These days many of us are struggling with the fear of being infected with the coronavirus pandemic. Everywhere we suspect that there will be some type of contamination happening, even in the usual household things. Every minor cough, runny nose signs, or sore throat makes you suspect: do I need to get diagnosed for coronavirus, or do I just need medicine for cough and colds?
The common cold is a case caused by a viral infection. This cold virus enters your body through droplets in the air. When someone infected sneezes, coughs, or talks these droplets can go into your eyes, nose, and mouth. Once you catch a common cold, expect to be sick for a week or two. But that doesn’t mean you have to be miserable. Check out these symptoms and treatments if you want to avoid contracting an unwanted common cold!
Sore Throat
You might have noticed that your voice became hoarse. Furthermore, you might have felt a scratchy sensation in your throat and it gets worse when you swallow. Look for signs of swollen and red tonsils to find out if you have a sore throat.
A sore throat is typically the first sign of a common cold. Although, there isn’t an instant cure for this bothersome symptom. There are ways to help ease it.
Try to avoid cold liquids to prevent further irritation. In addition, gargle with warm water that has ½ teaspoon of salt or munch on ice pops to relieve it. Over-the-counter medications like sore throat sprays and lozenges can soothe your throat momentarily through numbing.
Runny and Stuffy Nose
The common cold causes the mucous membrane lining in your nose to swell from inflamed blood vessels. This results in the production of too much mucus coming out of your nose. In addition to a runny nose, the common cold can sometimes cause nasal congestion also known as a stuffy nose. This happens when there is a blockage in your nasal airways making it harder for you to breathe.
The best treatment for a runny and stuffy nose, aside from getting enough rest, is drinking plenty of fluids. For a runny nose, an over-the-counter nasal saline spray can help relieve its symptoms. But take note to limit the use of nasal spray as instructed by the package label. While for stuffy noses, decongestants, as the name suggests, are taken to relieve nasal congestion.
Additionally, you can purchase a humidifier in your local mall. Place it at your bedside to help ease your breathing problems caused by stuffy air.
Cough
A cough is quite a hassle when you have to go through a busy day. You can’t control it because it is your body’s reflex action to clear airways from mucus and other irritants. The common cold is usually accompanied by a dry or wet cough.
There are two kinds of cough – a dry cough and a wet cough. For dry coughs, no mucus or phlegm is produced, while for wet coughs you produce more mucus or phlegm than normal. However, both feel like you have something stuck in your throat or chest.
Dry coughs can be treated with antitussives, like dextromethorphan, to suppress the reflex. Adding honey to your hot drinks can also soothe it. While for wet coughs, you can take mucolytics or expectorants that have guaifenesin, which are substances that loosen phlegm making it easier to push mucus out of your body.
Headaches
Headaches are caused by the swelling of your nasal airways. When you get headaches, it feels like there’s pressure applied to your temples and/or behind your eyes. You may also feel as if there is a clamp squeezing the back of your head and neck.
For headaches, pick a medication like mefenamic acid to lessen the pain. It works by putting down how much your body makes of a substance that causes pain and inflammation.
Low-Grade Fever
Fever, also known as pyrexia, takes place when your body’s temperature rises. This is because your immune system is fighting the viral infection in your body. To others, you may feel hot, but you yourself feel cold.
Go ahead and check your thermometer. The normal body temperature is usually around 37 degrees Celsius. If your temperature goes over 38 degrees Celsius, this indicates that you have a fever.
Fever is only a symptom of a common cold. Sometimes, it’s better to let the body fight the disease in order to gain a stronger immune system. However, if you seek comfort, you can opt to take over-the-counter medications like Paracetamol.
Key Takeaway
When you are sick with a common cold, it is important to get plenty of rest, have healthy eating habits, and drink a lot of fluids. Remember that antibiotics should not be taken to combat viruses. It will be useless to do so. Cold viruses can cause a lot of different symptoms, including sore throat, runny nose and congestion, cough, headache, and even low-grade fever. The common cold can be quite a hassle when you get infected but it is usually harmless. And although most common colds can be resolved on their own, drinking medicine for cough and colds and following these helpful tips will ease symptoms and result in your speedy recovery!
