The common cold is a general name for a complex of inflammatory respiratory diseases. However, hypothermia is not their direct cause. Rather, it creates favorable conditions for infection of the body with a virus or bacteria.
An adult suffers from acute respiratory infections from one to three times a year. This illness is not dangerous, but it significantly interferes with leading a full life. Few people can afford to spend a week, or even more, on a cold. We offer accessible instructions for recovery in one day. First, let's get acquainted with the main symptoms of acute respiratory infections.
Cold symptoms
The first signs of the disease may appear a couple of hours after infection, or may not be felt for up to two days. Symptoms usually occur in this order:
- Day 1. Sore throat caused by pharyngitis - inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa.
- Day 2-3. Runny nose, sneezing, feeling of stuffiness caused by rhinitis - inflammation of the nasal mucosa.
- Day 4-5. A cough that occurs due to a sore throat that irritates the cough receptors. As the virus moves towards the bronchi, coughing becomes a reaction to increased secretion and is necessary to remove sputum.
Weakness and body aches may accompany the patient all the time, or may go away on the third day. These are common manifestations of asthenic syndrome. It may also include photophobia, emotional depression, and heightened sensitivity to sounds and smells. All this indicates an increased load to which the nervous system is exposed during illness.
Symptoms of acute respiratory infections in adults
There are many symptoms for each individual viral and bacterial infection. But there are general signs of acute respiratory infections in adults, which can be used to judge the onset of the disease:
- Runny nose. Everyone is familiar with a runny nose, during which it is difficult to breathe through the nose and there is copious discharge. Often the cause is a viral disease, but a bacterial infection is also possible against the background of a general weakening of the body. If you have a runny nose, rhinitis, sinusitis, or their complications are diagnosed.
- Cough. The usual state. Cough varies in severity and is accompanied by pain or soreness. This is an extremely varied symptom in which laryngitis, bronchitis, tracheitis, as well as diseases of the larynx, trachea or bronchi can be diagnosed.
- Temperature increase. Mild forms of colds can pass without fever, but this is not always good. The temperature shows that the immune system is fighting off invaders. But a temperature above 38ºC requires close attention from the patient and doctors. High fever is typical for influenza viruses.
- General weakness and headache are a consequence of intoxication of the body and are very characteristic of a cold.
Viruses tend to invade a specific location in the body and develop there. The initial focus of infection may be in the mucous membrane of the nose or throat. This is where specific respiratory diseases originate - sinusitis, rhinitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, laryngitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis and others1.
How to distinguish a cold from other diseases?
A cold is an unpleasant phenomenon, but relatively safe. However, other, more serious diseases can manifest exactly the same symptoms. Therefore you need to know the following:
- Fever does not always occur with a cold. It never exceeds 39 degrees and subsides after a maximum of two days. Otherwise, we are no longer talking about ARVI, but about the flu.
- A sore throat does not always indicate a cold. If it does not go away for a long time, it is accompanied by enlarged lymph nodes and the appearance of purulent plaque on the tonsils, this indicates tonsillitis (tonsillitis). Antibacterial therapy is already required here.
- A cough with acute respiratory infections lasts no longer than two weeks. If it continues, it is possible that pneumocystis, fungi or mycoplasma have entered the body.
So you shouldn’t attribute any ailment to a cold. Otherwise, there is a high risk of not paying attention to the emerging dangerous disease. It will be more difficult to treat in the future.
Contraindications to the flu vaccine
- at least 6 months have not passed since the last vaccination;
- bronchial asthma;
- allergic reactions;
- iron deficiency;
- diseases of the respiratory system in acute or chronic form;
- allergic reaction to chicken protein;
- heart failure;
- endocrine diseases;
- blood pathologies;
- first trimester of pregnancy;
- severe renal failure;
- period of exacerbation of chronic diseases.
To prevent flu and colds, follow a few simple rules:
- Strengthen your immune system. Exercise more often or give your body light exercise. Take a walk in the fresh air, this will saturate your lungs with oxygen.
- Avoid hypothermia. This occurs due to a sharp temperature change and the action of the air conditioner.
- Use antibacterial agents, especially during cold season.
- Eat a balanced diet. This will provide the body with the necessary microelements.
General recommendations
Rarely does anyone immediately consult a doctor when the first symptoms appear. The first two or three days you can just lie down. But if after four days your health does not begin to improve or worsens, you cannot do without medical help.
If you are convinced that you have ARVI, you can use the following methods to ease the course of the disease:
- drink more (especially if you have a fever);
- refrain from smoking;
- rest (ideally sleep) as long as possible;
- dress comfortably (you can wrap yourself in blankets only if you are cold);
- ventilate the room;
- humidify the air.
Vitamins will also help. In addition to citrus fruits, black currants, sea buckthorn and ginger provide the vitamin C necessary for a cold body. Honey will help strengthen your immune system.
