The first signs of flu and colds - how to distinguish between them? Features of the symptoms of a cold: the main signs of the disease.

Fall and winter are traditional times for the onset of viral infections. During the cold season, people also get respiratory diseases due to hypothermia, lack of a hat, and exposure to drafts. It is not surprising that after contact with a sick person or prolonged exposure to cold, symptoms of acute respiratory infections soon appear - inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, combined with general malaise. What to do at the first sign of a cold in different population groups and how to prevent the onset of this disease, we will understand in the article.

How does a cold manifest in children and adults

Noticing the discomfort, many people think that they are overcooled. But according to statistics, up to 90% of "colds" are associated with infection with a viral infection, which is easily transmitted from person to person. However, the first symptoms of both ARVI and a true cold (weakening of local immunity against the background of exposure to cold) will be the same. The main ones are listed below:

• itching, burning in the nose;
• sneezing
• lacrimation;
• sore throat;
• slight cough;
• sometimes - severe pain in the throat, or on one side;
• itching in the sky, arches;
• stuffiness in the ears;
• weakness;
• increase in body temperature;
• headache;
• chills;
• fatigue;
• pain in muscles, joints;
• general malaise.

Usually, the first signs of illness from the nose are limited to sneezing and discomfort only for a day or even a couple of hours, and then nasal congestion and copious mucus secretion join the symptoms. At the initial stage, the mucus is transparent, later it becomes thick, white, yellowish or even green.

At the first symptoms of a cold, a child may experience a sharp increase in body temperature up to 38-39 degrees (usually high fever indicates the development of influenza), sometimes the disease is accompanied by pain in the abdomen, vomiting. A baby up to a year usually refuses food, is very lethargic, weakened. The child often cries, his sleep is disturbed, interest in surrounding objects disappears. The nose of the child quickly stops breathing, because due to the narrowness of the nasal passages, the swelling is always more pronounced than in adults. Children with a cold can begin to cough from the first days of the disease, and the cough is hacking, dry, irritating to the throat.

How to act at the first signs of illness in an adult

An adult with a normally functioning immune system can cope with a cold at home without any serious drugs - with the help of simple non-drug techniques and folk remedies, as well as symptomatic medications. If the state of health leaves much to be desired, there are somatic diseases and chronic pathologies, it is better to immediately seek help from a doctor and conduct a full-fledged therapy.

In any case, the first aid for a cold should be to change the habitual lifestyle and organize the daily routine and nutrition for a sick person. But it is important to start therapy immediately after identifying the initial symptoms of a cold and take the following:

1. Drinking more liquids will prevent the infection from manifesting itself as intoxication, as the liquid quickly removes toxins.
2. Provide bed rest to save energy and reduce the rate of infection.
3. Eat right - do not eat heavy, rough, fatty foods, spicy dishes, replacing them with soft, semi-liquid, slimy dishes. Chicken broth, kissels are especially useful to the patient.
4. Humidify the air - about 50-60% should be the humidity in the apartment so that the mucous membranes of the nose do not dry out, and interferons form faster on them.
5. Do not overcool - this can worsen the condition of a person. Nevertheless, it is necessary to ventilate the room, but it is impossible to arrange drafts.

Experts say that it is necessary to treat the first signs of a cold in the epidemic season with the help of antiviral agents. Tablets with antiviral action based on interferon can also be taken with hypothermia, they will only increase the activity of the immune system.

But other remedies for viruses cannot be prescribed to yourself on your own, since they have a different mechanism of action and different contraindications. The best drugs to drink from the very first days of a cold are Ingavirin, Isoprinosine, Ergoferon, Kagocel, Interferon, etc.

The first steps for a cold should also include measures to normalize body temperature and general well-being. For this, taking powder preparations is excellent - Rinza, Theraflu, Grippex, Combigripp and others like them. They contain paracetamol, caffeine, phenylephrine and some other components, and not only bring down the temperature, but also eliminate itching and perspiration, reduce swelling, that is, they are ideal just at the very early stage of the disease. With a mild cold, such remedies are often enough for a complete recovery in 2-3 days. If the body temperature is seriously elevated and is 38.5 degrees and above, you will have to drink an ibuprofen-based antipyretic (Nurofen, etc.), which will quickly and permanently bring down the fever.

Treatment for the first sign of a cold may also include the following medications and treatments:

1. Frequent rinsing of the nose with salt water, sea water preparations, decoctions and infusions of anti-inflammatory herbs.
2. Gargling up to 5-8 times a day with the use of folk remedies, a solution of Furacilin, Miramistin, Chlorhexidine, Rotokan, etc.
3. Instillation of vasoconstrictors into the nose, but with a viral rhinitis - only with severe edema and, preferably, exclusively at night (Nafthyzin, Xymelin, Nazivin, Oxymetazoline).
4. Taking antihistamine tablets (Erius, Claritin, Tavegil) is indicated for people with a tendency to swelling of the airways and allergic reactions.
5. Resorption of lozenges and lozenges for a sore throat (Lizobakt, Agisept, Septolete), or irrigation of the throat with anti-inflammatory sprays (Tantum Verde, TheraFlu Lar).
6. Taking vitamins, especially ascorbic acid, and immunostimulants (the latter should be drunk only on the advice of a doctor).

In no case should you start taking antibiotics at the first symptoms of the disease - they will be useless for a viral infection. At an early stage, after hypothermia, local preparations may well cope with pathology. Systemic antibiotics will only weaken the immune defenses and make the bacteria living in the respiratory tract more resistant, as well as lead to intestinal dysbiosis.

Watch a video about what you can and cannot do at the first sign of a cold

How to treat a cold in a child

In childhood, you should immediately call a doctor at home when an infectious disease is detected, while from independent measures it is only possible to carry out non-drug treatment - the consumption of warm drinks in large quantities, moistening the room, limiting outdoor games by the baby or bed rest. You can also do inhalations for the nose and throat with saline using a nebulizer if the body temperature does not exceed 38 degrees.

