National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)
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Staying home to get better

Blog posted by: Melissa Hoban, clinical psychology student at University College London, 16 November 2017.

Melissa has woken up with a cold. She feels terrible, but she thinks she should still attend her university classes.

Melissa, 25, is studying clinical psychology at University College London (UCL). She has some important deadlines looming. Waking up with a cold was not part of her plan.

She wants to power-on and go to her classes, but her friend's are telling her to stay at home. Watch Melissa's video diary to see what she does:

Click here for the video

We've all suffered from a cold. So, you know what it feels like; a stuffy nose, a sore throat and pounding headache. 

Your coughs and sneezes are infectious when you have a cold. This means you can easily pass your sniffles onto the people around you.

There is no cure for a cold. Antibiotics will not help because it is caused by a viral infection. Instead, you should stay at home and rest.

Take paracetamol for any aches and pains. And if your symptoms get worse, or continue for longer than a couple of weeks, go to see your doctor. 

Interested in knowing more about managing your own symptoms, preventing infections from spreading and battling antibiotic resistance? Take a look at our guideline for 'Antimicrobial stewardship: changing risk-related behaviours in the general population'.

 

Channel website: https://www.nice.org.uk/

Original article link: https://www.nice.org.uk/news/blog/staying-home-to-get-better

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