A cold for any guy is a real misfortune. When he has a runny nose and a fever, he turns into a helpless child. How do you get along with it? And how to help him to quickly overcome a cold?
Guy who has a cold at homeis a real act of God. The popularcoldin the male edition can lead to divorce inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, manifested by deterioration of well-being, sneezing, scratching in the throat, increased temperature. Its main cause is viruses, and they make colds a contagious disease like the flu. But this does not mean that contact with someone with a cold must end immediately with the disease. Man has been equipped by nature with defense mechanisms that - if they work efficiently - overcome pathogenic microbes. When we take care of ourselves, lead a rational lifestyle, we will probably be able to fend off an attack of viruses. He chooses his victims mainly from among exhausted, poorly nourished people, those living under stress or smoking cigarettes. An additional factor contributing to the disease is staying in crowded rooms, because it significantly increases the chance of contact with a sick person. Does this description fit your man? If so, then it is enough to be cold while waiting for the bus, and the weakened body will not be able to cope with the virus.
First aid for colds
As part of first aid, you can apply something that he will surely like. After returning home, let him drink a glass of warming grog or beer with egg yolk and go to bed. Malaise, sore throat and runny nose usually worsen at the end of the second and at the beginning of the third day of illness. This is a signal that the body is trying to defend itself. They may or may not be accompanied by a fever and a headache. If the treatment is started immediately, it will not only alleviate the symptoms, but also avoid complications that are more dangerous than the mere cold.
At the beginning, you need to mobilize the body's natural defenses to fight the disease. First of all, the sick person has to drink a lot. When the symptoms worsen, some medicine that has antipyretic and antihistamine properties, i.e. reduces swelling of the nasal mucosa, will bring relief. Preparations with paracetamol are good. Already 30 minutes after taking it, they will relieve headache and throat pain, reduce fever. These effects persistabout 4-6 hours. Medicines containing acetylsalicylic acid have similar effects, but because they also have a diaphoretic effect, it is better not to take them when you have a cold and are away from home. And here we come to the essence of treating infections of the upper respiratory tract. The best medicine is to sleep and rest in bed. That is why it is worth persuading our man to go to the doctor and take a few days off. The more he rests, the faster he will recover!
ImportantWhen a doctor is needed
Only when a cold is fever-free, you can - when there is no other option - go to work. However, if symptoms persist for more than three days despite treatment, you should see your doctor. This also applies to people with reduced immunity and chronically ill. Other indications are:
- temperature approx. 38oC
- pains in the ear, paranasal sinuses, in the chest
- enlargement of the almonds making it difficult to swallow
- shortness of breath.
Caring for the sick
If this stage is over and the patient has been persuaded to stay at home, you must be patient and hire a home nurse for these few days (a cold lasts at most a week). You will really need patience, because a sick man is usually cranky. He does not bear his own weakness and gets lost in the maze of medical recommendations. Do not expect, therefore, that he will find appropriate medicines in the first aid kit, that he will drink lime tea, ingest vitamins and rinse his throat. He will forget half of the things and he will ignore the other half. Show understanding, understanding and … a sense of humor. But don't let it occur to you to mock his weakness. Qatar is a real divine act for a man. Because who saw a superman's nose runnin? And if the temperature has also added to it, you have a really “difficult case” at home that requires loving, loving care and your constant presence. Unfortunately, you will not be granted leave to look after your cold husband. Therefore, make sure that everything he will need in your absence is at his fingertips. And when you leave the house, leave detailed instructions on how to take your medications. Otherwise, don't be surprised by phone calls with questions such as: what to drink this yellow pill, how to distinguish between lozenges and swallows, and where all the handkerchiefs are.
Breaking a fever
Feveris a signal that the immune system is fighting the infection. Once the viruses enter the body, they activate phagocytes - a type of white blood cell that destroy pathogenic germs.At the same time, they send signals to the brain's temperature control centers and cause an increase in body temperature. At around 38oC, few microorganisms survive. Therefore, it is best to survive such a small fever, but if the patient suffers it badly, you can help him with cool compresses on the neck and forehead. As soon as the compresses get warm, they need to be changed. In this way, it is possible to reduce the fever by up to two degrees. Sometimes, however, compresses do not help, and then the patient can be given drugs that reduce the fever.
Rules for fighting colds
1. A warming bath.Preferably with the addition of a few drops of fragrant oil, such as pine, eucalyptus or thyme oil. It will not only improve blood circulation, but also open the airways. You can also do a back and chest massage using a warming ointment (e.g. olbas) or salicylic alcohol. After that, it is imperative to go to bed and cover it well. A warm body gains more energy to fight the infection.2. Something for sweating.During infection, the metabolic rate and the amount of poisonous metabolic products increases. They are removed, inter alia, along with sweat. In addition, sweat cools the body and causes a drop in fever. For example, lime tea sweetened with honey, dried raspberry fruit or elderberry flower infusion (available at herbal shops and pharmacies) works diaphoretic. To sweat well, you need to drink 3-4 glasses a day. The infusion does not have to be hot. Also prepare other liquids: fruit juices (without citrus, because they irritate the throat) and mineral water at room temperature - minimum 1.5 liters a day. Note: after each sweating, it is necessary to change pajamas, and sometimes also bedding.3. Clean air.It is ensured by frequent (4-5 times a day for 5-10 minutes) airing the room and proper humidification. Overheated, dry air additionally weakens the mucosa of the nose and throat and intensifies the symptoms of a cold. Traditional humidifiers hung on a radiator are good. If you have an electric humidifier, add a few drops of this fragrant oil to the water (see point 1).4. Easily digestible diet.The body must use all its strength to fight the infection. Therefore, it is better to "not distract him" with heavy dishes that stay in the digestive tract for a long time. Food should be warm, not hot, and portions should be small. The lean broth with the addition of peppercorns and lots of green parsley is excellent. And instead of red meat - fish or chicken with fresh vegetables. And a lot of herbal spices (thyme, rosemary and ginger are especially helpful) and garlic.5. Relief of symptomswhich is somethingfor runny nose, sore throat and cough. Inhalations are excellent: two glasses of hot water are poured into the pot and a few drops of amol are added. The sick person bends over him and breathes deeply. With troublesome rhinitis, drops and sprays will bring relief, unblocking the respiratory tract and reducing the intensity of watery runny nose. This effect is also given by cold pills. A sore throat will be relieved by rinsing it every few hours with a saline solution, chamomile or other ready-made preparation. If a cold is accompanied by a cough with expectoration of mucus (the so-called wet cough), expectorant syrup will help, which will speed up the clearing of thick secretions from the respiratory tract. In the case of tiring, dry cough, moisturizing and soothing preparations are used to soothe irritated respiratory tract.
Need to administer antibiotics
The common cold, like any viral infection, should be treated with over-the-counter symptomatic medications. Administration of antibiotics may be necessary during the treatment of complications after a cold, when after a few days of its duration the temperature rises and a bacterial infection of the throat, ear, larynx or lower respiratory tract (lungs and bronchi) has joined.
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