Traveling and Colds

Doesn't it feel like you have the worst luck sometimes? You're feeling healthy, strong and ready for your next business trip. You make it through the long flight and the first day of meetings. And then you wake up the next morning, congested, coughing and sneezing. Your head is pounding and the last thing you want to do is get out of bed. Yep, you caught a cold.

There's not much worse than being sick while you're traveling, whether your trip is for business or pleasure. You don't want to miss out on the vacation of a lifetime, nor do you want to jeopardize a big meeting with clients.

So what can you do? Of course, you should do everything you can do avoid getting sick in the first place. The best way to do that is simple, according to Dr. Mark Roberts, an occupational medicine specialist and former medical director for several Fortune 500 companies.

"Do what your mother taught you," he advises. "Use tissues and dispose of them properly. Keep your hands away from your mouth. Have as much space as possible between you and the next person on the plane."

Also, stick to your normal routine. "When you start traveling, it's easier to get away from that routine. You eat different foods, your sleeping patterns might change," Roberts says. When you change your routine, you might experience adverse health effects. So, don't drink or eat more than you normally do -- and make sure to get a good night's rest.

And of course, the cardinal rule in preventing sickness, wash your hands thoroughly and often.

Unfornately, air travel makes it hard to stay healthy sometimes. "There's a lot of people in small places," Roberts says. "The opportunity to share influenza and cold viruses is very common."

Even if you take all the possible precautions, you can still get sick. Roberts says that there are a few over-the-counter medications every traveler should have handy.

- Headache medication. Advil, aspirin, Tylenol are common examples. "Make sure it's whatever you normally take for headaches. Some medications can have adverse effects, so make sure it's something you've taken before."

- Antihistamine. Your basic cold medication. Again, make sure it's a medication you've used (and one that has worked) before. "Make sure to read the fine print, because some antihistamines can cause drowsiness, which means you might not be in tip-top shape to make a presentation." Also, don't take more than the recommended dose.

Soothing Your Sore Throat

Got a sore throat? It's not uncommon this time of year. Most sore throats are caused by a viral infection and accompany a cold or the flu. The sore throat caused by a virus usually goes away on its own after about a week.

Occasionally, a sore throat is caused by a bacterial infection -- usually strep (streptococcal). Strep throat may cause a painful throat, swollen lymph glands, fever or headaches, but usually doesn't cause the cough, congestion or hoarseness of viral infections. Strep throat requires antibiotics. Your doctor can determine if you have a viral or a bacterial infection by swabbing the back of your throat and culturing the cells for bacteria.

The March issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter offers self-care tips to ease sore throat:

• Get plenty of rest.
• Double fluid intake.
• Gargle, but don't swallow, a glass of warm water mixed with ½ teaspoon salt.
• Use throat sprays or lozenges.
• Eat foods that are gentle on your throat, such as ice cream, sorbet or soup.
• Take pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others).
• Wear a face mask to keep the air that you breathe moist.

Looks Like Mom Might Have Right All Along

Mothers and grandmothers have long warned that chilling the surface of the body, through wet clothes, feet and hair, causes common cold symptoms to develop.

But much previous research has dismissed any link between chilling and viral infection as having no scientific basis.

Now researchers in Cardiff, Wales, say they can prove drops in temperature to the body really can cause a cold to develop. (Watch what they did to 'chill' people in the study -- 3:24)

Claire Johnson and Professor Ron Eccles, from Cardiff University's Common Cold Center, recruited 180 volunteers, half of whom they got to immerse their feet in ice and cold water for 20 minutes.

The other 90 in tests during the common cold "season" sat with their feet in an empty bowl.

During the next four or five days, almost a third (29 percent) of the chilled volunteers developed cold symptoms -- compared to just 9 percent in the control group, the scientists said.

Professor Eccles said there was a simple explanation as to why chilly feet could lead to the development of cold virus symptoms.

"When colds are circulating in the community many people are mildly infected but show no symptoms," he said, according to the UK's Press Association.

"If they become chilled this causes a pronounced constriction of the blood vessels in the nose and shuts off the warm blood that supplies the white cells that fight infection.

"The reduced defences in the nose allow the virus to get stronger and common cold symptoms develop.

"Although the chilled subject believes they have `caught a cold' what has in fact happened is that the dormant infection has taken hold."

The researchers, writing in the UK medical journal Family Practice, said that common colds were more prevalent in the winter than the summer, and this could be related to an increased incidence of chilling causing more clinical colds.

But they also suggested that another explanation could be that our noses are colder in the winter.

Professor Eccles added: "A cold nose may be one of the major factors that causes common colds to be seasonal.

"When the cold weather comes we wrap ourselves up in winter coats to keep warm but our nose is directly exposed to the cold air.

"Cooling of the nose slows down clearance of viruses from the nose and slows down the white cells that fight infection.

"Mothers can now be confident in their advice to children to wrap up well in winter."

Cardiff's Common Cold Center says it is the world's only center dedicated to researching and testing new medicines for the treatment of flu and the common cold.

Source: CNN

That Rotten, Stinking Cold - Chicken Soup Comfort

Doctors Test Chicken Soup--Don't Laugh
Is this a laughing matter? We couldn't restrain a chuckle or two. In the medical journal Chest, vol. 118, 2000, a group of physicians* not only revealed that chicken soup worked on experimental cold symptoms--but actually came up with a list of brands that were graded for presumed effectiveness. And even more--they provided a recipe!

They also noted that it was an anti-inflammatory factor or factors from the chicken that caused cold symptoms. Popular belief is that cold symptoms are caused by the organism (bacteria or virus.) What they revealed is that the runny nose, the sneezing, the headaches, are caused by the body's attempt to fight the invader, not the invader itself.