Treatment and prevention of colds
The most important thing is to understand that the cause of the disease in the vast majority of cases is a virus. Therefore, you should not take antibiotics at the first signs of a cold. This is not only useless, but also harmful, as it contributes to the development of dysbiosis and decreased immunity. The second thing you should not do without a doctor’s prescription is to use various immunostimulants uncontrollably at the first symptoms of a cold. The doctor should decide on the use of these drugs and the choice of a specific drug after assessing the patient’s condition.2
If you feel unwell and understand that you may get sick, it will be useful to ensure that you get proper rest. An effective measure is to rinse the nasal cavity with a solution of sea water. This helps remove viral particles from the mucous membrane. At the first sign of a cold, you need to drink enough fluids. It can be plain water, fruit drink or compote. Drinking plenty of fluids helps remove toxins and improves the patient's well-being. The effectiveness of vitamin C in viral diseases has been proven. It is based on its antioxidant properties, participation in tissue regeneration, and effect on the immune system.3
To relieve cold symptoms such as fever, you can take antipyretics. Most often these are drugs containing paracetamol or ibuprofen. It must be remembered that temperatures up to 37.9 °C are an adaptive process that helps suppress viruses and activates the production of interferons.2
Currently, preference is given to combination drugs that treat cold symptoms in adults and children. Coldrex has antipyretic, analgesic, and anti-edematous effects due to its constituent components. These are paracetamol, phenylephrine and vitamin C in optimal dosages. Convenient is the fact that this fixed combination is contained in one packet of powder.
Paracetamol does not disrupt water-electrolyte metabolism and does not damage the gastric mucosa, therefore it is often used to treat colds. Phenylephrine hydrochloride acts on alpha-adrenergic receptors of the nasal mucosa, producing a vasoconstrictor effect, resulting in the relief of cold symptoms such as runny nose and nasal congestion. Vitamin C strengthens the walls of blood vessels and increases immunity by stimulating the activity of lymphocytes and macrophages, increasing the production of interferon.8
If the recommended dosages are followed, Coldrex is well tolerated by patients who take the drug for cold symptoms. Thus, a drink prepared from one sachet of Coldrex HotRem Menthol has the aroma of menthol and honey lemon and contains 600 mg of paracetamol, 10 mg of phenylephrine and 40 mg of vitamin C.4 Among the drugs in the Coldrex line, you can choose the one most suitable for you in terms of the amount of antipyretic component and aroma . Coldrex HotRem Lemon and Lemon and Honey contain 750 mg of paracetamol, and Coldrex MaxGrip - 1000 mg.5, 6 There is a form that can be used to treat colds in children - Coldrex Junior with lemon flavor.7
Of course, a cold is easier to prevent than to treat. To prevent illness, you need to follow simple rules: eat healthy, exercise, wash your hands thoroughly, use medical masks when visiting large crowds of people.
Cure a cold in one day
Medicines that are freely sold in all pharmacies will help us with this. Our goal is to quickly eliminate symptoms.
| Symptom | What do you need | Examples of active ingredients |
| General weakness and fever | Antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic | Ibuprofen Paracetamol |
| A sore throat | Antiseptics | Hexethidine Biclotymol Ambazon |
| Runny nose | Antiseptics, decongestants, vasoconstrictors | Xylometazoline Sea water Phenylephrine |
| Cough | Secretolytics, mucolytics | Ambroxol Bromhexine Thermopsis herb Ginger rhizome extract Acetylcysteine |
Berry cocktail: a powerful dose of vitamins
Drinking plenty of warm water is a mandatory measure in symptomatic express treatment. It’s better to start with a fruit drink made from berries (raspberries, currants, lingonberries, viburnum). You can pour boiling water over frozen berries, crush them with a mortar and strain through a sieve. Usually, after such a cocktail, temporary relief of symptoms immediately occurs.
Then during the day you need to drink at least 2 liters of liquid - warm water with lemon, tea with honey, decoction of linden flowers, infusions of chamomile and other medicinal plants. If you want to get rid of a cold rather than help it, then eliminate coffee and sugary carbonated drinks.
Is there a cure specifically for colds?
The listed groups of medications have a complex effect on all inflammatory foci. But it wouldn’t hurt to undergo antiviral therapy. For this purpose, the following active ingredients are used:
- interferon (“Grippferon”);
- rimantadine (“Remantadine”);
- tilorone ("Lavomax");
- umifenovir (Arbidol).
It is recommended to consult a doctor before taking them. Colds are easily treated with symptomatic treatment. But if there are no positive changes within a few days (or even get worse), it’s probably not an acute respiratory infection. Flu, sore throat and other illnesses that start out like a cold can have serious consequences. Therefore, if your health worsens, it is important to consult a doctor promptly.
