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Knowledge of the life cycle of a cold or 'flu is very
poor, with people not treating the right symptoms at
the right time, ceasing treatment too early, or not
treating their symptoms at all. This in turn is leading
to an increase in the amount of suffering that symptoms
are causing and a general intolerance of symptoms in
people around us. That's according to new research from
the Consumer Health Information Centre (CHIC). The research
was conducted by BRMB International on the ACCESS omnibus
over the weekend of 11th/12th September 2004. About
800 adults were surveyed.
The CHIC survey found that:
- Almost two thirds of people (64%) think that the
common cold lasts for up to five days, however the
average cold lasts 5-14+ days
- 73% of people avoid medication for colds and flu,
preferring to wait at least a day; 30% try to ride
out the entire cold without taking any medication
at all.
But why suffer in silence? With 45% of people stating
disruption to home or social life and 44% stating a
reduction in effectiveness at work as the most irritating
effects of a cold, why not treat the symptoms as soon
as they appear? Colds show a distinct life cycle and
there are different over-the-counter medicines that
can help treat the different symptoms at each stage
of the cold. Treating symptoms is especially important
as CHIC research shows that the average Brit is not
very tolerant of symptoms of a cold in other people,
especially those they work with or have to travel next
to …
- On public transport, a third of people have glared
at someone who coughs without covering their mouth
- Almost two thirds of people (61%) have little or
no sympathy for colleagues taking time off work with
a cold or flu
People are also hypocritical in their attitudes to
colleagues in the workplace who are suffering the symptoms
of a cold or flu:
- Almost 1 in 3 people think a colleague who comes
into work with a cold or flu is selfish for spreading
germs, but yet 47% think colleagues who take time
off work for a cold or flu are lazy and likely to
be exaggerating symptoms to stay off work longer.
Dr Ian Banks, CHIC expert, says:
"The lack of knowledge that people have about the
common cold and 'flu is vast, especially considering
that on average, people have two and a half colds each
year - that could be up to a month with a cold. There
is a worrying lack of awareness of the life cycle of
a cold ie. how long it lasts, raising the question of
people suffering unduly due to not treating symptoms
at the onset of a cold and then stopping treatment too
early.
"What people should be doing is finding out more
about how to treat the different symptoms they feel
as a cold progresses. Managing your symptoms properly
can have a real impact on how you feel so we should
all be thinking about what we can do to alleviate some
of our symptoms. Your pharmacist can help you identify
which over-the-counter medicines are right for you to
treat the symptoms you are experiencing at that particular
stage of a cold or 'flu and advise you as to what additional
lifestyle changes you can make."
To help consumers better understand the life cycle
of cold and flu and to help them treat the right symptoms
at the appropriate stage of the lifecycle with help
of over-the-counter medicines, CHIC has produced a leaflet
titled "The battle against colds & 'flu".
To request a free copy of this leaflet, consumers can
call CHIC on 0207 404 7842 or simply download the
CHIC cold and 'flu treatment guide here.
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