What to do with the initial symptoms of a cold. How to act at the first cold symptoms. When you can't do without a doctor

Text: Olga Kim

Well, which of us, as a child, did not have a mother complain at the first signs of a cold: “I told you, dress warmly!” Yes, it’s good when you’re a child, you’ll be taken care of. There is no need to go to school – it’s a holiday. Well, when do you grow up? Here, all responsibility for your health is already yours! And you can’t just shelve work...

What are the dangers of an advanced cold?

At the first sign of a cold It's worth being wary. After all, a cold is just a seemingly trivial illness. An advanced cold can lead to all sorts of complications, such as pneumonia, bronchitis and otitis media. The symptoms of the disease are known to everyone: aching joints, runny nose, sore throat, cough. Colds are caused by various viruses, which in turn change regularly, so a vaccine for colds has not yet been invented, alas. What to do at the first sign of a cold? There are a lot of drugs to combat the disease, but almost all of them are based on antipyretic substances and vitamin C. But they are called more effective folk remedies, not chemistry.

Please note that colds do not go away quickly. The main task is to help your immune system cope with the disease. Therefore, at the first signs of a cold, it is necessary to act without delay in order to prevent the disease from flaring up in full force.

At the first sign of a cold, treatment must be started immediately!

At the first signs of a cold, take a hot shower as soon as possible, warming up the most affected organs: nose, throat, chest. If the temperature is low and there are no contraindications from doctors, take hot bath for 15 minutes, then you need to wipe yourself dry and run to bed, wrap yourself up and drink a hot drink in order to sweat well, with sweat any infection leaves the body. The best diaphoretics are tea with raspberries or honey and lemon.

If you can't take a hot bath or shower, stick it on your feet pepper patch or make a compress called “hot socks”. To do this, soak woolen socks in hot salty water (1 tablespoon of salt per glass of water), squeeze them dry, put them on your bare feet, then wrap them in plastic bags and put on dry woolen socks on top and go to bed. The next morning you will feel noticeably better.

It is better to exclude fatty and high-calorie foods from your diet; your body will need strength to fight a cold. You need food that is easily digested and contains vitamins: fruits, vegetables, boiled and fish stew, juices. Chicken broth is also useful; its anti-inflammatory properties have been scientifically proven; consuming it makes breathing through the nose easier and soothes a sore throat.

At the first sign of a cold, it is important to drink plenty of warm fluids. The best options are tea with raspberries or lemon, various fruit drinks, as well as chamomile infusion; it has an antiseptic effect. Colds must be washed out of the body.

If no remedies help, the cold still develops and does not go away, perhaps it is the flu and in this case it is better to consult a doctor for diagnosis accurate diagnosis.

If you do these simple rules at the first signs of a cold, you will not start the disease and very soon you will again enjoy life with a renewed immune system that will protect you for a long time.

Based on materials from the newspaper “Vestnik “ZOZH””

What to do at the first signs of a cold, how to stop the disease? From a conversation with a doctor.

To stop the disease as soon as you feel the first signs of a cold:
1. Start taking it right away tea from linden flowers or from dried fruits and/or raspberry leaves. 1 tbsp. l. per glass of boiling water. Drink a glass of tea 4-5 times a day.
2. Get started right away rinse mouth and throat with infusion of calendula, chamomile, St. John's wort, eucalyptus, sage, eucalyptus flowers. Plants can be used individually or together.
3. Very effective cold inhalations with garlic, horseradish, onions - chop the plants, put them in a jar, close the lid tightly, inhale 5-6 times through the nose and mouth, holding the exhalation, do the procedure every 30-60 minutes.
4. Hot inhalations. Inhalations with essential oils: add 2-3 drops to 100 ml of boiling water tea tree or eucalyptus. Steam inhalations made with potatoes, a decoction of pine buds, and an infusion of plants from point 1.
5. Local procedures : hot foot baths with mustard or mustard plasters on the feet - do at night, then sleep in warm socks.
6. Propolis– chew a piece of propolis at night until a burning sensation and slight numbness appear in your mouth.
7. Lemon. Chew lemon with zest, drink tea with lemon, gargle with it.
(HLS 2014, No. 15 p. 22-23).

The first symptoms of a cold - use ginger tea.
The initial stage of colds is this stage of cold chills. There is no runny nose, cough, or fever yet, but the person feels unwell and chills. It’s too early to drink diaphoretic teas with raspberries and honey, but tea with ginger (powder or fresh root) will be just right here. Tea with red pepper will also help. You can also add aconite tincture to tea, but no more than 3 drops, and no more than three glasses of this tea with aconite per day, because it is poisonous.
These remedies accelerate the blood well, and it is often possible to stop a cold in its tracks. early stages and prevent further development diseases.

If the temperature has already risen, then proven remedies are suitable: raspberry, eucalyptus, chamomile, linden. Very effective against influenza virus Fresh Juice Antonov apples, viburnum berries in all types. (HLS 2006, No. 21 p. 12).

If you are very cold and are afraid of getting sick.
At severe hypothermia This remedy will help: add 1-2 teaspoons of honey, 2 tbsp. l. vodka and 0.5 aspirin tablets. During this healing tea party, we warm our feet in hot water with the addition of salt, soda and mustard powder. After that, go to bed to warm up. (HLS 2007, No. 23 p. 32).

Honey with vodka
As soon as you feel the first signs of a cold: sore throat, nasal congestion, prepare the following mixture at night: stir 50 g of alcohol or vodka with 1 tsp. honey, add hot boiled water to 100 ml and drink. Go to bed, well covered, to sweat. In the morning you will wake up without any traces of illness. (HLS 2003, No. 14 p. 11).

As soon as you feel the first symptoms of a cold, you need to grate 2-3 cloves of garlic, Apply the mixture to a piece of gauze or cotton pad and place it on the bottom of the teapot. Close the kettle with a lid, inhale garlic vapor through your mouth through the spout, and exhale through your nose. (HLS 2014, No. 4 p. 40).

An even more effective folk remedy for an incipient cold: Peel the head of garlic, cut each clove, and place in a bowl. Sit on the bed, cover yourself with a sheet, crush garlic and breathe at the same time. Children 5-7 minutes, adults 7-10 minutes. After this, pour into crushed garlic boiled water room temperature, stir, strain. Rinse your mouth with this water 2-3 times and your throat at least once. Even if the patient had a temperature of 40 degrees, after garlic inhalation it immediately drops. 3-4 such inhalations, and the person is completely healthy. (HLS 2010, No. 13 p. 27).