Though they did not attempt to test aspirin as an anti-inflammatory remedy, it would seem that it too could be launched in the fight against colds. Yes, it sometimes is. But perhaps it could be taken even if a headache was not present?

They also found that the vegetables cooked with the soup also had cold symptom benefits, that is, separate from the chicken. Both together were of course, superior.

Store-bought chicken soup:
Listed in order of presumed effectiveness:

Knorr's Chicken Flavor Chicken Noodle
Campbell's Home Cookin' Chicken Vegetable
Campbell's Healthy Request Chicken Noodle
Lipton's Cup-o-soup, Chicken Noodle
Progresso Chicken Noodle.
Other brands, including some of Campbell's, were less effective.

Here's the recipe. More work of course, but you can cut the excessive use of salt found in store-bought types:

1 5-to 6-lb stewing hen or baking chicken,
1 package of chicken wings,
3 large onions,
l large sweet potato,
3 parsnips,
2 turnips,
11 to 12 large carrots,
5 to 6 celery stems,
1 bunch of parsley,
salt and pepper to taste.

Cover the chicken with cold water, and bring it to boiling. Add chicken wings, onions, sweet potato, parsnips, turnips and carrots. Boil about 1 1/2 hours, removing fat regularly. Add the parsley and celery. Cook all about 45 minutes longer. Remove the chicken, which is no longer used for the soup. Put the vegetables in a food processor until chopped fine or pass them through a strainer. Add salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

*Drs. B. Rennard, Ertl, Gossman, Robbins and S. I. Rennard.

It's Not Just You, Everyone Does Have A Cold Right Now

Achy head? Stuffed up nose? Slight fever? Too congested to sleep and to tired to go to work or school? No, it's not allergies, you have a cold and, it seems like everyone around you does too. No, you're not alone, colds are in full swing right now.

Myth 1:

The greatest myth about the common cold is that susceptibility to colds requires a weakened immune system.

Facts:

1. Healthy people with normal immune systems are highly susceptible to cold virus infection once the virus enters the nose. In volunteers studies, approximately 95% of normal adults became infected when virus was dropped into the nose (72, also see How Cold Virus Infection Occurs). 2. Of people who become infected, only 75% develop symptoms with a cold. (5, 72) The other 25% have virus growing in the nose but have no symptoms. They have an "asymptomatic infection". 3. Why people sometimes become infected but do not develop cold symptoms is a mystery. One clue is that in such instances the person may not be producing the normal amount of certain inflammatory mediators, the natural body chemicals which cause cold symptoms (2, also see What Causes Cold Symptoms). If this theory is correct, then people with active immune systems may be more prone to developing cold symptoms than people with less active immune systems!

Myth 2:

Central heating dries the mucus membranes of the nose and makes a person more susceptible to catching a cold.

Facts:

1. As discussed above, a cold virus does not need the help of dry mucus membranes to initiate a cold once it enters the nose (72, also see How Cold Virus Infection Occurs). 2. The nasal mucus membrane is very resistant to the effects of low humidity. Volunteers placed in chambers where the humidity was dramatically lowered (9% relative humidity, such as found in a desert) still have normal clearance function of the nasal mucus membrane. (73, 74) Low humidity makes the nose feel dry but the mucus membrane still continues to work normally. 3. The cold season in the United States typically begins in late August and early September at a time when temperatures are still moderate and central heating is not being used. (74, 75) September is the time of a major common cold epidemic despite people not being exposed to the drying effects of central heating.

Myth 3:	Becoming cold or chilled leads to catching a cold.
Facts:	1. As discussed above, almost everybody becomes infected whether they are chilled or not, if cold virus is dropped into the nose. (72) 2. One study has looked at this question. It was found that colds were no more frequent or severe in volunteers who were chilled than those who were not. (76)

Myth 4:

Having cold symptoms is good for you because they help you get over a cold, therefore you should not treat a cold.

Facts:

1. Approximately 25% of people who get a cold virus infection do not develop symptoms and yet they get over the infection as well as people who do have symptoms (5, 72, also see How Virus Infection Occurs). 2. The nose can only respond to irritative events such as a cold virus infection or dust or pollen entering the nose in a limited number of ways. Sneezing and nasal secretions are useful in removing dust and pollen from the nose but do not eliminate cold viruses since the virus is multiplying inside the nasal cells where it is safe. 3. Nose blowing propels nasal secretions into the sinus cavity. (41) Nasal secretions contain viruses, bacteria, and inflammatory mediators all of which are able to produce inflammation in the sinus cavity. This may lead to secondary bacterial infection. 4. Nose blowing, sneezing, and coughing benefit the virus by helping spread it to other people (see How Colds are Spread). 5. Commercially available and FDA approved cold treatments are safe and effective (see Treatment). It makes sense to use them because they benefit the cold sufferer and may help prevent the spread of colds.

Myth 5:	Drinking milk causes increased nasal mucus during a cold.
Facts:	1. Milk and mucus may look alike, but milk is digested like any other protein and is not specifically converted into nasal mucus. 2. An Australian study was actually done in volunteers to address this question. (77) It showed that people drinking lots of milk had no more nasal mucus than those not drinking milk.

Myth 6:	You should feed a cold (and starve a fever).
Facts:	1. The origin of this old saying is obscure. There is no scientific evidence that excess eating will cure a cold. 2. On the other hand, eating tasty food will not make a cold worse and may help the cold victim feel better. Commoncold.org features tasty recipes for the cold sufferer.

Feel better!

Oh That Runny Nose!!

Runny nose or stuffy nose? Here's what to do

From MayoClinic.com
Special to CNN.com

You might have a runny or stuffy nose because of a cold, the flu, seasonal allergies — even stress. If so, your nose problem will probably clear on its own. Here are some tips to help you breathe more easily until it does.