Medicines can be given to a child only with the appointment of a doctor, because the cause of pathological symptoms in children can be various diseases and pathogens, and only a specialist can understand this.

Usually, doctors recommend complex therapy from the first days of the disease, which will not allow complications to arise, which are very “popular” in childhood (tracheitis, bronchitis, and others). The most common techniques from the very initial stages of ARI are as follows:

1. Drinking teas and decoctions from anti-inflammatory collections based on coltsfoot, thyme, mint, chamomile, St. John's wort, eucalyptus, etc.
2. Taking syrups and balms for coughs and sore throats with herbal ingredients - Doctor Mom, Bronchicum, Linkas, Doctor Theiss.
3. Resorption of tablets for the throat or, at an early age, grinding them into powder and carefully falling asleep in the throat - Lizobakt, Sebedin, Faringosept, Grammidin C for children.
4. Reception or staging of rectal suppositories based on immunomodulators and interferon inducers - Viferon, Genferon Light, Ergoferon, Anaferon Child, instillation of Grippferon drops into the nose.
5. Rubbing the chest with ointments Dr. Mom, Dr. Theiss, warming the legs, hands with mustard (used from the first days of illness after hypothermia).
6. Decrease in body temperature with a decoction of linden, tea with raspberries, or, if it exceeds 38.5 degrees, by taking suspensions of Nurofen, Panadol or setting candles Cefekon, Paracetamol.
7. Frequent rinsing of the nose with Aqualor, Aquamaris, as well as gargling with Furacilin, infusion of chamomile, eucalyptus.
8. Removal of mucus from the nose with a pear, aspirator, cotton swabs. At night or before feeding, children with a cold are recommended to instill vasoconstrictor drugs in children's dosages into the nose - Nazol, Nazivin, Vibrocil. Also, often from the very beginning of the disease, doctors advise irrigating the nose after washing with Miramistin, or dripping the drying and disinfecting agent Protargol.

Inhalations for children, as well as adults, with acute respiratory infections will be very useful, but it is strictly forbidden for babies to breathe over the steam from the kettle and pan! For this purpose, it is better to use the safest device - a nebulizer, or special children's steam inhalers with a controlled liquid temperature (it should not exceed 50-60 degrees). Usually, children are inhaled with infusions and decoctions of medicinal herbs, or with mineral water and saline. Oil procedures for babies cannot be done either in order to avoid swelling of the respiratory tract and the development of pneumonia.

What to do at the first signs of illness in pregnant women

The difficulties of treating acute respiratory infections during pregnancy are that it is not possible to drink conventional drugs, and even taking some folk remedies is also impossible, because they can greatly harm the fetus. Also, with great care, you need to approach herbal medicine: licorice, lemongrass, echinacea and other immunity stimulants and adaptogens are banned, as well as many herbs that increase the tone of the uterus.

Doctors still recommend some medicines for colds to pregnant women so that the consequences of the disease are not even more serious than taking the drugs. Among them are the following:

1. Vibrocil, Nazivin for children, Xymelin and some other vasoconstrictor drugs. Used only as a last resort for severe nasal congestion.
2. Aqualor, Physiomer and other preparations of sea water. Can be used frequently for washing the nose, do not harm the fetus.
3. Pinosol, Eucabol and other oily herbal remedies for the nose. Used for catarrhal rhinitis, allowed during pregnancy.
4. Protargol and Miramistin. Antiseptics are used for bacterial rhinitis against the background of a cold in pregnant women, then only under the supervision of a doctor.
5. Askorutin, vitamin C, multivitamin complexes. Usually, if a woman is not yet taking special complexes for expectant mothers, during a cold, she must be prescribed such remedies to enhance the body's resistance to infection.
6. Interferon preparations - Viferon, Genferon Light. Recommended starting from the second trimester of pregnancy for all colds.
7. Lizobakt and Faringosept. Used for sore throat relief.
8. Flu-Hell, Oscillococcinum and other homeopathic remedies. All of them are not contraindicated for pregnant women, and the results of admission may be positive.
9. Paracetamol - allowed in limited quantities at high temperatures.

From a cold in pregnant women, folk remedies also help well. It should be borne in mind that bee products can only be consumed in the first half of gestation, and in the future they can provoke an allergy in a baby after birth. All types of warming up for pregnant women are strictly prohibited, including steam inhalations loved by many. Be sure to read what you can from a runny nose during pregnancy

To bring down the temperature of a woman, you can use cold compresses on the forehead, rubbing with cool water, taking teas with linden. From a sore throat, rinsing with any herbal preparations in the form of decoctions and infusions is allowed for use, because they do not penetrate the body and work only as local antiseptics. You can add a little apple cider vinegar, lemon juice to the rinse solution. As an immunostimulant during pregnancy, horseradish grated and mixed with sugar is allowed (usually it is taken in a teaspoon twice a day).

Cold prevention

To prevent a cold, you need to increase your own immunity even before the start of the cold season. For this purpose, hardening is carried out, vitamins and immunomodulators are taken, salt caves are visited, swimming and other active sports are practiced. In order not to become infected with SARS, during the period of epidemics, you need to refuse to visit crowded places, or wear protective devices - masks. Oxolinic ointment or Infagel is applied to the nasal passages, and after returning home, the nose is washed well with saline. Premises during epidemics should be ventilated frequently, and hands should be washed regularly. All these measures will greatly reduce the incidence of colds and prevent unpleasant symptoms from disturbing a person’s well-being.

Good day, dear readers!

In today's article, we will consider with you a disease that has its own autumn-winter-spring seasonality - a cold.

