Blog Layout
Flu Season Interview on ABC Radio
Flu Season and Treatments
Do Antibiotics Help With The Flu?
ABC Presenter
Flu season came early this year and the figures are pretty shocking. Nearly ten thousand five hundred people have fallen ill with the flu so far this year in Queensland. More than 800 people have been admitted to hospital. So, if you had a cold or the flu, did you take any tablets? Did you use those lemon powders to make hot drinks? Did it make any difference? Cold and flu tablets, that’s what we're looking at this afternoon. Are they really worth it? Well helping us out today is Dr Aaron Chambers who's a local GP with Grow Medical at Highgate Hill. Great to have you along. I've read somewhere that Australian’s spend around $500 million dollars a year on cold and flu medicines. Does that surprise you?
Dr Aaron Chambers
Well it's a huge industry out there trying to treat all these things that are often not treatable. I guess from a general practice point of view, it doesn't surprise me because you see people spending enormous health dollars on all sorts of treatments whether they work or not.
ABC Presenter
Before we get to whether cold and flu tablets are worth a dollar, can we just talk about what they are and what they are supposed to do?
Dr Aaron Chambers
I think really the first message when we had a chat about this in our tea room, was, you know there's a really clear message that antibiotics don't work. We are seeing increasing rates of antibiotic resistance in the community, and with cold and flu typically antibiotics have no role. So probably that's the first message. And the other one is that prevention is really best. You know you've got to get in early and prevent this from happening by getting your flu vaccination. Making sure you don't get sick in the first place. I think they are the first messages right up front before you’re even talking about whether these things work or not.
ABC Presenter
Okay, so washing your hands, and absolutely coughing into your sleeve has shown to be much better than coughing into your hands. I’ve been doing that lately and I've had all sorts of interesting things emerge in between my elbows. But I wanted to know okay? Cold and flu tablets we might think, oh, I feel a cold coming on and certainly the marketing is around, well, as soon as you feel the first symptoms of a cold pop down to your local pharmacy and pick up some cold and flu tablets. What is it that the cold and flu tablet is supposed to do for you?
Dr Aaron Chambers
Yes, so are you treating the symptoms? Are you aching, are you treating it with paracetamol? Are you congested? Do you need a decongestant? Or, are you just feeling generally rubbish and you need something to just make you feel a little bit better. You're just treating the symptoms, and I guess there are specific tactics you can take depending on the symptom that's bothering you. Is it sore throat? Is it congestion? And there are different treatments that will attack each of those aspects.
Are Cold and Flu Tablets Worth it?
ABC Presenter
Okay. I kind of want to come to this question a little earlier than I would otherwise, because I have a feeling you might be able to tell us about some other things that might help? Are cold and flu tablets in your view Aaron as a GP generally worth it?
Dr Aaron Chambers
Well, they definitely help symptomatically. So, the combination type treatments can help you. They don't reduce the duration and severity of the illness. It's probably one or two things that might. But, your typical cold and flu tablet which might contain paracetamol, a decongestant, and an antihistamine, they might make you feel a little bit better. There's pretty good data that says that. But not a whole lot, and they definitely don't make you better any quicker.
ABC Presenter
Okay. So, tell me about the things that may help, if I've got, let's look at the cold, just a cold, like a bad cold.
Dr Aaron Chambers
Yep, so you’ve got a bad cold. Look you’re probably all congested, decongestants will help. So, pseudoephedrine used to be really popular. You’ll get looked at a little bit funny now if you go to the pharmacy and try and ask for some sort of pseudoephedrine upfront. But, I think the one thing that is really there is some pretty good evidence. Let's say you got a flu or some other respiratory viruses. The black elderberry has actually been shown to be pretty useful, and it's a natural treatment, and a lot of doctors might particularly frown on some natural treatments, but it's been shown to be pretty good at actually reducing the duration and severity of the flu, and it's got a very valid scientific mechanism and it actually works.
What Alternative Flu Treatments Are There?
ABC Presenter
How about zinc?
Dr Aaron Chambers
Zinc, well zinc is a little bit controversial. So, it has been shown to work, probably has to be used a little bit pre-emptively, maybe about a 20 percent reduction in symptoms, but it's really balanced off by its side effect. It gives you a lot of metallic taste in your mouth and some other gut upset sort of type side effects, so, the balance there is I think well whilst it might make your cold a bit better, it actually is balanced off by some side effects, and that's the case with a lot of these things.
ABC Presenter
And the nasal saline sprays etc?
Dr Aaron Chambers
I think they are great symptomatic treatment, super safe, really useful, and can make you feel a lot better. You know, I don't know if you have done it yourself, but wow gee it's great after you've flushed out that saline that you feel totally clear, if only for a few minutes.
ABC Presenter
The lightness, the ease of movement in the brain. Okay, some really practical steps there.
When Should You See Your Doctor?
ABC Presenter
But obviously if we do have concerns than the first step is to consult with your GP as this advice is general in nature. Dr Aaron Chambers
Yes. And I think it's particularly important there are some red flags. You know young infants in particular, if they've got fever, they really must be seeing their doctor. And the whole advice around you know if your symptoms last longer than 48 hours please see a doctor. Absolutely. I think that's good advice.
ABC Presenter
Dr Aaron Chambers thank you so much for your time. Thank you. Dr. Aaron Chambers from Grow Medical in Highgate Hill.
Grow Medical Flu Consultation
Have the flu and want to see a doctor? Book a flu appointment
with a family friendly GP from Grow Medical.