Runny nose: Where does all that mucus come from?

Glands in your nose and sinuses continually produce mucus — as much as 1 to 2 quarts a day. The mucus cleans and moisturizes your nasal membranes and helps fight infection. You're probably not aware of this until your body steps up mucus production, usually in an effort to clear cold or flu viruses or allergens from your nasal passages. Cold temperatures, spicy food and hormonal changes also can trigger a runny nose.

Is it serious?
A runny nose is usually just an annoyance. But it can be a sign of a more serious problem. See your doctor if:

• Your symptoms last more than three weeks, or you have a fever along with your runny nose.
• Your nasal discharge is thick, green or yellow in color, and accompanied by sinus pain. This may be a sign of a bacterial infection.
• Your nose is persistently runny on one side only. In a child, this might be a sign that a small object is lodged in that nostril.
• You have blood in your nasal discharge or a persistent clear discharge after a head injury.
• You have asthma or emphysema, or you're on immune-suppressing medications.

What will help?
Gentle blowing is often the only treatment you need for a runny nose. But if the discharge is persistent and watery, an over-the-counter antihistamine may be helpful, especially if your runny nose is allergy related. Be sure to follow the label instructions exactly. Some antihistamines make you drowsy and can interact with other medications and alcohol. And by slowing the flow of mucus, they cause germs to stay in your nasal passages longer.

For babies and small children, use a soft rubber suction bulb to gently remove the secretions. Don't give antihistamines to children unless your doctor recommends them.

Postnasal drip: Common companion to a runny nose

The mucus your nose produces travels in a thin film down the back of your throat. It traps allergens and germs and disposes of them through your digestive system. Normally, you swallow the mucus without knowing it. But when there's more mucus than usual, you may feel the postnasal drip accumulating in the back of your throat.

What will help?
In addition to being uncomfortable, postnasal drip can cause a cough, sore throat or constant throat clearing. To help relieve these symptoms:

• Avoid irritants. Common irritants that may stimulate mucus production include cigarette smoke and sudden temperature changes — going from extreme heat into air conditioning, for instance.
• Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated keeps your postnasal mucus thin and easier to swallow.
• Use a humidifier. Dry air thickens and dries mucus in your nose and throat.
• Try saline sprays or rinses. Saltwater rinses and saline sprays thin your mucus and get rid of irritants. You can buy saline nasal sprays in most drugstores. Or you can make your own. Dissolve about 1/4 teaspoon salt in 2 cups of warm distilled water. Use a suction bulb to place the solution in your nose or put some of the warm salt water in the cup of your hand, and then sniff it up, one nostril at a time.
• See your doctor. If the problem persists and other measures don't help, see your doctor for other options.

Stuffy nose: When nasal passages close up

A stuffy nose can be just as uncomfortable as a runny one, and often the causes are the same: a cold or the flu; allergies to dust, pollen or pet dander; or a nonallergic inflammation of your nasal blood vessels (vasomotor rhinitis). This occurs when the blood vessels in your nose expand in response to exercise, cold air, spicy food, even stress. A number of medications also can dry out your nose and throat, including:

• Diuretics
• Anti-anxiety medications
• Birth control pills and erectile dysfunction medications such as Viagra
• Beta blockers
• Nasal decongestants, especially when used for more than a few days

Less often, a stuffy nose may result from a deformity in the bony partition separating your two nasal chambers (nasal septum) or a growth in your nasal passage, such as a nasal polyp.

Is it serious?
Although nasal congestion is just an annoyance for most older children and adults, it can be serious in infants. Babies who are congested in the first months of life have trouble nursing and can experience breathing problems. If your child is younger than 3 months, call your doctor at the first sign of illness. You can usually treat an older baby's stuffy nose by giving plenty of fluids, moistening the air in your home, suctioning the baby's nose and using a saline nasal spray or homemade nasal wash.

What will help?
Try these measures to relieve your stuffy nose:

• Steam. One of the simplest ways to break up congestion is to inhale steam from a hot shower or a kettle of boiling water. Bring 4 to 6 cups of water to a boil, then make a tent over your head with a bath towel to concentrate the steam. Adding 3 drops of eucalyptus oil to the water may provide even more benefit. Be patient; it may take 10 to 15 minutes for this method to work.
• Fluids. Drink plenty of liquids, such as water, juice or tea to help thin mucus. Avoid caffeinated beverages, which can cause dehydration and aggravate your symptoms.
• Chicken soup. Lots of soups are soothing, but chicken soup has been shown to speed the movement of mucus through the nasal passages. This helps relieve congestion and limit the amount of time viruses are in contact with the nasal lining.
• Salt water. Use an over-the-counter nasal saline spray or prepare your own saltwater solution. Both can be extremely effective at relieving congestion.
• Breathing strips. Most drugstores and some supermarkets sell adhesive strips that you place across the bridge of your nose. These strips open the nasal passages, allowing you to breathe more freely.
• Decongestants. Beware of over-the-counter decongestants. If used for more than 2 or 3 days, they can actually make congestion worse. All decongestants — oral or topical — may have a stimulant effect and raise blood pressure in some people. Children shouldn't use them at all; there's no evidence that they work in children, and they can have serious side effects. Gentler options such as steam, nasal rinses and breathing strips are more effective and don't have side effects.

Is It A Cold Or Is It The Flu?

What is the difference between a cold and the flu?

The flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses but they are caused by different viruses. Because these two types of illnesses have similar flu-like symptoms, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. In general, the flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough are more common and intense. Colds are usually milder than the flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations.

How can you tell the difference between a cold and the flu?

Because colds and flu share many symptoms, it can be difficult (or even impossible) to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. Special tests that usually must be done within the first few days of illness can be carried out, when needed to tell if a person has the flu.

