Cough & Cold

Colds can affect anyone at any time of the year. Most people experience having colds once or twice a year and even more for those with compromised immune systems. When suffering from colds, you’ll experience sneezing and coughing. At times, it also manifests with other symptoms such as a blocked or runny nose, a sore throat, aching muscles and feeling tired or fatigued.

There is no exact remedy for a cold, contrary to the common belief. This is because it is brought by a virus and spreads from person to person through airborne droplets from sneezes or coughs or by touching contaminated surfaces. Colds can be very contagious, that is why most of the time an entire household gets infected or the virus passes among the colleagues in an office.

Because it is viral, taking antibiotics will not help fight the cold. It is even dangerous to take antibiotics when it is not necessary because your body can develop resistance to them and won’t work anymore in the future. There is no quick-fix for colds, you’ll need to wait until the illness runs its course.

Often, when you experience symptoms like aching muscles, blocked nose, and a heavy head upon waking up, you quickly conclude that you contracted the flu. Knowing the difference between colds and flu is crucial, but how do you tell them apart?

The determining factor between the two is high fever, which is normally sudden. Some cases of colds are accompanied by fever but for the flu, the fever is more severe. Apart from that, all the other symptoms are the same, such as cough, blocked nose, sneezing and sore body. That is why many people could not differentiate between the two.

Both conditions are caused by viruses which means taking antibiotics is not required. Most treatments boil down to managing the symptoms and are often the same for both. However, it takes a longer time to recover from the flu compared to the common cold.

Because there is no cure for the common cold, suitable medications are prescribed to manage symptoms and give you some relief. This includes taking mild painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen to ease pain from sore throats, headaches and aching muscles. Taking a cough syrup is also recommended to help with the cough and decongestant medication to clear a blocked nose. These medications are available at True Medical. Our next day delivery service will get the medication quickly at your door to help you feel better as soon as possible.

While taking the medications, you can also do some steps to help your body recover faster. This includes increasing your water and fluid intake making sure to avoid caffeine or fizzy drinks. It is also recommended to eat nutrient-dense foods to boost your body and aid in fighting the infection. Relax and get plenty of rest and try steam solutions to help with the congestion.