With the cold weather many cases of what we can call: common cold appear. How it evolves and its most frequent complications are constant doubts in the consultations. To begin with, it should be remembered that a common cold usually lasts between four days and a week, although if it spreads to the bronchi causing acute bronchitis, it always lasts a little less than 2 weeks. The evolution is different in smokers and non-smokers. In smokers, the evolution from a cold to a bacterial superinfection is more frequent than in non-smokers, as is the case with pneumonia. These colds are complicated or not depending on the virus of origin, for example rhinoviruses are always milder than influenza viruses.
In many cases, high fever is of special concern, which can cause complications, especially in young patients. An episode of convulsions is a very unpleasant complication. In the face of this, the combination of antipyretics can be a solution, if for example, paracetamol is taken, add acetylsalicin and even a third one such as metamizole. If, even so, the fever does not go down the classic measure of a bath with lukewarm water, drinking cold water or cold broth abundantly would contribute to lower the temperature, especially the internal temperature.
Another common consequence is the appearance of pus plaques in the throat, then it is a pultaceous tonsillitis, almost always caused by streptococcal or anaerobic germs and should always be treated with antibiotics. Amoxitavulanic acid is the first option and the antibiotic dose should be high, if other complications are to be avoided.
If chest pain and chest tightness appear, the first thing to do is to do a chest X-ray. Also, if the chest pain increases with breathing and there is fever, it is probably pneumonia which should be confirmed with a chest X-ray. And when there is difficulty in breathing it may be due to previously being a COPD or asthmatic. These are alarming situations, so you should go to a hospital because a severe pneumonia or pneumonia due to influenza virus cannot be ruled out.
Avoid complications
To avoid complications most of the time if the patient is previously healthy, the most useful are antipyretics, following “grandmother’s” advice and combinations of drugs with antihistamines and caffeine and antipyretics.
Of course, antibiotics should be taken when there are complications, not for prevention. Although they can be taken for some minor symptoms such as ear pain, yellow expectoration, etc.