A sharp deterioration in the weather, a chilly wind, the first snow, as well as problems with heating in some residential buildings - many of us, against the background of all these events, felt much worse. And it's not even about longing for the suddenly gone summer: a sore throat, a runny nose and a high temperature are quite real and tangibly spoil our lives every autumn. The science department figured out what a cold really is, and also found out what treatments for a cold are offered by the latest scientific research.
What is a cold?
The answer to this question seems to be familiar to everyone since childhood. A cold is when a sore throat, a runny nose and nasal congestion make it difficult to breathe, tears flow, and the temperature fluctuates around 36.8-37.2 ° C. You can catch a cold on the street, leaving the house in cold and damp weather without a hat and shoes out of season. However, is it really so?
In fact, all of the listed symptoms are characteristic of viral diseases, which we recklessly combine under the name "cold".
There are about two hundred viruses that cause similar symptoms - adenoviruses, rhinoviruses, herpes simplex viruses, influenza and parainfluenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus ... That is why the antibiotics that we so often abuse are in most cases ineffective for the "cold". Microorganisms (namely, with them antibiotics and fight) become the cause of poor health only in 5% of cases.
Obviously, if the disease is provoked by viruses, then you cannot catch it by simply wetting your feet:
viruses do not appear from hypothermia. But it can accelerate the development of symptoms, but for this it is necessary that the virus is already dormant in the body.
Hot spices such as cayenne pepper or garlic can also be helpful. Pepper contains a substance called capsaicin, which irritates the upper respiratory tract, skin and mucous membranes, thereby helping to clear accumulated mucus from the sinuses. Garlic is rich in allicin, a chemical compound that has antibacterial and antiviral effects.
You should not resort to the help of echinacea, a plant from the Aster family, widely used in folk medicine. In 2013, the authors of which assure: the beneficial effect of echinacea in the treatment of colds does not exceed the effect of a placebo.
But preparations containing zinc were able to prove its effectiveness : scientists conducted experiments and found out that,
taking zinc medication within 24 hours of the first symptoms of a cold can help speed up the cold and reduce the symptoms.
However, it should be remembered that you should not take zinc for a long time - this threatens side effects, such as nausea and an unpleasant taste in the mouth. It is also not necessary to use zinc in the form of nasal sprays - the effectiveness of the substance in this form has not yet been proven.
Wash your hands and kiss
To minimize the likelihood of family members contracting viruses, scientists recommend hand washing. During the day, a person - especially with a cold - inevitably touches his nose and eyes, as a result of which viruses from the mucous membranes get onto the hands. Washing your hands with disinfectants will help get rid of viruses and prevent them from passing them on to people around you.
Surprisingly, closer contact, such as kissing, is not something to refrain from. On the lips and in the saliva of a person, the amount of "cold" viruses is negligible compared to what is contained in the nasal sinuses,
therefore nothing will happen to your husband or wife from one or two kisses a day.
Despite all the strict recommendations that scientists and doctors give, some of the traditional methods of treating a cold - warm milk with honey or gargling with a chamomile solution - will definitely not make you worse. Caution is needed when taking medications, and especially antibiotics, which a doctor must prescribe.
Winter is approaching, which means that soon people will begin to mow down the flu and colds in droves. It would seem that the same story has been repeating itself for many years: a person knows what to do in order not to get sick, dresses warmly, prophylactically drinks hot tea with lemon, but no, no, and he gets caught in a cold.
And it’s okay if this trouble occurs in winter, but when the disease overtakes you somewhere in the summer, on vacation, it is doubly insulting. Many have probably already got used to the idea that at least a couple of times a year they will have to lie with a fever and a runny nose. I was one of them until I learned not to get sick.
By the word "illness" I mean a cold or flu that prevents you from working / studying normally. The last time I was sick was on January 20, 2012, that is, almost 2.5 years ago. That day I made a strong-willed decision not to get sick anymore. I lasted for a year, then another, and next year I am preparing to meet the third year without colds and flu.
To understand how to deal with diseases, first consider the causes of their occurrence.
Why are we sick
- Stress. According to statistics, the most sick leave falls on a stressful Monday. Least of all - on Friday. On Friday, a person feels an emotional upsurge before the coming weekend, but on Monday he feels the whole weight of the coming work week - it is at this time that the likelihood of getting sick increases. Sooner or later, constant stress will force a person to take sick leave.
