The common cold starts in the nose where a cold virus (mostly rhinovirus) causes the infection. There are over 100 various viruses. Through the nose the virus spreads to the throat, sinuses, ears, and bronchial tubes, depending on the virus. A cold can develop in only ten hours. After 48 hours the symptoms usually improve as the body recovers and forms antibodies to fight the virus.

During the fist three days of the symptoms an infected person is most contagious. A regular cold usually lasts for up to a week, in severe cases up to 2 weeks.

Did you know that there are over 60 million cases of the common colds in the US every year?

On average, adults catch a cold 2-3 times a year, children up to ten times a year.

Symptoms

-          Chilliness

-          Sneezing

-          Runny/ stuffed nose

-          Sore throat/ hoarseness

-          Cough

-          Fever

-          Headache

-          Fatigue

The symptoms of a cold are caused by the body itself in order to protect the body.

The immune system contains various inflammatory mediators. One of them is called histamine. A lot of medications contain anti-histamines to suppress the symptoms that this inflammatory mediator causes as for example mucus secretion and activation of sneeze and cough reflexes. Those mechanisms all try to transport the virus out of the body. The mucus is virtually “cleaning” the nasal passages and sinuses keeping them moist to protect them.

Ways to prevent colds

During flu season it seems to be almost impossible to prevent a cold. Indeed, if the body is surrounded by viruses it can really become hard to avoid an infection. However, there are some ways to possibly prevent an infection.

-          Wash your hands with antibacterial soap. Soaps in general do not inactivate but certainly remove the virus.

-          Do not touch your nose or eyes

-          Stay away from infected people, especially young children.

-          Strengthen your immune system with vitamins

-          Get enough sleep and lower stress

-          Keep hands and feet warm

-          Manuka Honey

Common Cold and Flu

Many people confuse colds with the flu (influenza). Additional to the symptoms of colds, the flu also brings sore muscles, fever and a severe cough and sore throat. The flu in general weakens the body so much that we are not able to leave the house or work. People suffering from the flu prefer to stay in bed.

Bacterial infections often follow the flu or colds. Many colds cause secondary bacterial infections such as sinusitis, tonsillitis or bronchitis. Usually, if a flu lasts over two weeks and is not getting better, this can be a sign of a lingering bacterial infection. In this case see your doctor to discuss the possible need of antibiotics.

During flu season (between November and March) people often expect relief from antibiotics. Many people are not aware, that antibiotics do not work for the flu, since the flu is caused by a virus.

It is true that a virus weakens the immune system and therefore makes the body more prone to become infected also by bacteria. Still, it is not a good idea to take antibiotics for the flu or colds just to prevent a bacterial infection. Antibiotics generally harm our bodies. Also, the bacteria can develop antibiotic resistance.

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