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TRAVEL HEALTH GUIDE |
COMMON COLDS
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A cold virus is deposited into the front of the nasal passages by contaminated fingers or by droplets from coughs and sneezes. Small doses of virus (1-30 particles) are sufficient to produce infection. The virus is then transported to the back of the nose and onto the adenoid area by the nose itself! Generally, a cold starts with a sore throat. Cold symptoms can also begin shortly after virus is first produced in the nose (10-12 hours). The time from the beginning of the infection to the peak of symptoms is typically 36-72 hours. The best way to avoid a cold is to avoid close contact with existing sufferers, to wash hands thoroughly and regularly, to avoid touching the face. Anti-bacterial soaps and alcohol gels, while helpful against bacteria, have no effect on the cold virus - it is the mechanical action of hand washing that removes the virus particles. |
Below are some of the articles (somewhat edited) I have used to present the above info of my personal choices:The Common ColdA common cold is an illness caused by a virus infection located in the nose. Colds also involve the sinuses, ears, and bronchial tubes. Symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, nasal obstruction, sore or scratchy throat, cough, hoarseness, and mild general symptoms like headache, feverishness, chilliness, and not feeling well in general. A cold is a milder illness than influenza. Influenza typically causes fever, muscle aches, and a more severe cough. However, mild cases of influenza are similar to colds. There are over 100 different cold viruses. Rhinoviruses are the most important and cause at least one-half of colds. Colds last on average for one week. Mild colds may last only 2 or 3 days while severe colds may last for up to 2 weeks. Adults average 2 to 3 colds per year and children 6 to 10, depending on their age and exposure. Children's noses are the major source of cold viruses. Cold viruses can only multiply when they are inside of living cells. When on an environmental surface, cold viruses cannot multiply. However, they are still infectious if they are transported from an environmental site into the nose. Cold viruses live only in the noses of humans and not in animals except chimpanzees and other higher primates. A cold virus is deposited into the front of the nasal passages by contaminated fingers or by droplets from coughs and sneezes. Small doses of virus (1-30 particles) are sufficient to produce infection. The virus is then transported to the back of the nose and onto the adenoid area by the nose itself! Small doses of virus (1-30 virus particles) when introduced into the nose are sufficient to reliably produce infection. From the time a cold virus enters the nose, it takes 8-12 hours for the viral reproductive cycle to be completed and for new cold virus to be released in nasal secretions. This interval is called the incubation period. Cold symptoms can also begin shortly after virus is first produced in the nose (10-12 hours). The time from the beginning of the infection to the peak of symptoms is typically 36-72 hours. When activated by a cold virus infection, inflammatory mediators cause dilatation and leakage of blood vessels and mucus gland secretion. Inflammatory mediators also activate sneeze and cough reflexes and stimulate pain nerve fibers. These events are what lead to the symptoms of a cold. The activity of the inflammatory mediators is not necessary for recovery from cold virus infection. The individual symptoms of a cold are caused by the action of particular inflammatory mediators, although there is some overlapping. This has important implications for developing and selecting effective cold treatments. 25% of people who acquire cold virus infection do not develop symptoms. People without cold symptoms recover from the infection as well as those who have symptoms. For further information go to: http://www.commoncold.org/ |
(2) Robert Fulton Cathcart III, M.D on Vitamin C Robert Fulton Cathcart III, M.D., has more clinical experience with vitamin C than probably anyone else. In the early 1970's after reading Dr. Linus Pauling's book, Vitamin C and the Common Cold, Dr. Cathcart cured inner ear and respiratory infections he had since childhood with vitamin C. It was about that time that he decided to give up his practice as an orthopedic surgeon and become a general practitioner concerned with infectious diseases and their relationship to varying doses of vitamin C. By 1981, he was able to report his observations on 9,000 patients he treated with vitamin C. Like so many of the other vitamins, it is water soluble (your body stores it for a short period of time). We can increase the blood levels by taking it throughout the day everyday. Dr. Cathcart found that we all have a bowel tolerance limit of vitamin C (the onset of diarrhea). His