, stay at home.
• Stock up on a warm drink: tea with raspberry jam, lemon, linden. The food should be light.
• You can take rutascorbin.
• Call a doctor at home. He will prescribe anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drugs, as well as open a sick leave.
Flu and cold the most famous and common diseases. How to treat colds and flu, use modern medicine or give preference folk remedies we will tell in this material.
What is a cold (ARVI)?
The common cold is the popular name for ARVI (acute respiratory viral infection)
Pathogenic microbes penetrate through the respiratory system and affect the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi. Colds are usually mild, lasting from 2 days to 2 weeks, accompanied by a slight increase in body temperature, runny nose, and cough.
One of the main reasons is the weakening of the body's immune defenses. The fact is that the upper respiratory tract contains a huge number of dangerous microorganisms. Their reproduction and development inhibits immunity. When the immune system weakens, the microbes are activated.
The risk of colds is increased when you get your feet wet, sit in a draft, drink cold water... As a result of hypothermia, vasospasm occurs and the blood supply to the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract is disrupted, which in turn leads to a decrease in the concentration of protective substances in it.
You can get ARVI from an already sick person. Pathogenic microorganisms pass to a healthy person through objects with which the patient came into contact, as well as during communication with a cold, especially if he sneezes or coughs.
From this it follows that a person with good immunity in most cases is not susceptible to colds. And weak immunity almost always leads to the formation of foci of chronic infection in the nasopharynx.
What is flu?
Flu (INFLUENZA, GRIPPUS) - spicy respiratory disease viral etiology, proceeding with the phenomena of general intoxication and damage to the respiratory tract. The flu virus is very easily transmitted. The most common route of transmission is airborne. It is also possible (although more rare) and the household route of transmission - for example, infection through household items.
When coughing, sneezing, talking from the nasopharynx of a patient or a virus carrier, particles of saliva, mucus, sputum with pathogenic microflora, including influenza viruses, are thrown out. For a short period of time, an infected area with a maximum concentration of aerosol particles forms around the patient. Particles larger than 100 µm (coarse phase) settle quickly. Their dispersion range usually does not exceed 2-3 m.
Virus flu selectively affects the epithelium of the respiratory tract (mainly trachea). Reproducing in the cells of the columnar epithelium, it causes their degenerative changes, using the contents of the epithelial cells to build new viral particles. Massive release of mature viral particles is often accompanied by the death of epithelial cells, and necrosis of the epithelium and the associated destruction of the natural protective barrier leads to viremia. Influenza virus toxins, together with the decay products of epithelial cells, have a toxic effect on the cardiovascular, nervous (central and vegetative) and other systems of the body. Influenza infection leads to suppression of immunity, and with the introduction of secondary bacterial flora through the necrotic surface of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, various complications can occur.
Disease flu accompanied by high mortality, especially in young children and the elderly. Influenza epidemics occur every year, usually during the cold season and affect up to 15% of the world's population. Influenza is an acute highly contagious disease characterized by acute toxicosis, moderate catarrhal symptoms with the most intense damage to the trachea and large bronchi.
Signs and symptoms of colds and flu
A cold usually begins with a sore throat and a runny nose, while the body temperature rarely rises, and if it rises, then no higher than 38 degrees. If the temperature rises higher then this is definitely the flu.
Consider the main symptoms of colds and flu:
1. High temperature (fever) - indicates the flu rather than the common cold. If the temperature rises, don't panic. High mercury counts indicate that the immune system is fighting infection. And the higher the temperature, the more the body produces interferon - a specific protein that neutralizes viruses. For this reason, doctors do not recommend lowering the temperature in the first days of the disease, if it does not rise above 38.5-39 degrees.
2. Nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing - classic signs of a cold. Although the acute symptoms of a cold resolve after a few days, a runny nose may last for a week or longer. Runny nose is less common with the flu.
