TALKING MEDICINE : Antibiotics not needed for a common cold
What you need to know:
- Common cold is the most well-known type of acute infection of the lungs. It affects the nose, throat, pharynx, voice box, bronchi and windpipe. You will most likely have a runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, painful throat and cough.
People are usually quick to purchase antibiotics to treat off a cold. That’s medically wrong. Common cold, usually referred medically as Acute Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (AURTIs) is an illness that usually resolves in 7 to 10 days and may require no treatment. If the doctor recommends treatment, it’s only for relief of symptoms.
Common cold is the most well-known type of acute infection of the lungs. It affects the nose, throat, pharynx, voice box, bronchi and windpipe. You will most likely have a runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, painful throat and cough.
Other symptoms depend on the exact part affected. Your voice may become hoarse, especially when the voice box is affected. In addition, you may experience fullness in the face, headache, fever, malaise and increased nasal drainage, if sinuses involved which is called Sinusitis.
There are more 200 types of viruses which can cause the AURTIs. Additionally, bacteria also are another culprit. People “catch” colds when they come into contact with another person who is infected.
Most often, the virus spreads from person to person in respiratory droplets from sneezing or coughing.
Transmission can also occur due to poor hand washing techniques. An infected person may shed viral particles onto their hands and pass on these particles to someone else through a handshake or by handing them an object such as a pen.
The second person then touches their own nose, eyes or mouth, thereby acquiring the virus.
Some viruses can live on surfaces such as sink faucets, door and drawer handles, table surfaces, pens, and computer keyboards for up to two hours, providing another way of spreading the infection.
AURTIs are highly contagious. Individuals who are infected with the virus are potentially contagious even before they know they are ill. Thus, hygienic measures such as covering sneezes and coughs, and regular hand washing should be a routine habit practiced by everyone even when not ill. If symptoms persist, it is wise to consult a trained healthcare personnel.
