Be wary of three major misunderstandings about respiratory diseases
Winter is the season of high incidence of respiratory diseases. After some people contract respiratory diseases, they choose to observe at home and wait for the disease to recover on its own. What are the misunderstandings and what should we pay attention to?
“Recently popular respiratory diseases include influenza virus, rhinovirus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and other infections.” Li Hui, associate researcher at the National Center for Respiratory Medicine, said in an interview with a reporter from Science and Technology Daily that although the pathogens of these respiratory infections are different, their early symptoms are different. It is not obvious and is mainly characterized by fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, etc.
Some people believe that when symptoms similar to a cold occur, such as fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, etc., in order to avoid cross-infection, you can just wait for self-healing, and there is no need to go to the hospital immediately.
Li Hui said that for young and healthy people with normal immunity, after being infected with respiratory diseases, they can be observed at home for 3-5 days. At the same time, they should take more rest, eat lightly, drink more water, and avoid fatigue. Generally, the symptoms will relieve themselves in about a week. .
“Although most respiratory diseases can be cured by themselves for young and healthy people, they should not be taken lightly. If the patient continues to have a high fever, a cough that is not relieved, difficulty breathing, accelerated respiratory rate, etc., it is recommended to go to the hospital as soon as possible, according to the doctor It is recommended to complete blood routine, chest imaging and other examinations to determine whether there is progression to pneumonia. If necessary, complete respiratory etiology examinations and receive targeted treatment as soon as possible.” Li Hui emphasized.
For infants, young children, the elderly, and people with underlying diseases, if they develop cold-like symptoms, they should go to the hospital in time to diagnose the type of infectious pathogen as soon as possible and take targeted treatment. “Because the immunity of this group of people is relatively low, the probability of critical illness is relatively high. To avoid cross-infection, you should wear a mask and take good protection when going to the hospital.” Li Hui said.
Can I buy medicine by myself after contracting a respiratory disease?
“If you take conventional antipyretic and cough-relieving drugs, it won’t be a big problem. But taking antiviral drugs or antibiotics needs to be used under the guidance of a doctor.” Li Hui explained, “First, the doctor will weigh the interaction between the drugs. For example, some drugs that patients with underlying diseases take daily may interact with antibiotics and antiviral drugs, affect the treatment effect, and even cause adverse reactions. Second, non-medical people are very concerned about the indications and applicable groups of some drugs. It is difficult to grasp by simply reading the drug instructions, and self-administration will bring the risk of misuse of the drug.”
Tong Zhaohui, director of the Beijing Institute of Respiratory Diseases, also mentioned at a press conference of the National Health Commission a few days ago that it is recommended that everyone use drugs after confirming the pathogen, rather than abusing drugs based on guesswork.
Regarding the practice of some parents taking azithromycin and other drugs on their own, Wang Quan, chief physician of Beijing Children’s Hospital, said that this practice is not advisable. Azithromycin is not effective against viral infections and its use to treat viral infections is unreasonable, she explained. In addition, children’s organ functions are not fully developed, and drug abuse may cause some adverse reactions, especially organ damage. Parents should regulate the medication for their children under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.
Recently, some parents shared their experiences on giving their children aerosol treatment at home on social media. Is this kind of atomization operation feasible at home?
Li Hui believes that home use of nebulized drugs must be done under the guidance of a doctor. He said: “There are three main reasons for this: First, it is difficult for patients to judge whether they are suitable for atomization. Some people have sensitive airways. Nebulizing certain phlegm-reducing drugs at home may stimulate spasm in the airways and cause difficulty in breathing. This kind of It is difficult to deal with the situation in time at home; secondly, it is difficult to judge the appropriate type of medication by oneself. Commonly used atomized drugs to treat respiratory diseases include phlegm-reducing drugs, bronchodilators, atomized hormones and other types; thirdly, the atomizing device is not cleaned and disinfected in place, and there are The risk of secondary bacterial infection, etc., may lead to aggravation of the condition.”