3. Sore throat - most often the first signal of the onset of a cold. But sometimes sore throat may be a symptom of the flu. Whatever the reason, gargling with a salt solution will help relieve irritation of the throat lining. If a sore throat is accompanied by a fever, swollen glands, or vomiting, be sure to see a doctor
4. Cough occurs in both colds and flu. A bad, difficult cough is more likely a sign of the flu.
5. Slight malaise, weakness appear with a cold, but severe weakness, exhaustion of the body is a faithful companion of the flu. Although acute stage illness usually lasts 3-4 days, weakness can last for weeks.
6. Headache indicates flu rather than a cold. If your headache is accompanied by a skin rash, neck pain, or difficulty walking, see your doctor. Severe headaches can be a sign of meningitis or other dangerous conditions
7. Muscle pain and aches throughout the bodyalso indicate the flu. Of course, colds can cause soreness in the body, but they are easier to tolerate compared to the flu.
How to distinguish cold symptoms from flu symptoms? Many experts suggest measuring the temperature. Flu symptoms often mimic those of the common cold — nasal congestion, coughing, pain, and malaise. But among the signs of a cold, temperatures above 38 ° C are rare. With the flu, the temperature will likely rise immediately and you will feel terrible. Muscle aches and body aches are also signs of the flu rather than cold symptoms. The table below will help you determine which disease you are suffering from. Use this knowledge to distinguish a cold from the flu right away. Then, if you have flu symptoms, you can immediately take an antiviral drug.
|
Symptoms |
Cold |
Flu |
| Increased body temperature | Seldom | Often above 38 degrees |
| Headache | Seldom | Expressed |
| Pain | Weak | Inherent, often strong |
| Weakness | Moderate weakness | May last up to two or three weeks |
| Severe depletion | Never | Early and pronounced |
| Runny nose | Usually | Sometimes |
| Sneezing | Usually | Sometimes |
| Angina | Usually | Sometimes |
| Chest discomfort, cough | Moderate | Expressed; strong |
| Complications | Sinusitis or ear pain | Bronchitis, pneumonia |
| Prevention | Good hygiene | Annual flu vaccination |
| Treatment | Only temporary symptoms | Antiviral drugs (oseltamivir or zanamavir) within 24 to 48 hours of onsetniya |
Preventing colds
Prevention of colds is to strengthen the immune system. So how to strengthen the immune system.
1. It is advisable to start every morning with fresh juices. This will be a vitamin boost. Start daily breakfast, lunch and dinner with vegetables, fruits, and salads.
2. Rest after a hard day's work is obligatory, which will be very useful for the whole body, in general, and the immune system, in particular. Lie at home in silence for at least half an hour after work. Try not to think about anything at this moment, watch your deep, even breathing.
3. It is very important to get enough sleep, as proper healthy sleep strengthens the immune system. In the course of research conducted by scientists, it was found that people who do not have sleep problems are almost half as likely to suffer from chronic inflammatory diseases as those who suffer from insomnia. It is also known that during sleep all processes in the body normalize - blood glucose and blood pressure return to normal.
4. Every day after you wake up, it is advisable to devote 15 to 20 minutes to morning exercises. This general strengthening activity will also have a beneficial effect on the state of your immune system.
5. Many doctors recommend walking in the fresh air to strengthen the immune system. If possible, it is better to replace traveling by bus or car for short distances by walking. Movement strengthens muscles, increases exercise tolerance and, accordingly, improves the activity of the immune system. Also, in the fresh air, the blood supply to the brain improves, which has a beneficial effect on the state of the whole body, including the immune system.
5. Hardening is the most important method of ARVI prevention in our climate, it allows, if not completely avoiding the "cold", then reduce the body's sensitivity to it.
Hardening does not require much low temperatures, the contrast of the impact is important. Effects on the soles of the feet, on the skin of the neck and lower back are well tempered. The duration of the action should not be more than 10–20 minutes, more important is the repeatability of the effects and the gradualness of their intensification. Starting with a shower water temperature of 30–32 ° C, reduce it every 2–3 days by 2 ° C and after 10–15 days you will reach the desired temperature (16–18 ° C).
Hardening of children should be started from the first four weeks of life - to make air baths for the child during swaddling, gymnastics, before bathing. It is not difficult for preschoolers to organize contrasting air baths: before waking up, open the window in the bedroom, lower the temperature to 14–15 ° C and wake up the child, play with dashes from a warm to a cold room.
