The flu, cold, rhinitis and sinusitis are conditions that often generate confusion among patients. To clarify the differences between these diseases, the pulmonologist and professor at Unifesp, Clysthenes Odyr Soares Silvaand the infectious disease specialist and professor at Unifesp, Nancy Belliwere interviewed by Dr. Kalil no Vital Signswhich will be shown this Saturday (6), comparing the characteristics of each clinical condition and the care required in each case.
Flu and its historical impact
The flu, caused by the influenza virus, is considered one of the most impactful respiratory diseases in history. “The Spanish flu killed 40 million people”, highlighted Clystenes. Then came the Asian flu and , which reinforce the relevance and existence of viruses over time.
Currently, it is estimated that 10% of humanity, with a number of deaths varying between 250 thousand and 600 thousand annually. Clystenes highlighted that the flu is essentially a febrile illness: “Whoever has the flu has a fever, and it’s a real fever, 38.5 or 39 degrees”, as well as muscle pain, joint pain, malaise and headache — symptoms that lead the patient to remain “in bed”.
Rhinitis: an allergic, non-infectious condition
Unlike the flu and cold, rhinitis is not caused by viruses. This is very common in people with respiratory allergies.
The specialist observed, with humor, that “the best meteorological service is the nose of someone who has rhinitis”, as symptoms such as sneezing and nasal congestion usually appear even before a change in the weather. As it is of allergic origin, rhinitis does not require treatment with antibiotics.
Sinusitis: when the virus complicates
Sinusitis, also called rhinosinusitis, usually has a viral onset. The process occurs when there is obstruction of the small channels that connect the nose to the sinuses, causing an accumulation of secretion, congestion and pain.
According to Clystenes, otorhinolaryngology specialists warn that antibiotics should not be administered for sinusitis before symptoms persist for 8 to 10 days. In initial cases, basic treatment includes decongestants and washing the airways.
When sinusitis becomes more complicated, more intense symptoms appear, such as pain when lowering the head and greenish or purulent discharge, which may indicate a bacterial infection. In these cases, the use of antibiotics may be considered.
Clystenes warned that the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in viral diseases brings no benefit and contributes to one of the biggest challenges in modern medicine: the resistance of germs to antibiotics.