Cold(colloquial) - a disease whose development provokes.

Immediately, we note that the term "cold" is colloquial, while infectious diseases are hidden under it - (acute respiratory viral infections), rarely - (acute respiratory diseases). Sometimes the truth can be heard that a person has a cold on the lip, but here, it is herpes on the lip. In medical practice, such a diagnosis as “cold” or “colds” does not exist.

Based on the foregoing, in this article we will consider the common cold as a synonym for SARS, and to a lesser extent, acute respiratory infections. So…

The characteristic symptoms of a cold are sneezing, nasal congestion and runny nose, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity and throat, general weakness, slight fever and chills.

The main cause of a cold is the impact on the body of pathogenic microorganisms () against the background of a weakened immune system, which is most often caused by hypothermia or a lack of vitamins and (). Practically, from autumn to spring, wet feet or the whole body, in many cases ends with a cold.

How can you get a cold?

To become infected with a cold, or SARS, two basic rules must be followed - weakened immunity and ingestion of the infection. Let's consider them in a little more detail.

Weakened immunity. In the cool season, a person is prone to hypothermia, which is caused by an autumn decrease in body temperature, rain, and dampness. In addition, in the period from autumn to spring, on the shelves there are no longer those foods rich in vitamins - berries, fruits, greens. We should not forget that after the summer holidays, taking root in the work environment, and the children in the classroom, a person experiences a restructuring of the body, or stress. These factors lead to a decrease in the functionality of the immune system, and the body becomes vulnerable to various infections.

Spread of infection. Humid and moderately warm weather is a beneficial environment for the abundant reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms - an infection, the number of which in the air rises to an incredibly high level. When breathing, these microorganisms settle in humans on the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract - the nasal and oral cavities. If the immune system is healthy, strengthened, it destroys the infection from the mucous membranes and prevents it from spreading to the entire body. If it is weakened, the infection gets inside the person and begins to provoke the development of the first symptoms of a cold.

incubation period for the common cold(from infection to the mucous membrane and until the first signs of the disease appear) is about 2 days.

Result. Further, a cold person goes to work or to school, kindergarten. When sneezing and coughing, he literally throws out the infection at his place of residence, the only difference is that in the sputum of such a person the concentration of pathogenic microflora is much higher than in the air.

Thus, the main measures to prevent colds are to strengthen the immune system and avoid staying in places where there is a large number of people - public transport, festive events, offices, schools, markets.

The onset of a cold is characterized by general malaise, sneezing, nasal congestion with a liquid and clear secretion, reddening of the eyes and an increase in body temperature up to 37°C-37.5°C.

The main symptoms of a cold are:

• Muscle aches and;
• Perspiration and, redness of the throat;
• Eye pain, tearing;
• Increased sweating,;
• Lack of appetite;

Colds in young children may also be accompanied by restlessness and frequent crying, diarrhea () and weight loss.

Complications of a cold

If the first signs of a cold are not given due attention and no therapeutic measures are taken, there is a risk of developing more complex diseases:,, and other organs.

Causes of a cold

We discussed in detail the mechanism of infection and the development of a cold in the paragraph “on infection with a cold”. Now let's briefly consider the causes and factors that lead to the development of colds:

• Weakened immune system;
• Insufficiency of vitamins and microelements intake (hypovitaminosis);
• Uncontrolled use of medications;
• Sedentary lifestyle;
• Work or frequent stay in places with a large crowd of people;
• Unfavorable ecological situation in the places of residence or stay of a person;
• Sharing personal hygiene products and kitchen utensils with a sick person;
• The presence of chronic diseases;
• Bad habits - smoking.

Among the most common causative agents of colds are rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), reoviruses, enteroviruses (Coxsackie), influenza and parainfluenza viruses.

Diagnosis of a cold

Diagnosis of colds includes:

• Examination of the patient;
• Immunofluorescence express diagnostics;
• bacteriological research.

Additionally, they may prescribe an x-ray of the paranasal sinuses (sinuses) and chest.

Treatment for a cold includes the following:

1. Bed and semi-bed rest. This is necessary for the body to accumulate strength to fight the infection, as well as to prevent a secondary infection from attaching to a person. It is also a preventive measure to prevent the spread of pathogenic microflora in places of frequent stay of the patient.

2. Plentiful drink. Drink about 3 liters of fluid daily. This will allow the body to quickly remove pathogenic microorganisms and their waste products, which are toxins for humans. In drinking, give preference to drinks with a high content in them (ascorbic acid), which strengthens the immune system and helps the body as a whole fight the disease. A decoction of, tea with raspberries, and, tea with, juices from orange, lingonberries, cranberries have proven themselves well.

3. Warming up the nose. This procedure helps to relieve swelling and improve the discharge of infected sputum from the nasal cavity.

4. Washing the nose. Rinse your nose to disinfect it from pathogens and their waste products. For washing, weak saline solutions and various medicinal “washes” from a pharmacy have proven themselves well.

5. Gargling. This should be done for the same purpose as washing the nose - for disinfection and removal of pathogenic microflora from the nasopharynx. In addition, some decoctions, for example, from sage, help to relieve cough and transfer it from dry to wet (productive) form. It should also be recalled that a wet cough is a protective function of the body, which, if there is a pathogenic microflora in the respiratory tract, pushes it out of itself, self-cleaning.

6. Inhalations. Necessary to relieve cough, transfer it from dry to wet form and speedy removal of infection from the body.

7. Diet. In case of respiratory diseases of the upper respiratory tract, do not load yourself into a diet that is heavy for the body to process food. Refuse fried, spicy, fatty, smoked meats. Choose vegetables and other fortified foods. Products are best steamed or boiled.

8. Vitamins. With colds, an additional intake of vitamin complexes favorably affects the body.

9. Airing the room. This must be done to reduce the concentration of pathogenic microflora in the air where the patient is.

