Perennial Allergic Rhinitis: Symptoms and Treatments
From 'white Pneumonia' To Bronchitis – The 5 Times Your 'common Cold' Is Much More Serious
WE all know the symptoms of a cold - runny nose, congestion sneezing and a cough.
But how do you know it's just a run-of-the-mill illness and not something more serious?
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If cold symptoms last over three weeks, you may have something more worrisomeCredit: GettyOn average, children have four to six colds per year, while in adults the average is two to three.
"Cold symptoms tend to be mild and come on gradually," Boots superintendent pharmacist Claire Nevinson said.
It tends to affect the upper respiratory tract, including your throat and nose.
People usually start to feel better within a week or two, the NHS says.
If symptoms last over three weeks, you may have something more worrisome, like flu.
1. FluFlu symptoms typically hit your whole body all of a sudden.
"They'll probably be more severe and last longer than a cold," Claire added.
With the flu, you're more likely to suffer from a sudden fever, muscle aches and pains, sweating, feeling exhausted and a dry and chesty cough.
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"In most flu cases, there should be no need to visit your GP," the pharmacist explained.
But children and adults at high risk may develop complications that may include pneumonia, which can be deadly.
2. CovidCovid symptoms have recently changed; the viral disease now closely resembles a cold more than the flu, experts have said.
There has also been a surge in cases with experts warning the current strain is particularly 'deviant'.
The illness' past telltale signs, like the loss of sense of taste or smell, a hacking cough, and shortness of breath have become less common.
Since Omicron became dominant in 2021, medics have found the bug affects the upper respiratory tract, including the nose and voice box.
Dr Erick Eiting from Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital in New York, US, previously said: "It's a lot of congestion, sometimes sneezing, usually a mild sore throat."
The sore throat emerges first, followed by a stuffy nose, he explained.
Past telltale signs have become less common, like the loss of sense of taste or smell, a hacking cough, and shortness of breath.
Along with congestion, doctors said, some patients experience a headache, fatigue, muscle aches, fever, chills or post-nasal drip that may lead to a cough.
Most people feel better within a few days or weeks of their first Covid-19 symptoms and fully recover within 12 weeks, the NHS says.
However, if you're worried about your or a child's Covid-19 symptoms or are unsure what to do, call NHS 111 of your local GP.
3. Sinus infectionSinusitis, or a sinus infection, is a swelling of the sinuses usually caused by a cold of the flu.
Your sinuses are the spaces in your forehead, cheeks and nose that are usually filled with air.
According to the NHS, it causes facial pain, which is different from both a cold and the flu, but other symptoms can overlap, like a runny nose or a fever.
It's common and usually clears up on its own within two to three weeks.
However, recurrent or persistent sinusitis, which lasts after three months, may require surgery to remove blocked tissue.
4. BronchitisBronchitis, like many viral bugs, begins wth a cough, general tiredness and a low-grade fever.
A cold can potentially turn into bronchitis, sometimes known as a chest cold.
According to the NHS, it happens when a respiratory illness in the upper respiratory tract, like a cold, travels lower respiratory infection, specifically the bronchial tubes - the airways that carry air to your lungs.
A cold is felt in the nose, whereas bronchitis is in the lungs.
Other bronchitis symptoms not seen in the common cold include chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing and chest congestion.
Bronchitis usually clears up without treatment in around three weeks. See a GP if your symptoms last longer than this.
Call 999 if you or someone else is struggling to breathe, choking, gasping and unable to speak, confused or there is skin discoloration (blue).
5. White lung pneumoniaPneumonia has been rising globally in recent months.
It's sometimes dubbed 'white lung pneumonia' because of the white areas on the lungs that appear during chest X-ray scans.
Pneumonia is another infection in your lungs, but instead of the bronchial tubes, you get it in tiny air sacs called alveoli.
Bronchitis can potentially turn into pneumonia.
It's generally more serious than bronchitis, as it usually looks more like a body-wide infection with a fever, chills and sickness, the NHS says.
Like bronchitis, it also causes chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing and congestion.
Most people get better in two to four weeks.
Babies, older people, and people with heart or lung conditions are at risk of getting seriously ill and may need treatment in hospital.