You can cover your head grate garlic or onion, breathe healing air for 20-30 minutes. Relief comes after the first session. (HLS 2005, No. 21, p. 24)

Chew the onion quickly and do deep breath mouth so that air passes through the onion mass. (2003, no. 22, p. 25)

As soon as the cold started, the woman takes a handful of onion peels, puts them in a dry frying pan and heats them over low heat. When smoke begins to come from the husk, one breathes over it through the nose and mouth alternately - the disease passes without even starting. (HLS 2014, No. 6 p. 38, 2000, No. 9, p. 18-19).

The man does garlic tincture: Finely chop the garlic, pour vodka in a small bottle. At the first sign of a cold, he inhales alternately from one nostril to the other. (2012, No. 22 p. 38-39).

As soon as your nose itches, need to take garlic stick from the middle of the head and set it on fire and extinguish it, smoke will come out. Inhale this smoke for 2-3 minutes. This smoke kills all harmful microbes that accumulate in the nasopharynx. (HLS 2012, No. 23 p. 30).

Tar vapors.
Tar vapors act similarly. Tar can be bought at a pharmacy; it kills all kinds of germs.
The woman caught a cold and felt a sore throat. On my son's advice, I took 1 tsp. honey, dropped a drop of tar into it, put it under the tongue and sucked it off before going to bed. I also breathed over several times during the evening. cotton swab, soaked in tar (kept it in a disposable container). In the morning I woke up completely healthy - I managed to stop the cold in the early stages. (HLS 2014, No. 9 p. 33).

Echinacea tincture
What to do if you have the first signs of a cold - an itchy nose, a sore throat? Immediately begin emergency home measures:
Every 2 hours take:
1) 30-50 drops of echinacea extract.
2) 500 mg of vitamin C
3) 1 garlic tablet or fresh garlic.

Eat chicken broth 3-4 times a day, it helps remove toxins from the body that are formed after the death of viruses under the influence of the immune system. All these measures help not to get sick. (2000, no. 18 p. 7).

Sunflower oil.
A woman by virtue of her chronic diseases lives permanently with open windows(there is not enough oxygen in the blood), there is a draft in the apartment, I often caught colds until I found my remedy. And now he has been living without illness for 6 years. This is sunflower oil, it has a good warming effect. As soon as it gets stuck in your throat, take a tablespoon, heat it over the fire of a gas burner and pour sunflower oil into it. Drink this oil from a spoon in small sips, 4-5 sips. If the soreness continues, drink another spoon, but usually the first spoon is enough. The main thing is to start treatment immediately.
Once this woman was very cold at the bus stop, her throat became sore, and she started coughing. I came home and drank 1 spoon of oil. Then I drank 1 mug of hot tea, and again 1 tbsp. l. oils After 20 minutes I had dinner, eating 2 cloves of garlic at dinner, then warmed my hands on the radiator. In the morning I woke up healthy. (HLS 2000, No. 18 p. 13.

Hunting tool
As soon as you feel unwell, you need to pour 1 tbsp into an iron mug or cup. l. granulated sugar, put on the fire or stove, heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar turns into brown caramel. Remove from heat, add to burnt sugar 100 g of vodka, stir until all the sugar has dissolved. The vodka should remain hot enough, but not scalding. This remedy should be drunk in one gulp, in 2-3 sips (the 4th sip will be almost impossible to drink, because the taste is quite disgusting). After this, immediately go to bed and try to fall asleep immediately. In the morning you will wake up wet from sweat, but healthy

Clove tincture.
If the first signs of a cold appear: headache, sore throat, weakness, pain in the eyes, the woman drinks 1 tsp. tincture of cloves, lubricates the calves and soles of the feet with iodine, and lubricates the skin between the fingers and toes with “Star” balm, and puts woolen socks on the feet. In the morning he gets up healthy. The main thing is to catch the disease at the very beginning and begin to treat it.
How to prepare clove tincture.
This tincture should always be on hand. Take 10 packs of cloves, pour into a dark bottle, pour vodka 3-5 cm above the level of the cloves. Leave for at least 5 days, preferably at least 21 days. Do not strain. This portion will last the reader’s family and friends for a long time. When the tincture is half finished, add vodka to the previous level. (HLS 2014, No. 5 p. 31).

What to do at the first sign of a sore throat.
As soon as you feel a sore throat and a sore throat, you need to apply a compress with lard and mustard to your throat. Cut a thin piece of lard (preferably not salted; if it is salty, wash off the salt), but a sufficiently large area (or take several pieces). Rub this piece on your throat so that there is no burn. Place mustard on the lard (take dry mustard powder and dilute in water until sour cream thickens). Apply this sandwich with mustard to the skin on the throat and tonsils, cover with plastic and secure with a scarf. Keep the compress for 15-20 minutes, do this 3 times during the day, after each compress drink hot milk with honey and butter. (HLS 2014, No. 6 p. 39).

As soon as the illness associated with a cold begins, the woman takes 5-6 figs and simmer over low heat in a glass of milk for about 30 minutes, until the milk becomes Pink colour. Drinking before bed is a very effective remedy. (HLS 2013, No. 11 p. 33).

Raspberry tincture.
At the first sign of a cold, the woman takes her medicine out of the refrigerator. Adds 1 tbsp. l. of this medicine in a glass of tea + 1 tsp. honey And in the morning I’m already healthy!
The medicine does this: pour 1 liter of raspberries with 0.5 liter of vodka. Store in the refrigerator. (HLS 2012, No. 19 p. 33).

Vitamin drink
A newspaper reader, as soon as she feels the first signs of a cold, makes a drink. Add 1 tbsp to 1.5 liters of boiled water. l. (without a slide) coarse salt, 1 g ascorbic acid, juice of 1 lemon. He stirs everything and drinks it within an hour and a half before bed. In the morning she wakes up healthy and cheerful. (HLS 2012, No. 20 p. 39).

At the first symptoms of a cold, you should eat whole lemon with peel. You can eat it with sugar or honey. (HLS 2008, No. 11 p. 33).
Lemon will help in another form. You need to squeeze the juice from a whole lemon. Add this juice to hot tea, also add 1-2 tsp to the tea. honey This folk remedy will help stop a cold if you take it immediately at the first signs of illness, you need to do it on time (2004, No. 21 p. 9).