patients who had very low blood levels of vitamin C (the severely ill) could tolerate more than 200 grams (not mgs.) per day before the onset of diarrhea. As the patients' illnesses improved, the amount of vitamin C could be lowered because of the increased levels of it in the blood (serum level). The amount would then be lowered toward the normal 4-15 gm. per day range. Your bowel tolerance limit is your barometer of vitamin C intake if you happen to contract any of the conditions listed below. Of course, water consumption (distilled or reverse osmosis . . . such that you urinate every three hours) is highly recommended, even if you do not induce diarrhea with vitamin C. Soft drinks and coffee provide water but add calories, caffeine, sugar, and an acid ph. Most foods have water content as do fruit juices but, because of the extra calories, do not rely on them to quench your thirst. The following table shows the the conditions Dr. Cathcart discovered could be treated with varying amounts of vitamin C based on his observations on 9,000 patients. Condition Grams/24 hours Doses/24 hours Normal ....................4-15.....................3-4 Mild cold...............30-60...................6-10 Severe cold..........60-100..............8-15 Influenza..............100-150...........8-20 For further information go to: http://www.vaccinationnews.com/DailyNews/February2002/VitCDoses.htm |
(3) New Zealand Alternative Health Your body will actually absorb many times as much vitamin C, without diarrhea, if you have some disease/infection in your body. In particular, a virus in the bloodstream, such as a common cold or flu, will allow an uptake as high as 100 grams a day without any diarrhea This amount is sometimes needed to knock out the particular disease/infection. What happens if you take lesser amounts than are needed to kill the virus or bacteria invaders? Simple - you don't kill them all! Since both multiply at an amazing rate - actually doubling in about 20 minutes, they quickly get back to saturation strength within a short time. In about 3 hours or so, one virus or bacteria cell becomes 1000! The RDA for vitamin C is only 75 milligrams (.075 grams). This is an example of the futility in using these RDA figures for any "health" amounts. The RDA or Recommended Daily Amounts used to be called the MDA or Minimum Daily Amounts. This is much more truthful, but not as good for the cereal advertisers, so their lobby changed the name. Doesn't it sound like that's the amount needed for good health? Particularly when you hear the misleading cereal advertisements? Not so. These listed RDA amounts are still only the MINIMUM amounts required to prevent serious deficiency diseases such as scurvy, beriberi, and pellegra. The idea that it's the amount for good health is a result of Madison Avenue advertising. Now we can see a bit better why so many MD's say (and honestly believe) that vitamin C isn't effective against colds and flu? They recommend 500 or even 1000 mg - which to their mind is a megadose - after all, it's ten times the RDA. Some shortsighted experimenters have even gone very much higher, and used as much as 7-8 grams. Wow, a hundred times the RDA, that's a megadose - or so they think! When it has little or no effect, they publish another learned paper in some medical journal (or popular magazine) saying that vitamin C has no effect on colds or flu, and they have "proven it". Your doctor isn't an idiot, or even a bad guy - he's just the victim of his extensive (and expensive) education, and he believes the AMA dogma. He reads medical journals to keep up naturally. There's no reason for him to disbelieve the articles that appear in his journals about vitamin C not being effective. He must reason that if any such therapy was good, it would be reported in such journals. The individual doctor is probably not even aware that the medical journals he reads are literally controlled by the drug advertising. Don't blame your doctor for his lack of knowledge. Blame the system. Most of us in this field who have studied vitamins and actual health requirements believe that .075 grams of vitamin C is way too little. Most agree that 2 grams (2000 milligrams) of supplementary vitamin C is a minimum starting point. In the case of cancer, the correct dosage of vitamin C has to be determined for each individual. It's not too difficult using a powdered vitamin C in the form of ascorbate. This is a "buffered" form which neutralizes the acidity of pure ascorbic acid (vitamin C). One teaspoon equals 4 grams. The patient takes one teaspoon every hour until he just starts to experience diarrhea If no diarrhea is experienced within 4-6 hours, then the dosage is doubled to two teaspoons per hour, etc. A few grams below the diarrhea dosage is the amount required for that particular individual every eight hours. This is called the "bowel tolerance dosage". It can sometimes be amazingly high indeed! In a few cases of cancer, doses of up to 200 grams have been required. In one case in the literature of a schizophrenic woman, 50 grams a day was required to keep her stable and relatively normal. For further information go to: http://www.alternativehealth.co.nz/cancer/vitcandcancer.htm |
