by Polsdorfer R

Cold and flu symptoms usually go away on their own. Colds and the flu can sometimes worsen long term conditions such as diabetes, lung, or heart problems. Sometimes colds or the flu lead to other problems. Examples are ear or sinus infections or pneumonia.

The goals of treatment are to:

  • Ease symptoms
  • Manage other conditions so they do not worsen
  • Prevent other problems from developing.

Treatment involves the following:

Lifestyle changesMedicationsAlternative and complementary therapies

There are no surgical procedures for the treatment of colds and influenza.

References

Common cold. Merck Manual Professional Version website. Available at: http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/infectious-diseases/respiratory-viruses/common-cold. Updated April 2014. Accessed August 15, 2017.

Influenza in adults. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at:  http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T435301/Influenza-in-adults . Updated September 27, 2016. Accessed August 15, 2017.

Influenza. Merck Manual Professional Version website. Available at: http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/infectious-diseases/respiratory-viruses/influenza. Updated April 2014. Accessed August 15, 2017.

Upper respiratory infection (URI) in adults and adolescents. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:  http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T114537/Upper-respiratory-infection-URI-in-adults-and-adolescents . Updated April 10, 2017. Accessed August 15, 2017.

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