How to cure acute respiratory infections in adults
Colds can be treated with various means. But don't forget about immunity. To activate local immunity, the drug IRS ®19, containing bacterial lysates5, can be used.
IRS®19 has been used for many years in the treatment of colds, acute respiratory viral infections or acute respiratory infections. Bacterial lysates activate local immunity, thereby suppressing microorganisms on the mucous membranes of the respiratory system. It becomes harder for new viruses and bacteria to enter the body. The treatment time for colds is reduced when using IRS®194.
Additional measures
Some categories of patients are particularly sensitive to certain drugs. For some they are completely contraindicated. Additional measures must be taken to treat such patients. So, in the first trimester of pregnancy, taking medications is generally undesirable. It is better to use folk remedies. In the last three months you should not drink a lot of liquid. Although this helps to cope with ARVI, the consequences can be serious. Sodium leaching and kidney overload are very dangerous for a pregnant woman.
When treating children under three years of age, essential oils are contraindicated. If they help an adult to recover, in a child, the course of the disease, on the contrary, may become more severe. In addition, the risk of an allergic reaction from an incompletely formed immune system cannot be ruled out.
Bibliography
- Jean-Baptist du Prel, Wolfram Puppe, Britta Gröndahl, Markus Knuf, Franziska Weigl, Franziska Schaaff, Franziska Schaaff, Heinz-Josef Schmitt/ Are Meteorological Parameters Associated with Acute Respiratory Tract Infections?/ Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 49, Issue 6, 15 September 2009, Pages 861–868/ https://academic.oup.com/
- Doctor of Medical Sciences V.N. Larina, M.I. Zakharova, Ph.D. V.F. Benevskaya, Ph.D. M.G. Golovko, Ph.D. S.S. Soloviev/ Acute respiratory viral infections and influenza: etiology, diagnosis and treatment algorithm/ Breast cancer. Medical Review, 2021 No. 9(I).- pp. 18-25/ https://www.rusmedreview.com/
- Boykova N.E./ Modern approaches to pathogenetic therapy of acute respiratory viral diseases/ RMJ “Medical Review” No. 26 dated November 4, 2013 p. 1274/ https://www.rmj.ru/
- Instructions for use of the drug Coldrex HotRem Menthol.
- Instructions for use of the drug Coldrex HotRem.
- Instructions for use of the drug Coldrex MaxGrip.
- Instructions for use of the drug Coldrex Junior.
- Shikh E.V. / Vitamins with antioxidant properties in the prevention and treatment of acute respiratory infections in children / Issues of modern pediatrics. 2013;12(4):142-147 https://vsp.spr-journal.ru/
Myths about colds
Although acute respiratory infection has been known to medicine for a long time, there are still myths about its treatment methods and precautions. We have collected the most popular of them:
| Myth | In fact |
| If you have a cold, you should keep the windows closed and not go outside. | Fresh air is the enemy of the virus. Regular ventilation keeps the house free from infections. |
| The patient needs to be warmed. | No one has canceled the body’s need for normal thermoregulation. Overheating is no less dangerous than hypothermia. |
| A person with a cold should not wash. | In cold water it’s really not worth it, because hypothermia weakens the immune system. It’s possible and even necessary in a warm place. The patient sweats, and with then toxins come out. They need to be washed off. |
| Ice cream is a surefire way to catch a cold. | The cause of the disease is a virus, not a cold. Whether a person will eat so much ice cream to weaken their immune system is a big question. When you have a sore throat, this dessert is actually useful. It relieves swelling, inhibits the inflammatory process and reduces discomfort. |
Why is it necessary to distinguish between these diseases?
The group of people with weakened immune systems includes pensioners and children, people with chronic diseases. This means that their immune system is most susceptible to attack by pathogens. An incorrect diagnosis can lead to deterioration in the functioning of the entire body and incorrect treatment.
Due to influenza, the natural functions of the immune system are weakened, against the background of this, other infections can join and develop. These are mainly respiratory tract infections: the lungs are affected by streptococcal or staphylococcal flora. This contributes to the development of pneumonia, pulmonary hemorrhage, and edema.
Influenza in adults can be complicated by the development of sinusitis, sinusitis, pericarditis and acute cardiovascular failure. Influenza in children is complicated by otitis media, focal pneumonia, and bronchitis.
Garlic and ginger are the best herbal disinfectants
Ginger is often used in the treatment of ARVI and influenza. Grated ginger root is an excellent disinfectant, warming and tonic. It can be added to tea, and infusions and decoctions can be prepared based on it. If you don't have stomach problems, you can use garlic. There is a proven recipe - squeeze the juice from several heads of garlic, then mix it with honey in a one-to-one ratio and take this remedy one tablespoon twice a day.
Sliced garlic releases phytoncides into the air, which neutralize the infection. You can place a plate of grated or chopped garlic next to your bed.