Lemon acid.
Dr. Naumov D.V. believes that, on the contrary, lemon should not be taken if you have a cold. Lemon juice has an alkaline reaction, and when you have a cold, the body needs to be acidified. For 1 liter of water you need to add 1/3 tsp. citric acid and 3-4 tbsp. l. raspberry or currant jam. This drink is drunk 1-2 liters per day, 5-7 days. In addition, I take ascorutin (a mixture of vitamins C and P) 2 tablets 3 times a day – 5 days. And moisturize the whole body with 3% vinegar. If there is no temperature, then the vinegar is heated to 40 degrees so that it is absorbed into the skin faster. When the patient has a fever, wipe the patient with cold vinegar. If there is not enough acid in the body, then immunity decreases, and rubbing with vinegar will help restore acidity and immunity. (2004, No. 23 p. 6-7).

Inhalation with Vietnamese balm"Star"
A recipe for treating colds in the initial stages, before the temperature rises above 37.2 degrees.
Boil 1 liter of water in an enamel bowl, throw in 1 tbsp. l. dry mint, 1 tbsp. l. salt, 1 tsp. soda and a pea-sized piece of Zvezdochka balm. Breathe over the steam, covering your head with a blanket for 15 minutes. Keep your eyes closed. Do the procedures immediately before bedtime. (2008, No. 16 p. 33).

At the first signs of a cold, it will be useful to take a salty hot bath (0.5 kg of salt per bath, better than sea), temperature – 37-39 degrees, duration approximately 20 minutes. After the bath, pat your skin with a towel and immediately go to bed, covering yourself warmly. (2014, no. 3 p. 31).

In the cold season, most often people are faced with such a common diagnosis as ARVI, which affects neither children nor adults. Viruses that cause the disease enter the body at a time when the immune system is weakened, and this condition may be preceded by hypothermia. In this regard, everyone should know how to treat an incipient cold. This article will outline effective ways to quickly overcome an unwanted disease.

Cold

A cold is acute illness affecting the upper respiratory tract various kinds infections. The nature of the disease depends on which virus infects the person. In fact, there are many infections, and healthy body able to cope with them independently. Unfortunately, such protection does not always exist, and for some reasons, weakened immunity opens the door to disease-causing pathogens. In the article we will talk about how to cure an incipient cold, because the infection must be suppressed initial stage its development. IN otherwise progressive disease will lead to serious complications.

Typical cold symptoms are:

nasal congestion or runny nose with copious discharge, sneezing;
chills and painful sensations in joints and muscles;
sore throat, cough and hoarse voice;
headache;
general malaise;
temperature increase;
dryness and swelling of the mucous membranes of the larynx and nasopharynx;
tearfulness of the eyes.

Respiratory diseases are characterized by disturbances in the airways, and often begin with pharyngitis or laryngitis.

Causes

There are three main reasons that provoke colds: weak immunity, hypothermia and close contact with a sick person.

If we talk about the latter, then such communication is not limited to just being in the same room with the patient. In places with large crowds of people, especially during epidemics, there is a chance of contracting an infection transmitted by airborne droplets. All kinds of common objects, such as door handles in educational and other institutions, as well as in public transport, can serve as sources of viruses.

Hypothermia is caused by spending a long time in the cold, getting wet feet, and drinking cold drinks. Also, careless ventilation of rooms and drafts are common cause colds.

To the violation protective functions the body is caused by a number of the following factors: stress, allergic reactions, exacerbation of diseases of the stomach and intestines, poor diet and vitamin deficiency.

Before treating an incipient cold, you should take into account the above reasons for its occurrence and identify the type of viral infection. It’s good if a specialist does this, especially if it concerns a child.

When and how can you start treatment on your own?

It is important to determine the nature of the infection during colds. You need to learn to distinguish the line between common cold and the flu. Their symptoms vary. Treatment of an incipient cold can be carried out independently, provided that influenza has been ruled out.

The spontaneous occurrence of the disease and its too rapid development should alert the patient. Flu is also characterized by a sharp increase in temperature (40 degrees) and excessive weakness. Lethargy and aching joints are felt much more strongly than with a cold. Sometimes this condition is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Unlike ARVI, the flu may not cause symptoms such as runny nose, cough and sore throat. Distinctive feature This disease is marked redness of the eyes, up to the visibility small vessels. With such symptoms, it is better to consult a doctor and not self-medicate.

A visit to the hospital is sometimes required for colds accompanied by suspicious symptoms. These include:

sinus pain;
dyspnea;
persistent temperature;
increased skin pallor;
pain and wheezing in the chest;
slime of various nature from the throat or nose;
persistent headaches;
pain in the eyes;
abdominal discomfort.

With absence dangerous symptoms You can think about how to cure an incipient cold in the first days of its manifestation. This includes not only reception medicines, but also the lifestyle that the patient will lead at this time.

What do you need to know?

An illiterate approach to treatment can aggravate the situation and lead to the opposite result. It is important to consider that the first symptoms of colds indicate that the body is fighting the virus. Under no circumstances should they be eliminated using potent medications. On the contrary, you need to help the body cope with the infection faster.

You can’t bring down a moderate temperature, as it is also an indicator of the body’s protective functions. If it rises above 38 degrees, then this is already a cause for alarm.

Application vasoconstrictor drops A runny nose delays the healing process. They hinder normal excretion mucus and toxins, which ultimately leads to complications.

Emergency measures

If a person has a cold or at the most decisive moment of his life, what should he do to get rid of it instantly? Following a few basic rules and just one day of patience and time spent on treatment will help you quickly forget about the disease:

Due to the fact that some people endure the first days of the illness on their feet, it drags on for more a long period. But as soon as you rest properly, the symptoms of the disease disappear. This does not mean that you need to lie down around the clock. Undoubtedly bed rest need to alternate with movement around the room. But you need to get enough sleep as your body requires. Healthy sleep is an important component when dealing with a cold.
Warm. If the disease is a consequence of hypothermia, then it is especially important to warm up well. The room should have a moderate temperature, but at the same time it should be ventilated periodically. You need to lie under a warm blanket and keep your feet warm. If there is no fever, then taking a warm bath before bed is allowed. Additional warming treatments with dry mustard may also help. You can soak your feet in it, and then pour a little into your socks and go to bed.
Drink. During a cold, you need to take care of the presence of a large amount of interferon, produced with a sufficient supply of vitamin C. This protein does not allow infection to develop in the body's cells and protects them. Eat big choice drinks rich in this vitamin. Personal taste will tell you how to treat a developing cold at home. This includes tea with lemon and rosehip infusion. For such purposes, it is good to prepare raspberries and black currants with sugar in fresh. Stir in warm water and consume every 2 hours. After drinking this, you need to wrap yourself up and sweat.

