Infections plague many people, especially in the winter months, and summer flu is also rampant in the summer. Some have almost permanent colds. A family doctor explains how this happens and what you can really do about it. A second doctor gives further tips.
According to family doctor Florian Steiner, persistent colds are not uncommon. “Every year I have patients who are sick for weeks or who come back almost throughout the winter with short breaks in between,” he explains in an interview with Spiegel in 2023. If you get it again and again, he advises you to get enough sleep and drink a lot. Strenuous exercise should be avoided and the family doctor also urges patience. Expensive remedies from the pharmacy? More like wasted money.
“No causally effective therapy for colds”
“Unfortunately, there is no causally effective therapy against colds; your own great immune system must and will cope with it,” explains Steiner. For people who are sick with Covid-19, the doctor advises taking longer sick leave. But not everyone can afford this. Resting also helps to strengthen the immune system – as does good sleep.
“But I take a rather critical view of all the expensive products that you can buy in the pharmacy to strengthen the immune system,” explains Steiner. He tried a few himself, but couldn’t say which one worked best – just which one tasted best. What, in his experience, really relieves a sore throat: lukewarm sage tea, steeping time 20 to 30 minutes.
ENT doctor Bernhard Junge-Hülsing revealed further tips to Focus Online in 2023. He recommends only using nasal sprays for a short time when you have a cold to avoid dependence and damage to your mucous membranes. He also advises taking expectorants with plenty of liquid before meals and keeping your feet warm at all times.
Constant cold: when to go to the doctor?
Anyone who is sick or has a persistent cold for a long time often worries about their own health. Family doctor Steiner gives the all-clear to Spiegel: Long infections are usually annoying, but not necessarily dangerous. “You don’t have to constantly go to the family doctor who is chronically overworked, because unfortunately he can’t do much – and you might catch the next infection in the waiting room,” warns the doctor.
Instead, he recommends paying attention to warning signs of bacterial infections and pneumonia. According to him, sudden fever with real chills, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing when speaking, pain when breathing or the feeling of suddenly being much sicker are signs that you should seek medical advice quickly. Old people and high-risk patients should not wait so long and should see doctors sooner. Junge-Hülsing also mentions “complaints that last longer than seven days” as a sign that it is better to contact a family doctor, pediatrician or ENT doctor.
Why are some people constantly ill?
Some people don’t seem to get well at all in the winter. Doctor Steiner explains this to Spiegel by saying that one infection follows the next. There are ideal conditions for this in winter: “Dry mucous membranes that are irritated by an infection are particularly susceptible to further infections, and a lot of cold viruses circulate in the cold months,” says the expert.
In order not to become infected with the next infection, you could wear an FFP2 mask. However, Steiner points out that parents, for example, could still become infected from their children. You can also become infected through viruses and bacteria on your own mucous membranes.
Certain people are particularly susceptible to persistent colds, for example seniors, diabetics, chemo patients, those with serious heart disease or people taking immunosuppressants. Steiner advises you to be particularly careful.
Source used: Spiegel, Focus Online
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