Colds: how to recognize them by the first signs

Seasonal infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract are not as safe as is commonly believed. If treatment is not started in time, the process spreads to the bronchi, lungs and other organs, and enters the chronic stage. However, complications can be prevented. For this purpose, pharmaceutical preparations have been developed in easy-to-use forms that belong to different pharmacological groups. At home, you can prepare equally effective natural medicines using traditional recipes.

You should know in advance what to do if a cold starts, but the treatment algorithm may vary. It depends on the symptoms of the disease, body temperature and age of the patient. All treatment methods are usually divided into etiotropic (affect the cause) and additional (allow to overcome clinical signs). Together, they effectively eliminate all manifestations of influenza and ARVI at the initial stages and prevent dangerous complications.

Where does a cold come from?

Cough, runny nose, sore throat and fever are symptoms of a viral infection, less often of a bacterial one. It penetrates with the air and multiplies on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. The main condition for development is a reduced response of the immune system to pathogens. The incidence increases significantly during the cold season. This is due to short daylight hours, vitamin deficiency, and constant hypothermia. However, there are ways to quickly stop the first manifestations of the disease at the very beginning, and preventive measures.

What to take

What to take at the first sign of a cold? In order to relieve the first symptoms of such an unpleasant illness, you can use the tips presented below:

Getting rid of fever

Folk remedies for colds are considered the most effective, especially if you need to bring down the temperature:

When the body temperature rises, you need to rub the patient’s body with a solution of vinegar (3%). First dilute it with regular vodka in a 1:1 ratio.
The most common natural antiseptic is tea with raspberries or sea buckthorn.
If the mark on the thermometer is above 38.5, you can take aspirin.

How to strengthen your immune system

In order to increase your body's defenses, you need to take the following actions:

As mentioned above, eat more fruits with vitamin C.
Folk remedies will come to the rescue - honey, garlic, lemon.
Medicines, for example, rhinitis.

Measures against infection

The following can have an anti-inflammatory effect on the patient’s body:

Mustard – Before you go to bed, pour dry mustard into your socks and put them on.
Chicken broth – drink up to 200 grams of broth per day.
Honey is a good antimicrobial agent.

How to cure a throat

With a cold, a cough always occurs, and because of it, bronchitis and other more serious diseases. In order to avoid all this, you can take measures such as:

Gargle. To do this, you can use a soda solution or a furatsilin solution.
Resorption. You can soften your throat with special lozenges, which are sold in pharmacies - Faringosept, Lizobakt.
Warm up. Rub your back and chest with menthol balm

It is important to know not only how to quickly recover from a cold, but also how to do it correctly. For example, at high temperatures you should not warm yourself and rub yourself with vodka. By avoiding such mistakes, you can speed up the healing process several times.

In this article you will learn how to avoid getting sick during a flu epidemic.

Video about the first signs of a cold

Many people are interested in how long a cold lasts; in fact, it is impossible to give an exact answer to such a question. It all depends on how weakened the patient’s body is, how quickly measures were taken for treatment, etc. In general, people get sick for about one week, sometimes a little more, or vice versa, a little less.

How to prevent a cold from starting?

In winter, you should especially carefully monitor your well-being. In situations that most often turn out to be the cause of ARVI, it is necessary to immediately prevent the possibility of developing an infection. After a long stay outdoors in low temperatures or in the rain, as well as chronic fatigue, it is important to take time and take care of your health. Doctors recommend several ways to help avoid catching a cold in any conditions:

avoid crowds of people;
Wash your hands with soap and use disinfectant solutions throughout the day;
wear warm clothes, and in rainy weather have a spare set with you;
healthy diet - if in winter it is not possible to get enough vitamins and minerals, there are ready-made complexes in the form of tablets on sale;
hardening - you need to get used to low temperatures gradually.

Taking medications to prevent colds is not recommended, including antivirals. It is important that the immune system fights the infection on its own, especially in the initial stages.

The first signs of a cold in pregnant women - what to do

If a woman is carrying a child, then if she has a cold, hot foot baths and baths in general are strictly contraindicated - this will most likely provoke a premature termination of pregnancy. In addition, pregnant women should not take any medications without the consent of a gynecologist - even the usual antipyretic and immunostrengthening drugs can pose a danger to the fetus.

