Colds are caused by viruses. There are no effective cures, and antibiotics don’t work on viruses, so treatment aims to manage the symptoms until your immune system clears the common cold.
So why would anyone even go to the doctor for a cold?
Well, occasionally a cold can turn into something more serious that requires evaluation and specific treatment, and a visit to the GP might be warranted. Or you just want advice and advice.
Don’t go to the family doctor for something completely normal
Problems arise when there are too many unwarranted visits to the GP for cold symptoms.
Studies have shown that antibiotics are still commonly prescribed for viral colds even though they don’t help, and this contributes to antibiotic resistance. It’s hastening the start of an era where many antibiotics just don’t work at all.
Children have an average of four to six colds a year, and adults have two to three.
Some people are more susceptible to colds, but we don’t know exactly why.
The common cold lasts about a week, although 25% last two weeks. In a study of 346 adults, infection lasted 9.5 to 11 days.
Cold symptoms can last longer in younger children. One study showed an average duration of colds ranging from 6.6 to 9 days. However, symptoms lasted longer than 15 days in 6.5% of 1 to 3 year old children in home care and 13.1% of 2 to 3 year old children in day care.
A cough tends to last longer than other symptoms and often beyond the actual viral infection. The average duration of a cough is about 17.8 days.
Discolored sputum, cough or snot
Discolored phlegm in snot or a cough is a common trigger for requesting antibiotics from a family doctor. But as we know, antibiotics are useless against a virus. They only work against bacterial infections.
In fact, thick or colored nasal mucus discharge is common after colds. Only a tiny proportion is a bacterial infection.
In this case one speaks of an acute rhinosinusitis. But antibiotics are not recommended unless it lasts longer than 10 to 14 days and there are signs of bacterial sinus infection, such as:
- Worsening of symptoms after improvement of the original cold
- return of fever
- severe facial pain.
A persistent cough after a cold is usually caused by a sore throat or the release of sticky mucus from the nose. The cough may sound wet (so called “chesty”) due to the phlegm, but only small amounts of phlegm are coughed up.
Yellow or green colored mucus is often taken as a sign of a bacterial infection.
But yellow or green sputum alone doesn’t mean you have a serious bacterial infection. One study found that prescribing antibiotics in these circumstances did not shorten recovery time.
Saline nasal sprays and rinses can be used to clear out the nose and sinuses and may shorten rhinosinusitis and coughing up after the common cold.
Could it just be hay fever or another underlying problem?
Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, is a common cause of persistent symptoms after a cold, particularly coughing and nasal congestion, and possibly sneezing.
Damage to the upper respiratory tract after a viral infection can allow airborne allergens to trigger hay fever. If an allergic cold is suspected, self-medication with antihistamines, nasal spray or intranasal steroids is worthwhile.
There may be other reasons for the cough to persist, such as: B. a worsening of the underlying asthma or chronic lung disease. In this case, a visit to your family doctor may be necessary.
What about bronchitis or pneumonia?
Many people worry about developing a chest infection after a cold.
Acute bronchitis is a self-limiting infectious disease characterized by an acute cough, with or without sputum, but without signs of pneumonia (such as high temperature and shortness of breath). Most cases of acute bronchitis are caused by viruses. Antibiotics are often prescribed but do not provide significant clinical improvement compared to placebo and are therefore not recommended.
Pneumonia is a potentially serious sequela that can occur in a small number of cases after an episode of flu, but relatively rarely after a cold. Symptoms and signs of pneumonia are high on the list of warning signs that indicate the need for medical evaluation.
When should I seek medical help for a cough or cold?
Contact a GP if you notice any of the following:
- shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- feel faint or dizzy
- chest pain
- dehydration
- Fever or cough symptoms that get better but then come back or get worse
- Worsening of chronic conditions such as asthma.
This is not an exhaustive list, but it can give you an idea of what to expect and what to look out for.
You can also contact your GP (perhaps for a telemedicine consultation) if you find your symptoms very uncomfortable or are concerned that your condition is more severe or lasting longer than expected. Maybe you just need reassurance and education about self-sufficiency opportunities.
David King, Lecturer in General Medicine, University of Queensland
This article was republished by The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Also read | Air pollution can increase COVID severity even in vaccinated people: study
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