We should wear masks to protect ourselves from upper respiratory tract infections
We should wear masks to protect ourselves from upper respiratory tract infectionsATO Board Member Yılmaz: To protect against upper respiratory tract infections, masks should be worn, indoor environments should be ventilated, and risk groups should be vaccinated
(ANKARA) - Ankara Medical Chamber (ATO) Board Member Togay Yılmaz made warnings about the increasing seasonal diseases with the cold weather. Yılmaz said, “We should wear masks. With the arrival of winter, indoor spaces should be ventilated frequently. Especially people with fever, runny nose, cough, infection should pay more attention to these isolation recommendations. In these cases, especially babies, people over the age of 65, people with cancer, those receiving chemotherapy, people with diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease should be avoided.
We definitely recommend that these risky populations get vaccinated," he said. ATO Board Member Togay Yılmaz made evaluations to ANKA News Agency about how to protect ourselves from upper respiratory tract infections, which increase with the decrease in air temperatures, and what to do during the disease process. Yılmaz said the following: “First of all, upper respiratory tract infections are transmitted to each other through droplets. When the discharges coming out of our respiratory tract reach another person, they multiply in the upper respiratory tract and nasal cavity of this person for a certain period of time. After reaching a certain number, they start to show symptoms. The patient is asymptomatic during this period.
We call this period the incubation period. The incubation period is an average of 3-5 days in upper respiratory infections caused by viruses. The first symptom in the patient is a rise in fever. Fever is actually a parameter in the fight against infection that helps the body. Fever strengthens both the number and functions of the defense cells in our body. Apart from that, it reduces the rate of reproduction of viruses. Thus, the body creates its first defense network. It tries to limit the disease in this way. Fever is something we should not be afraid of or worried about.
“There should be enough water in our body to lower our fever”
There should be enough water in our body to lower our fever. Therefore, the first thing we should do before taking medication from the first day our fever appears is to increase our body’s fluid intake. This strengthens our fight against viruses and microbes. Another important thing is to pay attention to urine output. Once the circulation in our body is good and our veins are sufficient, our fever will not rise any higher anyway.
However, if we take three or four doses of antipyretics a day, we will keep our fever under control in addition. In viral diseases, fever lasts an average of three days and usually does not exceed five days. In the vast majority of people, fever ends within the first or second day.
“The impression of fever is very important”
The impression of fever is very important. The resistance of fevers may be higher during the first day, but in the course of a viral disease, our expectation is that the fever will gradually decrease in height and become thinner towards the second and third days. Once the fever has dropped, it has stopped fighting against viruses. This means that we have defeated the viruses. After this, our problems are usually related to the repair of the areas in our nasal cavity and throat where viruses and microbes settle.
Since there is damage here, there may be an intense runny nose, postnasal drip and sore throat. Our coughs usually increase after the second or third day. These coughs are usually related to postnasal drip. Postnasal drip also increases when we go to bed at night. This also leads to coughing, so it is very important to clean the discharge after the second or third day. We recommend washing the nose with salt water mixtures and saline solution for babies. In this way, both the edema in the nasal cavity is removed and the discharge is easily cleaned.”
“If our fever does not drop by the second or third day despite drinking plenty of fluids, we should definitely see a doctor”
If our fever does not drop by the second or third day despite drinking plenty of fluids, we definitely need to see a doctor. The latter can usually occur in older people and babies. It occurs in the form of the infection reaching the lower respiratory tract. The first symptom seen in this is shortness of breath and rapid and deepening of the respiratory rate.
Coughs that last longer than 2-3 weeks may indicate a tendency to asthma or may mean that the disease has taken an atopic course. In this case, it must be evaluated by a doctor.”
“We need to wash our hands frequently to protect ourselves from upper respiratory tract infections”
Yılmaz, who stated that we have become accustomed to upper respiratory tract infections during the pandemic period, continued as follows: “This is a situation that we are very accustomed to during the pandemic period. Since this infection is transmitted through droplets, we need to protect ourselves from droplets. We need to wash our hands frequently. Especially the hands of young children pose more of a risk in this age group, as they are in close contact with the environment and their mouths. Therefore, we should acquire the habit of washing our hands well. We should wear masks. With the arrival of winter, indoor spaces should be ventilated frequently. Especially
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