Cold and Flu Season
With the beginning of the cold weather season the first thing that one notices is sniffeling, coughing,and clogged and runny noses. There are many myths about chacing colds. One is that cold weather causes colds. in of itself this is definitely not true. Colds are caused by virus's that preferr cold weather to live in. they are transmitted through touch more than any other method. Sneezing into your hands and then touching an object like a eating utensils, door knobs, pens pencils, steering wheels, counter tops, toys, remote controls, etc., will provide another person with the means of catching those germs. It has been found that cold virus' can remain on an object for up to four hours. Anyone touching that object within that time period will be exposed to the virus. By touching the contaminated object and then rubbing your eyes is a very effective way to contract the virus. washing your hands is best way to avoid spreading germs around especially in the family, and school.
Why does it seem so easy to catch cold. There are many reasons for this. As the weather turns colder we close up our homes in many cases airtight. This keeps fresh air from getting into our homes. So, we circulate old germ laden air over and over. Not only does this happen at home but in offices and especially schools. Also as the weather changes many of us exercise less and less. Exercise is a good way to keep the immune system strong. The last way to improve your chances of catching cold is poorer eating habits. The cold weather seems to attract people to more starchyand sugary foods, and less fruits and vegetables. Those cold weather habits of more baking, starchy caseroles, more comfort eating, not to mention more holiday eating which usually begins around Halloween and ends around March 1st. People usually eat better in the summer months. There are more fruits available, and people generaly eat more healthy foods.
Once a cold developes there several things that may help to speed your recovery. Making the immune system stronger is one way of lessening the effects of a cold. With a healthy immune system a cold may not last more than a few day. that is the symptoms I mean. Cold virus' remain in our bodies for about 10-14 days, but the symptoms can be short lived. Once a cold hastaken hold the most important thing is to try an get as much rest as possible. During sleep potent immune enhancing compounds are released. Proper rest also allows the body to effectively detoxify from the chemicals released by both the virus' and our immune system. It is important to increase your intake of liquids. The mucous membranes that line the respiratory tract require moisture. When they get dried out the body loses one of its means of defense against harmful bacterias and viruses. The best liquid to drink is water or hot weak tea. Please don't turn up the heat in your home. While the additional heat may make you feel more comfortable it will accelerate the drying of those mucus membranes delaying recovery. Keep the air at home cool and moist if possible. Using the old fashioned method of breathing in rising steam either from an inhaler that can be purchased in the local pharmacy or just using a pot of boiling water that you hold your head over and breath in deeply that help to eliminate viruses and some bacteria while at the same time keeping the sinus membranes moist.
Nutients that help the most are Vitamin A, C, Zinc, and an amino aacid called Lysine. Herbs that can be helpful are astragalus and pau d'arco. I usually recommend taking these nutrients hourly for the first 24 hours and then reducing them to 4-5 times per day for a period of 7-10 days.
Combining these nutrients along with rest and plenty of liquids should enable you to have shorter and less severe colds and flu. Any questions about colds and their treatment should be directed to Dr Steven Felder through my e-mail stevefelder@worldnet.att.net
Posted
by Dr. Steven Felder