In the summer, you should let your child run barefoot. It hardens bathing, pouring water over the outside temperature, playing with water. In winter, there is no need to panic if a lightly dressed child goes out onto the balcony, if a sudden gust of wind opens the window, if a child opens up at night. Winter swimming, walking barefoot in the snow, dousing cold water - dangerous and unnecessary types of hardening.
Hardening cannot completely protect against a "cold" disease in contact with a virus new to humans. However, a hardened person's protection against infection is much more effective than that of an unhardened person, therefore, the number of ARVIs, especially the more severe ones, will be much lower.
Thus, summing up the above, it can be noted that in order to strengthen the immune system, it is important to lead a healthy lifestyle, monitor nutrition and get enough sleep. Beware of drafts, icy drinks, cold winds, and do not walk with a wet head after swimming. Don't wash your hair before bed. Dress for the weather, trust the thermometer outside the window, and not the sun, which shines and does not warm. And you will never catch a cold. Then you will be healthy and cheerful!
Prevention of influenza (barrier drugs)
REMANTADINE - means for the prevention and treatment of influenza A for adults and children over seven years old. It is taken during the first 2-3 days of illness (the exact dosage must be checked with the doctor - it fluctuates depending on body weight). For those who communicate with a sick family member or employee, doctors recommend a preventive course: one tablet daily for 5-7 days. For schoolchildren, teachers, doctors and everyone involved in the service and catering sector, this course is three times longer (i.e. 15 days).
OXOLIN OINTMENT... It will protect against all modifications of the influenza virus if it is applied to the nasal mucosa in the morning and evening for 25 days. Its active substance "inhibits" the multiplication of viruses that have already entered the cells, and is destructive for those who are only "going" to enter them.
EPSILONE AMINOCAPRONIC ACID — effective remedy treatment and prevention of influenza. Dilute 1 gram of dry matter with 10 milliliters of boiled water and instill into the nose 3-4 times a day. If the powder of this substance is mixed with pure petroleum jelly, you get an ointment that can be used twice a day.
INTERFERON HUMAN LEUKOCYTAL- medicine for the prevention and treatment of not only influenza, but also viral rhinitis, which everyone used to call ARVI. The medicine is made from human blood and contains purified proteins that can stop the rampant multiplication of the virus. This drug is harmless to babies and pregnant women. While the danger of infection remains, interferon should be instilled into the nose every 2 hours, 1-2 drops. If you are working, another scheme will be acceptable for you: 5 drops in each nostril, 2 times a day. This way you will protect the nasal mucosa - the main gateway to infection. For the treatment of influenza, you can use the following scheme: in the first hours of the disease, instill 3-4 drops every 15-20 minutes for 3-4 hours, and then 4-5 times a day for 3-4 days.
MEPHENAMIC ACID. Stimulates the production of "own" interferon. For prophylactic purposes, it should be taken 1 tablet 3 times a day for 5-7 days.
SPECIFIC DONOR IMMUNOGLOBULIN... It is obtained from the donated blood of volunteers (specially infected with the flu), after their body has developed antibodies to the virus. This medicine is used in emergency situations: if you have a responsible business trip, thesis defense, important negotiations, etc. We need these drugs in order not to replenish the group of people (by the way, it makes up 30 percent of the population of our country) who get the flu every year. Please note that during pregnancy, breastfeeding, with severe diseases of the liver, kidneys, cardiovascular system, with epilepsy, some diseases of the thyroid gland (for example, thyrotoxicosis), these drugs can be used only after consulting a doctor During an influenza epidemic, it is worthwhile to radically reconsider your lifestyle:
- ventilate the room in which you are more often;
- prefer walking on a crowded bus;
- temporarily skip crowded parties
- do not stand in lines unless absolutely necessary;
- before and during the epidemic, take a multivitamin (or at least vitamin C).
Recipes for preventing colds and flu
Prevention of colds and flu Recipe number 1
The simplest option is to mix 150 grams of honey and 1 lemon, grated on a fine grater with the peel (or chopped in a blender).