What are the symptoms of the flu versus the symptoms of a cold?

In general, the flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough are more common and intense. Colds are usually milder than the flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations.

Odds are you'll catch a cold soon, if you haven't already this season: The average American adult catches about two to four a year. Children get between five and nine each year with preschoolers the most susceptible, according to the Mayo Clinic, based in Rochester, Minnesota.

Flu, while less common, is more severe. On average, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized yearly with influenza and flu-related complications. As many as 36,000 Americans die each year from complications of the flu, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.

This year's flu season is off to a slow start. The CDC reports sporadic cases, or none at all, around most of the nation. But the situation can quickly change, says one expert.

"Sometimes, things will start in October or November and then other times we don't see activity until January and February," says Dr. Joe Dalovisio, chairman of the infectious disease group at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans, Louisiana. "It's just not predictable."

Cold vs. flu

Determining if you have the flu or just a bad cold is the first step in treatment, Dalovisio says.

A cold often includes a runny nose, sneezing and coughing; the flu usually features those same symptoms, but more severe, along with fever, more coughing and more muscle aches, according to Dalovisio. Both come with a feeling of exhaustion.

"Frequently, it's not the issue of 'Can I make it to work?'" he explains. "But 'I can't go to work.' You're just so sick."

Castelli knew she had caught something beyond a cold after her symptoms worsened.

"I know my cold inside and out. I get it two or three times a year. It will be over in a week," she said. "I knew this wasn't a normal cold when the week had passed and I still felt horrible. ... There were about five days where I couldn't even get out of bed."

People who come down with the flu can take prescription medications to reduce the time they're sick -- but only if taken within 48 hours of the first symptom's appearance, according to the American Lung Association. The medicines oseltamivir, zanamivir, amantadine and rimantadine (sold under the brand names Tamiflu, Relenza, Symmetrel and Flumadine, respectively) can lessen flu's severity and length by at least a day, depending on the strain of the flu.

Otherwise, doctors recommend basic treatments for colds and flus: bed rest, plenty of fluids, aspirin or acetaminophen for fevers and headaches and over-the-counter medication to temporarily relieve symptoms.

No conclusive evidence exists to show herbal remedies or homemade cures help speed up the healing process. But Dalovisio said if mom's chicken soup or doses of zinc make a patient feel nurtured, then it's helpful.

Andrea Buhr of Marietta, Georgia, agrees. If she or her sons get sick, Buhr says, certain comforting treatments are always on hand to stifle runny noses and soothe sore throats.

"[We] like chicken soup, tea with honey and lemon, cough drops -- and packs and packs of soft tissue."

Prevention is key

The best treatment, Dalovisio says, is prevention. Simple steps can help stave off the worst of the cold and flu season.

Although there is no vaccine for the common cold, the flu vaccine is one of the top weapons against influenza. A flu vaccine shortage this year, however, will prevent many from taking that step. Heath officials advise only those in high-risk groups to get the vaccine. (Vaccine shortage a global crisis, Why no cure for the common cold?)

But there is still plenty that the average person can do to ward off germs.

Over-the-counter medicines can relieve symptoms of the cold and flu, but doctors also recommend plenty of rest.

"Most cold and flu viruses are spread by hand-to-mouth type [contact] rather than airborne," Dalovisio says. He advises avoiding crowded situations like cocktail or office parties if you really want to avoid colds.

"[At these events,] you shake hands, then you eat your chip and dip, and then you shake somebody else's hand. It's the perfect scenario to get sick," he says. But he doesn't mean to scare people into becoming a recluse, he adds.

Good, old-fashioned hand-washing is also one of the best preventative measures a person can take.

"People ask me, 'As an infectious disease doctor, don't you get sick a lot?'" he explains. "And I tell them: 'No, I don't' because I wash my hands before and after every patient.'"

Buhr has instilled the hand-washing habit in her sons, calling that one of the reasons the family doesn't get sick very often. During cold and flu season, "I really step up the hand-washing routine reminders," she says.

Cleaning a desk at work, school or home may also eliminate lurking germs. Rhinoviruses that cause colds can survive up to three hours, so cleaning surfaces with disinfectant may help stop infections, according to the National Institutes of Health. (Is your desk making you sick?)

And if you do get sick, experts say don't play the martyr and come into work -- if you do, you'll only make everyone around you miserable, too.

"Unfortunately, there are some people who will try to go to work with the flu and spread it around," Dalovisio says.

Common sense precautions are simple, but they may mean the difference between spending weeks sick in bed or sailing through the cold and flu season without a sniffle.

Escape the Common Cold with a Caribbean Cruise

As I continue battle against a raging head and chest cold, caught at work, I thought I would share this with you if a cruise is just what your doctor ordered.

Cruise Freek Forums Announce Cruise Quotes

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ACHOOOOO - The Contagious Cold

Sooner or later everybody catches a cold. Colds are caused by more than 200 different viruses. These viruses are spread by person-to-person contact through contaminated secretions on the fingers and hands, and through particles in the air from sneezing and coughing.

As long as the virus is present in nasal discharges, the cold is contagious. Scientists believe that there is more live virus present in nasal secretions between the second and fourth days of infection, so you could say that a person is more contagious during this time period. Symptoms usually begin around the second day, but this can vary. Some people never have symptoms, even though an infection is present. Some people do not develop symptoms until the fifth day after infection. No one can explain this variation and it is one of the things that make it difficult to find what to take to stop a common cold. Some people have symptoms for only a couple of days; others for a couple of weeks. Experts advise that if symptoms are present for longer than two weeks, there may be another cause, such as allergy or a bacterial infection.

The Holidays Are Coming and So Are Colds

Contagious Christmas cheer

Holiday bussing and hugging leads to colds

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

By Steve Levin, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Are your co-workers out with colds this holiday week?