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There are over 20,000 studies in the National Library of Medicine showing health benefits of vitamins and minerals at much higher than Daily Value (RDA) levels. Vitamin C – Higher Doses Reduce Duration of Colds - Lower Doses Have No Effect Another peer-reviewed study stated that Vitamin C doses of 250 mg to 500 mg per day produced no effect on reduction of cold symptoms, while doses from 1,000 mg to 6,000 mg per day decreased cold durations an average of 21%. Hemila H, et al. Vitamin C and the common cold: a retrospective analysis of Chalmers’ review. J Am Coll Nutr 1995;14(2):116-123. For further information go to: http://www.supernutritionusa.com/vitamin.safety.doses9-02.pdf |
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Vitamin C replaces antiviral drugs at saturation (bowel tolerance or loose stool) levels. The reason very high doses of a vitamin can cure an illnesses is because a disease-induced deficiency of that vitamin can be a cause of the illness. As for the safety of this approach: There is not even one death per year from vitamins. Pharmaceutical drugs, properly prescribed and taken as directed, kill over 100,000 Americans annually. Hospital errors kill still more. Unlike drugs, with vitamins, the range of safe dosages is extraordinarily large. For further information go to: http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v01n12.shtml |
(6) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases There is no cure for the common cold, but you can get relief from your cold symptoms by
For further information go to: http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/healthscience/healthtopics/colds/treatment.htm |
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The common cold belongs to the upper respiratory tract infections. It is different from influenza, a more severe viral infection of the respiratory tract that shows the additional symptoms of rapidly rising fever, chills, and body and muscle aches. While the common cold itself is rarely life-threatening, its complications, such as pneumonia, can be. Between a third and a half of people exposed to a cold virus become infected ( Jackson GG et al, AMA Arch Intern. Med 1958 101 267); 75% show symptoms, which start 1-2 days after infection. Generally, a cold starts with a sore throat with no respiratory blockage. Later symptoms are a result of the body's defense mechanisms -- sneezes, runny nose, and coughs expel the invader while inflammation attracts and activates immune cells. Severe colds can even lead to a slightly stiff neck and mild to severe headaches with a slight fever for some. Often confused with influenza, the common cold is caused by a different type of virus and usually does not result in a significantly higher body temperature -- a high fever is a very reliable indicator of the flu. The best way to avoid a cold is to avoid close contact with existing sufferers, to wash hands thoroughly and regularly, to avoid touching the face. Anti-bacterial soaps have no effect on the cold virus—it is the mechanical action of hand washing that removes the virus particles[citation needed]. In 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended alcohol-based hand gels as an effective method for reducing infectious viruses on the hands. However, as with standard hand washing, alcohol gels provide no residual protection from re-infection As there is no medically proven and accepted medication directly targeting the causative agent, there is no cure for the common cold. Treatment is limited to symptomatic supportive options, maximizing the comfort of the patient, and limiting complications and harmful sequelae. The most reliable and simplest treatment is a combination of fluids and plenty of rest. The common cold is self-limited, and is effectively dealt with by the host's immune system. Within a few days, the body's humoral immune response begins producing specific antibodies that can prevent the virus from infecting cells. Additionally, as part of the cell-mediated immune response, leukocytes destroy the virus through phagocytosis and destroy infected cells to prevent further viral replication. In healthy, immunocompetant individuals, the common cold resolves in seven days on average. Although there have been scientific studies done on echinacea, its effectiveness has not been demonstrated. A meta-analysis published in 2005 found that vitamin C reduced the incidence of colds by 50% in six trials with physically stressed participants, but that 200+mg daily had no effect on the incidence of colds in ordinary people. Regular vitamin C supplementation shortened the duration of colds