By Susan Lucock, Editorial Committee, TAG member
When you鈥檙e sick, you can easily forget how to take care of yourself. Sometimes when you鈥檙e getting sick you don鈥檛 even know what鈥檚 happening. Being aware and taking self-care is the key to a quick recovery.
Fatigue, a runny nose and aches and pains are some early signs that you might have caught a cold. Telling the difference between a cold and covid – or allergies, or the flu 鈥� is hard. A few symptoms come with covid that are not part of catching a cold. These include headaches, diarrhoea, and nausea – which also don鈥檛 usually occur with seasonal allergies. If you鈥檙e not sure whether it鈥檚 covid, it鈥檚 best to test.
DAYS 1 -3
The first few days after catching a cold, you might feel little to no symptoms. Feeling a bit tired, aches and pains, and a blocked nose are most common at this time.
Now is when you should really look after yourself. Get plenty of sleep, drink lots of fluids, and eat a diet of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables. Vitamin C can also lessen the duration of a cold if you start taking it when you first feel symptoms.
With the right care you might be able to knock your cold on the head by day three and start to feel back to normal.
DAYS 4 鈥� 7
If you鈥檙e not better by now, chances are this is when you鈥檇 experience full-blown symptoms – a blocked or runny nose, fever, fatigue, aches and pains, a sore or scratchy throat and trouble sleeping. Pharmacists recommend taking paracetamol or ibuprofen. You鈥檙e likely to be most contagious now too. Avoid going to work or school or catching public transport.
DAYS 7 鈥� 10
You may be unlucky enough to develop a cough which can linger for up to a month – even after your other symptoms have gone. Using a saline nasal spray before bed can help. Having a humidifier in your room is also a good idea, as it helps keep moisture to the air.
WHEN TO SEE A GP
Most people who catch a cold will recover on their own with plenty of rest and fluids. However, if you have severe aches and pains or a high fever that persists for more than a couple of days, or you develop a rash, then it鈥檚 time to see a GP.
Many thanks to Linda Hooi, community pharmacist for help in researching this article.
