As the cold wave hits, do we need to take antibiotics to prevent colds?

Last weekend, my country welcomed the strongest cold wave in the second half of this year. It is time to take off clothes with courage, wash clothes with perseverance, and get up with explosive power. Even the most cold-resistant people put on long johns silently...

At this time of year every year, many parents ask: Can my children take some cephalosporin to prevent colds?

Cephalosporins are a large class of antibiotics commonly used in clinical practice. They kill bacteria by destroying the synthesis of bacterial cell walls and are ineffective against viruses. Abuse of antibiotics will not only fail to prevent diseases, but will lead to drug resistance and cause more serious consequences.

Today, let’s talk about whether antibiotics can be used to treat colds?

What exactly is a cold?

The common cold is an acute, self-limiting upper respiratory tract viral infection with varying degrees of symptoms, including sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose (rhinorrhea), sore throat, cough, low fever, headache, etc.

Common clinical colds, rhinitis, acute nasopharyngitis, acute tonsillitis, etc. are all acute upper respiratory tract infections.

The pathogens that cause upper respiratory tract infections are mainly viruses, and common viruses include rhinovirus, coxsackie virus, influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, respiratory cytokine virus, adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, etc. Atypical pathogens also include mycoplasma. Bacteria only account for about 10% of primary upper respiratory tract infections. Secondary bacterial infections that invade the upper respiratory tract mostly belong to group A beta-hemolytic streptococci, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Staphylococcus aureus.

What exactly are antimicrobial drugs?

Antimicrobial drugs are drugs that can inhibit or kill bacteria and are used to prevent and treat bacterial infections. They are mainly used to treat various diseases related to infection.

Many people call antibiotics "anti-inflammatory drugs", but this is not accurate. Only part of the inflammatory response produced by the body is caused by infection with pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria. Antibiotics can only be used for such infections, but for viral infections, antibiotics are powerless.

Why can’t we use antibiotics on our own?

There are dozens of common antibiotics, and different antibiotics fight against different pathogenic microorganisms. In addition, even for the same person, the pathogens of infection in different parts of the body are different. For example, the common pathogen of urinary tract infection is Escherichia coli, the common pathogen of pneumonia infection is Streptococcus pneumoniae, and epidemic meningitis is caused by Neisseria meningitidis...

Certain antibiotics are only effective against infections caused by specific pathogens. If the medicine is not suitable for the disease, not only will it not be effective, but it will also increase medical expenses, delay the disease, increase adverse drug reactions, and even induce bacteria to develop drug resistance, complicating the originally simple disease.

Therefore, antibiotics must be prescribed by a doctor and used under the guidance of a doctor.

Colds usually do not require the use of antibiotics. Antibiotics should only be used when there is an indication, that is, when there is an indication of bacterial infection.

So, how can we prevent our baby from catching a cold?

Children who are malnourished, lack exercise or are overly tired, or have allergies are prone to upper respiratory tract infections. The occurrence of upper respiratory tract infections depends not only on the type, virulence and quantity of the invading pathogens, but also on the child's defense function and environmental factors, such as crowded living, air pollution, passive smoking, etc., which can reduce the defense ability of the respiratory tract and allow pathogens to grow and multiply. Therefore, it is important to do the following to prevent colds:

1. Add or remove clothes in time according to the ambient temperature and keep your body warm;

2. Balanced nutrition, eat more foods with high nutritional value such as fish, meat, milk and soy products;

3. Exercise more, breathe fresh air, increase blood circulation and strengthen physical fitness;

4. Try not to go to crowded places, such as amusement parks and shopping malls;

5. During the flu season, people aged 6 months or older without contraindications are recommended to receive the flu vaccine;

6. Wash your hands frequently, pay attention to personal hygiene, and do not let children touch their mouths, noses, and eyes with dirty hands.

Author: Ma Weifeng, deputy director and pharmacist of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University

Review expert: Ren Yanli, chief pharmacist of the Gynecology and Pediatrics Group of the Henan Pharmaceutical Association Hospital