Therapist, debunked for us the basic myths about the treatment of ARVI. Does it make sense to overeat ascorbic acid at the first sign of a cold and why should you have a balsam "Zvezdochka" in the medicine cabinet?.

SARS, it's ORL, it's a cold - perhaps the most mythologized disease. Some of these myths are innocuous enough - for example, about a healing glass of warm milk with mineral water, others are very harmful. Let's understand.

Antibiotics Most of all in ARVI, doctors are afraid of bacterial complications - this is when a decrease in immunity occurs against the background of a viral infection and our organism is attacked by bacteria (viruses and bacteria are different microorganisms!). Many patients know this and are starting to take antibiotics. They want to get rid of even a hypothetical threat of getting a bacterial complication. Only this is useless, as evidenced by a study conducted in 2015. Its result is very simple: for the duration of the illness, antibiotics (in comparison with placebo) had no effect, but the number of side effects was rather high.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) Analgin, aspirin or ibuprofen help ease the condition with colds, but does not affect your recovery. To be treated by them is senseless and harmful, and to accept them it is necessary only at a temperature above 38,5 degrees and in case if against a background of a fever ever there were convulsions.

NSAIDs negatively affect the mucous membrane of the stomach - so if you suffer from gastritis, esophagitis or peptic ulcer, it is advisable to limit the intake of NSAIDs, or take them together with drugs that reduce the acidity of the stomach, for example, Omeprazole or Nexium).

Antiviral drugs and immunomodulators There are studies that have shown the effectiveness of some antiviral drugs during colds.

None of the foreign guidelines for the treatment of acute respiratory viral infection have any antiviral and immunomodulating drugs at all. Therefore, I do not prescribe such drugs to my patients.

Multivitamins Where do patients get the habit of taking vitamin complexes, I do not know. Probably, this marketing has done its job. In fact, multivitamins are medication (like antibiotics or NSAIDs) that have both indications and contraindications. And the indication for multivitamins is only one - their lack or vitamin deficiency.

Many associate beriberi with weakness, drowsiness, or forgetfulness. In fact, these manifestations do not apply to him in any way. The lack of vitamins is a serious illness. For example, night blindness, which manifests itself in the deterioration of twilight vision and arises from a lack of vitamin A in the diet.

In fact, only one category of patients shows the reception of multivitamins - these are women who are preparing to conceive a child or pregnant in the first trimester. There are studies that have proved that during this period the intake of special multivitamins for pregnant women reduces the risks of congenital pathologies. With a common cold, taking multivitamins is useless.

Vitamin C "It seems that I get sick, I need to take a shock dose of vitamin C" - you think, and you go to the kitchen for ascorbic to raise your immunity. But studies have shown that no positive effect of taking vitamin C for colds does not bring. However, nobody canceled the placebo effect. Conclusion one - vitamin C is useless for colds (however, and not harmful).

Honey, garlic and "Star" Probably, you have already decided that here and there is nothing to write about - the whole myth. But, strangely enough, there are folk remedies that are proven to help with colds.

For example, buckwheat honey can reduce the manifestation of nocturnal cough in children. And garlic, due to the constituent of its substance, allicin, reduces the frequency of colds. However, when carrying out the corresponding study, the subjects took not the garlic itself, but the extract equal to 180 mg of allicin per day. In one clove of garlic is about 5-9 mg.

And finally, abroad there is such a tool as VaporRub, which in its composition is the closest to our famous Vietnamese balsam "Star". Applying ointment on the neck and chest area, you can reduce the manifestation of cold symptoms and thus ease your health.

And than to treat a cold?.

No miraculous drugs that would cure you of colds in a couple of days, has not yet been invented. But in order not to earn complications and keep within as short a time as possible, observe a few simple rules. This is a bed rest, a plentiful drink, as well as frequent airing of rooms and humidification of air.

It is useful to wash the nose with saline solutions. And with a strong runny nose or nasal congestion, vasoconstricting drops containing xylometazoline. But be careful, long-term use of these drugs can be addictive.

I also prescribe my throat rinsing with antiseptic solutions (chlorophyllipt, furacilin, chlorhexidine) and, if necessary, taking expectorants.

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