The most reasonable thing to do would be to stay in bed, drink plenty of fluids, and conduct aromatherapy with coniferous and eucalyptus oils. Any other appointments must be made by a specialist.

Almost everyone feels the first signs of a cold. You shouldn’t hope that “it will go away on its own”, “I’ll be like a cucumber in the morning” - the result of such a careless attitude will be a protracted illness, which can also occur with complications. It is much easier to immediately take the measures indicated in this article - this will make the cold mild, short-lived and without possible complications.

Tsygankova Yana Aleksandrovna, medical observer, therapist of the highest qualification category

13, total, today

( 201 votes, average: 4.63 out of 5)

Nutritional dystrophy: causes, signs, treatment, consequences
How to get rid of insomnia

Algorithm of actions for an onset of colds

Cough, runny nose, pain and sore throat - these symptoms lead to flu or sore throat. In the first stages, it is much easier to eliminate them than to deal with advanced forms of bronchitis or pneumonia in the future. Therapeutic measures are aimed at strengthening the immune defense, relieving inflammation and stopping the first signs of the disease. You may need medications to bring down the temperature, but you should not take them unless absolutely necessary.

There are several recommendations on how to stop a cold in the initial stages:

plenty of warm drinks - tea with lemon and honey would be a good option;
good sleep - during rest the body regains strength to fight viruses;
aromatherapy - you can do inhalations or simply breathe in the vapors of essential oils of coniferous plants (fir, pine, eucalyptus);
bed rest - having a cold on your feet is dangerous not only for the sick person, but also for those around you;
medications - symptomatic treatment of runny nose and cough, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), restoratives.

In the early stages, do not rush to take antibiotics and fever medications. There are specific antiviral tablets on sale (Anaferon, Tamiflu and others). They are recommended both for getting rid of colds and for preventing them. However, their effectiveness has not been proven. When they enter the body, they stimulate the production of specific immune cells, but do not destroy specific pathogens of influenza or ARVI.

Folk remedies for the first signs of a cold

With the development of cold symptoms, many patients are interested in whether I am starting to get a cold, what to take from traditional medicine? You can relieve this unpleasant condition with:

raspberry, rosehip tea;
warmed milk with honey and soda;
green tea with the addition of ginger and lemon;
homemade viburnum or cranberry juice.

It is possible to get rid of the first signs of rhinitis and avoid its transition to sinusitis by applying heated salt and tied in a fabric bag to the bridge of the nose. General and foot baths with decoctions of medicinal herbs and procedures with mustard plasters are also useful.

When the disease develops, periodic rubbing of the sternum, back and feet using fir, pumpkin or peppermint oils is effective.

Throat treatment

Pain and soreness are the first signs of a cold. The easiest way to get rid of unpleasant symptoms is store-bought lollipops. They contain anti-inflammatory components and local anesthetic. They have a local effect on the affected area of the mucous membrane, blocking receptors and reducing pain. A similar effect is observed when consuming mint candies. It is not recommended to take pharmaceutical medications for more than 3 days in a row, as they mask the manifestations of dangerous complications, including bacterial pharyngitis.

Compresses also help against a sore throat. They are made from several layers: cotton wool soaked in medicine, waterproof film and woolen fabric or a scarf. The active substances penetrate directly into the affected area, and the thermal effect accelerates the movement of blood through the vessels. This reduces stagnation and produces faster protective cells to destroy infection. As a medicine, you can use an aqueous solution of sea salt, soaked chamomile or sage flowers.

Gargling is another way to cure a cold. Pharmacies have ready-made solutions - Furacilin, Chlorophyllipt, Chlogexidine and others. They disinfect the mucous membrane, relieve pain and swelling. No less effective medications can be prepared at home:

decoctions of chamomile, sage, calendula - cleanse tissues and have an anti-inflammatory effect;
a solution with sea water, salt and a few drops of iodine - quickly destroys bacteria;
hydrogen peroxide - just stir one spoon in a glass of warm water;
beet juice (200-250 ml) with the addition of 10 ml apple cider vinegar.

