Heather Schuler, a nurse practitioner with St. Elizabeth Physicians Express Care in Highland Heights, couldn’t tell you how many times people have walked into her clinic expecting to walk out with an antibiotic to treat a common cold.
“A lot of people come in thinking they’re going to get an antibiotic,” she said, “but a cold is a virus. Antibiotics don’t help.”
Now that you’re armed with that information, here are a few things you can do to prevent ““ and fight ““ a cold.
Prevention is key
Although most of these tips are tale-as-old-as-time, you should still take heed. They work.
1. Wash your hands.
This goes for everyone in your family. When the kids walk in the door from school, the first thing they should do is wash their hands. The cold virus can transfer easily from hands to the eyes or mouth, so keeping your hands clean is the easiest way to protect yourself and your loved ones.
2. Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough.
But, don’t cough or sneeze into your hand. Instead, bend your arm and cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow. That way, your hands stay clean.
3. Disinfect door handles, countertops, phones and anything else you regularly touch.
These surfaces ““ because they’re commonly touched ““ are common culprits for harboring the cold virus. It will serve you well to keep them clean.
4. Take care of yourself.
Make sure you get enough sleep, eat healthy and keep your stress level down. When you’re worn out or stressed out, you’re more likely to catch a cold because your immunity is lowered.
Knowing the symptoms
OK, so you caught a cold anyway.
The cold virus is fairly easy to detect, with universal, widely recognized symptoms. Keep an eye out for the following:
- A sore throat (often the first symptom)
- A runny nose
- Congestion
- Cough
- Watery eyes
While an antibiotic won’t help you when you catch a cold, you can treat the symptoms. Make sure you stay hydrated, get plenty of rest, and reach for over-the-counter decongestants and cough-and-cold medications.
When it’s not a cold
Most of the time, a typical cold lasts about a week and a half. But sometimes what seems like a cold is something more severe. Here are the signs it is more than “just a cold:”
- It lasts longer than one week.
- You start running a fever.
- You come down with a severe cough.
- You experience shortness of breath.
If any of these happen, consider seeing a physician or nurse practitioner. He or she can tell you if it’s something more, such as a sinus infection or a secondary bacterial infection that might require additional treatment.