Treatment

Bed rest in itself does not save you from illness. It must be accompanied by effective treatment methods, and even more so if a cold has already begun. and throat using effective, proven methods? Below are three such treatment methods:

Nasal rinsing. A very effective procedure that prevents the development of microbes. It needs to be done several times during the day, the more often the better. To rinse the nose, prepare special solutions from herbs and lightly salted water. This can also be done using soap solutions (even with laundry soap).
Gargling. To stop the tickling and inflammatory process in the upper respiratory tract and to prevent bronchitis, you need to gargle with furatsilin. If you don’t have this remedy in your home medicine cabinet, you can prepare an infusion of chamomile. A solution of iodine and salt can easily solve such problems. It is very easy to prepare: 200 ml warm water take 1 tsp. salt and 3 drops of iodine. To achieve the expected result, rinsing should be regular and frequent (at intervals of 30 minutes).
Inhalations. Treatment is carried out using a special inhaler. It is filled with infusions of medicinal herbs such as sage, eucalyptus, oak bark or chamomile. Pharmaceutical market offers wide choose essential oils, which are especially effective when inhaled. For such a procedure to have the desired effect, you need to not just breathe the steam, but pass it through the respiratory tract. Therefore, it is taken in through the nose and released through the mouth. You cannot breathe hot steam. Inhalations are carried out 4 times a day. Proper execution this therapeutic method helps thin mucus and relieves inflammation.

If you're not a fan traditional methods and you have a cold, how to treat it? Tablets, chosen correctly, can also help quickly cope with the disease.

Use of drugs

For the prevention and treatment of acute respiratory viral infections, doctors recommend taking winter period vitamin C purchased at a pharmacy. And at the first symptoms of the disease, within three days, the dose is increased to 700-800 ml and taken throughout the day, every hour. There have been cases where taking vitamin C according to this regimen helps to cope with the virus in three days.

How to treat an incipient cold in an adult is a matter of personal choice. Such drugs as Arbidol, Coldrex, Tamiflu and Inosine help to quickly cope with the infection. When using these medications, it is important to remember that you should not get carried away with them. Large doses of paracetamol contained in these drugs, with constant use may become toxic to the body. They negatively affect the liver and kidneys and cause allergies.

At the first symptoms of ARVI and influenza, you need to start antiviral therapy. For example, the innovative antiviral drug Ingavirin, which has a wide spectrum of action without being an interferon inducer. Timely use of the drug in the first two days of the disease can alleviate unpleasant symptoms and reduce viral load on the body. This allows you to reduce intoxication and reduce the risk of complications.

We must not forget about means that strengthen the immune system. Along with medications, you can take echinacea drops or other restorative medications.

When choosing medications and deciding how to treat an incipient cold in an adult, it is better to consult a specialist. Only after this can you top up home first aid kit suitable drug in case of illness.

A child has a cold

In children, it is easy to identify a viral infection. Besides common symptoms Babies tend to be capricious. Lethargy and increased drowsiness serve as a signal of disease. Caring parents in such situations are puzzled by how to treat an incipient cold in a child.

If the baby has a high temperature, he needs to be wiped with a napkin soaked in a vinegar solution. The damp cloth is first applied to the chest and back, and then to other parts of the body.
While there is no temperature, you need to have time to steam the baby’s legs with mustard powder. After the procedure, the child must be wrapped and put to bed.
Castor oil is an effective remedy. It is preheated over steam and rubbed over the chest.
A drink made from warm milk with the addition of butter and honey.
Drinks include juices, cranberry juice, herbal teas. During this period, the child should drink as much fluid as possible.
Inhalations are carried out with a soda solution or infusions of sage and calendula.
The loss of fluid in the baby’s body is compensated with the help of cabbage brine. It needs to be diluted a little with water. Such healthy drink rich in minerals and essential vitamins.
To reduce high fever, children are given Nurofen, Panadol, Ibuprofen and Paracetamol. For nasal congestion, Farmazolin and Nazivin are used. Drops should not be used for more than three days to prevent the occurrence of rhinitis. Only the attending physician should prescribe medications.
To eliminate dry cough, syrups with plant extracts are prescribed, for example “Prospan” and “Gerbion”. When sputum is discharged, Lazolvan, Mucoltin and ACC are prescribed.

Treatment during pregnancy

The first trimester of pregnancy poses the greatest danger for both the expectant mother and the embryo. It is during this period of time that the basic systems of the future baby’s body are formed. Therefore, how to treat an incipient cold in pregnant women is a rather serious question. A double threat hangs over the fetus - a virus that has entered the woman’s body and the consequences of taking medications.

Complications remaining after an infection are not as dangerous as the consequences after taking antibiotics, alcohol tinctures, immunomodulators and antipyretics. Considering these facts, many experts when treating pregnant women recommend focusing on homeopathic remedies And folk ways treatment. But they must also be prescribed by a doctor.

Expectant mothers need to be careful about hypothermia and, at the first signs of a viral infection, take the measures provided in our article. Of the methods listed above, only thermal procedures are contraindicated for pregnant women - you should not steam your feet or take hot baths. However, in order to warm up, you can hold your hands in warm water.

A balanced diet, which includes a sufficient amount of vitamins, will help a woman’s body fight illness.

How to treat an incipient cold during pregnancy for those who decide to stick to traditional methods? Basically, the treatment of the expectant mother can be carried out in the same way as the treatment of the child (which is described above).

Inhalations from potato peels and soda solutions, as well as from rosehip or hyssop. Aromatherapy is the safest and effective method for a woman and her fetus, if there is no allergy to any of the components used.

Another effective way- inhale the aroma of the grated onion for 10 minutes. The same procedure can be carried out using garlic.

Conclusion

Timely and sequential treatment protects from many negative consequences. Therefore, by applying the advice and treatment methods offered in the article at the right time, and even more so if the cold is just beginning, you will save yourself from complications and unnecessary trips to the hospital.

