Cold and Flu

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• QHow can a cold be treated?

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  A Dr. Peter N. Mattar, MD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of MDLIVE

  There is no cure for the common cold. It is caused by a virus, which is contagious through airborne particles through sneezing, coughing, or close contact. Unfortunately, antibiotics do not help remedy the common cold. These are saved for bacterial causes of sickness like pneumonia, bronchitis, ear infection, and sinusitis.

  Colds are "treated" by allowing your body to rest and drinking plenty of fluids. Your doctor may recommend a cough medicine with codeine to help you rest. By attaining the rest your body needs, your body's immune system is better capable of fighting off the virus.

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• QShould I use a nasal spray for my cold symptoms?

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  A Sigma Nursing answered

  If you are an adult, you can use a decongestant nasal spray containing active ingredients like phenylephrine or oxymetazoline for the nasal congestion due to colds or the flu, but you should not use these for more than the time specified on the bottle. This is usually no more than three days. Children six and older may use the appropriate dosage under adult supervision. Care must be exercised as these drugs may be dangerous to young children if swallowed. Other nasal sprays that may help are unmedicated saline sprays, which ease dry, irritated nasal tissues, and homeopathic sprays that contain menthol and eucalyptus. Allergy sprays, like those with fluticasone or triamcinolone, are not particularly useful for colds but may ease congestion if you're suffering from seasonal allergies at the same time.

• QHow do cold and flu affect the body?

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  A Sigma Nursing answered

  Usually, the first effect of influenza on the body is a fever with chills and muscle aches. You may also have a fever, fatigue and a headache. Remember, the flu is caused by a group of viruses that infect the respiratory system. As a result, effects on the body often focus on the throat, nose, and lungs. The nose may become congested or runny, the throat may become sore, and a cough may move from dry to wet as the virus runs its course.

  The common cold primarily produces sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose, and a sore throat. Other symptoms, such as fatigue, headache, and fever, may be mild or not occur at all.

• QAre there vaccines to prevent a cold?

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  A Sigma Nursing answered

  Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for the common cold. The main problem in developing a vaccine is that there are at least 160 types of rhinovirus, a lot of which circulate at the same time in the same places, and no vaccine as we have now can provide immunity for more than a few types. Fortunately, there are not nearly as many influenza viruses circulating at any time, which is why it is possible to issue a flu vaccine each year. The trick to that is deciding what strains of influenza are most likely to become widespread, and they produce a vaccine that protects against these strains. Usually, the vaccine protects against the three most likely influenza viruses to circulate during that year's seasonal flu outbreaks. It's a good idea to get the flu shot every year, since the flu is much more dangerous than the common cold. The good news is that scientists think that a vaccine that can provide immunity for a large number of cold viruses with a single shot is possible, and may be on the horizon.

• QWhat supplements help prevent colds and flu?

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  A Dr. Laurence H. Altshuler, MD , Internal Medicine, answered on behalf of Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA)

  A recent study showed that Chinese herbs can fight colds better than conventional medications such as Tamiflu. I recommend Yin Chao Jin. Talk with a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Go to www.NCCAOM.org to find one near you.

• QWhat foods should I eat to fight a cold?

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  A Joan Salge Blake, MS, RD , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

  Vitamin C - While studies have shown that vitamin C isn't helpful in preventing colds, research does show that regularly consuming vitamin C may reduce the severity of symptoms and decrease the duration of a cold should you catch it.

  Zinc - In a review of 15 controlled trials, zinc lozenges or syrup were shown to help reduce the duration and severity of colds in healthy people when consumed within the first 24 hours of the first sniffle.

  Chicken Soup - Maybe your mom was on to something. The heat, salt, and fluid in the soup can help you feel better and fight infection.  Also, research suggests that chicken soup may have an anti-inflammatory effect on the upper respiratory tract, which can reduce the duration of the cold.

• QWhat is the alternative to the flu vaccine injection for children?

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  A UCLA Health answered

  Flu vaccines are available in two forms: injection and nasal spray. The injection form, which contains inactivated virus, is approved for children 6 months and older while the nasal spray, containing live but attenuated virus, is an alternative for healthy people between the ages of 2 and 49.

  Because the flu vaccine is not approved for children younger than 6 months, the best way to protect these vulnerable infants is to make sure parents, elder siblings and caregivers all receive the vaccine.

• QHow can I tell whether I have a cold or the flu?

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  A HealthyWomen answered

  The symptoms of the flu come on suddenly and include a fever (usually high), headache, muscle aches, severe deep cough with mucus production, tiredness, weakness and chest discomfort. Sometimes it involves a stuffy nose, sneezing and sore throat. A cold, on the other hand, rarely causes a fever, headache, extreme exhaustion or severe aches and pains. The most prominent cold symptoms are a stuffy nose, runny nose with clear secretions, sneezing, sore throat and a mild to moderate cough.