Cold and flu are diseases that concern almost all of us during the winter months. Symptoms such as runny nose, weakness, fever, cough not only cause loss of workforce, but also become a potential danger to the people around us because they are highly contagious. Although cold
and flu are different diseases, they are often treated without making a differential diagnosis because they cause similar symptoms and the disease causative agent in both
is viruses. Especially in our country, since many drugs can be sold without a prescription, our people go to the pharmacy and unconsciously use antibiotics instead of consulting a doctor for these diseases. However, the factors that cause cold and flu diseases, that is, viruses, cannot be treated with antibiotics.
Flu is a disease that affects the respiratory tract and is caused by Influenza type viruses. It is an extremely
contagious viral infection. Patients usually recover within 1-2 weeks, but the effects may continue
for weeks. It is seen in the autumn-winter months and is one of the diseases that causes the highest cost in terms of labor loss. At the same time, it can cause serious life-threatening diseases in people with low body resistance, the elderly, and people with diseases that impair their general condition, and some types of flu can lead to fatal complications.
Organisms that cause colds 90% of them are viruses and approximately 200 types of viruses
have been identified. The most common causative viruses are Rhinoviruses, Coronaviruses, Parainfluenza, Respiratory
syncytial viruses. It causes complaints such as fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, feeling of fatigue, runny nose, sneezing, and sore throat.
The disease spreads to the environment when people breathing the same air sneeze or cough. /> can be transmitted, however, studies conducted in recent years have shown that the most common way of transmission is through the transmission of viral secretions to people other than the hands of the sick person, and healthy people carry it to their nose. Therefore, frequent hand washing is extremely important to protect against colds.
Since many viruses can cause the common cold, the body can never develop resistance
to all of these viruses. For this reason, colds may occur again and again every year. Factors such as upper respiratory tract allergies and psychological stress, rather than cold weather
are very effective in the development of the disease.
Cold is a disease that is usually overcome with simple precautions and body resistance. However, if you have complaints of fever exceeding
39°C, persistent or profuse cough producing viscous sputum, pain while breathing, persistent earache, swollen lymph nodes, difficulty swallowing and severe pain, you must consult a
doctor. should be consulted.
Flu is a disease that is more severe than the common cold and often causes fever and body pain, as well as headache, cough, and fatigue symptoms that last for 2-3 weeks. Although it is not possible to protect
from the common cold, it is possible to protect from the flu with vaccines.
After all this information, we have now learned that these diseases are caused by viruses. As a conscious society
, we should know that antibiotics do not affect viruses and that using antibiotics to cure these diseases
will cause both financial losses and harm to public health due to incorrect drug use. We must consult a doctor.
Your doctor may sometimes recommend antibiotics
due to bacterial infections that may develop in addition to the common cold. However, this type of treatment should be started only when necessary and by a doctor. For both
our own health and the health of future generations, we should not use antibiotics without a prescription, and we should take precautions to protect ourselves from flu, which causes financial and
labor loss.
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