This mixture can be used as a tasty medicine for the prevention of flu and colds, in the morning on an empty stomach, with a little water. You can also eat it with tea as a sweetness. No one will even guess that they are eating a preventative!
Prevention of colds and flu Recipe number 2
A very common and very effective recipe - with walnuts and dried fruits: a glass of walnuts, a glass of raisins, a glass of dried apricots, lemon, 300 grams of honey. Grind everything in a blender or meat grinder, mix with honey. Take a tablespoon before meals 3 times a day.
The tool strengthens the immune system very well, helps with weakness and fatigue. How impossible better fit for schoolchildren, because they know about overwork firsthand.
Prevention of colds and flu Recipe number 3
Someone calls this recipe "Amosov paste", someone "Jewish vitamin". In any case, the thing is tasty and incredibly healthy - just a storehouse of all kinds of trace elements and vitamins.
We take everything equally: raisins, dried apricots, figs, prunes, walnuts, honey. Plus 1-2 large peeled lemons. Grind everything in a blender or meat grinder and mix with honey. Take 1 teaspoon 3 times a day.
In the morning, for example, you can add such a paste to oatmeal for an incredibly healthy and delicious breakfast.
Prevention of colds and flu Recipe number 4
Honey and lemon bath
Place 7 crushed lemons with peels in a container and cover with hot water. Leave it on for 2-3 hours. Then pour the lemon juice into the prepared hot bath. Place the peel and pulp in a gauze bag and immerse in water. Then pour honey into the bath (first, 100 g of honey must be dissolved in 100 g of warm water). Take this preventive bath 2 times a week before going to bed for 15-20 minutes.
Prevention of colds and flu Recipe number 5
For 0.5 liters of vodka, insist in the dark 2 tbsp. tablespoons of finely chopped garlic for two weeks. Take an incomplete teaspoon (30 drops) 2-3 times daily before meals. Start taking 2 months before spring and fall. Strengthen immunity and cleanse blood vessels. My 73-year-old friend takes this tincture and has not known the flu and colds for a long time. Sometimes a stuffy nose - and this is where the malaise will end.
Prevention of colds and flu Recipe number 6
Swallow the finely chopped clove of garlic on an empty stomach without chewing or drinking water. Then there are no unpleasant sensations for you or those around you. After a week of "garlic" breakfasts, the immune system will be strengthened so much that no colds, either in the near or in the future, are no longer afraid of you. To prolong the effect, use this simple recipe longer - and you will not get cold for years.
Prevention of colds and flu Recipe number 7
Finely chop 1 kg of white onion, pour 1.25 liters of cold water over it, close the lid tightly and simmer for 1 hour over high heat. Then add 1 glass of sugar, stir, let it simmer for another 1 hour. Then pour 1 glass of honey into the drink, keep it on the fire for 30 minutes, but do not boil And then put 1 tablespoon of oregano, St. John's wort, thyme and chamomile, 2 tablespoons of mother and stepmother, 1 teaspoon of yarrow and elecampane root ... After cooling, strain. Store the drink in the refrigerator. Drink 1 teaspoon 3 times before meals daily.
Prevention of colds and flu Recipe number 8
Add 10 drops of garlic juice to a glass of warm milk and drink before bed.
Prevention of colds and flu Recipe number 9
Raise your immunity rosehip decoction. 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of dry crushed rose hips with 0.5 cups of boiled water and boil over low heat under a lid for 10 minutes, then leave in a warm place for 3 hours. Drink 0.5 cups 2-3 times a day
Prevention of colds and flu Recipe number 10
Nut jam. Take 20 green nuts, finely chop and add 200 grams of sugar and mix. The jam is ready. It contains a lot of useful substances that will help to raise immunity and get rid of cough
Treating colds and flu
First of all, you need to pay attention to daily regime ... If you are sick, then continuing the working regime is not only dangerous, but also immoral, as this poses a threat of infection to others. From the first days of the disease, you must take a sick leave (be sure with the flu, preferably with ARVI) and lie at home. This way you will avoid complications and will not be a source of infection for others.
If the patient has a high temperature, then he should bed rest... And only for 2 - 3 day half-bed, and then the usual regimen.
