Do you have a cold and do you have a runny nose with clear watery snot do you have to sneeze and cough regularly? There is a good chance that you have contracted a viral infection. A cold caused by a virus is difficult but harmless. Coughing, sneezing, spluttering, watery eyes and often having to blow your nose, it’s all part of it.
Usually, the cold is less after a few days. What is a cold and how do you get rid of it? Antibiotics do not help against infection with a virus that causes a cold. This is because viruses do not respond to antibiotics (bacteria do).
That is why your doctor will often ask you what color your snot or mucus is. Viruses produce clear white snot and mucus, while bacteria are responsible for yellow or green mucus. Respiratory infections in which bacteria play a role can therefore be treated with antibiotics,
but viral infections cannot. Flu caused by viruses (influenza) can nowadays be treated with Tamiflu or Relenza. The active substance in these medicines inhibits the growth of the virus, giving the body more time to make antibodies against the virus. As a rule, this is not quickly prescribed by a doctor, unless there is a dangerous flu epidemic.
Cold, What Is It Anyway?
If you have a cold, the airways are infected by a virus. You may suffer from several things:
- running nose.
- stuffy nose.
- cough.
- to sneeze.
- a sore throat.
- elevation and/or fever.
- earache.
- swollen glands in the neck.
- have no appetite for food.
- tasteless.
- tearing eyes.
- cold sores.
- clogged cavities in the forehead.
- clogged sinuses.
- toothache and headache.
- fatigue.
- the feeling that you hear less well.
- hoarseness.
Colds are usually harmless and are over within a week or two weeks at the most. There are also medicines or resources that increase resistance to flu-like complaints and colds. Order 2 Prepare to increase disease resistance.
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Cold, Virus What?
That is very difficult to say, there are thousands of viruses that can cause a cold. If your resistance weakens, for example, due to heat or cold or poor physical condition, you are more susceptible to a cold.
Cold, How Do You Get Infected With Such A Virus?
By coughing, sneezing, spluttering, shaking hands, hugging, and touching the surface of objects that contain the virus.
Risks Of A Cold
A virus makes the immune system weaker, which means that other viruses, but also bacteria, have a greater chance of invading the body. We therefore regularly see a bacterial infection following a viral infection. Viruses pave the way for bacteria. This can result in a subsequent infection that is more serious than the first. people with asthma or bronchitis and the like are more at risk of shortness of breath when infected with viruses and bacteria. Please contact your GP for consultation and advice.
Preventing A Cold, How?
It is not easy to prevent infection with viruses, but there are a few guidelines:
- stay away from people who have a cold.
- If your resistance is good, you are less likely to catch a cold.
- Eat and live healthily.
- Rest and sleep enough.
- Wash your hands regularly.
- Ask people around you to cover their mouths when coughing and sneezing. Put your hand over your mouth yourself.
Blow your nose, yes or no?
A runny nose can be very annoying and so we prefer to blow our nose regularly. Still, research has shown that sniffing is better than blowing your nose. This is because, with an empty nose, mucus can end up in the ears and forehead cavities, which causes the infection to spread even further.
Call A Doctor For A Cold?
A common cold with clear translucent mucus is viral and will pass after a short time. There is little else to do about it, you can just take it easy and seek some relief with paracetamol (against pain) and possibly a cough drink. But if the complaints are more serious, for example coughing or blowing green or yellow mucus, shortness of breath (!), high fever or fever that persists, drowsiness, pain in the neck or jaw, etc., consult your doctor.
Children Cold
You must be extra alert with children. Call your doctor at:
- Fever.
- Pain (ears, throat, chest, head, muscles).
- The coughing won’t go away.
- Dull and passive.
- Not wanting to drink or drinking little.
- chest tightness.
- Purple-red spots on the skin (this occurs with meningitis!).
- You have the feeling that something is not right.
