The end of the fall season and the start of winter time usually means fun family holidays, seasonal events, and a general good festive time! But if you and your families aren’t careful you could end up dealing with uncomfortable cold and flu symptoms!
The common cold affects people roughly 2-3 times each year, so it’s important to learn basic preparation skills! Thankfully, the team at FirstCall Medical Center has provided an outline of seasonal cold prevention and treatment options for families! Additionally, patients can get treated for common colds ASAP at our urgent care center!
What exactly is a common cold?
The common cold is a rhinovirus that can easily pass on from one patient to the next. A rhinovirus is specifically a virus that travels through person’s respiratory system, such as the nasal passages and throat. Rhinoviruses are extremely common in the fall and winter because people indoors can sneezing or cough in close proximity to several patients. The types of symptoms to look for to identify common colds includes:
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Nasal congestion
- Runny nose
Cold symptoms typically last 3-5 days but can extend up to a week or more if the cold is significant. There is no current vaccine for a rhinovirus so that means patients will want to prevent the cold and get immediate treatment to address symptoms.
Is there a way to treat the common cold at home?
The good news for patients is that it is pretty easy to treat and manage common colds at home!
Hydration is absolutely key when it comes to preventing a cold. Try and eat high-energy and hearty foods to stay alert as well as plenty of fluids. Make sure you also get plenty of rest and stay home when you’re sick in order to ensure recovery is a success!
Common cold prevention is also fairly simple if you take some time to practice basic skills. Try using over the counter medications designed to target congestion, runny nose, cough, and sore muscles. Keeping the air around you moist with a humidifier will also help keep your cough and congestion at bay. Hygiene is also an important factor in ensuring that cold and flu germs.
Can I Get Treatment at an Urgent Care?
Yes, you can get treatment at an urgent care! There is no cure for the common cold, but an urgent care can help to manage your symptoms if home remedies aren’t cutting it. The common cold can cause other issues such as sinus infections or ear infections too, which will need prescription antibiotics from an urgent care health provider. Try to treat your symptoms at home and let the cold run its course first. If symptoms continue to get worse or don’t show any signs of improvement, it’s time to visit the urgent care.
Our urgent care facility is staffed with cold treatment experts who are ready to make you feel better however we can! Walk-in any time to receive quick and affordable treatment by an experienced physician. We also offer seasonal flu shots for free with most major insurance companies. Even if you don’t have a cold, come in and get vaccinated before you end up with something even worse!