How is it possible that you've seen men walk on the moon in your lifetime but no one's come up with a cure for the common cold? It's because getting to the moon is easy compared with curing colds. Space travel is just a matter of figuring out how to get from one point to another. When it comes to colds, however, researchers have to contend with more than 100 different cold-causing viruses, all of which are constantly changing.
The common cold has been around since the days of ancient Egypt; the Greek physician Hippocrates described colds as early as the 5th century BC. Today, adults typically get two to four colds a younger people, in older people colds can be the precursors of more serious diseases, such as bronchitis and viral pnuemonia.
The flu isn't much easier to confront. Another illness that's been around for a long time (the first flu epidemic was recorded in AD 1173), it's also caused by wily viruses that change almost weekly.
Like colds, the flu is much more dangerous in older people than in younger folk. Most of the 36,000 yearly deaths from influenza that occur in the United States, for example, are in people aged over 65. Overall, those aged 75 and older have the greatest risk of dying from the flu, followed by children under the age of four.
Have you got into the habit of ignoring minor colds and flu? That could spell trouble as you get older. Take charge of colds and flu today so they won't become issues tomorrow.
To prevent colds and flu Set a timer for 45 minutes, five days a week That's all the time you need to spend exercising over a year to reduce your risk of colds by more than threefold. And we're talking about moderate exercise, such as walking or cycling at an intensity level that still enables you to talk.
As it turns out, moderate exercise is one of the best ways to prevent viral infections.
Don't worry; be happy And you'll have fewer colds - even if a researcher happens to squirt some cold virus in your nose. It seems people who are happy, relaxed and energetic are simply less likely to catch colds, even if they're infected with the virus. Researchers have yet to figure out the link between psychological states and the immune system, but studies confirm it exists.
Carry some hand cleaner If you think that coughs and sneezes are the most likely way to spread diseases, you're wrong. You're far more likely to catch someone's cold by shaking hands. In fact, you're more at risk of infection from a handshake than from kissing. That's why hospitals now encourage medical staff to use hand-sanitiser gel before touching patients, and why it's a good idea for you to carry a little bottle of it with you wherever you go. If you can't avoid shaking hands, rub yours well with the gel as soon as you can - and avoid touching your face in the meantime so germs don't transfer to your nose.
Wipe down your hotel room Start packing a disinfectant spray or mini-wipes to rid your room of the previous occupants' germs. When researchers infected volunteers with cold viruses and had them spend the night in a hotel room, they found afterwards that nearly everything in the room - from the telephone to the light switch, taps and TV remote control - was contaminated with the virus. Even though the room has been cleaned, it's a pretty good bet the cleaner didn't disinfect the phones, light switches and remote control.
Take some vitamin C There's a lot of controversy over the benefits of vitamin C when it comes to preventing or treating colds. One thing is quite clear, though: it doesn't make much difference in treating colds or reducing their severity or duration. A large japanese study found, however, that people who took daily doses of vitamin C over five years had many fewer colds than people who skipped the extra C. If you choose to take supplements take 500mg a day. Participants taking this dosage were a third less likely to have three or more colds during the study than those taking just 50mg.
Swallow a garlic supplement daily It won't cure the common cold, but it may help to prevent it. That's what British researchers found when they gave 146 volunteers either daily garlic capsules or placebos from November through to February (the primary cold season). There were 24 colds in the garlic group versus 65 in the placebo group, a significant difference. Plus, the placebo group's colds lasted longer and were more severe than the garlic group's.
Get some sun Scientists now think that lack of vitamin D-correlated with the lack of sunshine in winter - helps to explain why winter is the peak season for colds and flu. In one study at the University of Tampere in Finland, young men with low levels of vitamin D were twice as likely to catch a cold cover the winter season as those with higher levels. And several other studies have now shown that vitamin D, either produced by sunlight exposure or taken as a supplement, may protect against all kinds of respiratory infections. Why? vitmain D is a key component in keeping the immune system from overreacting, thus reducing inflamamtion and oxidation (which are responsible
a vaccine worth having
A flu jab doesn't just protect you against getting flu. More importantly, it may also protect you against complications of influenza, which can be serious in people who are elderly, frail or institutionalised, as well as in anyone who has multiple existing medical conditions.
