CYBERMED LIFE - ORGANIC  & NATURAL LIVING

Cold and Flu

Cold and Flu: The common cold, also known simply as a cold, is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the nose. The throat, sinuses, and larynx may also be affected. Signs and symptoms may appear less than two days after exposure to the virus. These may include coughing, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, headache, and fever. People usually recover in seven to ten days, but some symptoms may last up to three weeks. Occasionally those with other health problems may develop pneumonia.

Well over 200 virus strains are implicated in causing the common cold, with rhinoviruses being the most common. They spread through the air during close contact with infected people or indirectly through contact with objects in the environment, followed by transfer to the mouth or nose. Risk factors include going to daycare, not sleeping well, and psychological stress. The symptoms are mostly due to the body's immune response to the infection rather than to tissue destruction by the viruses themselves. In contrast, those affected by influenza can show similar symptoms as people with a cold, but symptoms are usually more severe. Additionally, influenza is less likely to result in a runny nose.

There is no vaccine for the common cold. The primary methods of prevention are: hand washing; not touching the eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands; and staying away from sick people. Some evidence supports the use of face masks. There is also no cure, but the symptoms can be treated. Zinc may reduce the duration and severity of symptoms if started shortly after the onset of symptoms. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen may help with pain. Antibiotics, however, should not be used and there is no good evidence for cough medicines.

The common cold is the most frequent infectious disease in humans. The average adult gets two to three colds a year, while the average child may get six to eight. Infections occur more commonly during the winter. These infections have existed throughout human history.

  • A pilot study of qigong practice and upper respiratory illness in elite swimmers.

    facebook Share on Facebook
    Abstract Title:

    A pilot study of qigong practice and upper respiratory illness in elite swimmers.

    Abstract Source:

    Am J Chin Med. 2011 ;39(3):461-75. PMID: 21598415

    Abstract Author(s):

    Peggy A Wright, Kim E Innes, John Alton, Viktor E Bovbjerg, Justine E Owens

    Article Affiliation:

    Virginia Integrative Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    Abstract:

    Upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) are a common complaint in competitive swimmers and can adversely affect performance. No intervention has yet been shown to reduce URI incidence in intensively trained athletes. The University of Virginia varsity swim team received three weeks of training in qigong for the purpose of reducing stress and improving health. Our primary objective was to assess the relationship between qigong practice and symptoms of URI during a time when swimmers would be at high URI risk. Secondary objectives were to assess degree of compliance with a qigong practice regimen, to evaluate differences between qigong practitioners and non-practitioners, and to determine the response-rate and reliability of a newly developed internet-based, self-report survey. The design was observational, cross-sectional, and prospective. Weekly data on cold and flu symptoms, concurrent health problems and medication use, and qigong practice were gathered for seven weeks. Retrospective information on health and qigong training response was also collected. Participants were 27 of the 55 members of the University of Virginia Swim Team in the Virginia Athletic Department. Main outcomes were measures of aggregated cold/flu symptoms and Qigong practice. Survey completion was 100%, with no missing data, and reliability of the instrument was acceptable. Cold and flu symptoms showed a significant non-linear association with frequency of qigong practice (R(2) = 0.33, p<0.01), with a strong, inverse relationship between practice frequency and symptom scores in swimmers who practised qigong at least once per week (R(2) = 0.70, p<0.01). Qigong practitioners did not differ from non-practitioners in demographic or lifestyle characteristics, medical history, supplement or medication use, or belief in qigong. These preliminary findings suggest that qigong practice may be protective against URIs among elite swimmers who practice at least once per week.

    Article Published Date : Jan 01, 2011

  • Antibiotics can make flu deadly

    facebook Share on Facebook
    Antibiotics can make flu deadly image

    Antibiotics aren't great for our gut, as we all know—but now researchers have discovered the drugs interfere with signals from the gut that make our lungs more vulnerable to a serious, even life-threatening, form of flu.

    Gut bacteria act as a first-line defence system for the lungs—and it's the lining of the lungs, and not the immune system as everyone assumed, that receive signals from the bacteria.