10. Symptomatic treatment. Aimed at suppressing the symptoms of a cold in order to alleviate its course.

Cold medicine

Antiviral drugs. Antiviral drugs for colds stop the vital activity of a viral infection in the body and its further spread, and also contribute to the speedy recovery of the patient.

Among antiviral drugs for colds (ARVI), one can single out, for example, the innovative antiviral drug Ingavirin, which has shown its effectiveness against influenza A and B viruses, adenovirus, parainfluenza virus and other acute respiratory viral infections. The use of the drug in the first two days of the disease contributes to the accelerated removal of viruses from the body, reducing the duration of the disease, and reducing the risk of complications. The drug is available in two dosages: Ingavirin 60 mg - for the treatment and prevention of influenza and SARS in children from 7 to 17 years old and Ingavirin 90 mg for adults.

Cold temperature. The elevated temperature with a cold does not go astray. This is due to the fact that an increase in temperature is a protective mechanism of the immune system in response to an infection, which dies under these conditions. Body temperature must be lowered if it exceeds the threshold of 39 ° C for 5 days - in adults, 38 ° C - in children.

Antipyretics and analgesics are taken against the temperature with a cold: "", "".

Nasal congestion. To facilitate breathing, vasoconstrictors are used: Naphthyzin, Knoxprey, Farmazolin.

Cough. With a strong dry cough, apply: "Codelac", "Sinekod". For liquefaction of sputum - "Ascoril", "ACC" (ACC). To remove sputum from the respiratory tract - syrup, Tussin.

Headache. With a headache, you can drink: Askofen, Aspirin.

Insomnia. If a person is worried about insomnia, you can take sedatives: "Barbamil", "Luminal" or drink a sedative collection.

Antibiotics for colds. Antibiotics for a cold can only be prescribed by the attending physician. As a rule, this is done after a personal examination of the patient, or bacteriological examination, if the patient is confirmed to have a bacterial infection. If antibiotics are used for a viral infection, the result can only be a complicated clinical picture of a cold, since an antibiotic can only further weaken the immune system and the entire body as a whole. Also, it is advisable to use antibiotics if a bacterial infection has joined the primary viral infection, and complications have begun - laryngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, meningitis and others.

If acute respiratory infections of a bacterial nature are suspected, broad-spectrum antibiotics are usually prescribed - penicillins, cephalosporins, and macrolides.

Complex remedies help eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of acute respiratory viral infections, maintain efficiency, but often contain phenylephrine, a substance that increases blood pressure, which gives a feeling of cheerfulness, but can cause side effects from the cardiovascular system. Therefore, in some cases it is better to choose a drug without components of this kind, for example, AntiGrippin from NaturProduct, which helps to alleviate the unpleasant symptoms of SARS without provoking an increase in pressure.
There are contraindications. Need to consult a specialist

Prevention of a cold includes a number of the following recommendations:

• do not allow hypothermia of the body, getting wet feet and the body as a whole;
• try to eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C. Eat onions,.
• from autumn to spring, take additional vitamin complexes;
• lead an active lifestyle;
• observe;
• do not leave chronic diseases to chance;
• avoid stress;
• when an ARI epidemic is announced, wear a protective mask in public places, and also avoid crowded places; After coming home, rinse your nose and mouth with a weak saline solution, gargle;
• stop smoking;
• if a sick person with symptoms lives in the house or

Cold treatment folk remedies will, for sure, be of interest to many people, because infectious diseases in the winter are already a normal phenomenon for us. There is even an opinion that it is best to have a cold at least once a season in order to gain immunity. But is such an opinion not erroneous, after all, the state of malaise is not normal for a healthy body.

So what is a cold? In fact, we used to call this concept a combination of various symptoms, such as:

• cough;
• runny nose;
• increased body temperature;
• headache;
• general weakness of the body.

These symptoms may appear all together or in various combinations. But the reasons for their appearance may already be a variety of sources. Most often it is a virus, but their varieties for these symptoms can be more than 200 tons. So it turns out that what we call a cold is actually the result of a viral infection. The most common cause of it is the so-called rhinovirus, which is the cause of 40% of all diseases.

The season of activity of a viral infection falls on the winter period, but its scope is much wider, the activity of a cold disease begins in early autumn and can continue until the "deep" spring. Moreover, the prevalence of these viruses has no boundaries, and you can get a cold anywhere in the world.

The virus can spread in many ways. Even if you just go into the room where another carrier of the virus has been for several minutes, then under certain conditions, for example, with a weakened immune system, you can easily wake up the next day with a headache and a stuffy nose.

There are many reasons for the occurrence of a cold. And despite the fact that in our time this disease has already been studied quite comprehensively, nevertheless, there are a lot of people who are still subject to myths about the occurrence of a cold. In fact, the following factors can serve as the basis for the occurrence of all the above symptoms (see table).

