PHARMACY - General Health information

The common cold:

As the name implies, the common cold is an illness that most people are likely to develop. Most people get at least two or three colds a year. In young children the figure is even higher. Colds are caused by a virus, which enters your body through the mouth and nose, spread from another person in droplet form. There are over 100 types of viruses that can cause a cold.

Signs and symptoms:

• Blocked or runny nose
• Stuffy feeling in the head
• Sore throat
• A slight cough
• A general feeling of tiredness and weakness

Are you at risk? :

• You are probably more likely to catch a cold if you are run down and overtired
• Getting caught in a downpour or being stuck in wet clothes may sometimes lead to a cold
• An inadequate diet, lacking in citrus fruit and vitamin C, may also predispose you to colds

Tips & Advice for customers:

• Steam inhalation may help a blocked nose
• Eucalyptus, tea tree oil, or other inhalants may help to ease a stuffy head
• Avoid touching your nose and wash your hands frequently
• Eat healthy meals and include lots of fruit and vegetables

If you have a cold, simple measures like having hot lemon drinks and some extra rest may help. If you have a lot of nasal blockage, a decongestant preparation may also be advised. Sometimes, decongestants are combined with other medications in the form of various cold tablets. If you have high blood pressure you should avoid decongestant medications because they can elevate your blood pressure further. If you are not sure, ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice.

Evidence suggests there is no real need to take paracetamol or aspirin unless you have considerable pain or a high fever. The slight elevation of your body temperature is part of the normal response to a viral illness and may actually help your body combat the infection.

There is usually no place for antibiotics in the treatment of viral illnesses like colds. Fortunately, most colds gradually clear after a few days thanks to your body's immune system.

When to seek further professional advice:

• There is a very high temperature and/or the person is feeling unwell
• There is earache or facial/sinus pain
• The cold has lasted more than one week
• The patient is a baby, or a child under one year old
• The runny nose often occurs in spring and summer- this could be hay fever
• The nasal discharge is only from one nostril and/ or is smelly

Vitamin supplement suggestions:

• Garlic extract
• Vitamin C plus bioflavonoid
• Echinacea
• Zinc

Cough:

Anything that obstructs the windpipe or breathing passages can cause a cough. Even though a cough can be awfully irritating, it's actually serving a very important purpose. You see coughing is a protective reflex action that's designed to keep your lungs free of mucus or other unwanted substances. Without this cough reflex your lungs would become clogged up with mucus, making it difficult to breathe. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish between the type of cough & therefore what to do to treat it. The following will help:

Productive Cough:

If you have a chesty or productive cough, you need to help your body to get rid of excess mucus. You may notice yourself feeling congested and breathless and the cough may seem rattly.

Tips & Advice for customers:

• Drink plenty of fluid
• Hot steamy showers will help break down the mucus (phlegm) and make it easier to cough up
• Keep warm
• Have plenty of bed rest
• Use paracetamol for fever & pain (but remember that some cough mixtures and cold remedies also contain paracetamol, so don't overdose.)
• Do not take antihistamines as well, as theses tend to dry up the secretions and leave them in the lungs
• An expectorant may help the expulsion of mucus from the lungs
• A cough suppressant should NOT be used for a productive cough, as this suppresses the cough, causing a build up of mucus (phlegm) in the lungs, which increases the risk of infection

When to seek further professional advice:

• The patient is an infant or child under 5 years old
• The patient is coughing up blood (fresh blood or dried blood like coffee granules.)
• The patient has a high temperature
• The patient is short of breath or wheezy
• The cough is mainly at night
• There is chest pain when coughing
• The cough has changed
• The productive cough has lasted longer than 5 days

Dry Cough:

When you have a dry cough (a cough that doesn't produce any mucus), your cough reflex doesn't really serve a purpose. That's why it's usually okay to suppress or stop the cough (and it will certainly help you to get a good nights sleep!)

Tips & Advice for customers:

• Avoid dry environments Drink plenty of water
• Sip the cough linctus
• Cough suppressants are pholcodine, diphenhydramine, and codeine phosphate. These may cause varying amounts of sedation
• It is preferable to use a single active ingredient product, as some combination products contain stimulants or sedatives, especially in children

When to seek further professional advice:

• The patient is an infant or child under 5 years old
• The patient is coughing up blood or mucus (phlegm)
• The patient is short of breath or wheezy
• The cough is mainly at night
• Chest pain is associated with coughing
• The cough has changed
• The cough has lasted longer than 10 days, with little or no improvement