Are family members sniffling and sneezing after visits from relatives?

The best thing you can do is be happy, wash your hands and, well, avoid people.

"There are plenty of germs out there that people can get as they circulate," said Dave Zazac, a spokesman with the Allegheny County Health Department. "In the general course of holiday greeting and meeting, people are going to get sick."

More than 200 viruses that can give you a cold are out in force during winter. All the holiday bussing and hugging are reasons that Americans suffer 1 billion colds annually.

Mr. Zazac said there was no cold epidemic sweeping the county, although the first flu case of the season -- Type A influenza -- was reported last week.

But it doesn't take a lot of imagination to imagine desks, tabletops, utensils or furniture on which people have sneezed or coughed. Those viruses can travel 3 feet, Mr. Zazac said, and some can live on surfaces for hours.

"That's where proper hand washing, personal hygiene, and environmental cleaning and disinfection can come into play to break the chain of transmission from germs to people," he said.

Ample supplies of flu vaccines are still available at the county's Health Department Clinic to help protect against the three strains of influenza virus expected to circulate this winter. The shots are a covered benefit for some Medicare recipients.

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, adults average two to four colds a year; school-age children can have as many as 12 annually. Women, particularly those between the ages of 20 and 30, have more colds than men, possibly from their closer contact with children. People older than 60 usually average less than one cold per year.

The institute reports that colds in the U.S. are more common in fall and winter because of the opening of schools and the fact that during inclement weather people stay indoors, increasing the chances that germs will be exchanged along with holiday gifts.

Plus, the most common cold-causing viruses survive best in low humidity, which is during the colder months.

While there's general agreement that personal hygiene -- hand washing, the avoidance of touching your nose, eyes and mouth, and covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing -- can go a long way toward preventing colds, help can come from elsewhere.

According to Ayurvedic medicine, there are immunity-boosting foods that can bolster cold-season health. These include fresh, organic and easily digestible foods such as organic milk and yogurt, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and ghee, or clarified butter.

Ayurvedically speaking, sweet, sour and salty tastes are better for the body's winter balance than astringent, bitter and pungent flavors, although all six should be included in diets.

If diet and personal hygiene are too much bother, staying in a good mood could be the final bulwark against a cold.

A study by Carnegie Mellon University health psychologist Sheldon Cohen in the November/December issue of "Psychosomatic Medicine" replicated his 2003 research that found people who displayed generally positive outlooks had a greater resistance to developing colds that those who were rarely upbeat.

His research showed enhanced regulation of interleukin-6, an infection-fighting substance, by people with positive emotional styles. Those styles were identified by Dr. Cohen as traits of high self-esteem, extroversion, optimism and a feeling of mastery over one's life.

Left unsaid in the study was how insufferable those people can be around others who have colds.

First published on December 27, 2006 at 12:00 am

Steve Levin can be reached at slevin@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1919.

How Long Cold Germs Survive

Yes I'm home in bed nursing a miserable cold. Caught it at work and it's very bad one.

Cold and flu germs: How long can they survive outside the body?

The length of time that cold and flu viruses can survive outside the body on an environmental surface varies greatly. But the suspected range is from a few seconds up to 48 hours, depending on the specific virus and the type of surface.

Flu viruses tend to live longer on surfaces than cold viruses. Also, it is generally believed that cold and flu viruses survive for longer periods on nonporous surfaces — such as plastic, metal or wood — than they do on porous surfaces — such as fabric or paper.

Although cold and flu viruses primarily spread from person-to-person contact, they can also spread from contact with contaminated objects or surfaces. The best way to avoid becoming infected with the cold or flu virus is to wash your hands frequently with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Other tips for staying healthy during cold and flu season include:

• Get a flu shot. This is the one of the most effective ways to prevent influenza.
• Regularly clean your desk, phone and computer keyboard and mouse — at home and at the office — with disinfectant sprays or wipes.
• Stay home if you're sick. Don't expose others to your germs by dragging yourself to the office, theater or PTA meeting.

Cold, The Weather, School and How Colds Are Passed Around

Sneezing, scratchy throat, runny nose—everyone knows the first signs of a cold, probably the most common illness known. Although the common cold is usually mild, with symptoms lasting a week or less, it is a leading cause of doctor visits and of school and job absenteeism.

The Problem

In the course of a year, individuals in the United States suffer 1 billion colds, according to some estimates.

Colds are most prevalent among children, and seem to be related to youngsters' relative lack of resistance to infection and to contacts with other children in day-care centers and schools. Children have about six to ten colds a year. In families with children in school, the number of colds per child can be as high as 12 a year. Adults average about two to four colds a year, although the range varies widely. Women, especially those aged 20 to 30 years, have more colds than men, possibly because of their closer contact with children. On average, individuals older than 60 have fewer than one cold a year.

The economic impact of the common cold is enormous. The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) estimates that, in 1994, 66 million cases of the common cold in the United States required medical attention or resulted in restricted activity. In 1994, colds caused 24 million days of restricted activity and 20 million days lost from school, according to NCHS.

The Causes

The Viruses. More than 200 different viruses are known to cause the symptoms of the common cold. Some, such as the rhinoviruses, seldom produce serious illnesses. Others, such as parainfluenza and respiratory syncytial virus, produce mild infections in adults but can precipitate severe lower respiratory infections in young children.

Rhinoviruses (from the Greek rhin, meaning "nose") cause an estimated 30 to 35 percent of all adult colds, and are most active in early fall, spring and summer. More than 110 distinct rhinovirus types have been identified. These agents grow best at temperatures of 33 degrees Celsius [about 91 degrees Fahrenheit (F)], the temperature of the human

nasal mucosa.