Cause	Mechanism of action
Improper nutrition	This reason is the main and most important of the possible causes for the onset of cold symptoms. The fact is that the virus can catch on and fully develop only in a weakened body. And the season of the most frequent colds will just fall at a time when our body is most susceptible to this and cannot defend itself. During these periods, our diet lacks the proper amount of healthy foods rich in vitamins and nutrients, and those that are, do not have the proper quality, and also the quantity. Thus, in winter, early spring and late autumn, during the period of the greatest prevalence of colds, our diet consists of heavy foods that are not able to fully support immunity.
hypothermia	But do not assume that as soon as you go out into the cold, you become a desirable object for viruses. Actually it is not! In the cold, it is just almost impossible to catch the virus, because it does not survive when low temperatures Oh. In fact, the wrong choice of clothes and a sharp change in temperature are terrible for the body. For the body, these things are a certain stress, and with a weak immune system, it spends the last of its strength to cope with this stress. They are not left to fight the virus.
	Any nervous shocks, such as trouble at work or passing an exam, can also be the reasons that you catch the virus.
Unventilated rooms	Much more than frost on the street, being in a warm but poorly ventilated room in which several people can be at once can damage your health. The fact is that it is in such conditions that heavenly conditions set in for the virus, and it easily finds a new victim for itself. Because it can even spread by airborne droplets.
Exacerbation of chronic diseases	You can catch a cold not only in winter, but in any season. The fact is that the virus can live long enough and in different conditions, and we can catch it even at the moment when, for example, an exacerbation of an allergy or any other disease begins, which can significantly weaken the immune system.
Gastritis, exacerbation of ulcers and other problems of the gastrointestinal tract	Almost 80% of our immunity is located in the gastrointestinal tract. That is why it is so dangerous to subject him to various tests. Probably, it is precisely for this reason that the aggravation of various acute respiratory viral infections and influenza occurs just in time for the New Year holidays, when our digestive system is not able to cope with the amount of abundant fatty and unhealthy holiday food. And she just crashes.

Most likely, it is thanks to such a wide range of reasons for the onset of cold symptoms that we ask ourselves the question every year: “How to cure a cold?”.

Folk remedies for the prevention of colds and strengthening immunity

Folk remedies for the prevention of colds and strengthening the immune system, over the long history of their existence, have repeatedly proven their effectiveness and real help in solving problems such as colds and flu.

However, before you start actively stocking up on herbs and other cold remedies, you should definitely understand for yourself that all these recipes are designed to maintain the health of the body, and not to treat an already weakened one. The fact is that we very often deliberately deprive ourselves of natural protection by our actions, therefore the first way to prevent colds, both for children and adults, is precisely maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle:

• proper nutrition;
• reasonable physical activity;
• walks in the open air;
• no bad habits.

Subject to these conditions, all folk recipes presented to you will certainly guard your health during the entire dangerous period.

In addition, it is worth thinking about saturate the body with vitamin C, which will become your most faithful assistant in the fight against a cold:

• An excellent source of vitamin C is rose hip, which has long been considered a fairly effective remedy for the treatment of colds and respiratory diseases. In order to get the maximum benefit from it, prepare the berries in a dry form, and then periodically make a decoction of them. It is prepared according to this recipe: pour one glass of dry rose hips with a liter of clean water and heat in a water bath for 20 minutes. Then cover the broth with a lid and leave for a day. Strain it and drink half a cup every day.
• Perfectly help you with the problem of vitamin C deficiency such a product as lemon. You can, of course, start eating one fruit every day, but in this way it is quite possible to get digestive problems due to the high acidity of this citrus. But it is better and healthier to prepare such a delicacy for yourself: grind a whole lemon with a peel in a blender, add a spoonful of honey there and leave it in the refrigerator for a day. If you eat one tablespoon of this “jam” every day, then you will not be afraid of any colds.

But not only vitamin C will help in strengthening the immune system. A myriad of other foods that our ancestors ate a long time ago can help you achieve your goal of preventing colds:

You should not rush headlong into traditional medicine recipes for colds, because there are a huge number of them, and you simply do not have time to apply everything. Choose one or two that seem most acceptable and comfortable to you, and usefully strengthen your immunity, and, accordingly, your body throughout the year.

First aid at the first sign of a cold

First aid at the first sign of a cold must necessarily be to crawl under the covers and drink plenty of warm water with the addition of lemon or grated raspberries.

This is how you can help the body try to cope with the disease. But if you are already forced to continue to lead an active lifestyle and attend work or school, then you should not take into account the proverb that treat a cold or do not treat it, you still get sick for a week. The fact is that if you endure the disease "on your feet" without contributing to your recovery with various cold remedies, you can get a large number of complications, which will be much more difficult to deal with.

Well, your steps at the first sign of a cold can be the following tips.

Advice	Description
Don't bring down the temperature	Fever is a natural reaction of the body to pathogens - viruses. That is why, if your temperature is not very high and allows you to feel more or less normal, you should not immediately swallow a huge amount of antipyretics. So you can only exacerbate the problem by giving viruses a green light.
Drink warm drinks	Not hot, as much as you would like it to be when chilling, but warm, your body temperature. This will help keep your body hydrated. But you should not drink it in liters, five or six glasses a day will be enough.
Do leg steaming	At least once a day, dip your feet in hot water with diluted mustard powder, but no longer than five minutes. Then put on two pairs of socks - cotton and wool.
Gargle	Even if you do not have a sore throat, it is still worth gargling with a solution of soda or salt with the addition of a couple of drops of eucalyptus or camphor essential oil. Thus, you will kill the harmful microflora, which can cause both a runny nose and a cough.

Timely first aid measures for a cold, or rather, at its first signs, will allow you to get rid of the disease as soon as possible or not get sick at all.

Cold treatment at home

Treating a cold at home will help you stay healthy, because, as a rule, the excessive use of medicines without consulting a doctor, in particular, antibiotics for colds, will cause great harm to your health. But the use of folk recipes for colds, even, according to doctors, can significantly improve the situation and cure you of the disease.

Treatment with folk methods can be divided into several sections, depending on the symptoms that appear.

Restorative recipes against the symptoms of a cold, which can be easily carried out at home (see table below).