  • Cold and Flu

  • Cold and Flu

    Cold and Flu: The common cold, also known simply as a cold, is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the nose. The throat, sinuses, and larynx may also be affected. Signs and symptoms may appear less than two days after exposure to the virus. These may include coughing, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, headache, and fever. People usually recover in seven to ten days, but some symptoms may last up to three weeks. Occasionally those with other health problems may develop pneumonia.

  • Coronavirus no more deadly than seasonal flu

    facebook Share on Facebook
    Coronavirus no more deadly than seasonal flu image

    Despite the coronavirus (Covid-19) hysteria, it is probably no more lethal than the seasonal flu virus, researchers say.

    Its fatality rate is likely to be around 0.1 percent, 20 times lower than the current reported rate of 2 percent. Some hospitals are already supporting this revised view and have reported fatality rates of around 1.4 percent.

  • Expelled researcher sets up 'new Cochrane'

    facebook Share on Facebook
    Expelled researcher sets up 'new Cochrane' image

    Once the hallmark of independent medical research, the Cochrane Collaboration has accepted a grant of over £1m from the Bill Gates Foundation and summarily dismissed its most outspoken researcher, Peter C Gotzsche.

    Now Gotzsche is setting up a Cochrane alternative, the Institute for Scientific Freedom, and is looking for crowd-funding to get it going.

  • Far-UV light kills Covid-19 virus

    facebook Share on Facebook

    They laughed at him when he suggested it, but President Trump may have had a point—ultraviolet light can kill the Covid-19 virus.

  • Fast foods make flu jab even less effective

    facebook Share on Facebook
    Fast foods make flu jab even less effective image

    The seasonal flu shot doesn't work very well—it reduces the risk of flu by just 40 per cent at best—and it works even less well if you're eating fast, processed foods.

    Additives in the foods, and especially tBHQ (tert-butylhydroquinone), hamper the immune response so it can't fight the cells that have been infected. As the immune system is supposed to work hand-in-glove with the vaccine, the additives make the vaccine itself less effective.

  • Flu? Traditional medicine has a better answer than taking the shot

    facebook Share on Facebook
    Flu? Traditional medicine has a better answer than taking the shot image

    Big Pharma smart, folk medicine smarter. Scientists are only now beginning to understand how traditional medicines works, and in their latest research have established that elderberry is a potent anti-viral that can combat seasonal flu.

    Compounds from the elderberry fruit block the flu virus from spreading and replicating and also strengthen the immune system's response to the virus.

    As such, it's more effective than the seasonal flu jab that, at best, has a 40 per cent success rate.

  • Had a cold? Your Covid symptoms will probably be less severe

    facebook Share on Facebook

    <a href=Had-a-cold-Your-Covid-symptoms-will-probably-be-less-severe.jpg" />If you’ve had a cold or flu, your Covid-19 symptoms are likely to be far less severe.

    It could explain why Covid is usually a mild infection in children, who are often exposed to colds in the classroom, say researchers from Stanford University’s school of medicine. Up to 80 percent of small children encounter cold viruses even in the first few years of life, such as in day care centres.

  • Keto diet is best way to combat the flu

    facebook Share on Facebook
    Keto diet is best way to combat the flu image

    The flu season is upon us—and the ketogenic diet is the best way to tackle it. The high-fat, low-carbs diet helps the immune system combat the virus, new research has discovered.

    The diet activates a sub-set of T cells in the lungs that trap the virus and stops it spreading. The discovery is something of a scientific first because the T cells, known as gamma delta, hadn't been thought to be part of the immune system's response to influenza.

  • Saunas, the hot cure-all

    facebook Share on Facebook
    Saunas, the hot cure-all image

    Some like it hot. . .and perhaps more should because taking a regular sauna can have a big impact on our health. It protects against heart disease, lung problems, mental health disorders and, not surprisingly with all that, it also helps us live longer.

    If that wasn't enough, sauna bathing also helps improve skin conditions, arthritis, headaches and the flu, say researchers from the University of Eastern Finland.

    The researchers brought together all the previously-published research into sauna bathing, which involves brief exposure to very high temperatures, usually in the 80 to 100 degrees C range.

We use cookies on our website. Some of them are essential for the operation of the site, while others help us to improve this site and the user experience (tracking cookies). You can decide for yourself whether you want to allow cookies or not. Please note that if you reject them, you may not be able to use all the functionalities of the site.

Ok Decline
More information