Coronaviruses are believed to cause a large percentage of all adult colds. They induce colds primarily in the winter and early spring. Of the more than 30 isolated strains, three or four infect humans. The importance of coronaviruses as causative agents is hard to assess because, unlike rhinoviruses, they are difficult to grow in the laboratory.

Approximately 10 to 15 percent of adult colds are caused by viruses also responsible for other, more severe illnesses: adenoviruses, coxsackieviruses, echoviruses, orthomyxoviruses (including influenza A and B viruses), paramyxoviruses (including several parainfluenza viruses), respiratory syncy

tial virus and enteroviruses.

The causes of 30 to 50 percent of adult colds, presumed to be viral, remain unidentified. The same viruses that produce colds in adults appear to cause colds in children. The relative importance of various viruses in pediatric colds, however, is unclear because of the difficulty in isolating the precise cause of symptoms in studie

s of children with colds.

Does cold weather cause a cold? Although many people are convinced that a cold results from exposure to cold weather, or from getting chilled or overheated, NIAID grantees have found that these conditions have little or no effect on the development or severity of a cold. Nor is susceptibility apparently related to factors such as exercise, diet, or enlarged tonsils or adenoids. On the other hand, research suggests that psychological stress, allergic disorders affecting the nasal passages or pharynx (throat), and menstrual cycles may have an impact on a person's susceptibility to colds.

The Cold Season

In the United States, most colds occur during the fall and winter. Beg

inning in late August or early September, the incidence of colds increases slowly for a few weeks and remains high until March or April, when it declines. The seasonal variation may relate to the opening of schools and to cold weather, which prompt people to spend more time indoors and increase the chances that viruses will spread from person to person.

Seasonal changes in relative humidity also may affect the prevalence of colds. The most common cold-causing viruses survive better when humidity is low—the colder months of the year. Cold weather also may make the nasal passages' lining drier and more vulnerable to viral infection.

Cold Symptoms

Symptoms of the common cold usually begin two to three days after infection and often include nasal discharge, obstruction of nasal breathing, swelling of the sinus membranes, sneezing, sore throat, cough, and headache. Fever is usually slight but can climb to 102^o F in infants and young children. Cold symptoms can last from two to 14 days, but two-thirds of people recover in a week. If symptoms occur often or last much longer than two weeks, they may be the result of an allergy rather than a cold.

Colds occasionally can lead to secondary bacterial infections of the middle ear or sinuses, requiring treatment with antibiotics. High fever, significantly swollen glands, severe facial pain in the sinuses, and a cough that produces mucus, may indicate a complication or more serious illness requiring a doctor's attention.

How Cold Viruses Cause Disease

Viruses cause infection by overcoming the body's complex defense system. The body's first line of defense is mucus, produced by the membranes in the nose and throat

. Mucus traps the material we inhale: pollen, dust, bacteria and viruses. When a virus penetrates the mucus and enters a cell, it commandeers the protein-making machinery to manufacture new viruses which, in turn, attack surrounding cells.

Cold symptoms: the body fights back. Cold symptoms are probably the result of the body's immune response to the viral invasion. Virus-infected cells in the nose send out signals that recruit specialized white blood cells

to the site of the infection. In turn, these cells emit a range of immune system chemicals such as kinins. These chemicals probably lead to the symptoms of the common cold by causing swelling and inflammation of the nasal membranes, leakage of proteins and fluid from capillaries and lymph vessels, and the increased production of mucus.

Kinins and other chemicals released by immune system cells in the nasal membranes are the subject of intensive research. Researchers are examining whether drugs to block them, or the receptors on cells to which they bind, might benefit people with colds.

How Colds are Spread

Depending on the virus type, any or all of the following routes of transmission may be common:

• Touching infectious respiratory secretions on skin and on environmental surfaces and then touching the eyes or nose.
• Inhaling relatively large particles of respiratory secretions transported briefly in the air.
• Inhaling droplet nuclei: smaller infectious particles suspended in the air for long periods of time.

Research on rhinovirus transmission. Much of the research on the transmission of the common cold has been done with rhinoviruses, which are shed in the highest concentration in nasal secretions. Studies suggest a person is most likely to transmit rhinoviruses in the second to fourth day of infection, when the amount of virus in nasal secretions is highest. Researchers also have shown that using aspirin to treat colds increases the amount of virus shed in nasal secretions, possibly making the cold sufferer more of a hazard to others.

Prevention

Handwashing is the simplest and most effective way to keep from getting rhinovirus colds. Not touching the nose or eyes is another. Individuals with colds should always sneeze or cough into a facial tissue, and promptly throw it away. If possible, one should avoid close, prolonged exposure to persons who have colds.

Because rhinoviruses can survive up to three hours outside the nasal passages on inanimate objects and skin, cleaning environmental surfaces with a virus-killing disinfectant might help prevent spread of infection.

A cold vaccine? The development of a vaccine that could prevent the common cold has reached an impasse because of the discovery of many different cold viruses. Each virus carries its own specific antigens, substances that induce the formation of specific protective proteins (antibodies) produced by the body. Until ways are found to combine many viral antigens in one vaccine, or take advantage of the antigenic cross-relationships that exist, prospects for a vaccine are dim. Evidence that changes occur in common-cold virus antigens further complicate development of a vaccine. Such changes occur in some influenza virus antigens and make it necessary to alter the influenza vaccine each year.

Treatment

Only symptomatic treatment is available for uncomplicated cases of the common cold: bed rest, plenty of fluids, gargling with warm salt water, petroleum jelly for a raw nose, and aspirin or acetaminophen to relieve headache or fever.