Inhalations are also mandatory methods of treatment for colds. There are ready-made nebulizers on sale with solutions of antiseptics, painkillers or anti-inflammatory ingredients (Bioparox). At home, the medicine can be prepared using warm water with the addition of a few drops of essential oils (mint, eucalyptus, fir), and infusions of anti-inflammatory herbs. Potato decoction is also recommended - it soothes the mucous membrane and relieves pain. It is enough to lean over a container with warm liquid and breathe in the vapor.

Expert opinion

Komarovsky Evgeniy Olegovich

Pediatrician, doctor of the highest category, TV presenter of the program “Doctor Komarovsky’s School”.

“I advise parents about children’s colds, but these tips will also be useful for adults. A sore throat in the absence of nasal discharge is the first sign of a sore throat. The disease is of bacterial origin, so rinsing cannot cure it. The pathogen can only be killed with antibiotics, and it is very easy to miss the onset. You always need to pay attention to the little things, and even better, get tested before starting therapy.”

How to treat a cold at home

Drinking plenty of fluids can help reduce the symptoms of a sore throat and runny nose, relieve congestion, dehydration, and the likelihood that bacteria will build up.

You need to drink at least 8 glasses of liquid a day: water, tea with honey and lemon, sports drinks, freshly squeezed juices, fruit drinks, broths.

Limit your consumption of drinks with high levels of caffeine and alcohol, as they cause dehydration. Green and mint tea have properties that increase the body's defenses.

Lack of sleep and illness are closely related. If you don't get enough rest, your body becomes stressed and you can't function normally. Lack of sleep leads to greater susceptibility to disease.

It is advisable to sleep 8 hours a day as soon as a cold starts. Adequate sleep strengthens the immune system and helps the body fight viruses.

If you do not have the opportunity to fully rest at night, sleep for at least 20-30 minutes during the day.

Also, if possible, do not go to school or work after the onset of a cold. Staying at home will also prevent the spread of the disease.

For pain and discomfort in the throat, dissolve ¼ or ½ teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water and gargle with this solution.

Salt removes excess water from the tissues of the throat, reducing inflammation and clearing the mucous membrane of viruses and bacteria. You can gargle with a solution of chamomile, sage or furatsilin.

You can also try medicinal sprays (Tantum Verde, Hexoral, Orasept) and throat lozenges (Lizobakt, Septolete, Agisept).

Using a saline solution immediately after cold symptoms appear can reduce its symptoms.

Fill an irrigation syringe with saline solution and place the tip of the syringe into your nose, slowly releasing the solution.

If you are unable to purchase saline solution at the pharmacy, you can make a homemade solution by adding ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon baking soda to a glass of warm water. The water should be filtered, distilled or boiled for at least a minute.

Each time after using a syringe, it should be rinsed and left to dry to prevent bacteria from re-entering.

You can also take a hot shower, as the moisture will clear your sinuses.

Keep the air moist

Dry air helps trap and multiply cold viruses. By adding moisture to the air, you can alleviate symptoms by preventing dry and swollen sinuses.

Run a humidifier in the room where you spend most of your time, or take a hot shower to create plenty of steam.

Nose treatment

Cold rhinitis is manifested by a runny nose and burning of the mucous membrane. In most cases, the causative agent is a viral infection, and the discharge will be liquid and clear. If impurities of pus or blood appear in the snot, this directly indicates the proliferation of bacteria. In the first case, general strengthening measures are sufficient, in the second, a course of antibiotics in the form of tablets is required.

Nasal discharge streaked with blood

Nasal drops are the most common method of treating a runny nose. At home, you can prepare a regular saline solution; beet juice and essential oils are also popular. The latter are used in large dilutions, 1-2 drops per spoon of base. Pharmacy products allow you to more accurately calculate the dosage. You can choose the appropriate medicine based on the list of indications for use. All ready-made drops are usually divided into several groups:

hormonal anti-inflammatory: Avamix. Flixonase;
antibacterial: Bioparox, Isofra;
vasoconstrictors: Sanorin, Nazivin, Otrivin;
antihistamines (against allergic rhinitis): Vibrocil;
moisturizing: Aqualor, Salin;
thinning agents: Sinuforte;
antiviral: Nazoferon.

