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H1N1 Or Common Cold

Author: Sterling Trump

The flu and the common cold are the reason for most unnecessary visits to the physicians office than any other type of sickness. With Swine Flu on the rise these visits have increased. Since the cold and flu are caused by viruses they can be almost always treated at home. There are lots of over the counter drugs that will help ease the pain while your body recovers.

When the body is ridding itself of the cold or flu virus a runny nose is normally what occurs. The body uses sneezing as a way to expel germs and irritants from the body. Unfortunately, this also causes the spread of the virus if others come into direct contact with the microscopic particles that carry the virus. It is very important to sneezing into a tissue or cloth of some sort to avoid spreading the virus. Viruses such as the common cold and flu are spread through direct contact some hand washing is very important to keep from spreading the virus to others.

Complications from a runny nose are due to the excess mucous, which can run into the throat (postnasal drip) and cause sore throat and coughing. Mucous drip can block the eustachian tube resulting in ear infection and pain. It can also lead to infection and sinus pain.

Sometimes a runny nose can indicate the existence of allergies such as: Hay Fever which causes more sneezing, itching, and watery eyes usually produces a thin mucous. Hay fever can last as long as weeks and months outliving the normal lifespan of a viral infection. Allergies are more common in the spring or fall when pollen and other allergens are at their peak. Also, dust mold and animal dander contribute to these flare ups in people.

Pain relievers like Advil, Alleve, and Tylenol can ease aches and pain associated with the virus. Generally these medications should be take later in the afternoon and at night since the symptoms usually get worse during these times of the day. Decongestants can aid in the shrinking of the nasal membranes and assist in breathing while antihistamines reduce secretions in the nose.

Drink lots of fluids this helps to keep the mucous more liquid and to prevent complications such as bronchitis and ear infection. Vaporizers help particularly well in the winter and can assist with blowing out mucous through your nose for additional relief by moving virus particles, and allergens out of the body. Try not to sniff a runny nose because this might cause an ear infection. If the symptoms last longer than two weeks call a doctor.

The author has been writing online about health, fitness, and electronics for over 5 years visit his site cheap video cameras , then visit Sterling Trump’s other site on how to choose the best kids video cameras

Tags: COMMON COLD, flu, h1n1, Health, Home Remedies, Influenza, remedies, viral-infection, virus

This entry was posted on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 2:43 AM and is filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.