Providers from Southtown Family Practice answer your frequently asked health questions.
What is the difference between the flu and a common cold?
Janet Smith, CNP discusses the difference between the flu and a common cold. Click play to watch the video or read the transcript.
What is the difference between the flu and a common cold?
The difference between a flu and a cold can be difficult to determine, because they do have very similar symptoms. They're both a virus. The cold generally comes on a little bit more slowly. It's not quite as serious, runny nose, cough, a little fatigue, whereas the flu virus comes on much more quickly. You can also have fevers, more productive cough, more general body aches, fatigue, that kind of thing. Both can come with a lot of symptoms, but the flu virus can be far more problematic for people, cause other more serious health conditions. That's the fever and more severe symptoms.
What is the difference between a viral and bacterial infection?
Janet Smith, CNP explains the difference between a viral and bacterial infection. Click play to watch the video or read the transcript.
What is the difference between a viral and bacterial infection?
A virus is a tiny capsule that has genetic material in it. It actually invades bodies' cells and then makes the bodies' cells create more virus. It's actually protected, because it is inside one of our own cells. That's why antibiotics don't work for that. What you can do with a bacterial infection is actually a full size cell, and so that's why we can treat those with antibiotics. Bacterial infections can be very serious. E. coli, staph, strep, all of those are examples of bacteria. Where viruses can cause things like colds, flus, warts, other things like that, but treatment is much more difficult.
How long are individuals contagious with a cold or flu?
Janet Smith, CNP discusses cold and flu concerns. Click play to watch the video or read the transcript.
How long are individuals contagious with a cold or flu?
Being contagious with cold and flu is almost the same. For a flu virus for adults, usually we are contagious a day before symptoms show up. Then we continue to be contagious for about a week, seven days. For children though, they can be contagious up to four days prior to symptoms showing up. That's why it seems to spread with them so quickly, but then they also continue for about seven days. With the cold virus though, most of the time, children and adults are contagious for about a day ahead. Then they continue to be contagious ... two to three days, is the maximum spreading time for that, where most infections do occur. After seven days though, you're no longer contagious.
What is the best treatment for a common cold?
Janet Smith, CNP explains the best treatment for a common cold. Click play to watch the video or read the transcript.
What is the best treatment for a common cold?
The best treatment for a common cold, lots of rest, fluids, warm drinks, hot tea, hot soups and things. The chicken noodle soup does have a little science behind it. You can use some saline sprays, Neti Pots, and vaporizing mists for nasal congestion, cough drops for sore throats. Gargling with salt water's actually very effective on a sore throat. Over the counter medications, you can use Tylenol, ibuprofen, for fevers, body aches. The over the counter cold medications can be very helpful. They do not limit how long that cold goes on, but they can help with the symptoms during that cold recovery process so that you're able to function.
When should I get a flu shot?
Janet Smith, CNP discusses the best time to get a flu shot. Click play to watch the video or read the transcript.
When should I get a flu shot?
Flu shots you want to get as early as possible in the year. Usually they're available August to September. You need to check, every year's a little bit different, but you want to get those, because it takes about two weeks for your body to develop the antibodies to the flu virus. The earlier you can get it, allow your body the chance to develop those, the better off you are, the more protected you are.