The constant release of exudate causes dryness of the mucous membrane, and frequent rinsing also contributes to this. To avoid discomfort, you can purchase ointment (Oxolinic, Tatracycline, Viferon, Levomekol, Pinosol, Fleming or any other) and place it in the nasal passages at night. Popular products are based on mint or eucalyptus extracts, including Zvezdochka balm.

A prerequisite for quickly getting rid of a runny nose is regularly clearing mucus from the passages. This can be done mechanically (by blowing your nose) or by rinsing your nose. Even the simplest saline solution will be useful. Expensive drugs are produced based on it, but you can prepare it yourself by adding a spoonful of salt per liter of water. The liquid is poured with a syringe or a special watering can into one nostril so that it flows out of the second and does not fall into the throat.

Cold medicines - what to take

From the very beginning, the disease must be monitored by the attending physician, at the same time, he will be able to make the correct diagnosis, which means that the treatment will be selected correctly.

Therefore, you should not wait until the last minute, but it is better to immediately seek help from a specialist who can prescribe the following drugs in tablet form:

— Paracetamol is considered one of the most effective antipyretics.

— Amoxicillin will help eliminate the bacterial infection, which is what causes inflammation.

— Aflubin boosts the immune system. Children are prescribed in the form of drops, and adults are prescribed tablet form.

— Cycloferon helps eliminate viral infections.

And for the local treatment of characteristic cold symptoms, the following drugs are prescribed:

— Furacilin is used for gargling. Eliminates infection and relieves inflammation of the tonsils.

— Marimer is available in the form of a spray, which is used to rinse the nose.

— Lysobakt in plates intended for resorption.

— Aspirin tablets are prescribed for headaches during illness.

— Bronchicum is available in the form of syrup, which helps fight cough.

— Doctor Mom in the form of an ointment is used to warm the bridge of the nose.

If we feel like a cold is about to hit us, what do we usually do? Of course, we drink some anti-cold pill in the expectation that he will save us from all our problems.

But to eliminate one or another symptom, completely different drugs are used. Therefore, only a doctor can help you with choosing a medicine.

So, certain drugs are prescribed in case of specific diseases:

If the temperature has risen, then Aspirin-Upsa .

Panadol can relieve inflammation .

Immunal will help increase your immunity level again .

Only Tamiflu .

Fluimucil will help get rid of an annoying cough .

In case of bacterial infection, you cannot do without Amoxiclav .

Codelac will help relieve a dry cough .

Panadeine will relieve severe headaches .

Antiviral drugs

If the cause of the inflammatory process is a virus, then the doctor will definitely prescribe you special medications that will help cope with it. Depending on the type of infection, the following medications are prescribed:

— Remantadine for influenza, prescribed for both adults and children (from 1 year).

— Arbidol will be quite effective against the flu.

— Ingaverin relieves inflammation. It is prescribed only to adults, because it is too strong for children.

Antibiotics

It is prohibited to prescribe this type of treatment on your own, because such drugs are quite strong, which means they will entail some consequences for the body.

Only a doctor can prescribe a time frame for treatment with this drug, as well as an acceptable dosage that will cause minimal harm to health.

So, the fight against infection consists of using the following drugs:

— Amoxicillin has a fairly wide spectrum of action. It is usually taken one tablet three times a day.

— Azithromycin eliminates the infection in a short time, so recovery occurs fairly quickly.

— Sumamed is a strong drug that helps you forget about a cold already on the third day. Prescribed one tablet per day for three days.

What should a child take - medications for children

If your baby catches a cold, he needs to be seen by a doctor immediately. On the first day of illness, you can provide your child with plenty of fluids in the form of raspberry tea or milk with honey.

The doctor, in turn, will prescribe medications to the baby in the form of syrups, lozenges or rectal suppositories. So, the most effective remedies for getting rid of colds:

— Ibuprofen in the form of a suspension helps reduce fever, relieve inflammation and pain.

— Nazol baby in the form of drops will help cope with the problem of a stuffy nose.

— Paracetamol in suppositories helps reduce the temperature within 15 minutes.