Although we are already saying goodbye to winter, temperature changes begin to take their toll on colds and flu. Most of us take precautionary (and common sense) measures, like washing our hands and avoiding contact with infected people. Even so, it is difficult that with exposure to cold and flu viruses we manage to avoid falling ill 100%.
Self-medication is never a good option, which is why some people turn to natural remedies to prevent or reduce the duration of a cold. Viruses are everywhere (work, school, public transport), so it is difficult to avoid contagion. Even any family member could infect you.
Cold and flu season runs from December through May. If you do contract either, there's no need to resort to over-the-counter medications to prevent a stuffy nose, sore throat, cough, or fever. Below we reveal everything you need to know about both diseases.
How do we know if it's a cold or the flu?
There are world statistics that estimate that each adult person can have 2 or 3 colds a year, while in children the number increases to 6 colds. It is true that both diseases are similar and quite unpleasant, but there are some differences between the cold and the flu.
El cold It is an acute, self-limited viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. It can be caused by more than 200 different viruses, with the coronavirus and rhinovirus being the most frequent culprits. Because there are so many viruses, the body has a hard time creating resistance to them. In fact, there is still no "cure" for the common cold. This is spread through manual contact with an infected person, when we touch an object contaminated by handling or by sneezing or coughing particles.
Instead, the flu is a contagious respiratory viral infection that causes mild to severe illness. There are four types of influenza viruses: A, B, C, and D. Humans are primarily affected by influenza A and B viruses; they are responsible for epidemics of influenza every winter. Type C causes a very mild respiratory disease and type D infects cattle, so these two should hardly concern us.
As with colds, the flu is spread by airborne particles contaminated with the virus when people talk, cough, or sneeze. Someone is less likely to become infected by touching a surface that contains the virus.
Are vaccines useful for anything?
The flu vaccine is available in clinics and pharmacies, although only a sector of the population is recommended to get it (for free). The striking thing is that recent research indicate that it seems that it is not as effective as we think. Perhaps the vaccine may have adverse consequences that we do not know about.
A flu vaccine, which actually works in one season, can increase the risk of developing the flu later. This is due to a process called 'antibody-dependent enhancement', and it occurs when virus-antibody complexes adapt in cells, usually after a person is vaccinated. In addition, getting a flu shot can also reduce the effectiveness of subsequent vaccinations and increase the chance that you will infect others.
The efficacy of the vaccine is still in full debate. Science has observed only one modest effect of the vaccine against the reduction of flu symptoms in children, adults and the elderly.
Although for many of us the flu is a temporary problem, there are certain sectors of the population that are exposed to a high health risk. Some of them are: health workers who have direct contact with patients, asthmatics, people with a compromised immune system and the elderly.
What about cold and flu medicines?
Are we dependent on medications when we notice some symptoms? I would dare to say yes. As soon as we have the first signs of a cold or flu, we tend to go to the pharmacy for some decongestants, anti-inflammatory or antihistamines. Nevertheless, The science ensures that these drugs do nothing to shorten the duration of the disease or prevent its onset. Simply suppress the symptoms.
Do antibiotics help?
There are still doctors who prescribe antibiotics to people who have the flu or a cold. Antibiotics have been shown to prevent or kill bacterial infections, making them useless in viral infections. Almost 25% of the antibiotics that are prescribed are done inappropriately; and 35% are given to patients (often children) with upper respiratory infections, sinusitis, and headaches. Sore throats have, to a greater extent, a viral origin and are not caused by bacteria.
If we are prescribed antibiotics indiscriminately, we can create resistance to them and generate a social problem. To prevent this from happening, we just have to significantly reduce its use, especially when we take it in cases where we do not need it, such as colds and flu.