A word of caution: several studies have linked the use of aspirin to the development of Reye's syndrome in children recovering from influenza or chickenpox. Reye's syndrome is a rare but serious illness that usually occurs in children between the ages of three and 12 years. It can affect all organs of the body, but most often injures the brain and liver. While most children who survive an episode of Reye's syndrome do not suffer any lasting consequences, the illness can lead to permanent brain damage or death. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children and teenagers not be given aspirin or any medications containing aspirin when they have any viral illness, particularly chickenpox or influenza. Many doctors recommend these medications be used for colds in adults only when headache or fever is present. Researchers, however, have found that aspirin and acetaminophen can suppress certain immune responses and increase nasal stuffiness in adults.

Nonprescription cold remedies, including decongestants and cough suppressants, may relieve some cold symptoms but will not prevent, cure, or even shorten the duration of illness. Moreover, most have some side effects, such as drowsiness, dizziness, insomnia, or upset stomach, and should be taken with care.

Nonprescription antihistamines may have some effect in relieving inflammatory responses such as runny nose and watery eyes that are commonly associated with colds.

Antibiotics do not kill viruses. These prescription drugs should be used only for rare bacterial complications, such as sinusitis or ear infections, that can develop as secondary infections. The use of antibiotics "just in case" will not prevent secondary bacterial infections.

Does vitamin C have a role? Many people are convinced that taking large quantities of vitamin C will prevent colds or relieve symptoms. To test this theory, several large-scale, controlled studies involving children and adults have been conducted. To date, no conclusive data has shown that large doses of vitamin C prevent colds. The vitamin may reduce the severity or duration of symptoms, but there is no definitive evidence.

Taking vitamin C over long periods of time in large amounts may be harmful. Too much vitamin C can cause severe diarrhea, a particular danger for elderly people and small children. In addition, too much vitamin C distorts results of tests commonly used to measure the amount of glucose in urine and blood. Combining oral anticoagulant drugs and excessive amounts of vitamin C can produce abnormal results in blood-clotting tests.

Inhaling steam also has been proposed as a treatment of colds on the assumption that increasing the temperature inside the nose inhibits rhinovirus replication. Recent studies found that this approach had no effect on the symptoms or amount of viral shedding in individuals with rhinovirus colds. But steam may temporarily relieve symptoms of congestion associated with colds.

Interferon-alpha has been studied extensively for the treatment of the common cold. Investigators have shown interferon, given in daily doses by nasal spray, can prevent infection and illness. Interferon, however, causes unacceptable side effects such as nosebleeds and does not appear useful in treating established colds. Most cold researchers are concentrating on other approaches to combatting cold viruses.

The Outlook

Thanks to basic research, scientists know more about the rhinovirus than almost any other virus, and have powerful new tools for developing antiviral drugs. Although the common cold may never be uncommon, further investigations offer the hope of reducing the huge burden of this universal problem.

Well today I have a cold which isn't surprising. My co workers share everything LOL Goodbye summer, hello germs. These natural home remedies for colds are an alternative to drugs and can help prevent and end Acute nasopharyngitis (the common cold). The sudden change of seasons that brings on a cold for some people can instead be a time for shifting your attention to health to prevent the worst colds. There are plenty of foods and herbs with vitamins, minerals and natural cold fighting abilities for an immunity boost. While some of these natural cold remedies are all too common in the news or back in the day at grandmas house, these old school methods defy sickness.

Get all the Vitamin C you can, as when illness strikes in drains the body of the vitamin and it is not something natural reproduced. Fresh fruits and veggies give the richest source of Vitamin C and there are lost of juices that combine fruit and vegetable juice with high levels of it. Some of the highest Vitamin C amounts can be found in sources like Rose hip, Wolfberry, Blackcurrant, Red pepper, Parsley, Guava, Kiwifruit, Broccoli, Redcurrant, Persimmon, Papaya, Strawberry, Orange, Lemon, Melon, Cauliflower, Grapefruit, Raspberry, Tangerine, Passion fruit and Spinach. Fall colds can be tricky, as it’s still warm weather, so a green smoothie with a combination of those fruits and veggies (add some Echinacea too), can satisfy that conflict.

Although, hot beverages do more than just warm you out of the sensation of cold, in gets nasal secretions flowing to help flush out the system. This may be why hot tea or hot chicken soup is often the first thing people think of with a cold. While some research has shown that chicken soups do have ingredients that sooth sickness, the larger placebo affect is having someone make it for you as a caretaker. Over time if someone gets used to a hot bowl of chicken soup with a cold, the association has a strong presence. Adding something spicy to soups can help to clear up nasal passages and give a kick of flavor where there is none during a cold spell.

Toss some Garlic in there too. As an immunity booster, garlic has a natural antibiotic called Allicin. Though Garlic is most effective when you drink fresh juice or take garlic capsules. Onions share some of the same antiviral effects as garlic and used together in cooking will give a large boost. Remember that vegetables retain their vitamin and mineral content best when eaten raw or lightly cooked, so don’t fry or boil them to oblivion. Steam garlic and onions lightly or add it to a cooked batch of miso or chicken soup to keep them strong. If you can stand it, stick a peeled Garlic clove in your mouth like the Roman’s did before battle, hold it like candy and bite down lightly to release the juices. Just like a lozenge, pop in a new clove every few hours and “Bam.”

It’s also helpful that we lose our appetites when a cold comes on, as it takes vital energy to digest foods. With hot soups and teas colds are fended off without using too much of the energy needed to digest. A popular hot tea for colds is Echinacea and has been used since Native Americans roamed the plains and as the plant was grown around the world.

Echinacea is sometimes contested as a placebo for colds, but it has been shown to build up levels of properdin, an immune system chemical that fights viruses and bacteria. Results are usually best when taken at the onset of a cold and Echinacea has noted powerful effects that should not be used for more than 10 days. Echinacea can be teamed up with garlic in teas or capsules, as well as goldenseal extract capsules, to create dynamic cold fighters.

