More than 80% of second-hand smoke is invisible and odourless, so no matter how careful you think you’re being, your family still breathes in harmful poisons, putting them at risk of meningitis, cancer, bronchitis and pneumonia.
Second-hand smoke is the smoke exhaled by you, plus the smoke created by the lit end of a cigarette. People who breathe in second-hand smoke are at risk of the same diseases as smokers.
Flu usually comes on much more quickly than a cold, and symptoms include: sudden fever of 38-40C, muscle aches and pains, sweating, feeling exhausted and needing to lie down, a dry chesty cough.
Colds and flu share some of the same symptoms. Colds cause more nasal problems, such as blocked nose, than flu. Fever, fatigue and muscle aches are more likely and more severe with flu.
Most short-term coughs are caused by viral infections, so antibiotics will have no effect. There is no ‘quick fix’ cure; you need to be patient for your immune system to clear the infection.
15 years after you’ve stopped smoking, your risk of heart attack falls to the same as someone who has never smoked.
A persistent cough may be caused by: a long-term respiratory tract infection, asthma, an allergy, smoking, or in rare cases they can indicate more a more serious condition.
Short-term coughs are commonly caused by: a respiratory tract infection (in the throat, sinuses, lungs or airways), an allergy, a flare-up of a long-term condition such as asthma, or inhaled dust or smoke.
A “dry cough” means it’s tickly and doesn’t produce any phlegm (thick mucus). A “chesty cough” means phlegm is produced to help clear your airways.
Most short-term coughs clear up within three weeks and don’t require any treatment. For more persistent coughs, see your GP so they can investigate the cause.