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Cold and Flu
Questions and answers about the "Common Cold"; symptoms in the upper respiratory tract like sneezing, scratchy throat, and runny nose, but adults don't typically have fevers. Colds are usually caused by the rhinovirus (up to 40% of colds), or Coronaviruses (about 20%), but there are more than 200 viruses that can cause the common cold. Also questions about the seasonal flu, also called "regular flu", caused mostly by Type A and Type B Influenza viruses. Flu starts with similar symptoms as a cold only it hits faster and harder and usually includes fever in adults. Although the "stomach flu" is a common term, it is not a real diagnosis. The proper medical term for stomach flu is gastroenteritis (an intestinal disease, sometimes viral but also bacterial), it is often mistaken for influenza because the flu can sometimes include vomiting and diarrhea.
4,331 Questions
Can the government make the swine flu shot mandatory?
There are no Federal laws against it's being made mandatory in the US. During the swine flu pandemic, New York created a law that did require mandatory flu vaccinations for those who worked in health care settings, such as hospitals and nursing homes, to protect the patients from exposure that put them at risk of complications and death in their vulnerable states. Some health care institutions and other types of companies also required that employees who worked in specific jobs, especially with the ill, had to take the flu shot. Some of those employers allowed work reassignment to a different position away from patients for employees who could not take the vaccines due to contraindications or allergies. It can be a valid job requirement and then it provides a decision and choice on the part of employees whether to continue employment or to take different employment instead of getting the vaccine.
The safety and effectiveness of flu vaccines has been proven over decades of use with very few untoward reactions or events reported other than allergic reactions, so the risk of your having a problem from the flu vaccination is much much lower than the risk of your giving a deadly disease to vulnerable patients or infants who could die from it, because you did not protect yourself.
What are the symptoms to cure Asian flu?
"Hong Kong Flu" was a strain of H3N2 influenza virus and was an epidemic in 1968-1969 that was the first known outbreak of H3N2 at the time. It began in Hong Kong but spread internationally and killed approximately 1 million people worldwide. There are still other strains of H3N2 circulating under other names today.
Hong Kong Flu is often confused with the current H5N1, Avian "bird" flu, and the symptoms are the same, except Hong Kong flu was much less deadly than Avian flu is in humans.
The symptoms of Hong Kong flu were those of most any influenza infection: high fever, joint pain, muscle aches, fatigue, malaise, runny nose, and severe cough. In addition, a common symptom was eye irritation and redness
(aka conjunctivitis). The eye irritation symptom is also in common with the Avian flu, and that is partly why they get confused with each other. Also, Hong Kong flu was sometimes spread by birds, as can be the Avian flu, but Hong Kong flu spread very easily and quickly, more like the H1N1/09 swine flu and unlike the Avian flu, which, thankfully (since approximately 50 - 60 % of those infected with "bird flu" die), it did not spread from human to human easily at all.
Other strains of H3N2 influenza virus still circulate today, one strain is known as the Fujian Flu from an outbreak in that area more recent than the Hong Kong Flu. It is also known as "Perth-like" flu and many of the seasonal flu vaccines over recent years have included a strain of H3N2 Perth-like virus.
The H3N2 Perth-like influenza virus is one of the three types of flu in the vaccines for the 2011-2012 Flu season in the Northern Hemisphere.
You know the drill:
Drink plenty of fluids and rest in bed, you've heard it a million times, but it does help. There is no cure for, or vaccine to prevent, a common cold, which is caused by viruses. Antibiotics do not help a cold since they are for only bacterial infections. Fluids are needed to help loosen secretions, support your immune and lymphatic systems, and to prevent dehydration. Rest gives your immune system energy resources to fight the invader and make you well. Eat a healthy diet for the same reasons. Supportive care with treatment of the individual symptoms is all that is currently available for treating the common cold with home remedies and over the counter medicines and preparations. You usually can not get rid of a cold fast, the viral infection must be fought off by your immune system, which takes time, typically around a week to ten days.
Treating individual symptoms:
You can make yourself less miserable while your body is fighting it by treating the symptoms that are making you feel so bad. Use over the counter treatments or home remedies for symptoms, such as: fever reducing medicine (not aspirin for anyone under 18, though, due to risk of Reye's Syndrome), cough medicine and expectorants (guaifenesin as a main ingredient will help loosen congestion), analgesics (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, etc.) for aches and pains, lozenges or sprays for sore throats, lip balm for dry lips, soothing eye drops for red itching eyes, saline nasal spray to cleanse your nasal passages and/or a Netti Pot for sinus discomfort and stuffiness, petroleum jelly or lotion for a red sore nose. Antihistamines can help the runny or stuffy nose as well as any watery eyes, clogged ears/Eustachian tubes, and sinus congestion.
