Dr. Susan McGladdery is a medical graduate from Oxford University in the UK and has a Master's Degree in Medical Sciences from Cambridge University. She has been a member of the Royal College of Physicians since 1991 and a member of the American Academy of Urgent Care since 2006. She trained as a Family Physician in the UK in Oxford and then in London. In a medical career that spans over 20 years, she has worked as a doctor in 5 countries on 3 continents and cared for patients from a multitude of different nationalities and backgrounds. Dr. McGladdery joined FirstMed Centers in mid 2002 and became Regional Medical Director in 2003.
DR. SUSAN L. MCGLADDERY: Hello, my name is Dr. Susan McGladdery. I'm the medical director from FirstMed Centers in Budapest Hungary. I'd like to talk to you about the common cold. This is a frequent problem especially for children who may experience as many as eight colds per year. Mostly, this is caused by rhinoviruses and there are over a hundred different kinds of virus and they give rise to symptoms such as sore throat, headache and nasal congestion. Exposure to dry air whether inside or outside can also lower your resistance to infection with the viruses that cause colds. Smoking or being around with someone else who is smoking will probably make your symptoms worse and also last longer. It may even increase the risk that you'll develop bronchitis or pneumonia. However, things like not wearing a jacket or sweater outside when it's cold, sitting or sleeping in a draft, or going outside while your hair is wet, those things don't cause colds. When should you see your doctor if you have symptoms of the cold? Well, severe symptoms such as a heavy cough with a lot of mucus, shortness of breath, unusual feelings of lethargy or tiredness, a poor fluid intake, increasing headache, facial, throat, or ear pain, those are all reasons that you should go and see your doctor. If you have a high or persistent fever, particularly in children, or if you have chest or stomach pains. Other ways that you can prevent the cold, well, unfortunately there is so many viruses causing this problem that there is still no good vaccine available. You can be careful around those people who do have a cold or who is smoking, also just simply washing your hands thoroughly and frequently especially after you blow your nose will reduce the chance of transmitting a cold to other people. You should teach your children to cover their nose and mouth when they cough or sneeze. Also of course, don't use the same towels or eating utensils if you or someone else are suffering from a cold. Things that people like to use to help with cold symptoms such as additional zinc medication, vitamin C, or herbal remedies such as echinacea, unfortunately, as yet, have not really been showing to be beneficial. The best thing to do is to just take it easy, rest, try and eat healthy foods, avoid smoky environments, and simple allow your immune system and time to get you better.
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