Chances are you know someone coughing and spluttering – hopefully not directly on you – right now.<\/p>\n
There are lots of coughs and colds doing the rounds as autumn draws in.<\/p>\n
But why now, how do you know if it’s more than just a cold and how can you avoid the worst.<\/p>\n
Medical doctor Dr Oscar Duke, who is also a regular TV presenter including on the BBC’s Morning Live, shares his top tips.<\/p>\n
Research on the extent to which cold weather impacts our immune systems remains unclear.<\/p>\n
But darker days mean we typically make a beeline for warm, cosy, indoor spaces.<\/p>\n
And this environment is perfect for viruses.<\/p>\n
It’s also when young children get back together at school after the summer holidays.<\/p>\n
School and nursery can be like a petri dish with lots of viruses circulating and they may well bring these germs home with them.<\/p>\n
The same applies to freshers in university halls – where mixing together spreads germs, while heavy drinking and partying further weaken the immune system.<\/p>\n
Many of the symptoms between cold, flu and more serious viruses like Covid, overlap.<\/p>\n
But there are some clues that might help you identify the exact culprit.<\/p>\n
If a cold’s coming on, then it often does so gradually.<\/p>\n
It’s going to affect your nose and the back of your throat, while some will get a tickling at the back of the mouth.<\/p>\n
Another early warning sign can be a build-up of pressure in the ear.<\/p>\n
If the virus spreads further, it can reach your lungs and cause a pesky cough.<\/p>\n
Mostly however, these symptoms don’t stop us from carrying on as normal.<\/p>\n
The same can’t be said for flu, which typically adds aches, fevers and muscle weakness into the mix.<\/p>\n
Flu doesn’t mean you have to go to bed, but it might make you feel that way.<\/p>\n
Since the pandemic, Covid has complicated things further, with similar symptons to flu.<\/p>\n
But one key Covid-specific identifier can be a loss of smell or taste. Another, as new variants Stratus and Nimbus spike this winter, is a \u00ab\u00a0razor-sharp\u00a0\u00bb sore throat. Diarrhoea is also common.<\/p>\n
The recommendation is to stay home and rest and recover.<\/p>\n
However, if you have underlying conditions, experience breathlessness or find symptoms don’t ease after three weeks, then you shouldn’t hesitate to seek medical advice.<\/p>\n
Our bodies naturally fight viruses and infection, but we can also give it a helping hand with the right medication.<\/p>\n
It’s crucial to take the free annual flu jab if you’re offered it.<\/p>\n
Eligibility is staggered across the population to prioritise those most at risk.<\/p>\n
If you have small children who were two or three on 31 August this year, then they are entitled. Older children will be offered theirs at school.<\/p>\n
Find out more and book on the NHS website, or visit your GP.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chances are you know someone coughing and spluttering – hopefully not directly on you – right now. There are lots of coughs and colds doing the rounds as autumn draws in. But why now, how do you know if it’s more than just a cold and how can you avoid the worst. Medical doctor Dr […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-9252","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-uncategorized"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9252"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9252\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}