With the arrival of autumn and winter, there are more people around me blowing their noses and sneezing. Many people think it’s the flu when they feel uncomfortable and rush to take various medications. Actually, you may have just encountered a “common cold” caused by a rhinovirus! Although it is highly contagious, it is much milder than the flu. However, there is a common and dangerous mistake in nursing – blowing your nose forcefully may cause otitis media in children and skyrocket blood pressure in the elderly! How to distinguish and respond correctly? Dr. Gong Pihua, Deputy Chief Physician of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at Peking University People’s Hospital, and Dr. Ding Mingming, Chief Pediatric Physician, are here to provide guidance and help you avoid misunderstandings and get through the cold period comfortably.
You may not know that the “number one culprit” that causes the common cold is the rhinovirus. It specifically attacks our nose and throat, and is highly contagious. If someone sneezes or you touch the doorknob and rub your nose, you may be hit.
But it’s easy to distinguish from the flu: if you only have a blocked nose, runny nose, or sneezing, but your body doesn’t hurt much, and you don’t have a fever or just a low-grade fever, then it’s most likely a rhinovirus cold. It usually takes 5 to 7 days for it to heal on its own. If it’s the flu, you will suddenly have a high fever, bone pain all over your body, lack of strength, and your nose will not be as blocked. The symptoms will be more severe and the recovery will be slower.
When you have a cold, it’s most uncomfortable to have a blocked nose. Many people will blow their nose hard with both nostrils to feel relieved. But this method is actually wrong! For children, the nasal cavity and ears are connected, and blowing their nose forcefully can “press” bacterial mucus into their ears, which can easily lead to otitis media, causing pain and affecting hearing. For elderly people with hypertension, suddenly blowing their nose forcefully can cause a sudden increase in blood pressure, which is very dangerous.
The correct way to blow your nose is actually very simple: take a soft tissue, gently press one nostril first, and then use the other nostril to blow your nose out gently, without using too much force. Blow one side before switching to the other. Finally, remember to wash your hands.
What should I do if my nose is blocked and I can’t sleep? You can try these non medicated methods: pour a cup of hot water and inhale warm steam through your nose (be careful not to burn it); Alternatively, you can use physiological saline nasal spray to moisten the nasal cavity and dilute nasal mucus, which can be used by both children and the elderly; When sleeping, raise the pillow a little higher and sleep on your side, so that your nose can breathe better.
When it comes to taking medication, people are the easiest to fall into a trap. Remember: there is no specific cure for rhinovirus colds, taking anti influenza drugs like oseltamivir is useless. It is caused by a virus, so taking antibiotics (such as amoxicillin) is not effective unless later there is a bacterial infection such as yellow pus and nasal discharge that persists for many days, and then it is necessary to see a doctor to decide whether to use antibiotics.
In general, when dealing with a rhinovirus cold, remember three things: don’t panic, it is milder than the flu, and resting well can help it heal on its own; Don’t be wrong, blow your nose gently on one side; Don’t mess around, don’t blindly take antibiotics and antiviral drugs. Drinking more water, resting more, and keeping your nose moisturized can make you feel much more comfortable.
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