Cold and Flu Information

Cold and Flu Information for Your Students and Staff

The best way to handle colds is simply to prevent them from occurring, and if that fails, to treat the unpleasant symptoms. Prevention is mainly a matter of hygiene. To avoid spreading colds:

Avoid close contact during the contagious period.

Wash your hands frequently

Dispose of all tissue used to blow your nose immediately after use

Cover your mouth and nose with tissue or handkerchief when coughing or sneezing Treating cold symptoms won't cure your cold, but it will make you feel better until your body fights off the virus. General measures include:

Rest. Refusing to rest can result in worse symptoms, delayed recovery, and even relapses.

Fluids. Drink at least two quarts of clear liquids per day, but avoid mild, salty foods, and broths. This will promote drainage.

SYMPTOMS	COLDS	FLU
Fever	Common in children, Usual in adults and adults	Common in children
Muscle Aches	Mild, infrequent	Very common, often severe
Fatigue	Mild, brief	Can be severe and lasting several weeks
Nausea, Vomiting, and Diarrhea	Uncommon	Common, especially in children
Congestion, runny nose, sore throat	Common especially early stages of illness	Common, but late in course of illness

Humidify dry air. Moist air decreases swelling of the respiratory tract and helps to clear our mucus.

Avoid tobacco smoke. Smokers catch more colds which last longer than in non-smokers. Children whose partners smoke also have more colds and ear infections.

Special instructions for infants: Infants and very young children are best treated without cold medicines, since they may not work and have unpredictable side effects in the very young. In addition to the measures above, stuffy noses can be treated with saline nose drops (1/4 tsp. salt in 4 oz. water). 2-3 drops in each nostril for up to 150-30 seconds., followed by suctioning with a bulb syringe. This allows infants to sleep more comfortably since they can't breathe well through their mouths.

What is the difference between cold and influenza (flu)

The symptoms of a common cold include:

a runny or blocked nose
sneezing
minor throat irritation
mild fever
a feeling that your ears are blocked
coloured mucus or nasal discharge - this means that your immune system is fighting the infection.

Influenza is a much more serious illness. Often people call a severe common cold 'the flu', but they are quite different illnesses. Symptoms of influenza usually start suddenly with a high fever and you may feel sick enough to go to bed. Symptoms include:

irritation in the throat or lungs
a dry cough
high fever
shivering
sweating
severe muscle aches

The flu tends to make the whole body ache, whereas the common cold usually affects the nose and throat only.

How can you prevent getting a common cold?

Practice preventative measures: wash your hands, and keep your fingers away from your eyes and nose.
Avoid close contact with cold sufferers.
Help your immune system: get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, eat well-balanced meals, sleep for 7-8 hours per night, and regular exercise.
Consult your doctor for an annual flu injection. Although not 100% effective, the vaccination dramatically lessens the severity of the flu (but has no effect on the common cold).

Practical ways to treat the symptoms of common colds and flu

Don't use antibiotics

Antibiotics won't help a common cold or flu. Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by bacteria and do not have any effect on viruses such as colds and flu. Most viruses are fought and overcome by your immune system. If you have a cold use common sense.

Treat the symptoms

Over-the-counter cold remedies, decongestants and simple pain relievers may relieve some cold symptoms, but will not prevent, cure, or even shorten the illness. However, they can make you feel better!

Drink plenty of fluids

Drinking plenty of fluids is essential to prevent dehydration. Hot honey and lemon drinks are a great way to soothe the throat and help to clear the nasal passages and sinuses. Also try inhaling steam. To assist with a sore throat, try throat lozenges, gargles and throat sprays.

Take it easy

Shifting into lower gear by staying at home - with plenty of rest - is a good idea until you're feeling better. You won't be popular if you spread your cold around the work place. Likewise if you have children who are sick, keep them at home. Kids spread germs quickly.

Will antibiotics help me get better?

Antibiotics won't stop your cold from getting worse and will not stop infection spreading to other people. Importantly, using antibiotics when you don't need them may make them less effective when you do need them. Antibiotics cause side effects like stomach upsets, diarrhoea and thrush.

Links to information:

http://www.drgreene.com/21_577.html

http://quickcare.org/resp/colds.html

http://health.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1509

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/coldflu.htm This one is the Center for Disease Control