Complications include a higher risk of hospitalisation for conditions such as pneumonia, heart failure and stroke, and a higher risk of dying as a result. Studies on the benefits of influenza vaccination among different groups have produced very varied results - possibly because of other differences between the people who are likely to get the vaccine and those who don't.
However, in general, although opinion differs on how well it may or may not protect elderly people, most studies do suggest signficant benefits in terms of it lowering complication rates among vulenerable groups. That's why the NHS offers an annual flu vaccination to everyone over 65 and to anyone with chronic respiratory, heart, liver or kidney disease, diabetics and to people with compromised immune systems. The vaccine is also offered to people who live in nursing homes or other long-stay residential care, to carers of elderly or disabled people, and to health-care staff.
The vaccine has been proven to be safe and usually has no greater side effects than temporary mild soreness at the site of injection. It sometimes provokes flu-like symptoms such as mild fever or slight muscle aches for a day or two, as the body's immune system responds to the vaccine, but this does not lead to influenza itself - it can't, because live viruses are not used in the vaccine. Allergic or other reactions to the immunisation are extremely rare.
WHY YOU'LL NEED A JAB AGAIN NEXT YEAR Should you get a flu jab each year? Change slightly from year to year, so a new vaccine has to be developed for each year's strains. It's important to get a flu jab annually if you're in any of the groups at risk of influenza complications.
WHEN IS THE JAB AVAILABLE? As influenza occurs mostly in winter, with a peak between December and March, most GPs organise vaccination sessions in September and October, before the main flu season starts. It takes between 10 and 14 days for your immune system to respond fully to the jab by producing antibodies against influenza viruses.
WHAT ABOUT MERCURY IN THE VACCINE? Some brands of flu vaccine contain thiomersal, a mercury-based preservative, so if you'd rather avoid this, ask your GP it's possible to have a type that doesn't contain mercury. The flu vaccines that are thiomersal-free are as effective as those containing thiomersal, though availability will depend on your area.
for cold and flu symptoms). At the same time, vitamin D dramatically stimulates the production of cells that line the respiratory tract and help to prevent infection. Spending 20 minutes a day in the sun with your hands, face and arms exposed puts about 20,000 IU of vitamin D into your body within two days, compared with 98 IU or so you get from milk.
The common cold has been around since the days of ancient Egypt; the Greek physician Hippocrates described colds as early as the 5th century BC. Today, adults typically get two to four colds a younger people, in older people colds can be the precursors of more serious diseases, such as bronchitis and viral pnuemonia.
The flu isn't much easier to confront. Another illness that's been around for a long time (the first flu epidemic was recorded in AD 1173), it's also caused by wily viruses that change almost weekly.
Like colds, the flu is much more dangerous in older people than in younger folk. Most of the 36,000 yearly deaths from influenza that occur in the United States, for example, are in people aged over 65. Overall, those aged 75 and older have the greatest risk of dying from the flu, followed by children under the age of four.
Have you got into the habit of ignoring minor colds and flu? That could spell trouble as you get older. Take charge of colds and flu today so they won't become issues tomorrow.
To prevent colds and flu Set a timer for 45 minutes, five days a week That's all the time you need to spend exercising over a year to reduce your risk of colds by more than threefold. And we're talking about moderate exercise, such as walking or cycling at an intensity level that still enables you to talk.
As it turns out, moderate exercise is one of the best ways to prevent viral infections.
Don't worry; be happy And you'll have fewer colds - even if a researcher happens to squirt some cold virus in your nose. It seems people who are happy, relaxed and energetic are simply less likely to catch colds, even if they're infected with the virus. Researchers have yet to figure out the link between psychological states and the immune system, but studies confirm it exists.
Carry some hand cleaner If you think that coughs and sneezes are the most likely way to spread diseases, you're wrong. You're far more likely to catch someone's cold by shaking hands. In fact, you're more at risk of infection from a handshake than from kissing. That's why hospitals now encourage medical staff to use hand-sanitiser gel before touching patients, and why it's a good idea for you to carry a little bottle of it with you wherever you go. If you can't avoid shaking hands, rub yours well with the gel as soon as you can - and avoid touching your face in the meantime so germs don't transfer to your nose.
