IS IT A COLD OR THE FLU? COMMON SYMPTOMS AND DIFFERENCES.

The terms cold and flu are incorrectly used in everyday language. 

This tends to happen because the differences are minimal but important.

FLU

The flu is a viral infectious disease that is commonly characterised for its sudden emergence during the winter season.

SYMPTOMS

The symptoms are:

• High fever. Higher than 38 degrees.
• Intense headache.
• Joint pain.
• Extreme tiredness.
• Sore throat.
• Blocked nose.
• Cough.

TREATMENT

• Bed rest for a week
• Ensure that you are well hydrated by drinking hot drinks and by taking medication to reduce the fever and the pain.

COMPLICATIONS

The most serious complications that can arise from having suffered the flu are bronchitis and pneumonias.

PRECAUTIONS

Pregnant women, diabetics, people that have low immune systems or that suffer from chronic pulmonary diseases have take precautions to avoid contracting the flu.

COLD

The cold is also a viral disease that is commonly contracted during the winter season.

SYMPTOMS

• A number of symptoms are different to those of the flu.
• Heavy secretions from the nose.
• Sneezes.
• A fever that is not higher than 38 degrees.
• A headache, however it is not as intense as the one that is experienced when suffering from the flu.
• Tiredness that does not prevent you from fulfilling daily activities.

These symptoms slowly emerge and last from three to seven days. 

TREATMENT

Hydration, hot drinks and pain killers.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES AGAINST CONTAGION

Both viruses are spread from person to person via saliva droplets that we expel when we talk, whether we see them or not.

The virus can also be spread when the sufferer coughs, sneezes, places their hand over their mouth or touches objects with their contaminated hands.

Preventive measures:

• Use disposable tissues
• Never cough or sneeze over your hands, always on your arm.
• Regularly wash your hands and never greet someone with them if you have a cold or the flu.
• Thoroughly clean the surfaces that everybody touches such as doorknobs, wardrobes, tables, toilets, etc.
• Maintain a high level of hygiene, especially where pregnant women, children and people that suffer from chronic illnesses or are immunosuppressed are present.
• Vaccines to be administered to as many people as possible, mainly to older people and people that suffer from chronic illnesses.
• Maintain a varied diet rich in vitamins and antioxidants, which are present in fruits and vegetables. 

COLON CANCER. WARNING SIGNS

The colon is the largest part of the intestine, which is an organ that is located within the abdominal cavity. Benign and malignant tumours can develop in the colon like in any other organ. Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide with the same proportion of men and women suffering from it. The age of fifty is the most common age in which this type of cancer emerges at however, it could also appear at earlier ages.

SYMPTOMS

Even though colon cancer can be unnoticed as it can rarely present any symptoms, it is important to take immediate action when they do emerge.

The most important symptoms are:

1. Faeces with red or dark blood

2. Changes in intestinal habits for more than a period of three weeks such as diarrhoea or constipation

3. Going from having normal faeces to very thin faeces

4. Permanent abdominal pain or pain when defecating

5. Inflamed abdomen producing a constant feeling of fullness

6. Feeling as though intestinal emptiness is not completed

7. Waking up with abdominal pain during the night

8. Anaemia without any apparent cause

9. Tiredness

10. Weakness

11. An inexplicable loss of weight

12. Shortness of breath

13. Dizziness

DIAGNOSIS

• Colonoscopy or colon endoscopy

When completing this test, a sample or biopsy of the lesion or the found polyp is taken. This is the main test that is used to diagnose this type of cancer.

Other tests include:

• Virtual colonoscopy
• Sigmoidoscopy
• CT scan
• MRI Scan
• Etc

TREATMENT

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiotherapy
• Immunotherapy
• Others

Preventive measures are so important that we will be exploring them separately in the next article.

Dr J. Hurtado Martínez

Medical Director of HealthSalus

LUNG CANCER. WARNING SYMPTOMS.

Compared to the other types of cancer, lung cancer is the deadliest type worldwide with the highest number of casualties.

This tumour grows when a group of cells develop at an exorbitant pace and even though lung cancer is most commonly found in smokers (90%), this tumour can also emerge due to other causes (10%).

Causes are:

• Passive exposure to cigarette smoke.

• Exposure to asbestos, nickel, arsenic, tar, radon gas, etc.

• Environmental pollution linked to a smoking habit.

• Exposure to aromatic hydrocarbons or substances that can form during the incomplete combustion of wood, rubbish, carbon, etc.

SYMPTOMS

Lung cancer hardly presents any symptoms in its initial phases however, when symptoms do emerge, it will always vary depending on the affected section of the lung that it emerges in.

Most common symptoms are:

• Cough that never ceases (Lasts more than three weeks), with and without phlegm. This symptom can be found in more than 50% of cases therefore, it is the one that we have to pay more attention to.

• Saliva or phlegm of a pulmonary origin with blood, not emerging from the gums or when coughing.

• Dyspnoea or fatigue. (Shortness of breath)

• Dysphonia or voice alteration. (Hoarse voice)

• Weight loss.

• Constant chest pain that increases when you are breathing deeply or coughing.

• Droopy eyelids or swelling in the face or neck, predominantly due to the compression of the vessels or nerves due to the tumour.   

DIAGNOSIS

• Chest X Ray.

• CT or scan.

• Bronchoscopy.

• Biopsy to determine the type of tumour present.

• Others.

TREATMENT

• Surgery.

• Chemotherapy.

• Radiotherapy.

• Immunotherapy.

• Others.

PREVENTION

1. Stop smoking, or never start.

This is the main measure of prevention.

It has been found that the risk of suffering from lung cancer is reduced by up to 50% when a person has stopped smoking for 10 years.

2. Avoid the exposure of cigarette smoke for non-smokers or passive smokers.

3. Undertake a regular check up if there is a risk of suffering from this pathology i.e. smokers or those that have a family history of suffering from lung cancer and also smoke.

4. Avoid exposition to asbestos, nickel, arsenic, tar, radon gas, aromatic hydrocarbons, etc.

5. Having a diet rich in fruit and vegetables.

6. Completing physical exercise.

Dr. J. Hurtado Martínez

Medical Director of HealthSalus