Simple cold? If you continue, something big will happen… If you have ‘this symptom’, go to the hospital immediately [건강한 가족]

Consultation on respiratory infectious diseases

Fall is the season when the respiratory system becomes vulnerable. It is easy to be exposed to various respiratory diseases caused by viruses and bacterial infections. In particular, because the morning and evening temperatures fall below 10 degrees due to the increase in the daily temperature range, the body’s immunity, which is not properly adapted to temperature changes, weakens. COVID-19 appears to be seasonal and is expected to spread at the same time as influenza (influenza), and the number of patients with mycoplasma pneumonia and whooping cough, which began to spread last winter, increased this year. In autumn and winter, special attention should be paid to the prevention of respiratory diseases.

The reason these respiratory diseases are so worrying is that they are contagious and their symptoms are similar to a cold. Most of the symptoms overlap, making it difficult for even experts to differentiate between them. There are many cases where people take cold medicine thinking it is just a cold or that they will get sick from holding it. Professor Shim Yun-soo from the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Hallym University’s Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital said, “Because the symptoms of respiratory diseases are often similar, it can be dangerous to assign a disease based on symptoms alone ,” and he said, “One disease cannot be defined by any specific symptom.”

If you are infected, getting timely treatment at a hospital is the top priority. To achieve this, it is best to use the length and depth of the marks as a standard. If common cold symptoms such as cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, and body aches last for more than two weeks, you should be diagnosed for the disease. Most colds will heal naturally as long as you get enough rest. Professor Shim emphasized, “If symptoms persist for more than two weeks, it is advisable to visit the hospital to diagnose other respiratory diseases such as tuberculosis. ”

The severity of the symptoms is also important. It is also a sign that certain symptoms, such as a severe cough accompanied by chest pain, high fever, difficulty breathing, and sputum, are unusual. Professor Shim said, “It is not possible to quantitatively assess the severity of respiratory disease, but a cough with very dark phlegm or nasal discharge and difficulty breathing may require prompt medical treatment.” feel it’s getting worse, go to the hospital “It’s a good idea to get treatment there,” he explained.

Those who need to be especially careful are the elderly, people with underlying diseases, and infants. Although there are individual differences in the case of elderly people, their immunity is often much lower than when they were young. Even for people who are confident in their immunity, their immunity declines as they naturally lose muscle as they age. The muscles of the element are directly related to immunity. The same applies to people with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney disease. It is reported that when people with these underlying diseases catch the flu, they have higher hospitalization and mortality rates and a higher risk of developing pneumonia than people without underlying diseases.

The same applies to people with underlying respiratory diseases. Professor Shim said, “Patients with weakened immunity or those suffering from asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) should receive hospital treatment as soon as possible because their disease can progress worse quickly.” , pneumonia can occur.

Babies and young children are vulnerable because of their physical condition and environment. The number of hospitalized patients with mycoplasma pneumonia this year (22,656), as counted in the 2nd, is 9.2 times higher than the same period last year, and 7 to 8 out of 10 patients under the age of 12. In addition, the number of patients with whooping cough this year (29,111 at the end of October) is 30 times the number in 2018, the highest number from a domestic count. Nine out of ten people are minors, including babies.

Since this is a time when respiratory infections occur frequently, it is necessary to visit the hospital without hesitation if cold symptoms persist. In the case of pneumonia, antibiotics are the basis of treatment, so prescriptions must be followed carefully. In addition, due to the constant risk of concurrent COVID-19 and epidemics and infections, it is recommended that vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with underlying diseases receive flu and coronavirus vaccines . In the case of whooping cough, all family members with babies or young children must be especially careful. It is recommended that adults who interact closely, such as parents of infants and young children, receive one dose of the adult tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis vaccine at least two weeks before contact.

We also need to focus on hygiene management and personal quarantine. Make it a habit to wash your hands with soap or hand sanitizer before and after going out, and avoid touching areas that may be infected, such as your eyes, nose or your mouth, with unwashed hands. Inside, you should ventilate at least three times a day for at least 10 minutes at a time to reduce the risk of infection. When you cough, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve instead of your hands, or wear a mask to prevent the virus from spreading.

Ryu Jang-Hoon ([email protected])