How to facilitate a cold?

How is influenza virus transmitted?

• Via droplet way (when the infected person is sneezing or coughing).
• When touching contaminated surface (money, telephone, door handles) and then touching eyes, nose or mouth.

 In order to reduce the risk of being infected with influenza virus and other catarrhal diseases, follow general preventive measures:

• avoid contacts with people, who have caught cold; do not come to the ill closer than 1.5-2 meters.
• if somebody at work or at home is ill, use disposable medical mask (it is not desirable that it is used for more than 3 hours; one should not wear used or moistened mask on the neck).
• wash hands as often as possible, especially after contact with ill people. Wash hands with water and soap for 15-20 sec. Wiping hands with a moistened disinfecting tissue is effective.
• do not use dishes and articles of personal hygiene belonging to other people (after washing hands, dry them with an electric drier, do not wipe them with the towel of joint use!).
• do not touch eyes, mouth or nose with your hands; do not bite your nails. Every time you come home, wash your face with soap.
• keep all surfaces clean, wiping them with domestic disinfectant.

 What to do if you have caught a cold or have got flu?

The best treatment is bed rest and abundant warm drinking. One should drink plenty of warm liquid in order to remove viruses, microbes and toxic products of their vital activity from the organism. 

In order to relieve patient’s condition, he may take preparations, which alleviate the symptoms of cold and flu:  stuffy nose, headache, painful throat, etc. One may buy separately nasal drops, pain-killers, antipyretic preparations, lozenges for the throat etc., but it is much more convenient to take combined anticatarrhal preparations, which affect several symptoms listed above at the same time. Such a preparation is “Grippflu®”. Grippflu® decreases body temperature, relieves headache and painful throat, stuffy nose, sneezing and rhinitis, improves general state and is available without prescription. 

Catarrhal diseases can be caused by viruses or bacteria. In such case when influenza is complicated with bacterial infection, the doctor can prescribe you antibiotics. Remember, if you initiated antibiotic treatment, you should complete the whole course prescribed by your doctor. If you do not complete the course or reduce the dose, concentration of the antibiotic in your organism will be insufficient to fight the infection, but it will be sufficient enough for bacteria to become resistant to the given antibiotic.

 In what cases is it necessary to turn for acute medical care?

One should call an ambulance if one or several of the following symptoms are present:

• labored breathing or asphyxia;
• pain or pressure in the chest or in the abdomen;
• body temperature of 38°C or above for more than three days;
• bloody or colored sputum;
• sudden dizziness;
• mental confusion;
• severe or continuous vomiting;
• improvement of the state followed by the worsening, development of fever and bad cough.

  Which signs of the diseases in a child should make you turn for medical help immediately?

• Accelerated or labored breathing.
• Appearance of hemorrhages on the body of the child (even very small ones), nasal bleeding.
• High body temperature.
• Child’s refusal to drink.
• Impossibility to wake the child up or the absence of his/her reaction for addressing.
• Excessive agitation of the child or cramps development.
• Development of nausea, frequent watery stool.
• Child’s complaints for severe headache.
• Absence of urination.
• Absence of tears when the child is crying.