A common cold is a viral disease of the upper respiratory tract that occurs in mild form. The most common of them are acute respiratory disease (ARI) and acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI). These diseases are easily recognized and can be treated at home.

You will need

- salt
- milk
- honey
- butter and sunflower oil
- pharmacy herbal teas
- cranberry
- essential oils
- radish
- lemon

Instructions

Start treatment at the first symptoms of a cold. This could be a cough, runny nose, sore throat, general weakness. The sooner you take action, the faster disease will come to naught. However, do not rush to run to the doctor for a prescription for antibiotics; first, try proven home remedies.
Drink more warm liquids perfect option- green or Herb tea with honey. Use natural antibiotic: cranberries, make a puree from the berries, add boiling water to it, strain and take throughout the day. If you are not allergic to bee products, use honey in other healing remedies. For example, mix it with radish juice (it is released if you make a cone-shaped depression in the vegetable and leave it in a closed pan for several hours).
Dissolve a quarter teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water. Gargle with the resulting solution when you cough, and in case of a runny nose, drop a few drops into each nostril two to three times a day. After the procedure, lubricate your nostrils with Vaseline or Star balm. Alternatively, heat a few teaspoons of salt in a dry frying pan, pour into a cloth bag or handkerchief and apply to your sinuses. In the same way, you can warm your nose with a hot baked potato.
Gargle with decoctions pharmaceutical herbs. Take one tablespoon of dry sage or chamomile leaves and brew in a glass of boiling water. Cool to room temperature and use throughout the day every few hours. If you trust aromatherapy, try a massage with essential oils of plants. Mix five drops each of sage, chamomile and eucalyptus oils with four tablespoons sunflower oil. Rub the resulting mixture onto your neck and back before going to bed.
Do not ignore general medical advice for patients with colds. Avoid heavy fatty foods, prefer chicken broth, green apples, lemons, warm milk with a piece of butter. Ventilate the room often. If possible, observe bed rest, sleep in woolen socks and with a scarf around your neck.
Be sure to consult a doctor if after several days active treatment The cold is only getting worse. New emerging symptoms of the disease, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and high fever, should also be the reason for a visit to the doctor.

What to take at the first sign of a cold - medications and folk remedies. What medications are best for adults and children to take at the first sign of a cold?

The off-season period and cold season are the most dangerous for colds. It is important to notice and begin to treat the disease at the first symptoms. What medications should I take for the flu or other infection? Use the instructions below to cure a cold in one day.

How to quickly cure a cold at the first sign

The following symptoms will help you suspect a cold:

itching sensation in the nose or eyes;
dry cough;
runny nose;
lacrimation;
malaise;
chills;
sore or sore throat;
elevated temperature.

First aid for a cold is:

compliance with bed rest;
frequent ventilation of the room;
drinking large amounts of liquid;
gargling;
taking medications.

Medicines

What to take at the first sign of a cold? Medicines for this disease are classified based on different principles actions:

Fever-reducing drugs: Paracetamol, Rinza, Ibuprofen, Askofen, Nurofen, Panadol, Analgin, Aspirin, Efferalgan.
Medicines for the common cold: Naphthyzin, Tizin, Sanorin, Ximelin, Nazol, Advance, Aquamaris.
Symptomatic drugs: Coldrex, Theraflu, Fervex.
For cough: Mucoltin, Gedelix, Bromhexine.
For sore throat - aerosols: Cameton, Stopangin, Ingalipt.
Antibacterial drugs: Augmentin, Amoxiclav, Amoxicillin, Ampicillin.

Antibiotics for colds and flu

You need to start taking antibiotics only in a situation where no improvement is observed 5-6 days after the start of treatment for the first symptoms of the disease. The following bactericidal drugs are used to destroy pathogenic microorganisms:

Augmentin. This drug is a representative penicillin group. Must be taken before meals. The dose for persons over 12 years of age is 1 tablet 250 mg/125 mg three times a day. The course of treatment should not be less than 5 days. Price from 290 rub.
Amoxiclav. An antibiotic belonging to the group of penicillins with a broad spectrum of action. The dosage of the drug is 1 tablet of 250 mg + 125 mg with a break of 8 hours - for mild to moderate infection, 1 tablet of 500 mg + 125 mg - for more severe illness. Price from 250 rub.

Remedy for the common cold

A common symptom that accompanies a cold is a runny nose. Nasal congestion can be relieved with the following medications:

Rinza. The symptomatic drug is indicated for the treatment of acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections, including influenza, which is accompanied by fever and rhinorrhea. Approved for persons over 15 years of age, the dose for them is 3-4 tablets daily. You need to continue taking it for 5 days. Price from 150 rub.
Coldact. The principle of action is similar to the previous drug. To relieve cold symptoms, you need to take 1 capsule every 12 hours for a course of 5 days as an antipyretic, 3 days as an analgesic. Price from 150 rub.
Naphthyzin. Vasoconstrictor drops, used to relieve nasal congestion during colds. Allowed even for children from 1 year. Use as soon as you feel nasal congestion, but with caution, because the drug can be addictive. Price from 40 rub.

Tablets

What should you take at the first sign of a cold? Tablets are indicated for acute illness with fever or headaches and fever. Among these drugs, it is recommended to use aspirin, paracetamol and analgin. Often these medications are used together as a triad to relieve pain, reduce fever, and relieve cold symptoms. Separately, they are taken as follows:

Aspirin. From the age of 15 years one-time appointment is 0.5-1 g with intervals of 4 hours, the daily dose is 3 g, i.e. 6 tablets. As an antipyretic for colds, it should not be taken for more than 3 days, and for pain relief - for more than 7.
Analgin. For adults, the dose is 250-500 mg up to 3 times daily, for children 8-14 years old - 250-300 mg, 6-7 years old - 200 mg, 4-5 years old - 100-200 mg, 2-3 years old - 50-50 mg. 100 mg.
Paracetamol. The release form is not only tablets. Syrup is often used to treat babies and even infants, the dose of which is prescribed at 10 mg per 1 kg of body weight. For adults, 500 mg is indicated up to 4 times daily at a 4-hour interval, but the duration of administration should not exceed 3 days.

