The common cold has been plaguing humankind since the beginning of human existence. Even in these advanced times, there is no vaccine or cure.
There are many symptoms that accompany the common cold. Some of these infamous symptoms are a runny nose, caused by inflammation of the nasal tissues, resulting in over production of mucus to trap the virus, and coughing. there are two different kinds or types of coughs that are common with colds. The first, is the less common dry hacking cough, these kinds are more likely to keep you up at night and just plainly annoy you than do any thing else. The other more common type of cough is the kind whose purpose is to expel mucus and or phlegm. These help to combat the cold by helping to expel the mucus
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This same article said that kissing doesn't necessarily spread the cold virus (1-2). Laurie Tarkan says that the main way that the cold virus is spread is through touching of the nose and mouth, like the Mayo
Clinic Letter. She also stated that the reason that colds seam to flourish in the winter is that people tend to group together in schools and in homes, therefor spreading the virus throughout the population. Also more people tend to fly durring the winter. In order to keep the cabin pressurized, the airplane circulates the air, and that means that if one person has a cold and coughs then the whole plane will have a great chance to become infected. Also at higher altitudes, the air seriously dries out the nasal membrane in the nose and therefore make a person more susceptible to the virus. Because of this, experts like Laurie Tarkan suggest to drink allot of water while flying in an airplane, about eight ounces for every hour that you are on the airplane (202, The Common Cold
2). There is only one possible way to stay totally healthy during the winter. That is to be locked in a room underground and not see anyone until the cold season is over. Fortunately there are a few guidelines that you can follow to help your chances of staying well this winter. One is to wash your hands often, not compulsively but often, and also try to stay away from people who have really bad colds. If someone in your house or workplace gets or has a cold,
If an infected person were to sneeze or cough the virus is instantly airborne and ready to be breathed in by an unsuspecting individual. Touching an object after an infected individual, touching the infected individual, and coming into contact with bodily fluids from the infected person are other ways that one gets sick. With the many ways to infect individuals this makes the influenza virus a highly contagious virus. It can spread rapidly within a household due to the close proximity to the infected individual with no precaution. An outbreak can also travel swiftly through any community via community activities and visiting community areas. Even with a complete shutdown of air travel, a flu pandemic can still race through the globe in a matter of months. It is impossible to quarantine the infection because affected individuals become contagious a day before the onset of any symptoms show, trying to diagnose the influenza virus with fever, cough, and a few of its other symptoms is not an efficient way to diagnose the illness as suggested by C. van den Dool and associates. There are many cases where individuals who have the illness are not
After all these years, there’s still no cure for the common cold. For a long time now it’s been advocated that prevention is the best type of medicine. Of course you know the basics how to circumvent infection. Wash your hand on a regular basis, make sure you get enough sleep, ensure you eat the right things and get the right nutrition…
Influenza is a virus that is spread through airborne droplets, which are present when coughing, sneezing, and even talking (Adams, 2017). The awesome thing about influenza (i.e. the flu) is that it is fairly easy to prevent. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) lists seven ways you can use to protect yourself from the flu. The number one and most important is to get your yearly flu vaccination. Also, prevention includes avoiding close contact with those who are sick; staying home when you are sick; covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing; cleaning your hands with warm water and soap; avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth; and last but not least, practicing generally good health habits (CDC.gov, 2015). Adequate sleep,
Flu season is upon us and influenza has hit our area particularly hard this year. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs that spread from person to person through sneezing and coughing. The flu can also be spread surfaces when infected people touch surfaces such as door knobs, shopping carts, computer keyboards, countertops, etc. Symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Though it can be difficult to avoid the flu entirely, there are things you can do to protect yourself and your household from getting the flu by following these steps at home. Continue these steps daily throughout the flu season.
It like the cold but it last longer and it preventable. It’s passed around just like the cold. Through interacting with people that have gotten the flu, it often happens in the winter when it’s cold outside. It’s prevented by getting the Influenza vaccination or better known as the flu shot.
I think many can testify to being guilty of brushing off symptoms like a stuffy nose, and the feeling of fatigue as the common cold, treatable by over the counter drugs. We tend to ignore these minor signs of what could possibly be a very dangerous and severe viral infection, this respiratory infection being the influenza virus. Flu activity most often appears between the months of February and May, leading many to believe their symptoms might be caused by allergies. Although symptoms are very similar, the flu can cause epidemics with the deadly outcomes, as the common cold is just a nuisance for us.
