Cold Defence

It’s the middle of summer and you’re sniffing and sneezing and, frankly, feeling a bit gross.

But what’s going on here? Have you picked up an uncomfortable Summer cold, or are you suffering from hay fever?

There are a couple of ways to figure out what’s giving you the sneezes and the coughs, so let’s take a look at each condition and how you can tell them apart.

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The cold and flu are viral infections, so antibiotics won’t work.

You should make sure your child is drinking plenty of fluids, as fever can cause dehydration, in addition to rest.

If you need to clear your child’s stuffed nose, introduce a humidifier or use a decongestant oil like Olbas, dabbed on their pillow or clothing.

You may want to administer a painkiller suitable for children such as Calpol or Nurofen, but make sure to speak to a doctor or pharmacist first to ensure it will be safe and effective for your child’s cold.

When you’ve got a cold, all you’ll want is to get better as soon as possible so you can get back to normal.

If you want to get better quickly, you’ll need to get plenty of rest and sleep, keep yourself warm and drink plenty of water.

Thankfully, there are also lots of effective treatments available that can ease your symptoms in the meantime.

These include paracetamol, ibuprofen, nasal decongestants, vapour rubs and cough medicines if necessary.

Always check the label of your cough or cold remedy to make sure you don’t take too much, especially if you’ve been taking any other medicines.

The symptoms for cold and flu are similar, so it can be hard to tell the difference.

But the best way to tell the difference is how well you’re able to go about your day.

If you have a cold, you won’t feel great, but you can probably go into work and go to the shops - if you have the flu, you will most likely be bedridden until the worst of it passes.

Cold symptoms appear gradually, whereas the flu is sudden.