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

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.