USF-COM
Department of Family Medicine
Patient Education Information on...
Index of
Patient Education Topics
What is a Cold ?
A cold is an upper respiratory infection. The symptoms usually
include: runny/stuffy nose, low grade fever, sore throat, and sometimes
cough/hoarseness, red eyes, and swollen glands in the neck.
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What
causes a cold?
A cold is an upper respiratory infection caused by a virus called a rhinovirus.
There are over 200 different types of rhinoviruses. Fortunately,
you can only be infected by a certain type of virus once. If our
bodies are exposed to the same virus again, our immune system will keep
us from getting sick. So, by age 75, we should be relatively cold
free!!!
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Are there any medications that I can take ?
There are no medications that can “cure” a cold. There are several
over the counter preparations that can treat the symptoms of a cold, but
these have questionable effectiveness. Any medication with psuedoephedrine
may decrease the nasal congestion. A common side effect of these
cold preparations is restlessness/difficulty sleeping/”jitteryness”.
WARNING: If you have high blood pressure, please ask your pharmacist
before you take any cold medication because some preparations could increase
your blood pressure.
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Will antibiotics help me if I have a cold
?
Absolutely not!!! Antibiotics are used only when someone is infected
with either a bacteria (like strep throat) or a fungus (like a yeast infection).
Antibiotics work on the bacteria’s outer shell, viruses do not have this
shell and therefore are not susceptible to their action.
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Will Zinc help me if I have a cold ?
There have been some studies that suggest that if someone takes Zinc in
its non metallic form, that it will shorten the duration of a cold by 5-7
days. These Zinc preparations are available in your drug store.
If you decide to take the Zinc losenges, be sure the preparation includes
Zinc acetate, because that preparation has the most available Zinc for
its effect.
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When should I call my doctor ?
-
If you develop a high fever (>101.5) or
-
If nasal discharge lasts for > 10 days or
-
If eyes develop a yellow discharge or
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If your throat becomes quite sore or
-
If you develop an earache or your sinuses become tender , or
-
If you have persistant nausea or vomiting
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How can I prevent catching a cold ?
Hand washing!! Hand washing!! Hand washing!! You can catch these
viruses by direct contact with an already infected person or even indirectly.
If you touch a door handle that someone with a cold touched with his snotty
hands, and you rub your eyes or wipe your nose, CONGATULATIONS you just
caught a cold virus. This is why you need to wash your hands ANYTIME
you are around someone with a cold.
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Where can I find information about
the common cold ?
Website references: