What to Do When You are Bitten by The Bug

Cooler weather is right around the corner and those cold and flu bugs are just waiting to attack your immune system.  This is a great time to make sure you are getting enough Vitamin C in your diet.  A tasty way to do this is to have a glass of orange juice with breakfast or a cup of strawberries for an afternoon snack.

Even though you take all of the precautiopns, bundling up and disinfecting everything in sight, you may still catch one of those nasty bugs.  Here is a list of common ailments and what you can do to get some relief. 

Fever-Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) as directed and be sure to drink enough liquids.  Fever raises body temperature causing you to sweat and lose precious fluids, resulting in dehydration.  You can also try putting a cool washcloth on your forehead.  Don’t use ice packs and don’t try to keep up with your daily routine.  Your body needs rest to heal.  Call the doctor if your temperature is over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and lasts for more than two days or if you have a headache or neck pain.

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Sinus Pain and Pressure-Use a saline nasal spray to help clear mucus and relieve pressure.  Take a decongestant that contains pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) which will help to shrink inflamed blood vessels that are causing pain.  You can also take ibuprofen (Advil) to help ease head pain.  Don’t bother with steroid nasal sprays.  Studies show they don’t perform any better than a saline spray.  Call the doctor if your symptoms have not subsided within a week or if you have a fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  These could indicate a bacterial infection that may require antibiotics.

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Cold Sores-Use petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to prevent drying and cracking.  Ask your doctor for an antiviral medication (Valtrex) if you get cold sores often.  Don’t try to dry it out with alcohol, peroxide or witch hazel and don’t pick at it.  Also, avoid kissing people or sharing drinks.  Cold sore are a form of herpes and are extremely contagious.  Call the doctor if the sore doesn’t go away after two weeks, it may be an allergic reaction.

Sore Throat-Stir a teaspoon of salt into a cup of warm water and gargle with the solution to help reduce swelling.  Repeat every 3-4 hours.  Sip on herbal tea or suck on ice pops, cough drops or a spoonful of honey.  These will help to ease the pain.  You can also try an antiseptic spray (Chloraseptic)  to numb the pain.  Don’t bother with antibiotics.  Sore throat is usually the result of a virus, antibiotics are for bacterial viruses, such as strep throat.  Call the doctor if you don’t feel better after two days or if you see white spots on the back of your throat.  These are signs of a strep infection.

Stomach Bug-Be sure to drink plenty of clear liquids such as water or herbal tea, vomiting and diarrhea can cause dehydration.  Try to stick to bland foods such as crackers, plain toast or dry cereal.  Don’t drink soda, fruit juice or coffee.  The acids in these drinks will only upset your stomach more.  Call the doctor if your symptoms don’t start to subside afer 24 hours or if you have severe stomach pain, vomiting or diarrhea.  These could indicate appendicitis or gallstones.