EAST ALTON - Have you caught the summer cold? A local nurse practitioner shares tips on how to feel better, faster.
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Elizabeth “Betsy” Dykeman operates Airline Care Clinic at 33 East Airline Drive in East Alton. She shared that while many people experience flu-like symptoms in the summer, these symptoms are usually the result of a virus or allergies.
“Your body kind of reacts the same way if you’re fighting off a virus or if you’re fighting off allergens,” she explained. “There’s just a number of viruses that you can get that can get you to feel like you have the flu.”
Unlike influenza, which usually affects people during the winter months, there is no vaccination against viruses like enterovirus, adenovirus or rhinovirus. But these viruses can mimic the flu, with symptoms like fever, body aches, chills and congestion. These viruses are airborne. Some people are also affected by summer allergies, which can turn into sinus infections.
If you have these symptoms for several days, Dykeman encourages you to come by Airline Care Clinic. She can help you figure out if you’re suffering from a virus, seasonal allergies, the flu or something else.
First, Dykeman will assess whether or not you have a fever. If you have a fever above 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit, she urges you to stay home and rest.
Then, she will help you figure out the best way to treat your symptoms. Over-the-counter medications like Tylenol, ibuprofen and Advil, can help you fight off the symptoms of a virus. For allergies, you need an antihistamine, like Zyrtec or Claritin.
“You treat the symptoms. That’s what you do,” Dykeman said. “It’s kind of one of those things where you have to ride it out.”
Dykeman also encourages you to drink plenty of fluids and rest. Symptoms can worsen into a bacterial infection if you don’t take care of yourself.
“These viruses can turn bacterial because the mucus doesn’t get out of the body,” she explained. “The best way to get the mucus out is with saline irrigation for your nose and drink a ton of water and that kind of thing. It can turn bacterial, but it usually takes ten to 12 days of you feeling terrible before it turns into a bacterial infection.”
Airline Care Clinic offers walk-ins from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and 6–9 p.m. on Sundays. You can also call Dykeman at (618) 908-8602 to schedule an appointment.
For more information about Airline Care Clinic, visit their official website at AirlineCareClinic.com or read this article on RiverBender.com.
