Are You Sick?

When to Call for Common Cold

Care Advice

What You Should Know about Colds:

• Adults may get colds more than once per year. This is because there are so many viruses that cause colds. With each new cold, your body builds up immunity to that virus.
• Most people know when they have a cold. For most colds, you don't need to call or see your doctor unless you develop a complication. Examples are an earache or if the symptoms last too long.
• The normal cold lasts about 2 weeks. There are no drugs to make it go away sooner. But, there are good ways to ease many of the symptoms.
• With most colds, the starting symptom is a runny nose. This is followed in 3 or 4 days by a stuffy nose. The treatment for each symptom is different.
• Here is some care advice that should help.

For a Runny Nose: Blow the Nose

• The mucus and discharge is washing germs out of the nose and sinuses.
• Blowing the nose is all that's needed.
• Put petroleum jelly on the skin under the nose. Wash the skin first with warm water and gently dry. This will help to protect the nostrils from any redness.

Nasal Saline to Open a Blocked Nose:

• Use saline (salt water) nose spray to loosen up the dried mucus. If you don't have saline, you can use a few drops of water. Use distilled water, bottled water or boiled tap water (let it cool first).
• Step 1: put 3 drops in each nostril.
• Step 2: blow each nostril out while closing off the other nostril. Then, do the other side.
• Step 3: repeat nose drops and blowing until the discharge is clear.
• How Often. Do nasal saline rinses when you can't breathe through the nose.
• Saline nose drops or spray can be bought in any drugstore. No prescription is needed.
• Saline nose drops can also be made at home. Use ½ teaspoon (2 mL) of table salt. Stir the salt into 1 cup (8 ounces or 240 mL) of warm water. Use bottled water or cooled boiled water to make saline nose drops.
• Reason for nose drops: blowing alone can't remove dried or sticky mucus.
• Other option: use a warm shower to loosen mucus. Breathe in the moist air, then blow each nostril.

Drink Fluids:

• Drink lots of fluids
• Goal: keep yourself well-hydrated.
• It helps thin out the mucus from the nose.
• It also loosens up any phlegm in the lungs. Then it's easier to cough up.

Humidifier:

• If the air in your home is dry, use a humidifier.
• Reason: dry air makes nasal mucus thicker.

Medicines for Colds:

• Cold Medicines. Most over-the-counter cold medicines are not helpful. Decongestants may help you breathe better by reducing the amount of drainage (runny nose and/or postnasal drip). You can buy these as pills or as a nasal spray.
• Allergy Medicines. They are not helpful, unless you also have nasal allergies. They can help an allergic cough.
• No Antibiotics. Antibiotics are not helpful for colds. Antibiotics may be used if you get an ear or sinus infection.

Other Symptoms of Colds - Treatment:

• Pain or Fever. Use acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) to treat muscle aches, sore throat or headaches. Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil). You can also use these meds for fever above 102° F (39° C).
• Use as needed but do not take more than the maximum recommended dosage as stated on the package.
• Sore Throat. You can suck on hard candy or sip warm fluids (tea, chicken broth). Some people prefer cold foods, such as popsicles or ice cream.
• Cough. You can swallow a teaspoon (5 mL) of honey or use cough drops.

Return to Work:

• You can go back to work after the fever is gone. You should also feel well enough to do normal activities.
• For practical purposes, the spread of colds can't be prevented.

What to Expect:

• Fever can last 2-3 days
• Runny nose can last 7-14 days.
• Cough can last 2-3 weeks.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Trouble breathing occurs
• Earache occurs
• Fever lasts more than 3 days or goes above 104° F (40° C)
• Runny nose lasts more than 14 days
• Cough lasts more than 3 weeks
• You think you need to be seen
• Your symptoms get worse

Extra Advice - Air Travel with Colds:

• It's safe to fly when you have a cold.
• Mild ear congestion or even a brief earache might happen while flying. Most often, that can be prevented (see below).
• Flying will not cause an ear infection.

Extra Advice - Prevent Ear Congestion During Air Travel:

• Most symptoms happen when the airplane is coming down in altitude. This is the descent of the plane during the 15 minutes before landing.
• Stay awake during takeoff and descent.
• Swallow during descent by sipping a drink or chewing gum.
• Yawning during descent also can open the middle ear.
• Drink lots of fluids throughout the flight. This will prevent the nasal secretions from drying out.

Remember! Contact your doctor if you or your child develop any "Contact Your Doctor" symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.