Wipe down your hotel room Start packing a disinfectant spray or mini-wipes to rid your room of the previous occupants' germs. When researchers infected volunteers with cold viruses and had them spend the night in a hotel room, they found afterwards that nearly everything in the room - from the telephone to the light switch, taps and TV remote control - was contaminated with the virus. Even though the room has been cleaned, it's a pretty good bet the cleaner didn't disinfect the phones, light switches and remote control.
Take some vitamin C There's a lot of controversy over the benefits of vitamin C when it comes to preventing or treating colds. One thing is quite clear, though: it doesn't make much difference in treating colds or reducing their severity or duration. A large japanese study found, however, that people who took daily doses of vitamin C over five years had many fewer colds than people who skipped the extra C. If you choose to take supplements take 500mg a day. Participants taking this dosage were a third less likely to have three or more colds during the study than those taking just 50mg.
Swallow a garlic supplement daily It won't cure the common cold, but it may help to prevent it. That's what British researchers found when they gave 146 volunteers either daily garlic capsules or placebos from November through to February (the primary cold season). There were 24 colds in the garlic group versus 65 in the placebo group, a significant difference. Plus, the placebo group's colds lasted longer and were more severe than the garlic group's.
Get some sun Scientists now think that lack of vitamin D-correlated with the lack of sunshine in winter - helps to explain why winter is the peak season for colds and flu. In one study at the University of Tampere in Finland, young men with low levels of vitamin D were twice as likely to catch a cold cover the winter season as those with higher levels. And several other studies have now shown that vitamin D, either produced by sunlight exposure or taken as a supplement, may protect against all kinds of respiratory infections. Why? vitmain D is a key component in keeping the immune system from overreacting, thus reducing inflamamtion and oxidation (which are responsible
a vaccine worth having
A flu jab doesn't just protect you against getting flu. More importantly, it may also protect you against complications of influenza, which can be serious in people who are elderly, frail or institutionalised, as well as in anyone who has multiple existing medical conditions.
Complications include a higher risk of hospitalisation for conditions such as pneumonia, heart failure and stroke, and a higher risk of dying as a result. Studies on the benefits of influenza vaccination among different groups have produced very varied results - possibly because of other differences between the people who are likely to get the vaccine and those who don't.
However, in general, although opinion differs on how well it may or may not protect elderly people, most studies do suggest signficant benefits in terms of it lowering complication rates among vulenerable groups. That's why the NHS offers an annual flu vaccination to everyone over 65 and to anyone with chronic respiratory, heart, liver or kidney disease, diabetics and to people with compromised immune systems. The vaccine is also offered to people who live in nursing homes or other long-stay residential care, to carers of elderly or disabled people, and to health-care staff.
The vaccine has been proven to be safe and usually has no greater side effects than temporary mild soreness at the site of injection. It sometimes provokes flu-like symptoms such as mild fever or slight muscle aches for a day or two, as the body's immune system responds to the vaccine, but this does not lead to influenza itself - it can't, because live viruses are not used in the vaccine. Allergic or other reactions to the immunisation are extremely rare.
WHY YOU'LL NEED A JAB AGAIN NEXT YEAR Should you get a flu jab each year? Change slightly from year to year, so a new vaccine has to be developed for each year's strains. It's important to get a flu jab annually if you're in any of the groups at risk of influenza complications.
WHEN IS THE JAB AVAILABLE? As influenza occurs mostly in winter, with a peak between December and March, most GPs organise vaccination sessions in September and October, before the main flu season starts. It takes between 10 and 14 days for your immune system to respond fully to the jab by producing antibodies against influenza viruses.
WHAT ABOUT MERCURY IN THE VACCINE? Some brands of flu vaccine contain thiomersal, a mercury-based preservative, so if you'd rather avoid this, ask your GP it's possible to have a type that doesn't contain mercury. The flu vaccines that are thiomersal-free are as effective as those containing thiomersal, though availability will depend on your area.
for cold and flu symptoms). At the same time, vitamin D dramatically stimulates the production of cells that line the respiratory tract and help to prevent infection. Spending 20 minutes a day in the sun with your hands, face and arms exposed puts about 20,000 IU of vitamin D into your body within two days, compared with 98 IU or so you get from milk.
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