best way to prevent common cold

Cover up to prevent viral infection, say doctors

Published: Gulf-Times Monday, 21 January, 2008, 06:35 AM Doha Time

By Sarmad Qazi

The best way to prevent common cold, especially in cold weather, is to ensure the body is appropriately protected from cold wind or rain water, according to various doctors.
It is equally imperative to cover the nose and other sensitive areas of infants and teenagers who may be susceptible to contracting airborne viruses in the prevailing weather, doctors said.
“The common cold is in fact a viral infection of the upper respiratory system, including the nose, throat and sinuses. During the cold weather, the body is less immune to fight these viruses and hence hundreds of people end up visiting hospitals, complaining of flu,” said Dr Tariq Sheikh, an internist at the Al Ahli Hospital.
“What you should realise is that they are only ‘flu-like symptoms’ and not influenza at all. The best thing to do is to drink a lot of fluids and rest … the body will take care of the rest,” he added.
Although over 200 different viruses can cause a cold, 30% to 50% are caused by a group known as rhino-viruses. Almost all colds clear up in less than two weeks without complications.
“Even though most colds resolve on their own, they are also a leading cause of visits to the doctor these days, resulting in time lost from work and school,” pointed out Dr Sameer Kalandan, president of Indian Doctor’s Club.
Suggesting that the patients go to their primary health care centre first, rather than contributing to increased traffic to hospitals, there are a number of steps that the public can take to avoid the virus altogether.
“Poor ventilation, dust mites in the carpets, working and living in closed spaces, with no direct sunlight and fresh air and over dependence on air conditioners are some of the lifestyle patterns that should be changed if we want to put an effective stop to an increase in the number of patients with upper and lower respiratory infections,” said Dr Sameer.
“In case one still manages to contract a cold, any over-the-counter antihistamine or decongestant should be taken from the onset,” he said.
“It is also very important to bathe even during a fever. Culturally, people from South Asia avoid coming in contact with water in case of a fever and that just aggravates the situation further,” added Sameer.
Antibiotics should be the last choice for patients and doctors and is usually given in extreme cases.
“Only in cases of patients with less immunity, antibiotics are given, and even then the medicine is aimed at making the body fight any attack from a bacterial infection and not the cold itself,” explained Dr J Qaiser, a medical consultant.