Common infectious diseases in cold season and how to prevent them

Dr. Ha Tan Loc, Department of Internal Medicine, Nam Sai Gon International General Hospital, said that cold weather is a favorable condition for bacteria and viruses that cause infectious diseases to develop. Infectious diseases are easily transmitted through the respiratory and digestive tracts, so they can easily become epidemics. Moreover, the current heavy air pollution also causes the human immune system to weaken, increasing the number of respiratory diseases.

Below are some infectious diseases that can be contracted during the cold season and their typical symptoms.

Cold

The common cold is an infectious disease caused by a virus that attacks the upper respiratory tract, mainly the nose, and is very common during the cold season. The disease often causes symptoms such as cough, nasal congestion, difficulty breathing, runny nose, sore throat, pharyngitis, headache, body aches, sneezing, and mild fever.

The common cold is an infectious disease caused by a virus in the upper respiratory tract, primarily in the nose.

The disease can heal itself after a few days, however, there are some cases where the disease progresses severely and the patient is not treated promptly, causing some complications such as asthma, otitis media, acute sinusitis or other secondary infections. Therefore, if the symptoms do not improve after a few days, the patient should go to the hospital for examination and timely treatment.

Flu

Influenza is a contagious disease caused by a virus that attacks the respiratory system of the patient. Most cases of influenza will go away on their own, but sometimes the disease can cause some serious complications that affect the patient's health.

"People infected with the flu often have symptoms such as fever above 38 degrees Celsius, muscle pain, chills, headache, dry cough, fatigue, stuffy nose, sore throat. When experiencing one of the above symptoms, the patient should go to a medical facility for examination and treatment," Dr. Loc shared.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a common disease caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi, causing inflammation of the lung tissues and affecting lung function. Pneumonia has many different levels, severe cases can threaten the patient's life.

Symptoms of pneumonia are often similar to those of a cold or flu, but they last longer, such as chest pain when breathing or coughing; cough, cough with phlegm; fatigue; fever, sweating and chills; elderly or immunocompromised people may not have a fever; nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, difficulty breathing...

If not treated properly, the disease can lead to complications such as sepsis, respiratory failure, pleural effusion...

Sore throat

Sore throat is a common disease that occurs in all ages. People with sore throat often have symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, pain when swallowing, runny nose, sneezing, etc.

Sore throat is a common disease that occurs in all ages.

In mild cases, the disease usually goes away on its own. However, when symptoms last for more than a week and do not improve with medication, the patient should go to a medical facility immediately for timely treatment to avoid dangerous complications that seriously affect health.

Measles

Measles is an acute infectious disease caused by Polinosa morbillarum virus. The disease occurs year-round but mainly in winter and spring.

Measles is highly contagious and is transmitted through the respiratory tract, through the saliva of an infected person sprayed into the air or through direct contact with the patient's secretions. Sometimes the disease can be transmitted indirectly through handling objects contaminated with the virus.

People with measles often have symptoms such as high fever from 39-40 degrees Celsius, body aches, red eyes due to conjunctivitis, runny nose, cough, sneezing, sore throat, loss of appetite, and red rash.

Proactively prevent infectious diseases in cold weather

To proactively prevent infectious diseases in the cold season, Dr. Loc recommends the following preventive measures:

• Fully vaccinate against diseases according to schedule, especially for people with low resistance.
• Keep your body warm when the weather turns cold.
• Avoid contact with people showing signs of respiratory infections.
• Wear a mask when going out or when going to crowded places.
• Wash your hands often with soap.
• Clean nose and throat daily with mouthwash and saline solution.

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