Cold and Cough does not spare anyone.Winter comes and despite your best efforts, you catch a cold.
Although more than 100 viruses can cause a common cold, the rhinovirus is the most common culprit, and it's highly contagious.
The rhinovirus gets into the cells lining your nose and starts reproducing. it is not cold weather that causes a cold, but the fact that cold weather causes people to congregate together indoors, which makes transmission of the virus easier.
The virus generally moves from someone else's hands to your hands (either directly or through some intermediate surface like a door knob), and from your hands into your nose or eyes. The virus can spread through droplets in the air when someone who is sick coughs, sneezes or talks.
Your body reacts to the presence of the virus with its immune system. In the case of a cold, the immune system opens up blood vessels through inflammation and also increases mucus secretions. These two processes give you the runny nose and the stuffy feeling.
The irritation caused by the virus and all of the fluid causes sneezing. If the virus makes it into the cells lining the lungs, then they start producing fluid and mucus as well, which produces the cough.
As the immune system gears up over several days and fights the virus, the mucus thickens and changes color with dead cells. Eventually, the immune system eliminates the virus completely and you are well again!
The irritation caused by the virus and all of the fluid causes sneezing. If the virus makes it into the cells lining the lungs, then they start producing fluid and mucus as well, which produces the cough.
As the immune system gears up over several days and fights the virus, the mucus thickens and changes color with dead cells. Eventually, the immune system eliminates the virus completely and you are well again!
Here are some cold remedy tips to help you feel better:
1. Drink plenty of fluids to help break up your congestion. Drinking water or juice will prevent dehydration and keep your throat moist. Include fluids such as water, sports drinks, herbal teas, fruit drinks, or ginger ale. Your mother's vegi soup might help too!
Limit: cold drinks, coffee, and other drinks with caffeine because it acts like a diuretic and may dehydrate you.
2. Inhale steam to ease your congestion and drippy nose. Hold your head over a pot of boiling water and breathe through your nose. Be careful. If the steam burns your nose, breathe in more slowly. You can buy a humidifier.
3. Blow your nose often, but do it the proper way. It's important to blow your nose regularly when you have a cold rather than sniffling mucus back into your head. But when you blow hard, pressure can carry germ-carrying phlegm back into your ear passages, causing earache.
4. Stay warm and rested. Staying warm and resting when you first come down with a cold or the flu helps your body direct its energy toward the immune battle. This battle taxes the body. So give it a little help by lying down under a blanket to stay warm if necessary.
5. Drink hot liquids.Hot liquids relieve nasal congestion, prevent dehydration, and soothe the uncomfortably inflamed membranes that line your nose and throat.
6. Take a steamy shower. Steamy showers moisturize your nasal passages and relax you. If you're dizzy from the flu, run a steamy shower while you sit on a chair nearby and take a sponge bath.
7. Gargle with warm salt water. Gargling can moisten a sore or scratchy throat and bring temporary relief.
Stay Healthy,
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