Due to the fact that at a temperature in the body, the amount of fluid decreases, it is necessary drinking plenty of fluids. The use of juices, fruit drinks, tea, plain or, better, alkaline mineral water is necessary. A sick child should drink only up to a liter of liquid a day (along with a volume of liquid food). In adults, water exchange is better regulated, but they also need to drink at least 2 liters per day. Lean on fruit drinks, decoctions, compote, but purchased juices and nectars contain too much sugar, and this is an excess of calories and a load on the pancreas.
D to remove toxins from the body it is necessary to drink 40 ml per kilogram of body weight per day. The optimal liquid is clean water at room temperature. For example, a patient weighing 50 kg should drink 2000 ml of water, and a patient weighing 80 kg - 3200 ml of water per day.
Moderation in food, after all, food is always a load on the body, so you don't want to eat during an illness. In no case should sick children be force-fed - they will not lose weight in 2-3 days of unloading. With the flu, especially on days of high temperature, it is necessary to give up meat and heavy protein foods. But when the temperature drops, freshly brewed chicken broth is useful. People call it "Jewish penicillin". Once the great philosopher and physician Rambam cured the son of Sultan Saladin from a pulmonary disease with the help of chicken broth. The key to the action of this remedy is that there is a lot of cysteine \u200b\u200bin the skin of the chicken, which helps to remove phlegm (many people know acetylcysteine \u200b\u200b- ACC).
Symptomatic treatment does not act on the cause of the disease - viruses, does not reduce the duration of the disease, but relieves the patient's condition. The variety of symptoms of influenza and SARS has led to the fact that patients sometimes use several drugs - from fever, pain, runny nose, cough, muscle and headaches, etc.
1. What to do at high temperatures?
If the temperature has jumped to 41 degrees, then urgent measures must be taken to reduce it, otherwise fibral cramps may begin. In children, the temperature should be lowered from 38.5-39 degrees, since a small body tolerates it worse
Some children do not feel well even at a temperature of 37.5. In this case, of course. you need to use antipyretic drugs. Temperature rise in children with neurological diseases should not be allowed.
The number 42 on the thermometer scale is critical. An increase in temperature to such a mark disrupts the functions of the brain. In this case, be sure to call an ambulance.
But when lowering the temperature, it is not necessary to immediately grab the pills. First, it is enough to normalize the body's water balance. The fact is that high body temperature leads to dehydration. Therefore, you need to drink more water, tea, juice. Drinks with anti-inflammatory and antipyretic herbs are especially good.
If you have taken antipyretics but the temperature has already reached 40 degrees, then you need to wipe the patient with the following composition: alcohol, water, vinegar are mixed in equal portions. Such rubdowns will reduce the temperature by 1 degree in 30 seconds, which is simply necessary when the temperature is already over 40 degrees, and the medicine has not yet begun to act.
Let's reveal another secret. There are a large number of antipyretic drugs in pharmacies now, but they all contain either ibufen or paracetamol. If, after taking an antipyretic with ibufen, the temperature does not decrease within an hour, then you can take another antipyretic, but with paracetamol.
If the flu proceeds without complications, the febrile period lasts 2-4 days and the illness ends within 5-10 days. Repeated rises in body temperature are possible, but they are usually caused by a layer of bacterial flora or other viral respiratory infection.
2. Cold treatment
Most patients prefer to use vasoconstrictor nasal drops, considering them completely safe. This is not entirely true. Many drops are easy to overdose, especially in children. Vasoconstrictor drops improve nasal breathing only in the first three days of illness. In the following days, it cleans the nose and nasopharynx most effectively saline (or its analogues, including a solution of table salt prepared at home - for ½ glass of water salt at the tip of a knife), 2-3 pipettes into each nostril 3-4 times a day - in the supine position with the head hanging down and back ... By the way, such treatment helps to remove microbes and is quite effective from the first hours of ARVI.
In the presence of a purulent rhinitis, sometimes Protargol drops are prescribed in the nose, but they should not be used without advice from a doctor. Antibiotics cannot be used in the nose - they easily cause allergies. Also, do not instill oil drops in the nose - they easily enter the lungs, where they provoke the formation of foci of chronic inflammation.
