**Respiratory Illnesses Increasing in Early Winter**
**Colds caused by viruses are not influenced by seasons**
**Influenza can be prevented through yearly vaccine administration**
**Good hygiene practices are important for both illnesses**
**Pneumonia requires hospital treatment if inflammation occurs in the lungs**
**Persistent fever for more than three days along with a possible cough may involve blood**
As temperatures drop and cold winds begin to blow, respiratory illnesses are surging. The changing seasons bring large temperature differences and weakened immunity, making it a period where respiratory illnesses are prevalent. On November 7th, medical professionals advised that respiratory illnesses should not be taken lightly and should be treated promptly to prevent them from becoming serious chronic conditions.
**From Mild Colds to Life-Threatening Respiratory Diseases**
Respiratory diseases range from mild colds to potentially life-threatening conditions like pneumonia or lung cancer. The mildest form, the common cold, involves symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, coughing, fever, sore throat, and general fatigue, typically caused by viral infections. Depending on the area affected, it can be classified as acute rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, or tonsillitis. Treatment usually involves symptomatic therapies like antipyretic analgesics, rhinitis medications, expectorants, and rest.
Influenza is caused by the influenza virus and is common in Korea between January and March. It is characterized by systemic muscle pain, sudden high fever, and headache, making diagnosis straightforward. A throat swab test at hospitals can confirm the diagnosis. Prof. Jae-Woo Jung from the Respiratory Allergy Department at Chung-Ang University Hospital advises that while coughing is a normal protective bodily function to keep harmful substances out of the airways, prolonged coughing can affect daily life and may indicate a serious illness, necessitating accurate diagnosis and treatment.
**How to Distinguish Between a Cold and Pneumonia?**
Generally, healthy people do not cough often. Severe or unstoppable coughing that causes chest pain, vomiting, or blood hints at possible pneumonia. Pneumonia differs from colds or flu in its causes, originating from viruses, bacteria, fungi, and more. It’s an inflammatory condition of the lungs that requires hospital visits or admission for treatment. It may involve fever, severe coughing, phlegm, general weakness, and muscle pain. If cold symptoms are very severe or fever persists for more than three days, pneumonia should be suspected. Nonetheless, some microorganisms causing atypical pneumonia may not display typical symptoms, especially in older individuals or those with weak immune systems, leading to missed diagnosis opportunities.
Prof. Ji-Ye Jeong from Severance Hospital’s Department of Respiratory Medicine explains that pneumonia can be most simply checked via chest X-ray and sometimes chest CT is conducted to verify inflammation patterns, extent, and complications. To identify the microorganism causing pneumonia, tests such as sputum culture and blood and urine serum tests are performed, and for more precise identification, bronchoscopic lavage may be used for cultivation.
**Flu Vaccination Doesn’t Prevent the Common Cold**
Even after receiving a flu shot, one can still catch a cold, as flu and colds are distinct illnesses. Flu vaccination does not prevent colds. Colds are acute upper respiratory infections caused by various bacteria or viruses and can occur year-round without specific vaccines available due to over 200 causing viruses each requiring separate vaccines.
Conversely, the flu, caused by the influenza virus, commonly occurs between winter and spring and is prevented via an annual flu vaccine, devised each year based on the previous flu season’s circulating virus strains, as pre-existing immunity to all mutating influenza virus strains isn’t possible.
Prof. Jong-Seon Park from Bundang Seoul National University Hospital’s Department of Respiratory Medicine emphasizes the importance of hand hygiene to prevent both colds and flu, suggesting thorough handwashing as the simplest and most effective health protection measure. He advises maintaining regular exercise and a balanced diet for stronger immunity during seasons with significant temperature shifts. Additionally, individuals with respiratory diseases, cardiovascular issues, diabetes, chronic conditions or weakened immunity, such as children under the age of 5 and seniors over 65, should ensure their annual flu vaccination to mitigate the risk of complications like pneumonia.