Folk remedies for colds	Description
Onion inhalations	On a grater or blender, chop one medium onion. Lubricate the wings of the nose with any vegetable oil suitable for you and attach an onion wrapped in two layers of gauze. Keep this inhalation for ten minutes once or twice a day.
The use of a decoction of the leaves of berries	Mix in equal proportions the leaves of raspberries, lingonberries, currants and rose hips. Pour two heaping tablespoons of the mixture into a bowl and pour a glass of water, then heat in a water bath for twenty minutes, cool slightly, strain and drink. You can add caramel, sugar or honey to taste. You need to drink such a remedy for treatment every day, one glass.
Treatment with wine recipe	Mix half a cup of hot tea with half a cup of hot wine. Stir in this mixture two tablespoons of raspberry jam and drink in one gulp, then wrap yourself in a blanket and go to bed.
The use of a decoction of apples with honey	Cut two sweet and sour apples into slices, fill them with two cups of water and boil it all for half an hour. Then strain this decoction, cool to room temperature and stir in three tablespoons of honey. Drink the resulting amount of healthy liquid throughout the day in a warm, but not hot form.
The use of a decoction of currant leaves	Two tablespoons of currant leaves should be poured with a glass of water and heated in a water bath. Then the broth should be filtered and drunk in a warm form in small sips. You need to make such a healthy drink twice a day, continuing the course of treatment until you feel relief.
Oil Recipe Treatment	Heat half a glass of sunflower oil over low heat for half an hour, then remove it from heat and add two tablespoons of finely chopped onion and a couple of cloves of chopped garlic. Let the product brew under the lid for half an hour. Dip a teaspoon into the mixture and dissolve. The more often you do this, the better!
Drinking carrot juice	Prepare sutra freshly squeezed carrot juice in the amount of two glasses. Mix it with a crushed head of garlic and drink in small portions throughout the day.
Treatment with a drink of milk and onions	Half a glass of boiling milk should be mixed with a finely chopped onion and left to infuse in a dark place for two hours. Then you should strain this drink and heat half of it, but you need to drink it in one gulp before going to bed. The second half in the morning hot.

The manifestation of a cold can also be characterized by a very strong runny nose and stuffy nose. These sensations are not the most pleasant, so use the following recipes for treatment, and you will be able to cope with this unpleasant symptom of a cold.

Remedy for runny nose and nasal congestion	Description
Fir oil	For a runny nose, instill one drop of fir oil into each nostril. Then throw your head back and pinch your nose with your fingers for a couple of minutes. The congestion will pass.
Potato inhalations	After cooking potatoes for food, do not throw away the potato peels, but rinse them and throw them into a pot of water. Boil them well, and a minute before removing them, throw in eucalyptus leaves, oat peel or thyme. Then cover yourself with a towel and breathe over the pan for ten to fifteen minutes.
garlic drops	Cut one clove of garlic and pour two teaspoons of sunflower, olive or linseed oil. Infuse the mixture all night, and in the morning bury it with a pipette in the nose. During the day, this procedure should be carried out three to four times.
	Take one leaf of aloe, finely chop and squeeze out the juice with gauze. Use this juice to bury your nose in case of a cold.
Sea salt	Dissolve one teaspoon of salt in a glass of water and rinse your nose. It must be done in this way - draw the solution into the syringe and release it into each nostril with slight pressure. If water gets into your mouth, just spit it out, try not to swallow.
beetroot juice	Grate a piece of fresh beets on a fine grater, and squeeze out the juice from this mass, with which you drip your nose two or three times every day. If your nose is very dry, add a couple of drops of honey to the juice.
Salt heating	Heat the salt in a frying pan and pour it into a cloth bag or just into a piece of cloth and tie it. Warm up the nose with this “compress” for half an hour twice a day.
cabbage juice	Grind a piece of ordinary white cabbage and squeeze out the juice from the mixture, with which you drip your nose every day two or three times.

Quite often, the first symptom of an impending disease is choking cough, which is also possible to remove with the help of traditional medicine recipes for colds.

Name of cough medicine	Description
Decoction of dates	Boil ten to twelve dates in a liter of water or milk over low heat for half an hour. Then take out the dates and eat, and drink the decoction during the day in a warm form in small sips.
Milk with butter	To alleviate a cough, drink a glass of warm milk with a piece of melted butter and a spoonful of honey at night.
	If the cough does not allow you to fall asleep, then take a little honey with a teaspoon and dissolve it. The cough will subside.
	Grate the radish on a coarse grater and sprinkle with sugar. Use the secreted juice as a cough syrup.
Lemon with honey	Boil one lemon for ten minutes, cut and squeeze the juice into a glass. Pour in two tablespoons of glycerin, which is suitable for internal use, and then fill the glass with honey to the full state, cover with a saucer and leave for half an hour. Use the mixture five to six times a day, one teaspoon.
	Grate horseradish on a fine grater, wrap it with gauze and apply as a compress on the chest.
Turmeric with honey	Mix equal proportions of turmeric powder and honey. Dissolve two to three times a day, one teaspoon.
Mustard oil	Rub warm mustard oil on your chest and back, then wrap yourself in warm clothes and go to bed.

As mentioned above, you should not bring down a small temperature, but there are times when the temperature becomes already dangerous. As a rule, it is worth fighting with its increase above 38.5 degrees. But even in such cases, you can get by with folk remedies.

Folk remedy	Description
	Vigorously rub the whole body of a person with a solution of weak vinegar, then dress him warmly and wrap him in several blankets. A very high temperature after such a procedure should decrease very quickly.
	Mix 100 ml of lemon, apple and orange juice, add 75 ml of tomato juice and 25 ml of beetroot. It is necessary to drink such a mixture in a warm form as much as possible.
Raspberry jam and crushed raspberries	Raspberries cope with temperature remarkably, for this, dissolve two tablespoons of jam or grated berries with a glass of warm water, drink this mixture in one gulp and go to bed under the covers. There will be no temperature in the morning.

Everyone who gets sick dreams of only one thing - to get rid of this scourge as soon as possible. It is folk recipes for treatment, which contain the wisdom of centuries, and are also easily implemented at home, can help you in this difficult task!