in children by 14% and in adults by 8%. Findings from therapeutic trials of dosages under 6 grams per day and single doses have been conflicting. The Vitamin C Foundation recommends an initial usage of up to 8 grams of vitamin C every 20-30 minutes in order to show an effect on the symptoms of a cold infection that is in progress. Most of the studies showing little or no effect employ doses of ascorbate such as 100 mg to 500 mg per day, considered "small" by vitamin C advocates. Equally important, the plasma half life of high dose ascorbate above the baseline, controlled by renal resorption, is approximately 30 minutes,] which implies that most high dose studies have been methodologically defective and would be expected to show a minimum benefit. Because vitamin C is metabolized to oxalic acid in the body, some scientists have long speculated that high doses may contribute to the development of kidney stones. Such hypotheses have so far proven inconclusive with other aggravating and mitigating factors being better identified. Zicam Cold Remedy is a non-drip nasal gel containing Zincum Gluconicum to "Reduce the duration; Reduce the severity of the common cold." A 2000 study on the nasal gel has indicated that if taken within 24 hours of the initial cold symptoms it can shorten a cold significantly. Comparing the 50% symptom threshold (where the percent of patients reporting symptoms had dropped from 100% to 50%), the zinc group attained the 50% threshold in 2 days while the placebo group attained it in 9 days. The nasal gel works best when taken within 24 hours of the first symptoms of a cold. A 2002 study recruited patients who had experienced cold symptoms for 24-48 hours (therefore outside the recommended window of opportunity) and found that the median time to cold resolution was still significantly shorter in the zinc vs. the placebo group, with the zinc group’s colds approximately 2 days shorter that the placebo group’s colds. Though cures are unproven, there are a number of effective treatments which, rather than treat the viral infection, focus on relieving the symptoms. For some people, colds are relatively minor inconveniences and they can go on with their daily activities with tolerable discomfort. This discomfort has to be weighed against the price and possible side effects of the remedies, and the possibility, though not scientifically proven, that by suppressing responses evolved to fight the cold, the symptom suppressants may prolong the illness. Common treatments include: analgesics such as aspirin or Tylenol (acetaminophen), as well as localized versions targeting the throat (often delivered in lozenge form), nasal decongestants such as phenylephrine which reduce the inflammation in the nasal passages by constricting local blood vessels, cough suppressants (which work to suppress the cough reflex of the brain or by diluting the mucus in the lungs), and first-generation anti-histamines such as brompheniramine, chlorpheniramine, diphenhydramine and clemastine (which reduce mucus gland secretion and thus combat blocked/runny noses but also may make the user drowsy). Second generation anti-histamines do not have a useful effect on colds. A warm and humid environment and high fluid intake, especially hot liquids, can alleviate symptoms somewhat. Common home remedies include chamomile, lemon or ginger root tisanes and soup (which probably work by soothing the irritated respiratory passages with their steam), nebulized medicinal mixtures, hot compresses, mustard plasters, hot toddies, tamagozake, licorice and echinacea. Eating spicy food can help alleviate congestion, although it may also irritate the already-tender throat. Coffee, or its active component, caffeine, has also been shown to improve mood and mental performance during rhinovirus infection. Other home remedies include gargling and flushing the nose with salt water. A strong salt solution reduces swelling in the throat and nasal tissue through osmosis. The high saline concentration draws fluids out of the cells through the cell membranes. This helps reduce the irritations in the throat and can clear the nasal passages and restore easy breathing without the use of medication. It is better to use iodine free salt. Iodine has a bitter taste and may irritate the nasal tissues For further information go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_cold |