- Internal protest. Are you tired of work or find it unbearable to go to couples in the morning? Or maybe you want to finally relax, but you are far from vacation? There is a way out: the subconscious mind will itself turn on the necessary mechanisms so that you are more often exposed to the wind, cold and air conditioners and can thus get sick.
- Lack of attention. You want people around you to start giving you oranges, giving you coldrex, feeling sorry and asking about your health every day. This is pleasant to everyone, but it is nothing more than a method of manipulation.
- Extreme cold. This kind of cold is hard not to notice, because it is clearly felt by every cell of the body. The first desire when you feel intense cold is to urgently warm up.
- Light cold. A vivid example is an inconspicuous draft or a treacherous air conditioner nozzle, which quietly but systematically, minute by minute takes your heat - this is one of the most dangerous types of cold.
How to deal with the above causes of diseases
- You can deal with stress at work either by rethinking your attitude to work (be easier, not taking everything to heart), or by changing jobs.
- In the case of internal protest, it makes sense to pump yourself up with good reasons to go to work (motivation) or, again, change jobs and do something more enjoyable. In addition, it may be that you are stung by the routine. In this case, it makes sense to deliberately take a vacation for at least a couple of days and cheer up emotionally with the help of a short trip and communication with interesting people.
- If you lack attention, then you should not be a martyr. Going out with friends to an event will be much more productive: you will spend much less time and get your dose of social capital. The more often you go out to people, the less you will want to get sick. And if you fall in love - even more so.
- Strong and light cold require different approaches. It is easier to prepare for a strong cold than for a light one, because it is more noticeable and tangible. It is impossible to miss him: when you will be thrown into a shiver, and your teeth will be tapping, you will either urgently look for a way to warm up, or make a strong-willed decision to endure. This is the secret to dealing with extreme cold.
- Light cold is like a frog that is quietly boiled over low heat. It takes a high level of consciousness not to fall for this most insidious kind of cold. You need to learn to feel your body and notice the slightest uncomfortable manifestations around you. You should not be a hero and endure a light draft or an insufficiently warm blanket. A mild cold can catch you off guard when you are asleep and have no control over your sleep conditions. Therefore, it makes sense to prepare in advance for possible scenarios of a sudden cold snap and prepare an extra blanket or take an extra sweater with you. Better to sweat than freeze. To increase your chances in the face of a slight cold, you should not only do your "homework" on warming with blankets-sweaters, but also add a reminder to your "cache" of your head that the wind is blowing and you can't relax. That is, even when you are sitting somewhere in the office at an important meeting, you need to “book” the thought of the cold in your head. When you remember about the cold and are aware that it is and that it affects you, you already increase your chances of not getting sick by 50%.
Prevention will save the world
It is much easier not to get sick if you regularly follow simple but effective steps:
- Temper yourself. Even a couple of minutes of cold water at the end of your daily morning swim can work wonders.
- Get dressed.Risk areas that require attention first: back, chest and neck.
- Sleep. This is a very important point, as lack of sleep leads to poor health and reduced immunity.
- Drink hot drinks. It doesn't matter if it's coffee, tea or just boiling water. An extra glass of something warm will not only remind your body that it is being taken care of, but will also allow you to more accurately determine the sources of cold in contrast.
- Take a hot shower. Even if you are not cold. It is never superfluous to warm your back and neck.
Shock measures: take revenge on the cold
It so happens that you find yourself in a severe frost, while you are aware of the danger of getting sick, but, as luck would have it, not a joule of heat. In such cases, even a glass of hot tea is not able to cover the "damage" caused by the cold. In such a situation, it is necessary, as before, to keep in mind the thought of the cold. It doesn't matter that he won the battle, you still have the power to win the war!
Take revenge on the fierce winter by taking a good steam in the shower while pouring hot lemon tea down your throat. Dress in whatever you have, cover yourself with all the blankets that are available to you, and go to bed. And sleep as much as you want without getting up to the sound of the alarm. It is better to oversleep work, but be healthy, than to be heroic in the office on time, but with the onset of illness.
And for a snack - a recipe for health from the guru of integral yoga Sri Aurobindo
“The only disease is lack of consciousness... At later stages, when inner silence is firmly established in us and we are able to perceive mental and vital vibrations even at the periphery of our periosconscious, we will be able to feel the vibrations of the disease in the same way and divert them before they can enter us. If you are aware of this surrounding “I” of yours, - wrote Sri Aurobindo to his disciple, - then you will be able to grasp the thought, passion, suggestion or power of the disease and prevent their intrusion into you. "
What methods do you know that help you not to get sick?