The cold season and the off-season are the time of the common cold, or, as medical workers say, acute respiratory viral infections. Most often manifested by acute inflammatory processes - pharyngitis, rhinitis, tracheobronchitis. All these diseases have a viral etiology, so they are always accompanied by fever and general intoxication of the body.

Few people know what can and should be done when the first signs of a cold appear, what measures will make it easier to endure an acute respiratory viral infection and shorten the duration of the illness.

We recommend reading:

If you highlight the symptoms of a beginning cold in adults, then you can designate a sore throat, itchy nose, sneezing, and a rare dry cough. Very quickly, with the development of an acute respiratory viral infection, nasal congestion, runny nose and lacrimation appear. Literally after a few hours, the patient begins to be disturbed by a headache, general weakness, a feeling of fatigue, pain in the joints and muscles (legs or arms “twist”).

Note:It is extremely rare, but doctors record high body temperature as the first sign of a cold in adults. As a rule, such a manifestation characterizes the development or infectious disease of internal organs and systems, but there are exceptions.

But in children, the first signs of a cold are somewhat different - fever and vomiting will be noted. The child refuses food (even favorite foods), becomes lethargic, goes to bed. Only after that does he develop a cough, runny nose and sneezing.

Note:in childhood, a sudden increase in temperature may be accompanied by a convulsive syndrome. In such cases, you should immediately call the ambulance brigade.

What to take at the first sign of a cold in adults

If certain measures are taken in time, then a cold will not develop into a long, protracted disease, and the patient's condition will be relatively stable. What doctors recommend doing:

1. The first signs of a cold are a reason to observe a home regimen (if possible), but if there is an increase in body temperature, then the regimen should become bed rest. It is necessary to wear a gauze mask when the symptoms in question appear - this will prevent infection of others. If a disposable mask is used, then it must be changed every 3 hours, but if the patient uses a reusable medical mask, then it must be ironed every 3 hours with a hot iron on both sides.
2. The patient needs to be provided with plenty of fluids - it can be a decoction of rose hips, tea with raspberry jam or viburnum, a decoction of lime blossom, green tea. Do not drink coffee, strong black tea and hot chocolate. Milk with honey will also be useful, but it cannot be considered a liquid, therefore, in addition to milk, the patient should also use other indicated drinks.
3. It is extremely necessary to adjust the diet - it is unlikely that a sick person will have a healthy appetite. The body needs support, so it is advisable to give the patient chicken broth, dairy products, vegetables and fruits. Such a diet will prevent a breakdown in the digestive system - often against the background of a developing cold, constipation or diarrhea is noted.
4. At least 4-5 times a day, you need to carry out the procedure for washing the nose with saline, even if the patient does not have a runny nose and congestion. You can buy ready-made products for this procedure at the pharmacy - Salin, Aquamaris and others, but there is always the opportunity to prepare a saline solution yourself: you need to dissolve 1 teaspoon of table salt in 700-1000 ml of warm water, add 2-3 drops of iodine.
5. Gargle every 3-4 hours with a solution of baking soda (1 teaspoon per 500 ml of warm water), furatsilin, decoction of chamomile, sage.

Note:washing the nose and gargling contribute to the mechanical cleansing of the mucous membranes from viral particles, provide additional hydration of the membranes and improve blood circulation. All this in combination has a non-intensive anti-inflammatory effect.

1. Steam inhalation will help to quickly "suffocate" the cough and clear the nasal passages of accumulated mucus. For this procedure, you can use essential oils of eucalyptus, tea tree and coniferous plants. You can also use boiled potatoes "in uniform" - grandmother's method of steam inhalation is still effective at the first sign of a cold.
2. Every 2 hours, you need to instill 5 drops of a leukocyte solution into each nostril, you can use Derinat products and drops instead. The only caveat is that such instillations must be carried out after washing the nose with saline.

Note:if there is no suspicion of, there is only slight congestion, then beet + garlic juice can be instilled (two components are mixed in equal proportions) - this will prevent the development of rhinitis. You can warm the nose with a boiled egg (it should be hot, peeled - just rolled over the bridge of the nose and the area of ​​​​the maxillary sinuses) or canvas bags with heated salt.

1. Some doctors recommend the drug "Kagocel" at the first signs of ARVI, these tablets should be taken according to the scheme:

• when signs appear, 1 tablet;
• in the evening of the same day, another 1 tablet (or in the morning of the next, if the symptoms appeared in the evening);
• on the second day, you need to take 1 tablet every 12 hours;
• the next two days - 1 tablet 1 time per day.

Note: in the USA and Western Europe, this drug is not registered; it is not on the WHO drug lists. According to representatives of the Formulary Committee of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and OSDM, the effectiveness of Kagocel has not been proven.

1. In the evening, you need to take a warm bath with the addition of an extract of coniferous plants (or essential oils) for 15 minutes, rub your body well with a towel, go to bed and drink a cup of hot tea with raspberry jam.
2. It is necessary to make a hot foot bath with mustard - you can use powder, or you can simply put 2-3 mustard plasters in 2 liters of hot water. Feet usually soar for 15-20 minutes, as the water cools, boiling water is added. Then they wipe their feet dry, put warm socks on them and go to bed.

Note: a bath with an extract of coniferous plants and a hot foot bath will be useful only in the absence of hyperthermia. Even a slight increase in body temperature is a contraindication to any warming procedures.

If the cold develops rapidly, the symptoms become more intense literally every hour, then you need to take any combined remedy that will provide symptomatic treatment - for example, it can be Fervex or Coldrex. Self-massage of biologically active points also gives a good effect - experts recommend massaging the reflex points on the hand (where the thumb and forefinger "join"), on the "wings" of the nose (you can feel them with your fingers - there will be "holes"), on the inner corners of the eyebrows.

