Cold and flu are not the same: If in doubt, seek prompt treatment 感冒流感大不同 勿延誤就醫

The weather has been very changeable lately. Ever since the Lunar New Year, a lot of people have been suffering from symptoms such as fever, sore throat, aching all over, vomiting and diarrhea. In addition, most people cannot tell the difference between the common cold and influenza, causing them to delay seeking treatment when they catch the flu and leading to complications.

Huang Shan-sung, a physician at the ear, nose and throat department of Da Chien General Hospital in Miaoli City, explains that the common cold is mostly characterized by upper respiratory tract symptoms such as sneezing and a runny nose, and people can recover fully in three to five days. However, the flu symptoms caused by the influenza virus are more severe, including fever, aching all over, blocked and runny nose, dry cough, poor appetite and so on.

Huang says influenza is very infectious and easy to catch if one does not take adequate preventive measures. A minority of patients may have severe complications such as viral or bacterial pneumonia, middle ear infections, encephalitis, pericarditis and other serious secondary infections. Elderly people, babies, young children, people suffering from chronic ailments such as heart, lung or kidney conditions and metabolic diseases and those with impaired immune functions should be especially careful.

Apart from getting flu vaccinations, Huang suggests avoiding going into crowded public places as much as possible, wearing a surgical mask when necessary, improved personal hygiene, frequent hand washing and making sure that air can circulate indoors. People should also make sure to get regular exercise and eat plenty of vitamin-rich fruit so as to strengthen their resistance to infection, he says.

(Liberty Times, translated by Julian Clegg)

最近天氣變化大，從春節期間開始，不少人出現發燒、喉嚨痛、全身痠痛及上吐下瀉等狀況，加上多數人分不清楚一般感冒及流行性感冒的不同，造成患上流感時延誤就醫，引發併發症。

苗栗市大千綜合醫院耳鼻喉科醫師黃山崧解釋，一般感冒多為打噴嚏、流鼻水等上呼吸道症狀，約三到五天就能痊癒，但流感病毒造成的感冒狀況較為嚴重，包括發燒、全身痠痛、鼻塞、流鼻水、乾咳、食慾不振等症狀。

黃山崧說，流感傳染性很強，未做好防範措施很容易感染，少數患者可能出現嚴重併發症，例如病毒性或細菌性肺炎、中耳炎、腦炎、心包膜炎及其他嚴重的繼發性感染等。老年人、嬰幼兒、患有心、肺、腎臟及代謝性疾病等慢性病患者及免疫功能不全者，要特別留意。

除了接種流感疫苗，黃山崧建議，應盡量避免進出人群多的公共場所，必要時戴口罩，加強個人衛生、勤洗手，保持室內空氣流通，同時維持規律的運動，多吃含豐富維生素的水果，增加身體抵抗力。

（自由時報記者彭健禮）

TODAY’S WORDS
今日單字

1. changeable adj. 變化大；起伏不定 

例: Ronald’s mood is very changeable; I wish he could chill out a little.

(羅納德的脾氣起伏不定，我希望他能放輕鬆點。)

2. ache v. 痠痛 

例: My arm muscles are aching after hand-washing three blankets yesterday.

(昨天手洗了三條毛毯後，我的手臂肌肉就一直痠痛。)

3. cannot tell the difference phr.分不清楚 

例: I cannot tell the difference between a butterfly and a moth. (我分不清楚蝴蝶與蛾的區別。)