It's so easy to catch cold in November. But a banal runny nose or temperature can be incapacitated for a whole week. Therefore, until the cold prevails, strengthen the immune system in all available ways. To do this, you just need to remember:
1. Eat garlic every day... - an excellent antimicrobial agent. It resists colds and viruses, strengthens the nervous system and improves immunity. It is especially irreplaceable in autumn. Eat garlic during lunch or dinner every time you don't need to go on a date or other important meeting after your meal. Garlic not only possesses beneficial properties for the body, but also gives spice to any dish and increases appetite.
2. Drink tea with honey in the morning... There are many recipes for making mixtures with honey for colds. For example, honey should be mixed with walnuts, lemon, raisins and dates. Still, it is more useful to consume honey in the morning by stirring it in a glass of warm water or adding it to non-hot tea. A glass of warm milk with honey before bed has a calming effect.
3. Go to the bathhouse once a week... Recently, bath procedures have been especially popular as a means of restoring health. They help relieve fatigue and nervous tension. The bath activates metabolic processes and removes toxins from the body. But you should not delay with a wellness session. It is recommended to take breaks for at least 10-15 minutes between visits to the steam room. At this time, the loss of fluid should be replenished with mineral water or tea.
4. Control emotions... Colds are very fond of stress. Therefore, in the fall, it is important to control your emotions and relax. When you come home from work, you can turn on soft music, lie down on the sofa, close your eyes, stretch your arms and think about something pleasant, breathing deeply and evenly. Such relaxation well removes the negative energy and fatigue accumulated during the day, does not allow stress to defeat the immune system. In short, in order not to often get sick with colds, it is important to learn not to get upset over trifles and not to be nervous, and if something spoiled the mood, find a way to calm down faster and forget the insult.
5. Drink rosehip decoction... Rosehip is a natural medicinal plant that has an immunostimulating, antibacterial, antiviral and general strengthening effect on the human body at the cellular level. Rose hips are an invaluable multivitamin concentrate, which includes carotene, ascorbic acid, organic acids, pectin, tannins and dyes, macro-, microelements, vitamins B, E, C, P and K. Rosehip broth is prepared in a thermos and drunk 2-3 hours before bedtime. One glass of broth a day is enough to strengthen the immune system, normalize blood pressure and calm down.
6. Eat one apple a day... You must eat at least one apple every day. This fruit contains substances necessary for the normal functioning of the immune system. You do not need to peel the peel from the fruit before eating, because it is in it that antioxidants useful for the body are found. By the way, in order to remember the warm summer and cheer up, it is useful to cook an apple pie in the fall.
7. Do foot baths... It is cold and damp outside in late autumn. It is in this weather that the feet most often get wet and freeze. If such a nuisance has already happened, so as not to sleep with the temperature, be sure to come home, make foot baths. For their preparation, medicinal herbs are suitable: chamomile, mint and sage. The use of herbs will allow you to combine warming your feet with an anti-inflammatory effect. It is better to do foot baths before going to bed in order to put on warm socks after the procedure and cover your feet with a blanket.
8. No dry water... With the onset of cold weather, you need to forget about dry water and snacks on the go. Warm and hot food should be preferred. This applies to both a work lunch and a home dinner. Instead of a sandwich for breakfast, eat a warm bowl of porridge, soup, or pasta. Foods such as onions, figs, dates and chocolate warm well from the inside.
9. Do morning exercises... It is important to be active in the fall. Today it is fashionable to go to a fitness club, exercise on exercise machines, yoga, aerobics or Pilates. Regular training under the supervision of an experienced specialist helps not only to while away a gray autumn evening, to maintain good spirits and a positive attitude, but also to warm the body and keep the figure in shape. If there is no money to visit fitness centers, to strengthen immunity and prevent colds, it is enough to do exercises for 10-15 minutes in the morning or walk a few stops on foot.
10. Take a cool shower... A cool shower, contrasting douches of feet - stress for our skin, from which the body protects itself by spasm and the release of a large amount of antibodies. True, it is important to know that too cold temperatures cannot be abused during water procedures. For example, dousing with ice water or swimming in an ice hole.