Anti-cold powders

Here's what else to take at the first sign of a cold:

Theraflu. A single dose is 1 sachet, dissolved in hot water, taken in the amount of 1 glass. Adding sugar is allowed. The break between doses is 4 hours, but no more than 3 per day, it is better to drink the last one in the evening before bed. Price from 180 rub.
Nimesil. An effective remedy for colds, reducing fever and pain. Powder from the bag needs to be poured warm water, then drink. Can be used up to 2 times per day. Price from 30 rub. per bag.
Fervex. The dosage regimen is comparable to the previous drug, only 2-3 sachets can be used per day. The course of treatment lasts no more than 3-5 days. Price from 370 rub.

Folk remedies

Among effective methods Traditional medicine for colds includes the following:

Honey with cognac. Dissolve 1 tbsp in a mug of hot tea. l. both ingredients. Drink small sips before bed, wrap yourself in a blanket.
Salt rinse. To eliminate sore throat, prepare a saline solution at the rate of 1 tsp. salt per glass of warm water. You can also add a couple of drops of iodine with a spoonful of soda. Rinse at the first sign up to 6 times daily.
Melted butter. At night, place a couple of drops of warm oil in each nostril. Complete the effect by rubbing your feet with apple cider vinegar and then putting on wool socks.

What to drink when you have a cold

Hot drinks for colds have a warming, analgesic effect, and they also cleanse the throat mucosa. You can use the following means:

Milk with honey. Do not add honey to hot milk, otherwise it will lose its beneficial features. Drink throughout the day if you feel a sore throat.
Milk with onions. Simmer for about an hour over low heat 2 chopped onions, poured in 2 tbsp. milk. Use 1 tbsp. l. strained solution.
Tea with honey, ginger, raspberries, oregano or lemon balm, mint, calendula, currants, elderberry and others medicinal herbs or their fees.

Features of treating colds at home

When treating a cold at home, be sure to monitor your condition: if it does not improve, then you should immediately go to the doctor. Adults with good immunity They will be able to transmit the virus on their own with the help of medications or traditional methods, but for some it is more difficult to cope with a cold, for example, children, expectant or nursing mothers.

In children

Children are more susceptible viral diseases, at the same time, they endure them more heavily, especially infants who cannot talk about their well-being. Just don’t panic, because even doctors advise not to lower the temperature if it has not reached 38.3 degrees. The main thing is to provide the baby drinking plenty of fluids, and for newborns - breast milk. Antibiotics for colds in children are used in the most extreme cases: injections are indicated for infants, and tablets for older children, such as Avelox, Augmentin, Ampicillin or Macropen.

During pregnancy

It is especially important to monitor the condition to the expectant mother, because the child’s health depends on it. In this case, tablets are used very rarely, because this threatens complications for the baby. In addition, you cannot use other usual methods of getting rid of colds: thermal procedures, taking large amounts of vitamin C and alcohol-containing preparations. To reduce fever, you should use only paracetamol and medications containing it. It is recommended to provide plenty of fluids, bed rest, dietary food and tea with lemon or raspberry.

Nursing mother

During lactation, colds can be treated only with drugs that are compatible with breastfeeding. The main thing is to strictly follow their dosage, and also take them a couple of hours before feeding, so that active substances The medicines got into the milk in very minimal quantities. The recommended drugs are Paracetamol and Ibuprofen, but they should not be taken for more than 3-5 days. Otherwise, you need to consult a doctor. Sore throat can be relieved by gargling with herbs, iodized or sea salt. You can clear your nose with honey or Kalanchoe juice.

Video: what to take for colds and ARVI

Reviews of cold remedies

Natalya, 32 years old

She caught a cold herself and infected her child. At first there was only a slight chill, then severe sneezing and coughing appeared. Started treatment folk recipes: ginger and honey with lemon were added to tea and the feet were warmed up. Then we bought an antiviral drug called Kagocel at the pharmacy. They recovered after 4 days, only a slight cough remained.

Tatyana, 39 years old

The best way to prevent a cold is to prevent it, so at the first feeling I eat citric acid on the tip of a knife, take a hot bath and drink a lot of tea and water. You can get rid of a cold in 1 day.

Svetlana, 29 years old

I can cure a runny nose in 1 day using garlic. I clean 2 heads and stick them into my nostrils, securing them with cotton wool. Then I wash it several times a day. saline solution, I instill aloe juice. This emergency method I also use it to quickly cure a child’s runny nose. I recommend this method to everyone for colds.

How long does a cold last in an adult: how many days does it take to pass?

If a person feels the first symptoms of a cold, it is necessary to understand what exactly has arisen: a cold or flu, and how long it will take for treatment.

The first signs of these diseases include:

sneezing and coughing,
temperature increase,
headache,
aching joints.

A cold has a milder course than the flu. A cold incapacitates a person for several days, and the flu, most often, goes away only after a few weeks.

Unlike a cold, the flu can lead to serious complications that can lead to prolonged hospitalization.

Main symptoms of a cold

A sore throat is the first sign of a cold; the discomfort disappears around the third day. In parallel with the discomfort in the throat, a person experiences:

nasal congestion,
cough,
rhinorrhea.

All listed symptoms go away in four to five days.

In adults, fever rarely occurs due to a cold, but it is possible low-grade fever. Children are more likely to suffer from fever due to a cold than adults.

When you have a cold, watery fluid is released from the nasal cavity for the first 1-2 days. Later, the discharge thickens and acquires a dark shade. This type of mucus is a natural phenomenon and does not mean activation bacterial infection.

Typically, a cold lasts about 7-8 days. In the first 3 days, a person is considered infectious to other people. Since there is a high probability of transmitting the virus, you should adhere to bed rest and minimize contact with others.

If symptoms do not go away more than a week Most likely, a bacterial infection has been added to the cold and you should start taking antibiotics.

Sometimes the symptoms of a cold are confused with sinusitis or allergic rhinitis - hay fever. If the symptoms quickly decrease and improvement occurs, we can say that it is not an allergy, but a common cold.

When the condition remains unchanged after a week, you should consult a doctor.

Regardless of whether a person has swine flu or regular flu, the symptoms are almost identical. The flu is more severe and its symptoms become more intense.

Key symptoms of influenza include:

pain and discomfort in the throat,
fever,
headache,
aches in joints and muscles,
nasal congestion,
cough.

Swine flu has its own additional manifestations– diarrhea and vomiting.

Most symptoms go away within 2-5 days. Typical complication influenza is a pneumonia that most often develops in older people and children.

If you have shortness of breath, it is important to tell your doctor how long it lasts. A characteristic sign of pneumonia is recurrent fever. A person experiences a repeated rise in temperature the very next day after it subsides, as well as shortness of breath. It is necessary to tell the doctor about the manifestations of the disease and how long they last.