How Long Are You Contagious With These 6 Common Illnesses?
If it seems like your kids are sick all fall and winter, you're not wrong. "The average kid gets about one viral illness that causes cold or flu-like symptoms a month. The average duration of those will be about two weeks," says Dr. Valentine Rae Esposito, M.D., an attending physician in the division of general pediatrics at Boston Children's Hospital. Look at that timeline, and it lines up: By the time kids recover from one illness… they're just about to come down with another. That's why figuring out exactly how long children are contagious with one specific virus or illness is tricky: They're not always going from 100% healthy to sick and back.
Most childhood illnesses are the most contagious smack dab in the middle of them, roughly from day two to day four, which unfortunately often includes a window of time before symptoms crop up. "That's why so many of these childhood illnesses just tear through day cares and schools," says Dr. Katie Lockwood, M.D., a pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Primary Care in Flourtown, Pennsylvania. "Sometimes kids don't have many symptoms or don't know that they're sick yet, and they are actually contagious."
Generally speaking, telltale signs that indicate kids are contagious with something are a fever of 100.4 Fahrenheit or higher, vomiting, or diarrhea within 24 hours.
"Fevers are a sign that the body is actively fighting an infection," Esposito says. "Vomiting and diarrhea are also the body's way of trying to get rid of something. Many different diseases can be spread through stool, so diarrhea can be a contagious component."
Each illness, though, has a slightly different window of contagion. Here's what you can expect in terms of a timeline from six common illnesses that could walk in the front door this winter per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and pediatricians interviewed.
Covid-19The CDC notes that you're most likely infectious during the first five days of illness, which is when people should remain home; the group also recommends masking for 10 days. It is the go-source doctors rely on for guidelines regarding all things Covid-19.
One study in JAMA Pediatrics also found that the median time of infectivity was three days, with only about 18% of children still infectious on Day Five and 4% on Day 10.
If you have Covid symptoms and are wondering whether you isolate yourself and/or mask around others, Esposito recommends visiting the CDC's site. "A lot of the guidelines are now based on the active symptoms you're having," says Esposito. "They have a great algorithm on their website for all of the different possibilities when it comes to exposures and symptoms, so that is definitely where I would send families."
FluYou're most contagious with the flu in the first three to four days after the illness begins, but children may also be able to infect others even after five to seven days of symptoms.
"Some subtypes of flu can be contagious before symptoms start," adds Dr. Krupa Playforth, M.D., a pediatrician and founder of The Pediatrician Mom.
Regarding your children, follow the golden rules of no fever and no vomiting or diarrhea within 24 hours to gauge contagiousness and whether they should be around others to prevent spreading the illness.
RSVIf your child is exposed to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), they might not have symptoms for the first four to six days, explains Esposito. They're usually contagious for three to eight days, but this window can be longer (weeks) in younger children and in those with compromised immune systems.
Remember, too, that pediatricians don't always test for RSV because it doesn't always change treatment plans, says Esposito, which are always focused on hydration respiratory status — aka how well a baby or child is breathing.
NorovirusYour child is most likely to spread norovirus — a super contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea — when they have symptoms, especially throwing up, and in the first few days when they start to feel better.
Playforth notes that norovirus can live on surfaces for weeks.
Studies also find that it's possible to spread norovirus for two weeks after you're feeling better, making handwashing and keeping surfaces clean paramount.
The Common ColdNo fever? No vomiting or diarrhea? Not RSV or Covid? Colds are most contagious during the first two to four days from transmission (when they were exposed to the illness).
If you're trying to figure out whether or not it's OK for your child to return to activities or school, look to see that symptoms are improving, that your child is eating and drinking fine, and that their energy levels match whatever the activity in question is, advises Lockwood.
"If you're sending them back to school, you want to make sure that you feel like they have the energy and focus for a full day of learning and running around with their friends. If you think they don't have the energy to make it through a full day, then they're not ready to return."
Strep ThroatIf left untreated, strep throat can be serious, last a long time, and be contagious for about two weeks, says Lockwood.
