Cold Comfort

As Winter Takes Hold, The Pharmacy Will See A Big Increase In People Seeking Remedies For Their Seasonal Cold And Flu Infections.

As the service pharmacies can offer continues to expand, it is now common for members of the public to get their f lu or Covid-19 vaccines in the community pharmacy. This is an ideal opportunity to remind customers to encourage their friends or family, particularly those who are vulnerable, to get vaccinated against inf luenza. 

Those who are living in a nursing home or are housebound can get the vaccine where they live, and it is best to get the vaccine before f lu season starts. In Ireland, the f lu season runs from October to April each year. 

VACCINATION 

According to the HSE, the f lu vaccine is free if you are: 

• Age 60 and older. 
• Age 2 to 17. 
• A healthcare worker. 
• Pregnant. 
• Living in a nursing home or other long-term care facility. 
• In regular contact with pigs, poultry or waterfowl. 
• Someone with a health condition that puts you at higher risk of f lu (age 6 months and older). 
• Living with someone who has a health condition that puts them at higher risk of flu. 
• A carer for someone who has a health condition that puts them at higher risk of flu. 

Many cold and f lu symptoms are the same, which can make it difficult to work out which one a person is suffering from. Generally, f lu symptoms can come on more quickly, are more severe, and may sometimes lead to other health complications among the vulnerable. 

A key difference between cold and flu is the type of virus that causes each one: 

• Influenza viruses cause f lu; while 
• Viruses including rhinovirus, parainf luenza virus and seasonal coronavirus cause the common cold. 

It is not possible to vaccinate for the common cold because of the vast number of viruses that can cause it, and due to the fact that these viruses continue to mutate over time, making it difficult to target one particular virus strain. 

SYMPTOMS 

There are some characteristics that can help distinguish a cold from f lu. A cold is usually a much milder respiratory illness, with different stages, whereas f lu symptoms can be more intense and appear suddenly. 

The first signs of a cold are usually a ‘scratchy’ or painful throat, followed by a runny or blocked nose, congestion and cough, or a combination of these. Cold symptoms in adults don’t tend to include a fever, but fever can sometimes occur in children. Other signs of a cold can include sneezing, headaches and mild tiredness as your body fights the virus. 

The first symptoms of a cold normally appear gradually and improve after a week, with most adults recovering in about seven-to-10 days. 

Flu symptoms normally come on suddenly, and all together. Along with a dry cough, sore throat and runny/ stuffy nose, flu symptoms can include: Fever or feverish chills; muscle or body aches; extreme tiredness; nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea (more common in children); and loss of appetite. 

TREATMENTS 

Most people who get the f lu begin to recover within a few days, however symptoms can last for up to 14 days. If a person develops further symptoms, such as breathing difficulties, dizziness and confusion, or persistent chest pain, that may be a sign of complications and the customer should be advised to see a medical professional. 

As colds and flu are both respiratory viral infections, many of the same treatments may help ease both cold or flu symptoms. However, it is important to counsel the customer that antibiotics are not effective at treating either cold or flu. 

A KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COLD AND FLU IS THE TYPE OF VIRUS THAT CAUSES EACH ONE 

Some of the common steps a person can take to treat symptoms of both cold and f lu include: 

• Drinking plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. 
• Getting plenty of rest to alleviate tiredness. 
• Avoiding smoking — this will improve recovery and help to prevent complications. 

Alongside plenty of hydration and rest, there are a few other steps a person can take to treat a cold, including: 

• Clearing a blocked or stuffy nose with congestion relief nasal spray or decongestant tablets. 
• Staying warm. 
• Using congestion and headache relief day and night capsules to help improve sleep quality. 
• Gargling salt water to soothe a sore throat. 
• Taking painkillers to ease body and head pains. 

When it comes to f lu, drinking f luids and resting can speed-up recovery, and the customer can also take other measures, such as using over-the-counter pain relief to treat aches and pains. They can also be encouraged to try decongestants to relieve a blocked, stuffy nose. 

They should be encouraged to take any antiviral medication prescribed by a doctor, as this can shorten the duration and prevent complications. Sometimes, using a humidifier can help to ease congestion and clear a cough. 

