Unfortunately, little can be done to avoid catching colds. It is possible to try to avoid colds by staying away from all public places, such as shopping malls, church, or synagogues, and school. However, even this will not be effective in avoiding all contact with the cold viruses. While it is probably sensible to avoid snuggling with someone who has a terrible cold, this also won't do the trick completely, since people can have the cold viruses--and pass them on--before they feel sick with a cold themselves.
Some colds definitely can lead to bronchial infection and can be serious, especially in infants, whose bronchi are tiny and therefore harder to clear of infection. Bronchial infections can be more serious than an infection that stayss in the nose and throat, but most often bronchial infections can be successfully treated. In some cases, it may actually be helpful to get a cold. When we are exposed to viruses, our body's immune system produces antibodies that will prevent infections with these same viruses when we are exposed to them at another time. Many infections are more severe later in life, so it's good to get them early and get them over with.
When to call Your Doctor
*If your temperature is above 100 degrees fahrenheit for three days or even goes to 103 degrees or higher.
*If you have a sore throat combined with a fever that stays above 101 degrees for 24 hours--it may be strep throat which requires antibiotics.
*If you have chest pain, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing--this may mean you have pneumonia, especially if you also have a high fever.
Treating a cold or flu becomes almost routine to for most of us. We follow the same rituals to relieve symptoms, like cough drops for sore throats and to soothe coughing. We take daytime cold pills to get through work, even if we feel like zombies. We take the antibiotics we are given with the mistaken belief that doing something is better than doing nothing. The relatively unknown facts about antibiotics may change your mind.
The world health community is trying to make everyone aware that overuse of antibiotics is leading to resistant bacteria. Antibiotics do kill bacteria but leave the field open for mutant strains to multiply, potentially leading to drug resistant super-bacteria. The immune system may actually be hurt by the overuse of antibiotics as it replaces one of its functions. While antibiotics attack the bacteria, they also affect normal cells. Evidence indicates that the use of antibiotics may actually lead to more repeat infections than is seen in people not treated with antibiotics. Some of the other side effects, such as destruction of normal bowel flora, can actually weaken the immune system leading to more infections. Antibiotics address the final stages of a bacterial infection, the problem is this final stage bacteria may be there to help usher the debris of the infection out of the weakened body.
The destruction of bacteria in our bodies can result in the overgrowth of candida albicans, which may cause diarrhea or yeast infections. Disturbing the candida albicans, normal yeast that lives in our bodies, may progress to a more serious situation leaving our digestive systems a mess. A common antibiotic is penicillin, but there are serious allergic reactions for some and in others it can be fatal. Suppressing our bodies’ natural systems like fever can actually prolong our illness and impair our long term health, since fever is the body’s way of burning up bacteria and viruses. There are important debates occurring about antibiotics and more and more health professionals are coming down on the side of prevention and natural remedies.
Prevention can be an effective, money saving routine that could potentially keep you well through the entire cold and flu season. Visiting a licensed herbalist now and putting a plan in action to combine nutrition, exercise, vitamin and mineral therapy with herbal treatments could save you a lot of trouble in winter. If you do catch a cold or flu your first stop should be your local health food store. Instead of putting synthetic drugs into your body try some herbal teas, increased hydration, and rest instead. Always tell your herbalist or doctor any prescription medication or herbs you are ingesting as they may interact. Never be afraid of telling your physician that you would like to try some natural remedies and asking their opinion. If you are a senior, it is vital that you discuss all plans with your physician. Remember, washing your hands is a free and very effective preventative measure that all of us can do to keep the world a healthier place.
Reference: Natural Cures for the Common Cold
