A pharmacist says there are four common mistakes people make when treating themselves for a cold or flu at home which won't help, and could even make things worse. Abbas Kanani, superintendent pharmacist at Chemist Click, says colds and flus have to be left to run their course.
Speaking to The Mirror, Abbas said the first mistake people make is trying to 'nip a cold in the bud' by taking over-the-counter drugs as soon as they get a tickle in their throat or a runny nose. He said cold and flu medicines were simply for symptom relief and would not cure anything, so you don't need to take them until you develop full-blown symptoms.
He said: "It doesn't make much difference whether you start taking cold and flu products earlier or later on, as they don't have any bearing on the nature of the virus and it will progress irrespective of whether you've taken it or not. They're all just symptomatic relief."
He said a typical cold will last for up to 10 days, and you only need to see a GP if you've had symptoms for at least thre weeks.
Abbas said the second mistake involves antibiotics. He saidmany pharmacy customers over the years had told him they had been taking antibiotics they had left over at home when they were feeling a bit rough.
But this can do more damage than good, the expert warns.
"Most colds and flu are caused by viruses, not bacteria, so there's absolutely no need to take antibiotics, but some people will decide to take antibiotics they have left over, or that their mum had in the cupboard from a couple of years ago. I've seen that a lot.
"Definitely don't do that. It's just a cold, it's just a viral infection, and it is going to pass.
"Antibiotics would be useful for you if you were immunocompromised and had developed a secondary infection like a chest infection, but even that would pass.
"By taking the antibiotics when you don't need to, you're contributing to antibiotic resistance, where your body is becoming familiar with the amoxicillin, for example, so when you do actually need to take it, it won't be as effective. So don't take any antibiotics that haven't been prescribed by your doctor."
The third and fourth common mistakes people make when they're unwell include not drinking enough water and not eating properly.
"Dehydration will put more of a strain on you when you're ill, as your body has to work a lot harder when it's not hydrated. So make sure you're drinking enough water," Abbas urged.
"Make sure you're eating as well, you might have less of an appetite and a lot of people might choose to skip dinner, but this isn't going to help you feel better."
