Treatment and Prevention of Colds

Treatment

1. Cold Most cases recover naturally. Rather than killing the virus, treatment focuses on the symptoms that appear, and over-the-counter medicines can be purchased at a pharmacy without a prescription, or they can be compounded and taken after receiving a prescription from a doctor after a consultation.

1. Environment Indoor humidity should be kept from becoming too dry, and adequate fluid intake, rest, and nutrition are needed.

2. Cough For healthy adults, most cough suppressants are safe. There are non-narcotic and narcotic drugs that act on the cough center, and narcotic drugs are not recommended for use in children.

3. Runny nose and nasal congestion Antihistamines are effective for runny nose, sneezing, and cough. First-generation antihistamines, which were used in the past, are very effective for runny nose, but because they cause severe drowsiness, patients who drive or do hazardous work should be careful and it is best to avoid working when drowsy. In addition, they can cause dizziness, thickened phlegm, dry mouth, and stomach discomfort, and are contraindicated in glaucoma, enlarged prostate, and asthma. Second-generation antihistamines cause less drowsiness. They are less effective than first-generation antihistamines for cold symptoms, but their effects last longer and they are safe for glaucoma and enlarged prostate.

4. Fever, muscle aches, and sore throat Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers are effective for fever, headache, and malaise, and may reduce some coughing. Aspirin and various nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, and in patients who are sensitive to aspirin, they can trigger asthma. For some patients, medicines with acetaminophen as the main ingredient may be safer.

5. Antibiotics In most cases, antibiotics are not recommended for the purpose of shortening the duration of symptoms or improving symptoms when treating a cold. However, in acute pharyngitis, if it is caused not by a virus but by Group A streptococcus, acute rheumatic fever can occur, so antibiotics should be administered. Drugs in the penicillin or macrolide class may be prescribed as injections or oral medicines.

6. Other Some studies have shown that large amounts of vitamin C reduced cold symptoms by 10–20%, but it is not actively recommended for treating symptoms. Even for prevention of colds, a marked reduction in frequency has not been shown.

2. Acute pharyngitis and acute laryngitis In acute pharyngitis, whether antibiotics are used is the most important decision in treatment, but it is not possible to distinguish between cases caused by viruses and those caused by bacteria. Commonly used antibiotics include penicillins, cephalosporins, and macrolides. Other symptoms are managed with symptomatic treatment as in colds, and in acute laryngitis it is important to rest the vocal cords.

3. Acute bronchitis Acute bronchitis also mostly resolves naturally, and smoking must be stopped. Cough suppressants to suppress coughing, bronchodilators in some cases, and antibiotics may also be administered.

4. Influenza Influenza is treated similarly to a cold, with symptomatic treatment.

1. Over-the-counter medicines Medicines with a low risk of misuse or abuse, and medicines for which safety and effectiveness can be expected even when used without a prescription from a doctor or dentist; they are medicines that can be used to treat illness without the specialized knowledge of a doctor or dentist.

2. Prescription medicines Refers to medicines other than over-the-counter medicines.

Prevention

1. Prevention of infection In the case of rhinovirus, it is transmitted by hands. It is transmitted through the nasal or ocular mucosa via the hands of susceptible people. It can also be transmitted by respiratory droplets generated when coughing or sneezing. Washing your hands regularly after going out, avoiding touching your nose or eyes with your hands, and not contaminating the surrounding environment with nasal secretions can prevent transmission between people.

2. Vaccination Among rhinoviruses, more than 100 different types of viruses are known. For this reason, unlike hepatitis vaccines or influenza vaccines, there is still no vaccine that can prevent them.

In the case of influenza, since there are several subtypes of the influenza virus, the subtype expected to circulate that year is predicted in advance and vaccines are prepared accordingly. In Korea, vaccination is given from September to November. Therefore, even if you receive an influenza vaccine, if you are infected by a different subtype from the predicted one, it may not provide preventive effect.

So far, I have explained the treatment and prevention of colds. In the next part, we will look at health precautions for heavy snowfall in winter.

Source: Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, National Health Information Portal