American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [396]
Diagnosis
See your doctor if your cold lasts longer than 10 days, if your symptoms are especially severe or persistent, if you have a temperature of 102°F or higher, or if the infection seems to have spread to your ears (causing an earache), lungs (causing wheezing, shortness of breath, or a painful cough), or sinuses (causing pain in the upper cheeks or forehead). Also see your doctor if you have a severe, persistent sore throat, if your fever lasts longer than 3 or 4 days, or if the nasal discharge has changed from thin and clear or yellow to thick and green. A very high temperature and body aches are more likely to be symptoms of the flu.
Preventing the Spread of a Cold
Stay home if at all possible to keep from spreading the infection. If it is not possible to stay home from work or school, take the following steps to avoid spreading the cold virus:
• Wash your hands frequently. Hand-to-hand and hand-to-surface contact are the most common ways in which cold viruses are transmitted.
• Avoid touching other people or surfaces that other people might touch.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a disposable tissue when you cough or sneeze (and throw the tissues away promptly). If a tissue is not available, use the crook of your elbow or your shoulder (not your hand) to block your cough or sneeze.
Treatment
There is no cure for the common cold, but you can take measures to help relieve the symptoms. Breathing steam from a hot shower or boiling water can help to temporarily break up congestion. Drink plenty of water to help prevent dehydration. An over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can ease aches and pains and help you sleep. Using a saline nasal spray and elevating the head of your bed may improve your breathing if you have a stuffy nose.
Colds
Q. My 3-year-old son, who is in day care, frequently has colds. His doctor never prescribes antibiotics for his colds. How can I convince his doctor that he needs them?
A. Your doctor doesn’t prescribe antibiotics for your child’s colds because colds are caused by viruses. Antibiotics are used to fight infections caused by bacteria, not viruses. If antibiotics are taken unnecessarily, a stronger strain of bacteria could develop that is resistant to the effects of the antibiotic. This resistance makes a true bacterial infection more difficult to treat, and stronger antibiotics may need to be used. In addition, antibiotics can destroy some of the body’s helpful bacteria along with those that cause illnesses, potentially causing stomach upset and, in girls, frequent vaginal infections.
Q. I would like to strengthen my immune system before the cold season starts. Will echinacea or other herbal remedies keep me from catching a cold or lessen the severity of one?
A. There is no scientific proof that herbal remedies such as echinacea or zinc lozenges can prevent or cure a cold. Talk to your doctor before using any herbal remedies, especially if you are taking a prescription medication. Mixing some herbal remedies with prescription medications can cause potentially serious health problems.
Q. My mother always told me that I would catch a cold if I went outdoors in cold weather without a jacket. Was she right?
A. Colds are caused by viruses, not exposure to cold weather. While you should always dress warmly when going outdoors on cold days, there is no evidence that being outside without being properly dressed will cause a cold. Colds are more common when the weather is cold because people tend to spend more time indoors, giving cold viruses a better chance to spread from person to person.
For infants and very young children who cannot blow their nose, use a bulb syringe (available at most pharmacies) to suck the mucus out of their