Cold or flu: Your questions answered

WINTER is almost here and already your nose is running, your head hurts and you’re feeling lousy. Is it the flu, or just a cold?

WINTER is almost upon us and that means one thing: the sniffles.

But does that runny nose and rasping cough mean you have a cold — which you can probably get over in a few days — or influenza, which is far more serious?

Here, we answer your questions.

What is the common cold?

There are about 200 different viruses, including rhinoviruses, that cause a cold and even though your body fights off one type, you can become infected with another strain.

Children catch around 5-10 colds a year and adults are likely to get a cold 2-4 times a year. Viruses that cause colds can spread from infected people to others through the air and close personal contact. You can also get infected through contact an infected person such as when you shake hands with someone who has a cold, or touch a doorknob or other surface that has viruses on it, then touch your eyes, mouth, or nose. The common cold is not the same as the flu which is caused by a completely different set of viruses and has more severe symptoms.

What are the symptoms

The main symptoms of a cold include a sore throat, headache, runny nose, blocked nose, coughing, sneezing and mild fever and fatigue. Most people who have a cold and who are generally healthy and will get better without any treatment because the body’s immune system can take care of the infection on its own. Green or yellow mucus may come out of your nose. This is normally a sign that your immune system is fighting the infection and not that your cold is getting worse. It does not mean you have a bacterial infection. Most people who have a cold will get better after about 7—10 days but a cough associated with the virus may last up to three weeks. If your symptoms don’t improve after 10 days, or your symptoms get worse, see your doctor.

If this is you, stay home and rest up.

What to do

If you develop a cold, stay home from work or school, keep warm and drink plenty of fluids.

To stop the infection spreading wash your hands with soap and running water or an alcohol rub after coughing or blowing your nose and before preparing food. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, don’t share cups, use a tissue when coughing or sneezing and dispose of it.

Research has found taking oral zinc supplements of 75mg daily may reduce the duration of a cold by one day if you start taking them within 24 hours of developing a cold. Lozenges seem to work best. Treat the symptoms by using paracetamol to control headaches or reduce fever.

To soothe a sore throat gargle with warm, salty water, suck on a lozenge, drink hot water with honey and lemon. Nasal decongestant sprays or tablets can help to relieve a blocked nose, but should not be used for more than five consecutive days. Combination ‘cough and cold’ medicines usually combine both pain relief and nasal decongestants so be careful not to double up on medication. Some people cannot use these medications because of health problems or because they may interact with other medicines they are using or because they are pregnant or breast feeding.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics will not treat a cold because they caused by a viral infection and antibiotics only work for bacterial infections. Taking antibiotics for a virus may cause side effects like an upset stomach — and using antibiotics inappropriately will also contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance. Around two in 100 people who have a cold will develop a secondary infection caused by bacteria. Eight in ten people who have this kind of infection won’t need antibiotics even though it is caused by bacteria, as the body’s immune system will take care of the infection after about two weeks. Some people are more at risk of complications or may get very sick, so these people will be given antibiotics to prevent such complications.

Misconceptions

*Don’t drink milk while you have a cold because it produces mucus.

A series of scientific studies have found milk and dairy product intake is not associated with an increase in upper or lower respiratory tract symptoms of congestion or nasal secretion when a person has a cold.

*Vitamin C can prevent or reduce the duration or severity of a cold.

Incorrect. Several studies have found no evidence for this claim.

* Echinacea is touted for use in preventing and treating colds.

A review of 24 trials found different parts of the plant were used in different Echinacea pills and that while there was no treatment benefit from the herbal treatment it had a small preventive effect.

It’s worth taking precautions to prevent the spread of flu

What is the flu?

Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a viral illness that affects the nose, throat, bronchial tubes and, occasionally, the lungs. There are two main types of influenza viruses- A, B. There are different strains within these groups. In 2009 a new influenza A (H1N1) virus known as Swine Flu swept the globe killing thousands. Flu is not the same as the common cold. Flu is caused by a different virus and the symptoms are more severe and last longer than a cold. The flu virus is spread when someone infected with the virus sneezes or coughs, releasing droplets that contain the virus into the air. These droplets can be breathed in by others, or picked up when a person touches a surface contaminated with droplets containing the virus. Flu is most common from late autumn to early spring but you can catch flu at any time of the year.

Symptoms include

The main symptoms of the flu include a temperature of 38.5 degrees or higher, a headache, runny or blocked nose, sore throat, dry chesty cough, tiredness, aching muscles and joint or limb pain, loss of appetite, upset stomach and diarrhoea. The symptoms of the flu will be at their worst after two to three days and last for around a week but a cough and tiredness can persist for up to two or three weeks. Most people who are healthy won’t need to see a doctor and their immune system will fight the infection. Some people develop complications such as pneumonia as a result of the flu and in severe cases the flu can cause death. People most at risk from complications from the flu include children aged under five, people aged over 65, those with heart or kidney disease, pregnant women, the very obese, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, people with asthma, muscular dystrophy, immune disorders and those who smoke.

Get the shot

To protect yourself against the flu, have a flu vaccination in Autumn every year. The government provides free flu vaccinations for the over 65s, pregnant women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, people with severe asthma, lung disease, diabetes and low immunity. The standard vaccine protects against three strains of the flu but a higher cost new flu vaccine protects against four strains of the virus. Flu vaccines need to be given each year as flu viruses are always changing. Getting a flu vaccine not only protects you but generates a herd immunity protecting everyone in the community by reducing the number of people who get the flu and pass it on to others. Common side effects of flu vaccines include mild fever, muscles tenderness, soreness at the injection site that last 1-2 days after the injection.

What to do

If you catch the flu stay at home to reduce the spread of the infection, rest, keep warm, and drink plenty of fluids. Wash your hands with soap and running water or an alcohol rub after coughing or blowing your nose and before preparing food. Use a tissue when coughing or sneezing and dispose of it. Treat the symptoms by using paracetamol to control headaches or reduce fever. To soothe a sore throat gargle with warm, salty water, suck on a lozenge, drink hot water with honey and lemon. Nasal decongestant sprays or tablets can help to relieve a blocked nose, but should not be used for more than five consecutive days. Combination cold and flu medicines usually combine both pain relief and nasal decongestants so be careful not to double up on medication. Some people cannot use these medications because of health problems or because they may interact with other medicines they are using or because they are pregnant or breast feeding. There are anti viral flu medicines available called oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza). These medicines are not recommended for people who are normally healthy and are usually only prescribed for patients at high risk of flu complications. These drugs must be taken within two days of flu symptoms first appearing, or they are unlikely to shorten your illness.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk gets her flu vaccinations. It helps protect you.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics will not work to treat the flu because it is caused by a viral infection and antibiotics only work for bacterial infections. Taking antibiotics for a virus may cause side effects like an upset stomach — and using antibiotics inappropriately will also contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance. Some people who develop serious complications from the flu may be given antibiotics.

Misconceptions

*Having the flu vaccine gives you the flu.

This is not true. You may develop a sore arm, a slight fever and aching muscles after the vaccine but these minor reactions last only a day or two are not the same as the flu.

*Once you’ve had the flu vaccine you are protected for life.

Incorrect. The circulating strains of the flu virus change every year and you need an annual vaccination to protect you against current stains.

*I’ve had the flu so I don’t need a vaccination.

Not true. There is usually more than one strain of the flu circulating at any one time a vaccination protects you against strains you may not have had.

*Vitamin C supplements prevent the flu.

There is no evidence to support this.

This advice was drawn from information provided by NPS Medicinewise an independent, not-for-profit and evidence-based and the Cochrane Collaboration.

Originally published as Cold or flu: Your questions answered