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Treating The Common Cold

Treating The Common Cold

What is a “cold”? It is a common viral infection of the upper respiratory passages: your nose, throat and ears. On average, most adults will get three colds per year. Sometimes it is very mild; nothing more than a drippy nose. And sometimes it can lay you out for days.

The most common symptoms include nasal congestion, mucous discharge from the front of the nose or down the throat (post nasal drip), sore throat and cough. Other symptoms can include fever, facial pain, muscle aches and fatigue.

The key to treating is a cold is to treat the symptoms. Viruses cannot be treated by antibiotics. In general, the key is to get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, take acetaminophen or ibuprofen for headaches, fever, sore throat and muscle aches. Washing out the thick nasal secretions with nasal saline can be helpful, as well as gargling with salt water for the throat. Decongestant pills can reduce the sinus pressure. Also, nasal decongestant sprays, if used appropriately, can help too. Do not use antihistamines since those are intended for allergies and may thicken the secretions from the virus making them harder to eliminate.

When is a cold not a cold and is a bacterial sinus infection? Infrequently: less than 20% of the time. Unfortunately it is sometimes difficult to know the difference. The general idea is that if the symptoms last for more than 5-7 days, are becoming worse, and if pain in the face becomes more localized to a specific region, then it may be necessary to see your doctor and have a good exam.

At Advanced Ear Nose & Throat Care, our physicians Dr. Michael Bard, Dr. James Batti, Dr. Dov Bloch, Dr. Anthony Fama, Dr. Jay Klarsfeld, and Dr. Jeffrey Monroe treat most conditions of the ear, head, neck, eyes, nose and throat. These conditions range from ear infections, tonsil and adenoids, sleep disturbance, thyroid nodules and palate surgery to nasal polyps, deviated septum sleep apnea and silent reflux. We are conveniently located in Fairfield County, CT in the towns of Danbury, New Milford, Norwalk, Ridgefield and Southbury.

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Multi-Specialty Private Practice with six locations in Fairfield County, CT