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The most exciting news about the common cold is zinc. In a recent trial, zinc gluconate lozenges reduced the duration of symptoms from a common cold by about 3 days if started within the first 24 hours of symptoms. The dose used was 13.3mg of zinc every 2 hours while awake. This study was done in adults and, while it has shown favorable results, it will require further studies in order to determine optimal recommendations. Vitamin C, if taken on a regular basis, can help reduce the duration of symptoms from a common cold. It does not prevent you from getting a cold, however, and starting it after you have a cold doesn't help. Several treatments that can ease the symptoms associated with a common cold also exist. Decongestants, such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed and others), and nasal sprays (Afrin and others) can help reduce symptoms. Persons with heart disease, poorly controlled high blood pressure, or other illness should contact their physician or other healthcare practitioner prior to using these medications. Additionally, over the counter nasal sprays should not be used for more than 3 days because the nose can become dependent on them and a worse stuffy nose will result when they are discontinued. Antihistamines (Benadryl and others) may help reduce nasal drainage. Only those antihistamines that can also cause drowsiness seem to work. Again, the elderly or those individuals with other health problems (such as prostate trouble or constipation) should contact their healthcare practitioner before using these medications. Acetaminophen (Tylenol and others) or ibuprofen (Advil and others) can help with the muscle aches. Cough can be controlled with cough syrups containing dextromethorphan. Finally, drink lots of fluids, use throat lozenges for sore throat. For further information go to: http://www.medicinenet.com/common_cold/page2.htm |
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There's no cure for the common cold. Antibiotics are of no use against cold viruses. Over-the-counter (OTC) cold preparations won't cure a common cold or make it go away any sooner, and most have side effects. Here's a look at the pros and cons of some common cold remedies. Pain relievers - For fever, sore throat and headache, many people turn to acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or other mild pain relievers. Keep in mind that acetaminophen can cause liver damage, especially if taken frequently or in larger-than-recommended doses. Decongestant nasal sprays - Adults shouldn't use decongestant drops or sprays for more than a few days because prolonged use can cause chronic inflammation of the mucous membranes. Cough syrups - In winter, nonprescription cough syrups practically fly off the drugstore shelves. But the American College of Chest Physicians strongly discourages the use of these medications because they're not effective at treating the underlying cause of cough due to colds. Some contain ingredients that may alleviate coughing, but the amounts are too small to do much good. Coughs associated with a cold usually last less than two to three weeks. If a cough lingers longer than that, see your doctor. For further information go to: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/common-cold/DS00056/DSECTION=7 |
HOT TODDYThe word toddy is used for a sweet alcoholic drink made of palm sap which is popular in Africa, South India and in the Philippines (10). From there the word seems to have found its way to Scotland around 1720. In Allan Ramsay's poem there is a reference to "some kettles full of Todian spring" (11). This word comes from Tod's Well, a spring located on Arthur's seat, the hill in the heart of Edinburgh, which was one of the city's water supplies. Some say the hot toddy was invented to disguise raw Scotch, which in the 18th century was a tad unpalatable (12).Nowadays the word toddy is almost always used to describe a hot, sweetened drink of spirits and water. The sweet sour taste promotes salivation, thus promoting mucus secretion, and mucus is our first line of defense against bacteria and viruses. The alcohol is just good medicine, right?Scotch, Brandy, Bourbon or dark rum are good spirits for a toddy. Drambuie can be used instead of whiskey as the liqueur is made with honey and herbs, and so that toddy needs only the addition of lemon and water. Please be aware that many over-the-counter cold cures should not be taken with alcohol, and indeed too much alcohol depletes your immune system, so you should be careful about combining different forms of cold relief. For children's Hot Toddy just delete the alcohol (13). There are many variations on the recipe, so have fun discovering your preferred mix. If you can, give the recipe to somebody else to make while you curl up under a warm blanket - you're the one with the cold, remember? A hot toddy should be sipped very slowly allowing it to soothe your sore throat, clear your nose and easing your miseries. It does go cold really quickly, even in a heat resistant glass, so serve in an insulated mug or one with a lid, so you can clutch it warm right down to the last sip. Classic Hot Toddy Herbal Hot Toddy is made the same as above, just add any or all of the following to taste: Tamagozake - the Japanese Hot Toddy (14) (10) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_wine There you have some of it.....GOOD LUCK. See also: Travelers' Diarrhea |
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