Fever can be good:
Usually a cold does not cause a high fever like the flu does, but it does cause a low grade fever in most cases. This is part of the body's ammunition against pathogens, since many types have a narrow window of acceptable temperature range and raising your body temperature slightly can inactivate some virus particles. Unless you have a fever over 102, it is best to avoid fever reducer medicines if you can, so that this mechanism can work against the cold virus.
However, any amount of fever in infants should always be reported to their pediatrician to determine if fever reducing medicine is needed and what other tests and treatments the infant may need. Slight variations in body temperature make a much bigger difference in the small bodies of infants and they have an immature immune system that can not protect them like that of adults.
Sore nose, aches and pains:
Use facial tissues for your nose that have lotion in them if your nose gets sore and red, and/or apply petroleum jelly to keep the irritated area dry and protected. Soak in the tub or take showers to help achy muscles, clear off the toxins from your skin that are released in your sweat, help you relax and rest, and to provide soothing humidity to your body's mucous tissues and respiratory passages.
Healthy diet:
Eat a well balanced nourishing diet for your body to have energy and nutrients it needs for healing, including protein. Include as many vegetables and fresh fruit as possible. Eat lots of chicken soup, this traditional Old World/Jewish remedy has been scientifically tested and it does help people recover faster from colds. Home made chicken soup is best (because it contains some love), but you can get good chicken stock in special boxes in the soup aisle at the grocery that is very good. As a last resort, use canned chicken soups or broths (some are available in low sodium recipes). Do not use instant bouillon, it will not be as effective, and it contains way too much salt (an occasional cup, if you are allowed that amount of sodium in your diet will give some relief just from drinking something hot, but herbal teas will do the same thing and have no salt).
Herbs, etc:
Try mint or oregano tea or good quality pure oregano oil. Put a few drops of oregano oil in a capsule (fill remainder with olive oil) and swallow with juice or water. Shark oil capsules are also good. Basil leaves have been proved to have antioxidants that fight cold-like symptoms, too.
Drink warm liquids:
Sip warm liquids of any kind to add fluids, soothe throats, and moisturize dry and irritated mucous membranes. Here is one old Russian recipe for Lemon Drink for colds: Bring water to a near boil (or boil it and then let it sit for a few minutes to cool slightly). It is very important that it is not boiling when you put your lemon in, that makes the lemon less effective for some reason (some say that it kills the enzymes in the lemon, but that may or may not be the reason, just don't put the lemon in while the water is boiling). Juice a few fresh lemons and put the juice in the hot, but not boiling, water. Add some honey which will help soothe your throat and give you other healthy ingredients for your immune system and add good flavor. Do not use sugar, use the honey. This drink is very good, so enjoy it, but it is powerful and works like medicine to flush out the cold in a few days, if you drink it at least four times a day. It is a great source of Vitamin C. Often recipes suggest adding some lemon zest, too, to boost the flavor and enhance the efficacy.
Some people add an ounce of whiskey to the lemon drink. It is a major ingredient in most cough medicines (acts as a cough suppressant) and will help a cough and help you rest, just do not use more than an ounce at a time or it can add to dehydration and cause more harm than good. Or others will try the very generous application of an Apricot Brandy Hot Toddy which will also help them get plenty of bed rest.
Sore throat:
Gargle warm salt water for a sore throat. See also many other suggestions to help sore throats in the related question below.
Supplements, vitamin C and zinc:
Vitamin C Supplements may help, and studies have shown that Zinc lozenges can be effective if used early in the viral infection to prevent as many infected cells and give your immune system an advantage over the virus. Zinc supplements seem to be less effective than lozenges, the direct contact with the mucous tissue on and near the infected cells seems to be important to efficacy.
Prevent further spread of the virus:
Remember to avoid passing your cold on to others. Stay home, wash your hands, throw away tissues used for coughs and sneezes and keep your germs to yourself. See the related question below for how to protect others from catching your cold.
Positive thinking:
If you get cranky and have a bad attitude you are going to make yourself think it is really worse than it is and turn off folks who might otherwise want to do things to help you. A positive attitude helps our bodies heal and stay healthy. Try watching funny, happy and uplifting movies while you can't do anything else. Cuddle up with the stuff that makes you feel good, like a stuffed animal, warm PJs and blankets (warm them by putting in the clothes dryer for a few minutes before using them), create pleasant aromas, candle light, and soft music. Remind yourself how it could always be worse. A little "switch" in your brain might click, making it the best cold you've ever had and making you feel a little better.