Treating strep throat with antibiotics is an effective way to manage its contagious nature. "We typically let kids with strep throat go back to school after they've been treated with antibiotics for over 24 hours," says Esposito. "So 24 hours from that first dose, they're allowed to return to school."
Preventing SpreadOf course, you can't keep your child home all winter. "Pediatricians want kids to be going to school and day care; we want them learning and growing and developing. We also want to keep our communities healthy," says Esposito. "Look at cold and flu season like a team sport; we're all just trying to stay healthy, and that involves everyone really making the effort to do that."
There are ways to prevent the spread of common illnesses, including:
Worries about common illnesses are normal — and it makes sense to want to keep your children and those around you healthy. While you can take preventative measures to slow the spread of illnesses, sometimes knowing what to look out for — and remembering a few key points — can also help you mitigate passing sicknesses inadvertently to others and quell fears and anxieties.
Experts:
How To Tackle A Cold In 24 Hours – From The Best Treatments To Common Myths To Avoid
IF you haven't been plagued with any colds this winter, you're doing well.
Getting a cold is incredibly common - adults can expect to have two to three colds each year, while kids can have up to 10 or more - and right now, nasty bugs are rife.
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If those pesky symptoms are getting the better of you there are a few remedies to tryEveryone recognises the symptoms: a sore throat, cough and runny nose, to name a few.
While there's no proven way to get rid of a cold, several medicines and remedies can help ease the symptoms you are experiencing, TV Pharmacist Thorrun Govind explains.
Treatments that work"But the crux of getting yourself better is lots of rest, sleep and water; this will give your immune system the best chance," she tells The Sun.
"If you're not a fan of water, try drinking some fruit juice or squash - the important thing here is to avoid dehydration," she adds.
Hydration is always important, but it's even more so when you have a cold, or the flu.
The main reason to pay close attention to your fluid intake when you're sick is that you are probably neglecting your normal eating and drinking habits.
On top of this, you're also losing water to congestion and a fever.
If those pesky symptoms are getting the better of you, Thorrun says there are a few treatments you can try.
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The 8 cancer symptoms you might notice while wrapping Christmas presents revealed"Try gargling some salt and water to treat a sore throat," the pharmacist suggests.
To do this, dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a glass warm water.
Gargle with the solution, then spit it out. Repeat as often as you would like.
According to Penn Medicine, salt water can help kill bacteria, ease pain, and loosen mucus, helping to relieve symptoms.
For those wanting to relieve their blocked noses, try some decongestant medicines.
"Nasal sprays work much quicker than tablets because the decongestant reaches your blocked nose almost instantly," Thorrun explains.
Health experts in the US recently claimed decongestants when used in oral medicines (rather than nasal sprays), don't work.
"Make sure you don't use these sprays for longer than five days," she warns, "as using them for any longer can make your nose more blocked, even after the infection has cleared up".
The best way to ease aches and pains we often get with a cold is to take some pain and simple paracetamol and ibuprofen, the expert adds.
"You can take both these at the same time, but make sure you keeping tract of how much you take so you don't take too much," she explains.
Myths to avoid"Some people take vitamin C, but there is very little evidence to suggest it helps with a cold," she says.
Some studies suggest the vitamin could help clear up a cold faster, but the evidence is still inconclusive.
"Another popular product for cold and flu among patients is echinacea, but there isn't much evidence to suggest it does anything," she adds.
Echinacea is a plant which experts once thought to stimulate the immune system to more effectively fight infection.
Recent studies have found the dietary supplement does little to reduce the time you are feeling ill.
Thorrun, warned people asking for or using against using left-over antibiotics they might find in their house.
"You won't need antibiotics if you have a cold because colds are viruses, and antibiotics are only effective against bacteria," she says.
Prevention better than cureLike with all illnesses, when it comes to a cold, prevention is better than cure.
"To avoid getting a cold, wash your hands regularly, particularly before touching your nose or mouth and handling food," Thorrun says.
And if you live with someone with a cold, don't share items like a towel or cup with the ill person.
When to see a GPYou only need to see a healthcare professional if your cold symptoms persist for more than three weeks or if they worsen suddenly.
You should always seek help if you develop breathing difficulties, chest pain, or start coughing up bloodstained mucus.
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