Patient Instructions for Colds and Cough
The Flu - If you think you have the flu, you should stay out of work – you don’t want to spread
it. You should come into the office to get a prescription for antiflu medication is it is within 48
hours of the beginning of the flu. If it is over two days you can stay at home and try
symptomatic relief.
Symptomatic relief for the flu or viral infections:
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Over-the-counter medications may relieve some flu symptoms or viral infection
symptoms but will not make you less contagious. Prevent spread by hand washing and
protected coughing.
You can take high dose ibuprofen for muscle aches and fever. You can take 400 to 600
mg of ibuprofen ever 6 hours. Ibuprofen is 200 mg per pill in the over the counter
version, so that’s 2 or 3 pills. Don’t use ibuprofen if you have a history or stomach
ulcers or you start to get strong stomach pain. You can also take Tylenol or Alleve for
fever reduction and treatment of muscle aches.
You can get mucinex or robitussion – these medicines are expectorants and help break
up the congestion. The other best expectorant to use is plain water. You should try to
drink at least 6-8 extra glasses of water a day.
Mucinex and Robitussin can also come in combinations with “DM” – which is
dextormethorapham – it is a cough suppressant and is supposed to be as effective as
codeine.
You can treat flu or viral infections without medication by:
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Getting plenty of rest
Drinking clear fluids like water, broth, sports drinks, or electrolyte beverages to prevent
becoming dehydrated
Placing a cool, damp washcloth on your forehead, arms, and legs to reduce discomfort
associated with a fever
Putting a humidifier in your room to make breathing easier
Gargling salt water (enough salt to make the water cloudy) to soothe a sore throat. You
can also use chloraseptic sprays or lozenges for a severe sore throat.
Covering up with a warm blanket to calm chills
How can I treat nasal congestion?
Decongestants can dry up nasal fluids – but many decongestants will have two side effects: 1.)
they can raise you blood pressure – so no decongestants if you already have high blood
pressure – don’t use allegra-D or zrytec-D. Anything with the “D” will raise blood pressure. 2.)
Decongestants can make it hard to clear up the congestion in the lungs. Drying secretions in
the nose will also dry secretions in the lungs. If a runny nose is worse than the cough or chest
congestion then use the decongestant. But if the cough and chest congestion are worse –
don’t use a decongestant.
How can I treat coughing?
Cough medicine, cough drops, and throat lozenges can temporarily relieve coughing and sore
throat. Cough medicines with “DM” can help decrease a cough – however if wheezing is a
significant part of the cough or if the cough is much worse at night a patient might benefit from
an inhaler – such as albuterol or ventolin. These inhalers are used for asthma – but this is not
a permanent thing and as soon as the worst of the cough is over they can be stopped.
How can I treat a severe sore throat?
If sore throat is the primary symptom of your illness you should come into the office for a strept
screen. This test is used to check for Strep Throat – it can be done in five minutes. Strep can
have serious consequences and we would give antibiotics if it’s a Strep Infection. Strep Throat
usually is found with a high fever and no cough, there is usually no ear pain or nasal
congestions. Another serious sore throat can be cause by the Epstein Barr Virus – this is
more commonly called mononucleosis. It’s a viral infection and antibiotics will not help him.
How can I treat a severe ear pain?
An ear infection can be painful and cause a fever. If you have a high fever (over 101 degrees)
with serious ear pain it could be an ear infection. These infects CAN be bacterial and
sometimes antibiotics are required. However most ear pain – especially if it is found with a
sore throat or nasal congestions is simply the result of a close eustacion tube. The tube gets
closed where there is swelling or inflammation at the back of the nose or mouth. So ear pain
that feels like pressure is often a pressure created by closing of the eustacion tube. You can
chew gum to open it up or try “popping” your ears.
What about taking combinations over-the-counter medicines?
Many over-the-counter medications contain the same active ingredients. If you take several
medicines with the same active ingredient you might be taking more than the recommended
dose. This can cause serious health problems. Read all labels carefully.