Viruses enter the human body through the mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth and nose. You should wash your hands every time you touch these areas to prevent infection.

To determine the presence of the disease, body temperature should be measured. Often the flu occurs like a cold, accompanied by malaise, cough and nasal congestion.

With a cold, the temperature rarely goes above 38 degrees. If we're talking about about the flu, the temperature is associated with the activity of viruses, so the person feels weak and weak. The flu is also characterized by muscle aches.

With influenza there is:

sudden loss of strength,
exhaustion,
lethargy,
weakness.

The above phenomena disappear after treatment in 7-15 days.

With influenza, frequent and severe discomfort in the chest. A cold does not cause such sensations.

Complications of influenza may include:

sinusitis
inflammation of the middle ear,
bronchitis,
pneumonia.

The following drugs are used in therapy:

antihistamines,
decongestants,
anti-inflammatory
analgesics (Paracetamol, Ibuprofen),
antiviral and anti-cold drugs.

It is best to start taking medications within the first 48 hours after symptoms appear.

When to see a doctor

If a person has already started to have a cold or flu, you should tell your doctor about the following symptoms:

Persistent fever. May indicate a bacterial infection that needs treatment,
Pain when swallowing. An inflammatory process in the throat during a cold or flu causes discomfort, and when a sore throat develops painful sensations in the throat intensify significantly, which requires immediate treatment under the supervision of a doctor,
Recurrent cough. When cough symptoms do not disappear within 2 or 3 weeks, this may indicate the development of bronchitis, which requires the use of antibiotics to eliminate it.
Prolonged nasal congestion and headaches. If the outflow of fluid from the sinuses is disrupted, sinusitis begins. This disease is typical for allergies and colds.

A recurrent cough is caused by mucus draining from the nasopharynx, as well as sinusitis. Asthma also causes this type cough. Anti-inflammatory medications, steroids, and bronchodilators are used to treat asthma.

If there is pain around the face and eyes, as well as thick green or yellow discharge from the nose that does not go away for more than 7 days, then we can talk about a bacterial infection and taking antibiotics.

Sometimes urgent health care. Signs of critical illness in adults are:

Severe chest pain
dizziness,
Dyspnea,
Severe migraine
confusion,
Frequent vomiting.

Signs of a critical condition are:

Blue complexion,
Rapid or difficult breathing,
Lack of fluid
Decreased and drowsy activity,
High irritability
Improvement and sudden worsening of symptoms,
Fever and rash.

Disease Prevention

The most in a simple way flu prevention, swine flu and colds is thorough hand washing. Hands should be washed with warm water and soap for 20 seconds.

To prevent colds, you can get vaccinated. As a rule, an increase in seasonal influenza activity is recorded between December and March.

If a person gets sick with the flu, it is best to see a doctor. Suitable ones will be listed antiviral drugs, which can also be used for preventive purposes after contact with a sick person.

It is important to monitor the frequency and thoroughness of hand washing, and also avoid contact with people with respiratory diseases. To protect yourself from colds and flu, you should get vaccinated and consult your doctor about antiviral medications. The video in this article will answer basic questions about ARVI and colds.

Signs of a cold

A disease such as a cold includes acute respiratory diseases (ARI), which are caused by pathogenic bacteria and a number of viruses. Dampness, frost, rain or snow increase people's susceptibility to infections. This unpleasant state lowers immunity and weakens the body. Even in the heat, signs of illness appear in children and adults.

First signs of a cold

Harbingers of the disease are initially unnoticed symptoms if a person is immersed in some kind of work or study long time. Time filled with anxiety and stress hides the initial manifestations of the disease. You won’t immediately notice when the disease began. At the first symptoms of a cold, a person feels weakness, aching joints, muscles, and mild headaches. Symptoms appear and last for 2-7 days. Signs of seasonal illness include a runny nose, fever, sore throat, sneezing, coughing, and fatigue.

The disease must be treated, otherwise it will lead to complications. A runny nose can turn into sinusitis or sinusitis, and a stuffy throat can turn into laryngitis. Because of untimely treatment, constantly postponing until tomorrow, the lungs may become inflamed, even leading to the development of bronchitis or pneumonia. You should not delay treatment, as this will further threaten your health.

In children

As soon as your child’s cold begins to appear, you are obliged to take action and give the child medicine. For newborns and infants there are special medications so as not to disrupt their immunity, not to spoil the body chemicals With early age. Signs of an early cold in a baby:

temperature;
cloudy eyes;
pale or scarlet cheeks;
runny nose;
constant crying.

A newborn's cold should be taken seriously, but without panic. It will be better if you call professional doctor to your home and consult with him. He will advise which medications to take so as not to harm the child’s health. He will tell you how to put it on and which ones to use. additional techniques or folk remedies for full recovery baby.

In adults

Diseases in women are not as painful as in children, but they also have serious consequences. In adults, they can develop into the flu. In this case, a cold occurs without a runny nose or cough. Fever and weakness are the main signs of the flu. In this case, the woman must be treated more diligently in order to rid her body of pests and restore her health. It is not enough to drink cold powders. In case of flu or complications, it is recommended to drink medications target orientation.

Colds as a sign of pregnancy

The occurrence of a cold before the delay may indicate pregnancy. The venous “pattern” on the breasts intensifies, the areolas become darker, and some women may develop age spots. Heavy discharge saliva or bloody nose are also considered pregnancy symptoms. Increased gas formation, constipation, cramps, runny nose and slight fever allow us to consider this as the beginning of pregnancy.

Video: signs and treatment of a cold

As you already know, the manifestation of the disease requires treatment. What to take at the first sign of a cold? You will get the answer to this question in the specially prepared video below. Not every person knows what to do when the first symptoms appear, or how to cure them not only in themselves, but also in the baby. Thanks to this material, you will become the owner of valuable information and will be able to identify the disease in time.

Cold– a seasonal illness to which adults and children are periodically exposed due to hypothermia. According to statistics, the highest percentage is among children preschool age. The point of treatment is to stop the early stages of this phenomenon. Thus, the inflammatory process can be stopped and complications will not follow. What to take at the first sign of a cold at home is of interest to many. There are really many ways, but you need to know that you will have to fight the infection, because a cold is nothing more than an acute respiratory disease caused by viruses.