Every fall season, more than 1 billion Americans contract colds which lead to the overcrowding emergency rooms, doctor offices and urgent care visits. Most of them present similar symptoms of upper respiratory tract (URT) infections which affects the air passage in the nose, ears and throat. Among them, 5 to 20 percents of these symptoms are contracted by influenza, commonly called “the flu” (11). According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu diseases are episodic and can be acute which has claimed 3000 to 49000 lives from 1976 to 2006 although there have been no findings on a mortality report due to the common cold (11). Although the common cold and flu share a lot of common characteristics, but their complications
The common cold and Influenza are two common illnesses of the upper respiratory tract. These illness can often be mistaken for each other due to the overlapping symptoms. The two symptoms that seem to present when the flu is occurring are a fever with a cough. Prevention is also similar for both of the illnesses with the exception of an actual vaccine that can be administered annually for flu prevention. Diagnosis can occur in the physicians office according to the individuals symptoms that are presenting or by completing an rapid flu test. Treatments are also similar for both the common cold and the flu because they are both caused by viruses, therefore a patient would not benefit from antibiotic therapy. With educating the
Signs and symptoms of the flu? Initially, this virus may seem like a common cold. There will be a runny nose, frequent sneezing, and a sore throat. The difference is that a cold develops slowly whereas the flu tends to come all of a sudden and feel ten times worse. The common signs and symptoms of the flu will include a fever over 100.4 fahrenheit, aching muscles, chills, sweats, headaches, a dry and persistent cough, fatigue and feelings of weakness, nasal congestion, and a sore
disease get worse over time. It can cause coughing that produces large amount of mucus,
12-35%, these numbers may not appear to be large, but they are rather serious numbers. Approximately one billion cases of the Common Cold occur annually in the United States, according to population estimates (Klemas, N., 2015). Many people never go to the Emergency Room, Hospital, or even the Doctor’s office for treatment; often, brushing the infection off and later suffering even more from the disease. Any time a virus is contracted, one should always seek professional help.
Studies have shown that the influenza virus can live on a hard surface anywhere from two to eight hours (Preventing Seasonal Flu Illness, 2014). Anyone can be at risk for contracting Influenza. Those who are at a higher risk include; children younger than five and those especially younger than two, adults that are sixty-five and older, pregnant women, elderly people in nursing homes, and American Indians and Alaskan Natives (Influenza (Flu), 2015). Anyone can be affected by influenza, yet there are those who are at a higher risk. If individuals are more educated about influenza and how to prevent it, then it could help prevent serious complications and prevent an outbreak from
Influenza is among the most widely recognized reasons for respiratory contaminations in people. It is trusted that there have been episodes of influenza since at any rate the Middle Ages, and potentially even since antiquated circumstances. Influenza infections taint the cells of the upper and lower respiratory tract. Rarely the contamination may spread to the circulation system. Influenza is a noteworthy general medical issue. To be sure, flu infections are the main respiratory infections to cause increments in the quantity of grown-up passing’s in the winter months, in calm atmospheres at any rate. There are three sorts of flu infection - sorts A, B and C. They contrast in the inward proteins that they contain.
Influenza (Flu) viruses are usually spread by droplets through the air when people sneeze, cough, or talk. Though not as common, the virus may also be spread when a person touches a surface or object the virus is on and then touches the mouth or nose. Symptoms include fever, aches, chills, tiredness, sudden onset, coughing, sneezing and sore throat. The CDC reports that most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming ill. Children may pass the virus for longer than 7 days. Symptoms start 1 to 4 days after the virus enters the body. It is possible to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. Treatment options for the flu include prescription antiviral drugs and over the counter medications such as pain relievers and decongestants to relive symptoms. Flu shots as well as knowledge of how the flu virus is spread and preventative measures are important ways to mitigate the severity of an outbreak.
It 's very easy to fall sick these days especially when you 're traveling and you should try and find out as much as possible about how you can prevent this from happening to you. Naturally, it 's quite scary to contemplate some of the stories that we 've come across in the New England journal in the recent past, about airline passengers who have passed on some really worrisome diseases to others who are travelling with them. The cabin of an airplane is a closed space and in this environment there 's a lot of chance for germs to multiply and spread. Some are even potentially hazardous like E_coli, salmo-nella, coli-form, rota-virus. Even the common cold is not exempt as well as MRSA, which is very well known form of staph. You might think that these germs can be contracted from any place that has lots of people passing through, but the fact is that busier a place is, the more likely it is to have plenty of germs. But then, we can 't possibly keep ourselves away from these places where germs breed so easily because for practical purposes we need to travel and even go to places that have heavy crowds like shops and movie halls. So what can you do to prevent picking up these germs if you simply have to travel or visit these places? Experts give a few pointers below on how to stay away from the germs and stay healthy. Sitting at the front of the plane. "Try and get a seat near the front, because there 's better air flow from the ventilation systems here," advises