Fighting off a cold

[Kokolums]

Here is an interesting article on colds from a year ago:

This morning I got a scratchy throat after sleeping in colder air. So I did the following:

1. Wrapped a scarf around my neck so that it covers my nose (this heats the air I breathe)
2. Boiled some water and drank a cup after it cooled for 20 minutes.

It took a couple hours but the scratchy throat is gone. Still wearing the scarf.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/bo...er-makes-sick/

Just last week, a team of scientists from Yale University announced their discovery that lower temperatures weaken the nose’s first line of immune defenses.

The researchers started out by modifying a strain of rhinovirus—the kind of virus that causes most colds—to infect mice. (The modification was necessary because most cold viruses that infect humans don’t seem to infect rodents). They then tested how well the cells that line mouse airways fought off the virus at different temperatures, finding that cooler temperatures meant a more sluggish immune response and a greater susceptibility to infection.

Previously, scientists thought the association between winter and colds might be more behavioral than biological: an increased number of people sharing air inside warm spaces could lead to more transmission of the virus. This study adds biological evidence to mix, revealing that cold weather actually hampers our defenses against rhinovirus infection.

You see, the reason we have a nose is to warm up the air we breathe before it enters our system. Cold air is more difficult to warm up, so it reaches our system when it is still cold. Afflicted by cold air, our immune system slows down and we are more susceptible to a cold.

[Milchshake]

Cold air can also dehydrate a person. Scratchy throat is a common symptom of dehydration.

Dehydration also weakens alot of soft tissue like membranes which can more susceptible to infection.

Just remember to drink lots.

[ellieg]

Im sick right now. Fluid in my lungs and tonsils are a little swollen. I took robitussin, Sudafed, and cough drops. Im wacked out but at least I can breathe lol.

[Jakexe]

Campbell's Chicken noodle soup, Dayquil and sprite.

In seriousness, Water and rest.

[Deleted]

Campbell's Chicken noodle soup, Dayquil and sprite.

In seriousness, Water and rest.

With that picture as your avatar, not sure i'd ever trust any medical advice from yourself. Even if it's as simple as water and rest haha : P

[Puupi]

1. Wrapped a scarf around my neck so that it covers my nose (this heats the air I breathe)
2. Boiled some water and drank a cup after it cooled for 20 minutes.

Why did you boil the water if you drank it after it was cooling down for 20 minutes? Dafuq? So next time; don't boil, drink it instantly.

It took a couple hours but the scratchy throat is gone. Still wearing the scarf.

Diagnosis: you don't have a cold, you are a hipster.

[Deleted]

It's doubtful you that had an actual viral infection which you somehow beat simply by breathing in a bit warmer air. Most likely your "scratchy throat" was caused by other factors.

Also, as far as temperature and "the common cold" goes, while there may be some correlation in some studies about the immune system being weakened in colder air, you have to also get the virus from somewhere. So, you can't get "the common cold" by simply not having enough clothes on. Also, there's actually studies that propose the exact opposite; that exposure to cold actually invigorates your immune system. In northern countries there are long traditions of jumping into snow banks or swimming in near-freezing water in the winter, and that actually helps your blood flow and thus helps your body keep more healthy.

The point is, though, that it seems to be a completely foreign idea to some people that "the common cold" is actually a virus. Just like the flu. You can't get a virus by simply getting cold. You'd already have to have had the virus, in order for any temperature to make any kind of a difference whatsoever, and then it becomes just a game of correlation, not causation.

[Shalcker]

The point is, though, that it seems to be a completely foreign idea to some people that "the common cold" is actually a virus. Just like the flu. You can't get a virus by simply getting cold. You'd already have to have had the virus, in order for any temperature to make any kind of a difference whatsoever, and then it becomes just a game of correlation, not causation.

Well, you do get some measure of protection from virus particles by "breathing through scarf".

That's one of the points behind medical masks, after all.