Fresh ginger root tea is another favorite. With about an ounce of freshly grated ginger root put into a pint of water and simmer for up to 10 minutes, add a little honey and lemon to take the bite of the ginger away. Lemon has high levels of Vitamin C to boot and honey also does its part to help the immune system. Here is a great link to recipes and methods to making ginger honey lemon tea. You can also use an orange in place of the lemon for a sweeter taste with about the same Vitamin C content. If Ginger is not your cup of tea, the sweet zing of liquorice is a soothing agent that has anti-viral properties. It can be in tea form, often sold bagged in stores and is great for heavy coughs and soar throats.

Zinc lozenges are a good way to suppress a severe cold and stop viruses from hooking onto your throat, under 50mg per day. The most effective Zinc lozenges will have Vitamin C in them, or take them together. Another good way to prevent a viral sore throat attack is by taking Black Elderberry as syrup or lozenges. Some other herbs to look for when using natural cold remedies are Lemon Balm, Borage, Cinnamon Oil, Juniper, or Fenugreek. For soar throats there are several tried home remedies to use in conjunction with cold fighting. The gargle method is the most direct and adding pure tea tree oil to water can aid soothing. Kava kava can also be used in a gargle for sore throats. Sage is a good all around herb of colds and sore throats and can be gargled, but also aids as an antiviral. Oregano oil, though not as commonly found in the U.S. can be used for sore throats

It also helps to avoid certain foods and drinks to help end a cold, such as the obvious caffeine, (Black Tea, Green Tea and Coffee) and alcohols. For the few days of your cold skip the dairy too, as Milk, cheeses and yogurts produce excess mucous that will just add to your misery. Good healthy naps are essential, but if not totally wiped out it helps to get a little spurt of exercise to get the respiratory system flowing. Stick to the basics of methodical hand washing and don’t let that pile of tissues sit by your bedside all night. The germs will sit right there and wait for you to get better.

Kids and Colds

You wake up in a cranky mood. Your head hurts. You don't have the energy to even get out of bed. And you can't breathe out of your nose. What's wrong? You have a cold!

Having a cold is the number-one reason kids visit the doctor and stay home from school. Kids get up to eight colds per year with each cold lasting an average of 5 to 7 days. Let's find out more about them.

What Is a Cold?

A cold is an infection of the upper respiratory system. This just means it affects the nose, throat, and ears. A cold virus gets inside your body and makes you sick. There are over 200 viruses that cause colds. The rhinovirus (say: rye-no-vye-rus) is the most common cold virus, but there are more than 200 viruses that cause colds. Because there are so many, there isn't a vaccination, or shot, to prevent you from getting colds.

Fortunately, your body already has the best cold cure - your immune system. The immune system defends your body against illness. White blood cells are the immune system's main warriors. They're your own private army working to help you feel better. Take that, cold viruses!

How Kids Catch Colds

Mucus (say: myoo-kus) is the wet, slimy stuff inside the nose. When someone sneezes or coughs, mucus drops float in the air. Breathing in these droplets can spread a cold from one person to another.

You can also catch a cold if you touch your eyes or nose after handling something with cold viruses on it. Video games, the doors at the mall, and your school desk are all hot spots for viruses. So be sure to wash your hands regularly.

Getting a cold works like space travel - the virus actually has docking points that stick to the inside of your nose - just like a small spaceship attaching to a mother ship! The virus takes over the cells lining the nose and begins creating more viruses.

White blood cells charge to the nose's rescue and cause cold symptoms, while also killing the virus that caused the cold. Runny noses and sneezing actually help to prevent viruses from invading other parts of your body.

You sneeze because your nerves detect the irritation in your nose and get the lungs to push a blast of air out through your nose and mouth. Your body can sneeze over 100 miles an hour (161 kilometers per hour) - faster than a car travels on the road, unless you're at a racetrack!

Cold Clues

Symptoms (say: simp-tumz) are signs or clues that tell doctors you're sick. Once you've been in contact with a cold virus, it takes 2 to 3 days for cold symptoms to begin. If you have some of the following symptoms, you probably have a cold:

• low fever (100 to 101 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.2 to 37.8 degrees Celsius)
• body chills
• itchy or sore throat
• sneezing, runny nose, and watery eyes
• coughing
• feeling tired and not hungry
• congestion (when your nose is stuffy and it's hard to breathe)

Helping Kids Feel Better

Although medicine doesn't make colds go away faster, some medicines can help you feel better while you wait for your cold to go away. Don't take any medicine unless your parent or doctor gives it to you. They might suggest acetaminophen or ibuprofen, which helps aching heads and muscles.

Decongestants sometimes can make it easier to breathe by shrinking the swollen lining of the nose. Antihistamines (say: an-teye-his-tuh-meenz) dry up mucus and may help stop runny noses and sneezing.

Here are some other feel-better tips:

• Bring on the heat. Hot drinks soothe coughs and sore throats while also clearing mucus. So eat (or drink) your chicken soup!
• Get steamed up. A steamy shower helps stuffy or irritated noses. Or run a humidifier (a small, quiet machine that sprays fine cool mist in the air) to relieve your scratchy throat, stuffy nose, and itchy eyes. Humidifiers make room air moist, which loosens mucus.
• Practice healthy habits. Your immune system will be ready to fight colds if you eat a balanced diet, get plenty of sleep, and keep your body fit through regular exercise.
• Blow your horn. Blowing your nose is the best way to get rid of mucus.
• Rest. Take a nap or go to bed a little earlier for a few nights.
• De-stress. Kids who are stressed out feel worse when they have colds. Relax and use the time to read, listen to music, or watch a movie. In other words, chill out and you might prevent a cold!

Updated and reviewed by: Kevin P. Sheahan, MD