You should be aware that many medicinal plants that are recommended at the first sign of a cold can provoke the development of a powerful allergic reaction. Therefore, if any means have not been used before, you need to make sure that the substances are normally perceived by the body. Otherwise, allergies against the background of a cold can be so powerful that you need the help of doctors and hospitalization.

The first signs of a cold in children - what to take

In principle, the same measures can be taken for a sick child as for adults. But due to the fact that in childhood the first sign of a cold is an increase in body temperature, it is strictly contraindicated to carry out warm baths, hot foot baths and steam inhalations. But you can do the following:

Note:almost all combined preparations for the treatment of colds in the early stages of development are contraindicated in childhood. For example, Kagocel should not be given to children under the age of 3 years, but Ergoferon can be used from 6 months, and Derinat drops from birth. It is best to call a pediatrician at home.

If the child has the first signs of a cold, but he remains moderately active, then you do not need to immediately “stuff” him with drugs. It is worth giving preference to tea with raspberries, a decoction of rose hips, milk with honey, tea from lime blossom. If a cough begins, then you can irrigate the oral cavity with a decoction of chamomile or sage - part of the remedy will still get into the throat and “wash away” the viral particles.

Note:in no case should you rub the breast and back of the child with fat (this is considered a good folk remedy for coughing), if there is a fever or there were similar “jumps” during the day. Blockage of skin pores with fat can provoke a convulsive syndrome.

The first signs of a cold in pregnant women - what to do

If a woman is carrying a child, then with a cold, hot foot baths and baths in general are strictly contraindicated for her - this will surely provoke premature termination of pregnancy. In addition, pregnant women should also not take any medications without the consent of a gynecologist - even the usual antipyretic and immuno-strengthening drugs can be dangerous to the fetus.

It would be most reasonable to observe bed rest, drink plenty of fluids, and carry out aromatherapy with oils of coniferous plants and eucalyptus. Any other appointments should be made by a specialist.

Almost everyone feels the first signs of a cold. You should not hope that “it will pass by itself”, “I’ll be like a cucumber in the morning” - the result of such a careless attitude will be a protracted illness, which can also pass with complications. It is much easier to immediately take the measures indicated in this article - this will make the cold mild, short and without possible complications.

Tsygankova Yana Alexandrovna, medical observer, therapist of the highest qualification category

First you need to eliminate febrile symptoms. This can be done both with the help of medications, and resorting to traditional medicine. Among the safest antipyretic drugs, paracetamol is, of course, the leader. But you need to take it in cases where the fever is manifested by a temperature that has exceeded the 38-degree mark.

Very effectively eliminates the signs of a cold by rubbing the patient's body with a warm water-vinegar solution (1: 1) or a mixture of vodka and water (1: 1). It is recommended to rub with similar compositions the places of the elbow and knee bends, groin and armpits, feet.

Among folk assistants against infections, tea with sea buckthorn, raspberry or calendula can be distinguished. These are kind of natural aspirins.

Further treatment of ARVI should be directed to the elimination of inflammatory processes. Interferon preparations like Amizon, Arbidol, Amiksin, etc. will help to cope with this. These drugs increase the body's immune forces, promoting the production of antibodies, but you should carefully consider the contraindications indicated in the instructions attached to them.

The safest anti-inflammatory agent effective against colds is honey. This bee product is considered an excellent diaphoretic and antimicrobial agent. Specialists especially extract honey from linden, with it they quickly eliminate the first manifestations and prevent the further development of the infectious process. An equally powerful remedy is mustard powder. It is recommended to pour it into cotton socks and leave them overnight. Sometimes (in the absence of temperature and pathologies of the cardiovascular system), mustard is added to foot baths, due to which their warming effect is significantly extended.

Eliminate respiratory infections

Usually, when a cold begins, the sick person begins to be disturbed by a characteristic sore throat. If this symptom is left unattended, complications such as coughing may occur, and then bronchitis, pneumonia, etc. Therefore, a number of measures should be taken to eliminate perspiration. The simplest means are resorption of lozenges containing antiseptic additives (, Efizol, etc.), gargling with furatsilin or a water-salt solution with the addition of soda and iodine. It is good to relieve perspiration with ARVI by rubbing the interscapular and chest area with menthol balm or vodka, and you can stick a pepper patch on your neck.

Since viruses enter the body, usually through the nose, the onset of a cold is often accompanied by congestion or a runny nose. To get rid of such manifestations, it is recommended to instill vasoconstrictor drugs like Farmazolin or Naphthyzinum into the nasal passages.

Among folk remedies, aloe juice, beets, garlic or onions are well eliminated from the nasal mucosa, which are recommended to be mixed with linden honey to enhance the effect.

No less effective is washing the nasal cavity with saline, Aquamaris or Marimer, saline or herbal solutions. A freshly boiled egg or bags of calcined salt can be applied to the bridge of the nose. Such warming will relieve inflammation from the nasal mucosa. You can lubricate the bridge of the nose with a warming ointment like Asterisk.

Rescue inhalations

Inhalations have a very good therapeutic effect, since they have an antiviral effect on the body when ARVI is just beginning to develop in the body. You can carry out inhalation procedures with essential oils like eucalyptus or mint, or with herbal preparations of sage, eucalyptus or chamomile. And grandfather's way to treat colds with boiled potatoes is probably known to everyone.

We help immunity

In order for the body to have the strength to resist a cold, urgent measures must be taken to strengthen the immune defense. To begin with, it is recommended to drink lemon tea and take an ascorbic acid tablet. It is also useful to prepare a strong chicken broth, which also helps to strengthen the immune system and helps eliminate the manifestations of the infection.

That, in fact, is all that needs to be done to cope with the incipient viral infection. But in order to achieve a clear effect, such activities should be comprehensive, then in the morning of the next day you will feel a significant improvement in your condition, up to recovery (if the procedures were done in a timely manner).