3. Sore throat treatment.A warm drink helps well - tea with jam or honey, milk with a pinch of soda. Rinse the throat with tinctures and decoctions of sage, chamomile, calendula, saline solution (on the tip of a knife for ½ glass of water) (1–2%) with a pinch of soda. You can use the numerous lozenges and sprays sold at the pharmacy, mint tablets.
Flu, along with ARVI, are the most common ailments that knock you out of your normal life schedule, bringing a lot of inconvenience.
There is a difference between these diseases, which is important to determine in order to start the correct treatment.
Clinical signs are studied to get the most accurate information and know how to tell the flu from the common cold.
What is ARVI and what is flu
If you are wondering how the flu differs from the same ARVI, then you should keep in mind: ARVI is a general concept for all ailments of the respiratory tract with a viral origin.
It is important to know how to recognize the flu. The following symptoms are characteristic of the disease:
- lacrimation,
- respiratory signs,
- general weakness
- increased sweating,
- temperature increase.
The infection spreads by airborne droplets, it happens very quickly and affects up to 80% of people in contact with a sick person.
Such sad statistics can be explained by the fact that the body is not able to fight viruses, since the latter are constantly mutating and changing.
In adults, in most cases, influenza is not considered a serious illness, which is a huge mistake, since the body is in great danger. This disease is considered one of the most serious respiratory viral ailments.
Every year, influenza spreads en masse across the planet in the form of large-scale epidemics and pandemics. Because of the disease and its complications, from 300 to 500 thousand people die every year.
Hence, it is extremely important to know even at early stages the formation of pathology, how does the flu differ from so that the appropriate therapy is started on time.
Currently, scientists have identified about two thousand virus subspecies. The following types of flu are recognized as the most dangerous:
- spanish (A / H1N1),
- pork (H1N1),
- bird flu.
Swine flu, like all SARS, is transmitted by airborne droplets and has a high transmission capacity. This fact is explained by the fact that the incubation period lasts 2-4 days, and during this time a sick person can infect many people.
The onset of the disease has the following signs of intoxication:
- dizziness,
- headaches,
- chills,
- vomiting
- sleep disorders,
- in some cases, hallucinations.
Treatment necessarily includes symptomatic therapy, bed rest and the use of antiviral drugs. It should be noted that the patient should be protected from other family members for the period of treatment.
Diagnosis of diseases
To determine the presence of an acute respiratory viral infection, the doctor only needs to conduct an examination. Thus, it will not be possible to determine the origin of the disease, since influenza and ARVI have similar symptoms.
For the most accurate diagnosis, the doctor directs the person to the laboratory for several tests. This is how the presence of the virus in the blood is determined.
Most often, cultures of contaminated blood in specific nutrient media are used to determine pathology. Several serological tests are performed to determine the amount of antibodies in a person's blood to the virus.
Considering the fact that laboratory tests are rather complicated and expensive processes, then not all of them are carried out. Pediatricians make an accurate diagnosis of "flu" only after information about the beginning of the epidemic.
In rare cases, only the first patients undergo tests, all subsequent ones are assigned an automatic diagnosis. Therefore, the treatment of the disease is often not effective and leads to undesirable consequences.
People who care about their health need to understand how to distinguish influenza from acute respiratory infections on their own.
How diseases develop
Despite the fact that acute respiratory infections, flu and other similar diseases are very similar, there are certain differences according to which a person can identify a specific disease on his own.
Initially, attention should be paid to the rate of development of the disease. Usually, the initial stage of ARVI lasts 1-2 days. In this case, there is sluggish symptoms, however, the patient feels great discomfort and partially loses his ability to work. Symptoms of the condition during this period:
- lethargy
- nasal congestion,
- sore throat
- in some cases, an increase in temperature.
As a rule, in the clinics at the sanitary inspection room, they hang out memos on influenza and ARVI. In it you can find a lot of information about the development of these ailments and their treatment.
If the flu has started, then in the first half of the day a person feels completely healthy, but after lunch there is a sharp decline in strength and the temperature begins to rise rapidly. This disease is characterized by an acute and rapid onset.
