Q&A
Winter colds and flu can leave us feeling very sorry for ourselves. Our pharmacist Shilpa Shah is here to help you cope with common winter ailments…
With a cold you can still go about your daily business but if you have flu you are really rundown. The symptoms are similar – fever, cough, sore throat and runny nose – but the flu brings with it more body ache, fatigue and dizziness. Also, a cold’s symptoms tend to appear over a day or two but flu comes on quickly.
Yes – rest and drink lots of fluids. Pain relief can help aches and lower temperatures, cough products will soothe tickles, lozenges help with sore throats, and decongestants can clear a blocked nose.
You can help reduce the risk of getting flu by having a vaccination – visit your local LloydsPharmacy to see if you’re eligible for a FREE NHS flu vaccine,* or we offer a private vaccine at a small cost.
What is the best way to treat a sore throat?
Most sore throats are viral, so your pharmacist may be able to recommend an over-thecounter medicine to help ease the discomfort. If you are concerned that it may be Strep A (a bacterial infection), we now offer a sore throat service in 600 LloydsPharmacy stores. The pharmacist can test for the infection and give you antibiotics if needed. Pain relief can help and so can keeping warm. If you experience pain, it’s important to wrap up, keeping yourself warm. Try not to tense in the cold because that can make it worse. Use a hot water bottle or try a heat wrap.