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Diseases & Medical Conditions:
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Health Foods:
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Common Cold and Influenza (Flu)
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Coughing, aching, and sneezing are some of the symptoms of a common cold. The common cold and its annoying symptoms are caused by a viral infection that cannot be treated with antibiotics. However, there are a few simple actions you can take to minimize its symptoms:
 Drink plenty of fluids
Keep your immune system in top condition
Stay well rested
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| Self-care for common cold
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Self-care for common cold can be approached in a number of ways. To make it easier, most doctors recommend trying these simple steps first:
Be sure to rest
Give your body some down time to help it fight off the cold
Drink those fluids
Get plenty of water and other clear fluids to help thin mucous
Take extra vitamin C
Studies have shown 1 to 4 grams a day may make your cold shorter and less severe
Use zinc lozenges
Use lozenges containing zinc gluconate, zinc gluconate-glycine, or zinc acetate, providing 13 to 25 mg every two hours, to help stop the virus and shorten the illness
Shorten sick time with echinacea
At the first signs of a cold, take 3 to 5 ml of echinacea juice or tincture every two hours to make your cold less severe
Get some garlic
Help prevent colds with 600 to 900 mg a day of a standardized garlic supplement
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Source: Vitacost.com
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| Sometimes, it is difficult to distinguish between a common cold and influenze (flu). The following chart may be used to tell the two health concerns apart.
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Influenza (Flu) Symptoms
If you get infected by the flu virus, you will usually feel symptoms 1 to 4 days later. You can spread the flu to others before your symptoms start and for another 3 to 4 days after your symptoms appear. The symptoms start very quickly and may include:
- Body aches
- Chills
- Dry cough
- Fever
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Stuffy nose
Typically, the fever begins to decline on the second or third day of the illness. The flu almost never causes symptoms in the stomach and intestines. The illness that some call “stomach flu” is not influenza.
Cold vs Flu Symptoms
| Symptoms |
Cold |
Flu |
| Fever |
Rare |
Usual; high (100°F to 102°F; occasionally higher, especially in young children); lasts 3 to 4 days |
| Headache |
Rare |
Common |
| General Aches, Pains |
Slight |
Usual; often severe |
| Fatigue, Weakness |
Sometimes |
Usual; can last up to 2 to 3 weeks |
| Extreme Exhaustion |
Never |
Usual; at the beginning of the illness |
| Stuffy Nose |
Common |
Sometimes |
| Sneezing |
Usual |
Sometimes |
| Sore Throat |
Common |
Sometimes |
| Chest Discomfort, Cough |
Mild to moderate; hacking cough |
Common; can become severe |
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