THERAPIES 

Lemsip Max Cough & Cold (Lemon) – 5 Sachets are effective in treating the symptoms associated with colds or f lu, including chesty cough. Each sachet contains 1,000mg paracetamol and 200mg guaifenesin. Paracetamol has pain-killing (analgesic) and fever-reducing (antipyretic) properties, whilst guaifenesin is an expectorant that reduces the viscosity of hard-to-shift sputum and helps to dislodge mucus and phlegm. This product should not be taken for more than three days unless under the direction of a doctor. It is suitable for adults and children aged over 12 years and the pharmacist may wish to review this purchase before dispatch. 

The Nurofen range contains a number of products targeted at specific cold and f lu symptoms for both adults and children. One of these is Nurofen Long Lasting Ibuprofen 300mg Prolonged Release Capsules 24 Pack, which are specially designed to bring a controlled release of ibuprofen, providing lasting relief for up to 12 hours. This product is suitable for people who want to achieve pain relief throughout the day or night without having to remember to take more medications. Suitable for adults and children aged over 12 years, it is also designed for the short-term pain management of other types of pain, such as muscle ache and period pain. 

The Panadol brand is well known by customers and has earned their trust. One of the therapies in this range is Panadol Extra Tablets, which is a fast-acting and effective pain relief medication containing paracetamol. As well as the symptoms of fever and pain in colds and f lu, Panadol tablets fight against other types of pain, such as headache, muscle pain, backache, toothache and period pain. The presence of caffeine helps the effectiveness of paracetamol and this product should only be sold to customers over 18 years of age. 

Another well-known remedy with similar indications has also earned the trust of customers over the years. Solpa-Extra Soluble 500/65mg Tablets 24s contains paracetamol and caffeine to help deliver fast and effective pain relief and is used for the treatment of mild-to-moderate pain, including the discomfort associated with colds and f lu. It can also be used to treat migraine (with and without aura), backache, toothache, muscle ache, neuralgia, joint pain, dysmenorrhea, and sore throat. Caffeine enhances the analgesic effect of other drugs, including paracetamol. Suitable for adults and adolescents aged over 16 years, as well as elderly customers (however, frail and/or immobile customers should reduce their dose or frequency). 

An effective and well-researched therapy to relieve the symptoms of painful, irritated sore throats is Medispray Throat Spray 30ml. This product is a sugar-free preparation and can be used by patients with diabetes and is indicated for use in adults, adolescents and children over 12 years of age. Medispray is an effective throat spray containing an antiseptic, chlorhexidine digluconate, and a local anaesthetic, lidocaine.

CAFFEINE ENHANCES THE ANALGESIC EFFECT OF OTHER DRUGS, INCLUDING PARACETAMOL 

Another trusted option for coughs and colds is Medithyme Cough Syrup 180ml, a traditional herbal medicinal product used as an aid to facilitate coughing-up phlegm (expectorant) in productive cough associated with a cold. This proven therapy is indicated for productive cough associated with cold and is sugar-free. It relieves chesty coughs in a non-drowsy formula and is suitable for anybody over 12 years of age. 

Another effective therapy in the same range is Solpa-Sinus – Tablets 18 Pack. This product provides rapid relief of pain and nasal congestion and relief from major cold and f lu symptoms in a convenient easy-to-swallow tablet. It should be taken at the first sign of nasal congestion in combination with other common symptoms, such as sore throat, headache or fever. It contains paracetamol, a painkiller that reduces the temperature associated with fever. It also contains pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, which is a decongestant that unblocks the nose and sinuses, helping you breathe more easily without drowsiness. 

This product may be unsuitable for customers with hypersensitivity to the active ingredients; hepatic or severe renal impairment; heart disease and cardiovascular disorders; hypertension; hyperthyroidism; and diabetes. If in doubt, consult the pharmacist on duty. 

For troublesome coughs, Buttercup Bronchostop Syrup 200ml is traditionally used to relieve any type of cough, and also when the type of the cough changes. It contains a combination of ingredients not commonly found in other cough products used to relieve any type of cough, including dry, tickly, chesty, or cough with catarrh. This traditional herbal medicine is available in traditional cough syrup, and in convenient pastilles. 

For children, it is often more difficult to target a therapy as they may not be able to express themselves well, but there are effective therapies available for these little patients. Brupro Ibuprofen For Children Six Plus 200mg 200ml is an orange-f lavoured ibuprofen liquid that is suitable for children aged six years and older. Ibuprofen helps reduce fever and gives relief of mild-to-moderate pain, such as cold and f lu symptoms, teething pain, headache, sprains and strains. It also helps to ease the discomfort of sore throats and earache. Only suitable for customers over 18 years old, this product should not be taken with other therapies containing ibuprofen.