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Common Symptoms

Problem

Red Flags

Comment and Home Treatment
( major side effect of treatment)

Cold in head or chest:

Head fullness, runny nose, cough with generally clear or no sputum, muscle aches.

Temperature over 101 degrees; getting worse each day; shaking chills, close contact who has a "strep" throat; foul smelling, thick green sputum; bloody sputum; pain in one or both ears; severe headache, sore throat or stiff neck; severe pain in face worsened by bending over.

All treatments are designed to allow you to function better while your body clears the virus infection; antibiotics are not needed.

• cough - dextromethorphan is the most effective suppressant. (drowsiness)

• runny nose - chlorpheniramine (drowsiness), neosynephrine spray for 7 days or less (overuse), other decongestants (read label)

• aches/fever - aspirin (stomach upset) or acetaminophen taken every 3-6 hours, not just as needed

Injuries

Active bleeding; injured area does not function or is deformed; pain persists or worsens after two days of rest; fall on hand causing pain in wrist; direct blow to head; deep penetrating wound.

• Scrapes need good cleaning - hydrogen peroxide - and clean bandage. tetanus shots when dirty or penetrating.

• Cold compress and elevation when possible to injured area in first 24 hours to decrease swelling

• acetaminophen for pain relief

"Stomach flu" often has muscle aches and can come on quite suddenly. Loose stools can persist for a week.

Blood in diarrhea or vomit; temperature over 101 degrees; shaking chills; severe abdominal pain; vomiting lasting more than one day; history of diabetes.

Allow the lining of the gut to heal by drinking "clear" liquids such as chicken broth, ginger ale, etc. The more of these liquids, the better.

Pepto bismol may be helpful.

Usually follow over- activity or may accompany the flu.

Pain in back worsened by cough or sneezing or shooting from the back to the leg below the knee; pain in joint with redness, swelling or warmth; persistence of the aches more than 7 days.

When accompanying flu, use flu treatment described above. When following obvious over-activity, use standard injury treatment described above; Otherwise, consider the addition of naproxen or ibuprofen (stomach upset) if acetaminophen or aspirin are not effective.

Allergies/Sinusitis

Severe pain in face worsened by bending over; temperature over 101 degrees

Chlorpheniramine (drowsiness), neosynephrine spray for 7 days or less (overuse), other decongestants (read label). If recurrent and persistent, nasal steroids can be quite effective and safe (prescription needed).

SERIOUS RED FLAGS REGARDLESS OF THE PROBLEM ARE:

• A RESTING PULSE OVER 110 BEATS PER MINUTE OR LESS THAN 50;
• TEMPERATURE 103 DEGREES OR HIGHER;
• SHORT OF BREATH AT REST (or a breathing rate of more than 25 per minute);
• TROUBLE THINKING OR SPEAKING CLEARLY; OR
• NEW, SEVERE PAIN UNRELATED TO INJURY.