Cold and Flus

There are a lot of different reasons why you and your family may catch a cold or a flu.

To prevent catching them, when both have similar symptoms, we need to understand what is the difference between the two, as well as the strategies we could work on in order to avoid them spreading.

Influenza (the flu)

The flu is a disease that most people normally get during the winter months.

It is

1. Caused by influenza viruses
2. Can be passed between people in mucus droplets from sneezes and coughs, or by physical contact (e.g. unwashed hands) ¹

Symptoms - last from one to two weeks:

• A high temperature (101℉ and above)
• Body aches
• Chills
• Dry cough
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Severe tiredness - Most people with the flu find it impossible to leave their beds.

Symptoms peak after 2-3 days but can last for 2-3 weeks.

Colds

Colds are

1. Caused by many different viruses
2. Passed between people in sneeze droplets or by close contact.

If you’ve got a cold, you’ll probably develop:

• A runny or blocked nose
• Watery eyes
• A cough
• The sneezes
• A sore, scratchy throat

Cold symptoms are usually less severe and tend not to last as long as flu symptoms.

Treating colds and the flu

1. Antibiotics have no effect on either colds or the flu since both conditions are caused by viruses not bacteria
2. Because there is no """"cure"""" for either a cold or the flu, treatment for both conditions focuses on relieving symptoms.

Top tips for colds and flu

• Stay at home and keep warm.
• Inhale steam from a bowl of hot water to unblock your nose.
• Drink plenty of fluids (particularly water and fruit juice).
• Take aspirin, paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve any fever and help with the headaches (aspirin should not be taken by children under 12, if you have an allergy to aspirin, or if you have a stomach ulcer; ask your pharmacist for advice).
• Other over-the-counter medicines (which often contain the above) can also help relieve your cold. Check with your pharmacist to choose the right medicine for you.
• If you often got ear infections, bronchitis, or are still feeling ill after 10 days, see your doctor.
• If you have flu and still have a fever after 4 days, see your doctor.²

The drugs zanamivir and oseltamivir are prescription drugs designed to target the influenza virus.  They are recommended for “at risk” groups like those over 50 years of age, children aged between 6 months – 59 months old, pregnant women, and people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions.²  They must be given within 48 hours of the onset of flu symptoms.  They can make symptoms less severe and last for about 1-1 ½ days less.  Also makes the symptoms less likely to passed onto someone else._²

Traditional remedies

It’s important to stock up on vitamins and keep hydrated.

• Sample the bounty of hearty, nutritious winter vegetables.
• Winter squash, such as acorn or butternut, are high in vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium, and fiber.

For years, cold remedies have been passed down from generation to generation. Here are a few the seniors in your family may have told you about:

• Eat chicken soup
• It acts as an anti-inflammatory and relieves congestion in the nose by speeding up the movement of mucus
• Add lots of vegetables (onions, garlic) for a powerful, immune-boosting vitamin punch! ³

• Drink lots of fluids
• Fluids can prevent dehydration and help you feel less blocked up when you are sick with a cold or flu.
• Best bets are water, pure fruit juice, clear soup, or warm water with lemon.
• Gargle with saltwater
• For temporary relief of a sore, scratchy throat, gargle with a mixture of 8 ounces of warm water and half a teaspoon of salt a few times each day.

Alternative remedies

Echinacea

• A plant and traditional medicine of the Native Americans is believed to boost the immune system
• Traditionally used to protect against colds, coughs, flus, and other chest conditions

However, research has shown taking Echinacea by mouth does little to cut the length and severity of colds.⁴

There are certain studies says Echinacea preparations may help treat chest infections and be effective early on in the treatment of colds.^4,5

Garlic

• Allicin, which is a component found in garlic, is thought to be antibacterial and prevents common colds and flu
• One study found that the participants who took garlic capsules containing 180mg allicin had less colds and took less time to recover compared to the those taking placebo ⁶

However, more evidence is needed to support how effective garlic is in protecting against colds and flu.⁶

Zinc

• Early treatment of a cold with zinc lozenges may reduce the intensity of a cold and its length by several days ⁷
• Zinc can be found in a lot of common food sources such as spinach, asparagus, peas, broccoli, shrimp, lean red meat, and yogurt

Vitamin C

• A lot of common fruits and vegetables are packed full of vitamin C like kiwis, strawberries, cantaloupe melons, oranges, broccoli, peppers, cabbages and cauliflowers
• Having Vitamin C will help you to fend off colds and the flu

Avoiding colds and flu

Flu shots

1. The influenza vaccine is generally an effective way to prevent the flu and is free from serious side effects
2. A new vaccine is needed every year because the virus is always changing which helps fight against some of the newest types of flu viruses
   
   

Getting a flu shot is especially important for those in high risk groups including anyone over 50 years old, children between 6 months to 5 years old, pregnant women, and people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions, e.g., high blood pressure, arthritis and high blood cholesterol.

If you live with or are a caregiver for people at high risk, you should also have a flu shot.⁸

Other strategies

Colds and Flus are easy to run around inside households and workplace due to the close connection between people around the areas.

If possible, try to avoid contact with people who has a cold or the flu. If contact cannot be avoided, wash your hands regularly throughout the day and keep your hands away from your mouth, eyes and nose.

Sources

1. Flu. NHS Choices. Visited 13 April 2016.
2. Flu - Treatment. NHS Choices. Visited 13 April 2016.
3. The common cold: Current therapy and natural history. Spector S. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 1995; 95 (5): 1133–1138
4. Herbs at a glance: Echinacea. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Visited 13 April 2016.
5. Linde K, Barrett B, Wölkart K, Bauer R, Melchart D. Echinacea for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006; 25;(1)
6. Lissiman E, Bhasale AL, Cohen M. Garlic for the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012; 14;3
7. Preventing colds and flu. NHS Choices. Visited 13 April 2016. 
8. Flu and the flu vaccine. NHS Choices. Visited 13 April 2016.