Onions?
There are some people who say the following works. It may be only placebo effect (which is better than no effect at all!), but you might try to see if this does anything for you: Cut a room temperature fresh onion in half and put it in a bowl near your bed while you sleep. Anecdotal reports say this can get rid of the cold over night. If it works for you, keep doing it, since it can't hurt. It could merely be that the tears that the onion may cause helps to wash away irritants from your eyes, clear the nasal passages, etc. from the inside out. Use of this at night may help along with eye wash/drops, nasal saline wash, nose drops, drinking lots of fluids, and showering or bathing for soothing humidity in the daytime.
Some people report they believe this works because, when you cut an onion, you break open onion cells and that allows the release of amino acid sulfoxides that form sulfenic acids. Enzymes that were kept separate inside the onion can mix with the sulfenic acids to produce propanethiol S-oxide. This is a sulfur compound and is what gets in your eyes to react with your tears to form sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid burns, stimulating your eyes to create tears in an attempt to wash away the irritating compounds.
MoreThe viruses that cause the common cold mutate often and rapidly and spread easily. Too quickly for us to prepare a vaccine before they change again. There is a large pool of viruses that can cause the common cold and each of them is undergoing mutation at any given time.This means that every cold that you get in your life time is different. They are each caused by a unique virus, and once you've had one variety you will never get that variety again. Although you can (and we all do) catch the next generation of mutations. Even though a cold is very common, it is certainly not simple. That is why scientists have not yet found a cure for the common cold.
However, they are currently working on a cure that is promising. They believe that cold viruses can be "attacked" from a different direction. The viral antigens can be neutralized as they currently are ~ by antibodies attaching to the antigen coat. A different approach has been conceived and is under trials. The new attack is a move from the coat to the stem of the virus, then it doesn't matter how much or how fast the coat changes during mutations.
Humorous answerA remedy for the common cold suggested by Dr. Richard Gordon, from the "Atlantic Monthly":At the first sign of a cold, go to bed with a bottle of whiskey and a hat. Place the hat on the left-hand bedpost. Take a drink of whiskey and move the hat to the right-hand bedpost. Take another drink and shift the hat back again. Continue this until you drink the whiskey but fail to move the hat.
By then, the cold is probably cured.
common cold is mainly due to viruses.
symptomatic treatment and take rest.
Which are the first signs of avian influenza?
Signs and symptoms of bird flu typically begin within two to five days of infection. In most cases, they resemble those of conventional influenza, including cough, fever, sore throat and muscle aches.
Can the common cold be spread through contact?
If a person with a cold touches his runny nose or watery eyes, then shakes hands with another person some of the virus is transferred to the uninfected person. If that person then touches his mouth, nose, or eyes, the virus is transferred
How does a viral particle enter an animal host cell?
The virus sticks to the cell it is going to attack, injects its DNA and other life functioning items from it, the cell is tricked into making copy's of the items, the parts assemble into more viruses, and finally the viruses break out of the attacked cell and the cell bursts.
Can I pass on the flu to members of my family?
Yes. The virus that causes the flu is very sneaky and you can be infected and pass the virus to others even before you know you are sick. The best defense is to avoid others who are sick and to wash your hands frequently.
What is wrong with you if have high fever and headache?
There are literally hundreds of different things that can cause a high fever and a headache. You should take note of any other symptoms and contact your doctor if your fever goes over 103 degrees.
Can you lose your voice from coughing?
Your throat may hurt, but you will not lose your voice due to a strep infection.
A scratchy throat and hoarseness is almost always due to a virus, which means antibiotics will not help. While it is possible to have a bacterial strep infection and viral laryngeal infection at the same time (which could cause you to lose your voice), this is unlikely. The vast majority of the time a positive "rapid step" (test done in the ofifce giving immediate results) in the setting of a scratchy throat and hoarseness is a false positive test (i.e. the test is wrong).
A severe swollen throat with pain and swelling down the front of the neck and a "hot potato" voice can be a sign of something dangerous and immediate medical attention should be sought.
How much does a flu vaccine cost with out any insurance?
I think about 20 D's
actually many health departments and other public health agencies are offering it to people free of charge. check with your town's public health officials. Also, if you fall under one of the three "high risk" rankings, you may qualify for a free vaccination.
What will reduce the length of severity of colds and flu?
