YOUR PHARMACIST
ANDREW GRIERSON Wyvern Pharmacy, 01254 875008
AS winter continues, the chances of catching a cold increase and many of us will be left sneezing and coughing at some point.
Colds are caused by a viral infection of the upper airways, including the nose, sinuses and throat.
The virus is spread by mainly by coughing and sneezing and symptoms tend to start two or three days after being infected. These symptoms often include a sore throat, runny or blocked nose and headache. Most adults will suffer with two or three colds a year, and children even more frequently.
There is no cure or vaccine for the common cold, though symptoms typically only last for around a week.
Antibiotics will not work against a viral infection, so treatment is usually symptom relief while your immune system works to kill off the virus.
Decongestants can help with a blocked or runny nose, but should not be taken long term and are potentially dangerous for those with high blood pressure or taking some other prescription medicines and ideally should be discussed with your pharmacist to make sure they are suitable.
Analgesics such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can help with any fever or pain, but again should be discussed to ensure a suitable medicine is chosen.
Coughs can be described as “chesty” (meaning there is some mucus, phlegm or catarrh produced) or “dry” (meaning nonproductive) – these old fashioned terms do not describe where the cough is coming from! Often a simple linctus or honey and lemon is enough to ease either type of cough and plenty of fluids should be sipped to keep the throat hydrated.
A dry cough may be helped by a suppressant available from pharmacies.
There is no good evidence to suggest that expectorants or chesty cough remedies do anything specific to really help stop a cough. Inhaling steam can help heal throat tissue damaged by coughing and help symptoms clear quicker.
There are more restrictions on medicine use for children’s colds so please ask your pharmacist for advice if your children need treatment. There is usually no need to see a doctor, but if symptoms worsen, or you are worried you may have a bacterial infection, ask your pharmacist for advice and they may recommend you see a prescriber if it sounds like anything worse than the common cold.