11. Wash your hands more often with soap... Up to 90% of all cases of infection with all colds occur through the hands: when we shake hands, open office doors and hold onto the railings of the metro. Therefore, the more often you wash your hands with soap and water, the lower your risk of getting a cold. If it is not possible to wash your hands frequently, periodically wipe them with disinfecting wet wipes.
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Almost three quarters of people do not prepare their bodies in the fall, as well as during the winter periods. This is a mistake, doctors admit, and they notice that it is then that it is easiest to catch a cold or get the flu. We have prepared for you some tips on how not to catch a cold.
According to statistics, two arguments dominate among people who do not prepare for the upcoming cold snap at all. Most people (37%) are of the opinion about their own stability and declare that, as a rule, they do not get sick anyway. And every third respondent mistakenly believes that such measures will give nothing, - follows from the study. Meanwhile, doctors warn that prevention is better than cure.
How not to catch cold in winter - get vaccinated
According to doctors, the best prevention is vaccinations, which are recommended by all generally recognized international public health institutions. “It is very alarming that the level of vaccination in Ukraine is one of the lowest in Europe. This is not mandatory here, but only recommended for children from 6 months to 5 years old, people with immunodeficiency, the elderly, public service workers, ”explains doctor Eva Chernitskaya - intern, therapist - pulmonologist.
Runny nose and cold medications - School of Dr. Komarovsky
Each time, vaccination should be discussed with a doctor and performed by a medical staff. After the vaccine is administered, the body's immune system develops its own defenses. Immunity develops within 2-3 weeks after the vaccine is administered and lasts for 6-12 months. Vaccines are 90% effective.
Strengthening the body's defenses against bacteria and viruses is also possible by hardening (increasing the body's resistance to hypothermia or overheating). Under the influence of low temperatures, the blood vessels constrict. As a result, fewer white blood cells are supplied to individual organs (protecting the body from microbes). Addiction to cold will lead to a decrease in the excitability of receptors to a low ambient temperature and, as a consequence, to reduce the contractile reaction of the vessels.
Blood pressure will be normal as a result of regular exercise
The pressure in the blood vessels will be normal or slightly reduced, and as a result, despite the drop in temperature, the immune response will not be impaired. You can get hardened both in the house (cold shower, lowering the temperature in the apartment to 20 degrees, rejection of outerwear), as well as outdoors in the form of physical activity or in more extreme ways, namely, running barefoot in the snow or swimming in icy water, which practice the so-called walruses). Individuals suffering from chronic illnesses should consult with their healthcare professional before starting to temper.
Rest and catch cold will be harder
Rest is the main way to strengthen the immune system. The first step on the path to relaxation is a healthy and full sleep - preferably eight hours a day. Effective cell renewal is possible during the period of inactivity of the human body, and such a moment is precisely rest.
give priority to active spending of free time The immune system is connected to the nervous system, therefore, stressful situations and stressful life also affect our health. Because of this, autumn is the perfect time for vacation.
When we leave, we change the climate and, naturally, increase the resistance. On vacation, we have more movement, sleep, rest. As a result, we supply the body with everything it needs.
How not to catch a cold in the fall - rely on vegetables and fruits
In the autumn-winter period, low temperatures make the body work very hard, which increases its demand for some components. In the fight against viruses and bacteria, an immune-boosting diet is critical.
Fresh vegetables and fruits provide fiber, which is a breeding ground for probiotic bacteria and vitamins that scavenge immune-weakening free radicals. In autumn and winter, pickled vegetables, which are natural probiotics, are also worth taking.
vegetables and fruits are extremely necessary and beneficial for our body How not to catch cold in summer
According to the expert, you should limit processed foods, animal fats, sodas, alcohol and sweets, which oxidize the body and reduce immunity. If we are not able to organize our proper nutrition, it is better to seek the help of a nutritionist.
Movement is health
People who regularly go in for sports are more resilient. Frequent exposure to fresh air not only cleanses, but also strengthens the body. An interesting proposal is "nordic walking" (Nordic walking with poles), which involves up to 90% of the muscles. It not only strengthens the immune system, but also reduces stress on the joints, the spine and improves blood circulation.
hardening - beneficial effects of cold on the body
The alternative is running, and at the same time gaining more and more popularity. This is an activity for almost everyone - the only exception is people who did not play sports or have health problems. Who will be interested to read about that. Unbeatable are walks that are not related to age restrictions, health or physical fitness. Regardless of what we do, we must remember to be systematic.