Dr Oz did a segment called “Super Infections: When the Common Cold Can Kill.” When you are miserable from a cold and have a sore throat or drippy nose, did you know that you are at an elevated risk for getting a Super Infection? Doctor Oz said that there are around 200 cold viruses we can catch, and when your body’s immune system is fighting off colds with white cells, b cells and t cells, you are at a higher risk for Super Infections including Pneumonia, Strep Throat, Sinusitis, Ear Infections and Asthma. How can you stop the common cold from making a jump to a super infection? 
Dr Oz said that a Super Infection is a second infection that strikes while your body is fighting off the first infection like a cold. Super infections can take over and make you very sick because your white blood cells and immune system is already preoccupied with the first basic cold. Dr Leigh Vinocur joined Dr Oz and said that if you get a high fever, start to feel sicker or get terrible sinus pain, it could be a bacterial infection on top of the virus. Dr Oz asked Dr Allison Aiello why some people get a cold and recover quickly, while others get colds that turn into super viruses. Aiello said that some otherwise healthy people still get super infections caused by bacteria that lead to serious illness or fatality (like H1N1).
Dr Oz said that when you breathe in germs, they go to your lungs and lymph nodes, where immune cells grab onto the germs and stop them. However, since your immune cells are busy with the germs, super infections are able to make their way into your body easier.
Pneumonia: Worst Place to Get Super Infections: Lungs
Dr Oz showed a normal pair of lungs which are brown in color and somewhat soft. When lungs are damaged with Pneumonia, they become white in color, turn hard, and get water logged. Signs on pneumonia include a fever, shortness of breath, shaking chills and coughing. You should go to the ER if you experience shortness of breath, blue lips or blue fingernails.
Strep Throat: Most Common Place to Get Super Infections: Throat
Dr Oz said that super infections in the throat can start off looking benign. You can sometimes see on the tonsils in the back of your throat some white material, which is puss draining from the lymph nodes. This is a sign of Strep Throat. Signs of Strep Throat include difficulty swallowing, fever, headaches, swollen lymp nodes and throat pain. You treat Strep Throat with antibiotics, but if you do not treat it quickly or correctly, you can develop dangerous throat abscesses, which you may recognize if you start not being able to talk correctly.
Sinus Infection Symptoms
Dr Oz said that Sinus Infections are another super infection and the symptoms of sinus infections include green discharge, headache and fever. You will also notice pain if you push on the sinus areas. You must get antibiotics to treat sinus infections. If a sinus infection is not treated, it can turn into a brain abscess which becomes much harder to treat.
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