There are four antiviral medicines, such as Tamiflu, that can help reduce the severity and length of the influenza illness (and other viral infections). They should be given within the first 48 hours of onset of symptoms to be effective. There is no similar medicine for the common cold yet. For colds the way to get well faster is to treat the symptoms of cough, fever, aches, etc. with over-the-counter medicines and to rest in bed and drink plenty of fluids.
No you can not. H1N1 is transferred just like any other cold or flu which means physical contact with their body or bodily fluids.
What disease does the common cold cause?
The common cold. Because the cold is the disease and the causes are viruses, not the other way around. Colds are caused by viruses, like the rhinovirus. These viruses are the cause of the disease called the common cold in lay terms. This infectious disease is known by different names in medical terminology. One of the most often used alternate names for the common cold is acute viral nasopharyngitis. Other medical names of the common cold are rhinopharygitis and acute coryza. These are the different names of the disease (common cold) that is caused by the sub-microscopic pathogens known as viruses.
Colds are usually caused by the rhinovirus (up to 40% of colds), or Coronaviruses (about 20%), but there are more than 200 viruses that can cause the common cold.
Does a microwave kill a flu virus?
Influenza viruses can be destroyed with heat, so if sufficiently heated, the microwaved virus should be neutralized. Common cooking temperatures will be hot enough, 167-212°F (75-100°C) does the trick.
Adults should get seasonal influenza vaccine annually.
How long are you sick before dead on Swine Flu?
Adults shed influenza virus from the day before symptoms begin through 5-10 days after illness onset. However, the amount of virus shed, and presumably infectivity, decreases rapidly by 3-5 days after onset in an experimental human infection model. Young children also might shed virus several days before illness onset, and children can be infectious for 10 or more days after onset of symptoms. Severely immunocompromised persons can shed virus for weeks or months.
What are the treatments for cold flu?
Drink lots of water, rest in bed, and eat nutritious foods. Stay out of public and wash your hands frequently to avoid passing it along to others.
There are over the counter medicines for the symptoms of cough, congestion, aches and fever, but there are no drugs to stop the infection the way antibiotics can stop a bacterial infection. There are antiviral medicines that can lessen the duration and severity of symptoms, but they are not very effective if given after the first two days of symptoms. However, usually the symptoms are gone after a week to 10 days even without treatment.
Ask your pharmacist for suggestions for OTC products to treat your specific symptoms until your body can cure the viral infection.
Why do I cry when I have a cold?
My own experience is "yes".
Years ago, a cold making the rounds finally came to me... but the cold never developed. Why? On the way home, my stress-filled double-shift caught up with me; I wept all the way home. A few hours later, I realized my symptoms... sore throat and stuffy nose (cold-related, not cry-related)... were gone. I was grateful to be cold-free but thought it odd. (I concluded the rhinovirus hadn't survived the deluge.)
I'd nearly forgotten about that until October of 2009. Again, the feeling I was getting "everyone's cold". Again, tears; again, no cold. (This time, the tears were from "Bambi". The part where Bambi's orphaned by the hunter gets me every time.)
It is scant evidence. (The sample's too small to be statistically significant.) On the other hand, it doesn't cost anything to try to cry your cold away, right? I'm hoping I remember these two flukes when my next cold hits. My first line of defense will be "Imitation of Life" (the Lana Turner/Juanita Moore one).
What is good to drink to get rid of a cough?
Herbal teas of wild cherry bark, licorice root, horehound and/or mullein leaf.
Can the flu have a 2 week incubation period?
Me, my mother, and my father have all had what we're calling "Flumonia". It's like the flu & pneumonia all in one! It's miserable, and we think it is some type of virus. Neither of my parents went to the doctor (because they don't have insurance), but used some antibiotics for pneumonia and were sick for about a week. Now, I have it, and I will be going to the doctor in the morning.
I said all that to say this: It has had a 2-week incubation period for all of us.
Father was sick for 1 week, 2 weeks later, Mother gets it.
Mother was sick for a week, 2 weeks later, I get it.
My brother should be next. But let's hope not! Lysol!
Maybe you have what I have?
Do you have antibodies against Swine Flu?
If you have been exposed to the virus that causes H1N1 Pandemic Swine Flu, either from having had the flu or from getting a vaccination for it, then your body will have made antibodies to the virus, as long as you have a healthy immune system. Once your body has made antibodies to that virus, you are immune to the disease if exposed in the future, as long as it is the exact same virus and not a mutated form of it. This immunity is provided by the previously made antibodies.