For the first couple of days, the disease may not manifest itself in any way, since the pathogenic flora is in the incubation stage. An adult, not knowing that he is sick, becomes an unwitting carrier of the disease, continuing to go to work, and children continue to go to kindergarten or school.

Since a cold is actually an acute respiratory viral infection, its main causes are:

Reduced immunity – this is often associated with a seasonal phenomenon such as vitamin deficiency. On the other hand, any stress or anxiety also weakens the immune system. Bad habits play an important role in this. The result is inability protective forces cope with implementation pathogenic viruses and bacteria.
An anomalous process occurs if there is chronic illnesses. This fact, in itself, weakens the body.
Often, a decrease in immunity is caused by self-medication, taking potent hormonal drugs, antibiotics. The effects of such drugs never go away without leaving a trace, and one of the side effects is a decrease in the synthesis of immune bodies.
If a person moves little, walks, spends a lot of time at home, metabolism is disrupted, blood circulation worsens, which can also lead to a decrease in the functioning of the immune system. Therefore, with any infection it is difficult for him to resist pathogens and the inflammatory process begins.

Since a cold is actually an acute respiratory viral infection, one of its main causes is reduced immunity.

Infectious organisms are, in most cases, spread by air. Viruses enter the mucous membranes of the mouth and nasopharynx, and from there deeper into the body, into respiratory organs. This is why coughing and nasal congestion often occur with a cold.

The onset of a cold– it is always weakness, lethargy, decreased muscle tone, in a word, malaise. This may cause a sore throat and symptoms of a runny nose.

Signs of the disease can be characterized as follows:

nagging pain in muscles and joints;
headache of varying severity;
, as a rule, it is subfebrile and does not exceed 37 and a half degrees;
increased lacrimation may occur;
inflames, turns red, appears;
sometimes the lymph nodes become enlarged;
The patient loses appetite and normal sleep.

When young children have a cold, their body weight decreases, they often cry, and suffer from diarrhea.

The danger of a cold lies in the complications of the disease. It is important to suppress the infection so that such serious pathologies, like , otitis media, meningitis, inflammation visual organs and even the myocardium of the heart, which is especially dangerous for children.

What to take at the first sign of a cold at home

Despite the fact that many do not attach importance to the cold and even try to endure it on their feet, this is a serious test of the body, which needs help. And the sooner you provide it, the faster you can get rid of all unpleasant symptoms and prevent serious consequences.

The main methods of treatment in the early stages of a cold are:

in compliance with bed rest at the existing temperature;
in taking medications to reduce fever (we wrote about how to reduce fever without pills);
in rinsing, inhalation of the nasopharynx;
in taking herbal infusions and decoctions;
in a certain diet;
in symptomatic treatment.

You need to know what to take at the first sign of a cold at home, but, of course, it should not be antibacterial agents at your own discretion.

Basic cold medicines that are effective and relatively safe:

Paracetamol - it reduces fever and eliminates aches;
Promethazine (Pheniramine) is prescribed to relieve swelling in allergic reactions of the body, when the mucous tissues of the mouth, larynx, and nose are affected;
medications that help the body produce interferons - Arpeflu, Immusstat;
virus suppressants – Relenza and Tamivir;
The most effective group of interferons against microbial infections includes the following medications– Interferon, Grippferon, Viferon.

Paracetamol is one of the effective drugs for colds, it reduces the temperature and eliminates aches.

From drugs based herbal ingredients inhibitory effect on pathogenic flora possess Altabor, Flavoside.

For severe nasal congestion, you can use Galazolin and Sanorin. If you have a dry cough, then it is better to use Insti, Gerbion and similar means, which are made in the form of syrups from plants such as sage, primrose, and plantain.

For influenza or herpes infection, antiviral drugs are used - Kagocel, Amiksin, Cycloferon.

Inhalations with the addition of camphor, garlic and onion juice. Decoctions can be made from herbs. Commonly used are chamomile, burdock, lemon balm, St. John's wort, and yarrow. But they can only be used as directed by a doctor.

If there is no fever, you can steam your feet in water with mustard powder and gargle with low concentration hydrogen peroxide.

A pregnant woman with a cold accompanied by high temperature, Panadol and Paracetamol are allowed. Starting from four months, Viferon and Grippferon are acceptable. The nose can be washed with Aquamaris, when severe runny nose take Sinupred orally. Sore throat and cough treated by the following means– Pinasol, Miramistin, Hexasprey, Lazolvan.

A particularly important issue is the treatment of colds during lactation. It is clear that it is necessary to fight the phenomenon, but I would not want to harm the child.

Doctors advise nursing mothers:

Be sure to observe bed rest, even if there is no fever. In order for a woman to recover faster, her body needs rest.
Mommy is advised to drink a lot so that toxins are eliminated faster. Warm, weak tea with natural honey, the addition of fresh lemon or pureed raspberries is recommended; jam from its berries is also allowed. It is important that the child does not have an intolerance to these ingredients.
If you have a cold and you are a woman, you can drink juice made from currants (black).
To maintain strength, you are allowed to drink chicken broth, but it is important that it is not saturated.

The main thing is to continue to feed the baby, as this is necessary for his immunity.

Video: What to do at the first signs of a cold?

Prevention measures for colds

Protect yourself and your children from cold symptoms possible using available methods.

Do not allow your feet to get wet and general hypothermia, for this you should not stay in cold conditions for a long time, and children should be dressed according to the weather;
during periods of seasonal viral epidemics, you should spend as little time as possible in crowded places;
it is necessary to observe the rules of cleanliness and personal hygiene;
living rooms need to be ventilated several times a day;
in autumn and spring, as well as in winter, it is important to support the body with vitamins - these are some foods and special vitamin supplements;
it is desirable that all household members have individual supplies, both for hygiene needs and for eating;
when early signs of the disease appear, you should immediately begin treatment to prevent the development of diseases;
Every day you can rinse your throat and nose with saline and aqueous solutions;
if chronic ailments occur, they should be treated, avoiding inflammatory foci that can provoke damage to the entire body;
stress should be avoided, as it directly affects the immune system;
adults need to remember that alcohol and nicotine are the first enemies of health, and if possible, it is better to give up these habits.

Whatever happens, it’s always good to have an idea of what to take at the first sign of a cold at home. This way you can quickly and effectively protect your family from unpleasant consequences. If the situation gets out of control, it is better to seek medical help.