The nature of the development of the disease, like other signs of acute respiratory viral infections and symptoms of influenza, make it possible for a person to independently determine which of the ailments he has.
As already reported, most of the symptoms of diseases are similar, and one of them is an increase in temperature, but there is one caveat. Flu is characterized by a rapid (within a few hours) jump in temperature up to 38-39 degrees. At the same time, almost all antipyretic drugs have no effect.
Even if the temperature was reduced, then after only 2 hours or less, it will start to rise again. In these cases, doctors prescribe not only drugs for influenza and ARVI, but also several antipyretic drugs, which should be alternated, taking every 3 hours.
With ARVI, the temperature, as a rule, does not exceed 38 degrees. It can be easily brought down with drugs such as Ibufen or Paracetamol.
If the patient has a stable condition and there is no deterioration, then you can not take antipyretic drugs, but give the immune system the opportunity to fight the disease on its own.
When a child is sick, you should not do home treatment. The body of children cannot cope with the disease, it is important to consult a doctor immediately.
The pediatrician will immediately examine the child, assess his current state of health and prescribe medications based on all the main indicators, including the patient's age.
It is no secret that colds, acute respiratory viral infections and flu are diseases characterized by a sharp decrease in a person's working capacity. The patient quickly begins to feel constant discomfort and loss of strength. Even according to these phenomena, you can independently come to the conclusion what kind of disease struck a person.
For example, with the flu, people complain of severe headache and muscle pain. As a rule, it hurts in the temples and the back of the head. In addition, there are:
- body aches,
- chills,
- increased sweating.
In addition, in some cases, there is pain with eye movement and photosensitivity.
If we talk about the general condition of the patient with ARVI, then weakness and weakness are present throughout the entire illness. But here pain in the head and muscles are very weakly expressed.
Nasal congestion and runny nose
SARS and flu virus are provocateurs inflammatory processes in the respiratory tract. In this case, a sick person has:
- increased body temperature
- runny nose and nasal congestion.
With flu, swelling of the nasal mucosa, and inflammation is much less common than in the case of ARVI. After a few days, the runny nose disappears completely.
With ARVI, the nose lays in the first two days, then, in addition to edema of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx, sneezing and severe runny nose begin. At the same time, tearing significantly increases.
Throat condition and cough
For those who are not informed how to distinguish ARVI from influenza disease, doctors advise to pay attention to the condition of the mucous membrane of the pharynx and throat. With the flu, they swell very much, there is a reddening of the soft palate and rear walls throat is. In a person with ARVI, the throat is red and swollen, but differs in a loose structure.
It is worth noting: if such signs of diseases as hyperemia and swelling of the throat are common, then plaque on the mucous membranes is only a sign of ARVI.
Before identifying what kind of disease a person has, it is important to remember when he had a cough. If it arose at the very beginning of the development of the disease, and only then the temperature rose, and a runny nose appeared, then this is ARVI.
When the disease began with fever, headaches and body aches, and only on day 2 or 3 a dry cough developed, the doctor diagnoses the presence of flu.
Confirms the diagnosis of cough as well as chest and tracheal pain. Such symptoms involve taking medications for ARVI and influenza:
- Cycloferon,
- Viferon,
- Immunoflazid,
- Ingavirin,
- Arbidol,
- Anaferon,
- Rimantadin,
- Tamiflu.
The condition of a sick person may worsen significantly, as the virus continues to develop and pathogenically affect respiratory system and the state of the body as a whole.
The reaction of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract
In some cases, the body can react to the influenza virus by disrupting the functioning of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. A sick person develops diarrhea or vomiting already 2 to 3 days after infection. The pathological condition can last up to 48 hours.
Without symptomatic treatment, the manifestation of such symptoms can drag on for several more days, which is fraught with dehydration.
If a person has symptoms of the diseases in question, it is important to carefully analyze the sequence and nature of the course of key clinical manifestations.
Subject to all the doctor's advice, the condition of a person suffering from acute respiratory viral infections becomes better on the third day. Complete recovery occurs after about a week. After a disease, a person quickly regains strength and ability to work.