- Most upper respiratory tract infections develop intermittent fever for three to five days. Take medicine as instructed along with lots of warm water. Ice pillows may be used if temperature up to 38℃ without chills; a warm bath may be considered if over 38.5℃.
- If you have coughs, drink lots of water and avoid of iced or sweet beverages and oranges. Try breathing deep and using the diaphragm to expectorate sputum. Wear masks that cover the nose and mouth area to avoid cold air exacerbating symptoms.
- Lots of rest. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
- Fever may recur several times a day or does not seem to reduce after a long time. It is often the natural course of the disease and so it is important to stay calm. Contact us or other medical institutions when in doubt or have any questions regarding your condition. Otherwise, follow up as scheduled.
- Return to the emergency department if there are following symptoms：
- Persistent high fever despite antipyretics
- Headache with neck stiffness
- Difficulty breathing
- Excessive amount of yellow sputum
- Unable to swallow saliva
Head
- Wash hands thoroughly before every use.
- Sit or lie down with the head tilted to one side, exposing the relevant ear.
- Warm the ear drops by gently rolling the bottle between your hands or holding the bottle under your armpit for a few minutes.
- Gently shake the bottle. Do not touch the tip of the bottle to your ear.
- Gently pull the ear up and back.
- Gently squeeze the bottle to drop the 2-3 drops into the ear canal. Apply 3 to 4 times per day (e.g. meal time and before bed)
- Gently pull or press on your ear flap to squeeze out possible air bubbles.
- Leave the medication in the ear for approximately 15 minutes to coat your ear before allow it to flow out naturally. Do not try to remove the medication with Q-tips or other materials.
- Replace with a new sterile cotton ball in the opening of the ear canal after instilling the ear drops to block off dust and adsorb excess ear drops. Take care not to push the cotton ball too deep.
- Store ear drops in a cool dry place and away from sun light. Do not refrigerate.
- Avoid prolonged stay in air-conditioned rooms or nose picking to prevent nasal mucosal drying or abrasion which may cause further nosebleeds or infections.
- To stop the bleeding, allow the patient to sit with head tilted forward and apply gentle pressure over the nose for 5 to 10 minutes.
- If bleeding still does not stopped, apply pressure on the nose bridge or ice-packing for about 5 to 10 minutes. In patients with facial trauma and associated nosebleeds, do not plug the nostrils due to possible suffocation from blood build up in the respiratory tract.
- Hypertensive patients found with blood pressure higher than usual may take antihypertensive medicine as instructed by the emergency medicine physician. Rest in a half-lying position and avoid excessive activities or strains to stop the bleeding.
- Please follow the doctor suggested medication, and related considerations; after medical treatment of nasal packing gauze into sliver, do not arbitrarily remove, and return to the hospital for follow-up examinations.
- Take medicine as instructed and pay attention to possible side effects or related precautions. Do not remove the nasal packing tampons by yourself. Return to the scheduled otorhinolaryngologist for follow-up.
- There is a risk of non-stop bleeding in the following conditions and should visit the emergency department or see a otorhinolaryngologist as soon as possible：
- On antithrombotic drugs (common in patients who have had heart surgery or have suffered of stroke)
- Taking aspirin regularly
- Have some form of blood clotting disorders (hemophilia, liver cirrhosis or liver cancer, hematopoietic dysfunction)
- Head and neck cancer patients (such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma)
- Avoid talking loudly. Rest to relieve sore throat and hoarseness.
- Drink warm water.
- Take a soft, light diet. Avoid hot, spicy, or coarse textured food.
- If there is a loss of appetite, try pudding, jelly, or ice cream, food that are cool and easy to swallow, for some calorie boost. However, cold or sweet food should be avoided in the case of cough induced sore throat.
- Practice good oral hygiene after eating.
- Take medicine as prescribed, and follow up as scheduled.
- If there is persistent high fever despite fever medication or inability to swallow saliva with drooling, return to the hospital as soon as possible.
- Oral ulcers may occur at all ages, and there are multitudes of causes: oral trauma, recurrent stomatitis, vesicular stomatitis, chickenpox, hand foot and mouth disease (enterovirus), bacteria, fungi, gastrointestinal diseases, autoimmune disease, etc… Oral ulcers may easily relapse but will usually heal within 5-10 days without leaving a scar.
- Oral ulcer care：
- Make observation of the changes of the oral ulcers at least once everyday.
- Practice good oral hygiene. Use a soft toothbrush or a gauze wrapped on a popsicle stick and clean the mouth and teeth with normal saline or boiled water. This will help promote wound healing and prevent bad breath from bacterial growth.
- Drink or gurgle directly from a cup instead of a straw to avoid contact pain from the straw or wound irritation from sucking motion.
- A cool soft diet will temporarily paralyze the pain sensors in the mouth to help facilitate swallowing. Try ice cream, yogurt, jelly, cold drinks, or flan. Avoid strong flavored or stimulating foods that are sour, spicy, bitter, or too sweet.
- Try lip balms or vaseline to moisten the lips.
- Eat frequent small meals. Do not force feed.
- Always practice good hygiene. Gently wipe off drool with wet towelette. Always wash your hands before and after touching your child.
- Oral drug application：
- If prescribed, use the oral anti-inflammatory spray 30 minutes before eating.
- When applying oral cream, gently dab a small amount of the cream with a small spatula or Q-tip on the affected areas. Do not rub as it may cause painful irritation.
- Rest and drink lots of water.
- Do not wear too heavy clothing or bundle in thick blankets. Change clothes, blankets, or sheets if they get wet.
- Maintain normal room temperature.
- Take drugs as instructed by the physician.
- Take temperature every four hours.
- If axillary temperature is over 38℃, take a warm bath (water temperature 30~34℃) will help reduce body temperature. Dry with towel. Do not rub with towel as it may increase body temperature.
- Ice pillows may be used if there is no chills.
- Please see a doctor if there is persistent high fever despite appropriate fever medication use, thick yellow sputum, or difficulty breathing.
- Return to emergency room as soon as possible if there is persisted high fever with skin rash, conjunctivitis or white spots in the mouth after discharge.
- Be aware of the consciousness of the patient and inform the medical staff if there is any abnormal changes.
- Observe for any worsening of limb weakness.
- There may be irregularities in bowel and bladder function. Regularly ask the patient if he/she needs to go and help the patient to the toilet to prevent falls and slips. Check the diaper every 2-3 hour if using.
- For patient who cannot voluntarily move, reposition the patient every 2 hours to prevent pressure sores.
- Patient should sit in a semi-reclined position when eating. A soft diet is suggested. Take food from the unaffected side of the mouth. Stop eating or feeding the patient if there is any choking or coughing during the swallowing process.
- Patient should wear comfortable, changeable and easy to wash clothes. When dressing, start from the affected side. When undressing, start from the unaffected side.
- Do not feed the patient if there is vomiting or he/she is feeling nauseous. Allow the patient to sit quietly or rest lying on the side and inform the medical staff.
- When vomiting, please turn the body and the head to one side to prevent the patient from choking on his/her own vomitus.
- Wash the patient’s mouth if he/she is awake and cooperative. Practice good hygiene and change clothes, sheets, and blankets if there is vomitus on them.
- Inform the medical staff if there is persistent vomiting in equal or increasing amount, or if the vomitus contains coffee-ground like material or blood.
- Stop eating for a while. Start with liquid diet such as, water, juice, diluted sports drink, or congee once the doctor clears the patient for oral intake.
- Take the medicine as instructed by the physician and follow-up as scheduled.
- Return to the emergency department if there are following symptoms：
- Persistent vomiting despite medication
- Coffee-like or red vomitus
- Severe abdominal pain
- Loss or change of consciousness
- Other serious complications
- Bed rest and adequate sleep. Consider resting with the head in a elevated position with one or two more pillows. Take medicine as instructed by doctor.
- Try to relax and decrease stress.
- There are many causes of headache and some causes are still unknown. Return to the outpatient clinic for further follow-up.
- Return to the emergency department if there are following symptoms：
- Blurred vision or double vision
- One-sided limb weakness/numbness/pain
- Neck stiffness
- Fever up to or over 39’C
- Persistent vomiting
- Loss or change of consciousness
- Do not change posture suddenly during active dizziness or vertigo. Sit quietly for 10 to 15 minutes before getting up or until there is no more discomfort. Use bedpan on the bed if necessary.
- If dizziness or vertigo is aggravated when standing up, squat down or lie down immediately to prevent falling.
- Stop eating if there is any nausea or vomiting.
- Rest and relax.
- Take the medicine as instructed by the physician and follow-up as scheduled.
- Return to the emergency room as soon as possible if the dizziness or vertigo is accompanied with unsteady gait or stance, limbs paralysis, swallowing difficulties, double vision, or even change of consciousness.