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Why everything you thought about colds is wrong! Scientists have
finally separated fact from fiction about those sniffles
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1319698/Cold-cures-Why-thought-knew-wrong.html
By Charlotte Dovey
Last updated at 8:15 AM on 12th October 2010
An early morning nip in the air signals the start of the colds and flu
season. During the average lifetime each of us will suffer from around
200 colds — lasting, on average, nine days each — which works out at a
staggering five years of congestion, coughing, headaches and sore
throats.
Colds are the most common infections in the world, but that's just an
average. Some people suffer more than others, succumbing every winter
to an exhausting succession of runny noses, while others seem barely
to catch a sniffle.
At risk: Teenagers catch more colds than older people because they
haven't developed as many anti-bodies to protect themselves
Why is that so? Scientific research over the past ten years has
revolutionised our view of the common cold - what causes them, what
they do to our bodies, how to stifle them - and when to leave them
alone.
Now a leading science writer, Jennifer Ackerman, has talked to leading
experts and trawled through endless studies to reveal the truth - and
the myths - about the common cold. Her research makes for surprising -
and sometimes bizarre - reading...
A WEAK IMMUME SYSTEM DOESN'T MAKE YOU VULNERABLE
Cold symptoms do not result from the destructive effects of viruses
but rather from how strongly your immune system reacts to them.
In other words, terrible cold symptoms are the product of a strong
immune system, rather than a weak one.
So bear this in mind the next time you read an advertising slogan for
a dietary supplement which promises to help you fight colds by
boosting your immune system.
VITAMIN C WON'T STOP A COLD
No cure for the common cold has been better studied than vitamin C,
which, it is claimed, helps by increasing infection-fighting white
blood cells.
However, more than 30 clinical trials involving more than 10,000
people have examined the effects of taking daily vitamin C and have
shown that it does not prevent colds. At best, it only slightly
reduces the duration of symptoms.
The only time it might help is if you're engaged in extreme physical
exercise or exposed to extreme physical cold. Several studies have
shown that soldiers, skiers and marathon runners in these situations
who down a daily dose of 200mg of vitamin C have the risk of a cold
reduced by half.
CUTTING OUT ALCOHOL IS NOT THE ANSWER
One or two drinks a day actually diminishes the likelihood of catching
a cold, according to studies at the Common Cold Unit in Salisbury,
Wiltshire.
Non-drinkers were at far greater risk, though scientists don't know why.
'It could be that the types of people who drink are less susceptible
for other reasons,' says Sheldon Cohen, who led the research.
Or there could be a direct link. Alcohol might somehow limit the
replication of the viruses. Either way, Cohen doesn't encourage
drinking as a prophylactic or cure for the common cold, as the risks
of consuming more than a drink or two a day to general health far
exceed the benefits in cold reduction, he says.
YOU CAN'T CATCH A COLD BY KISSING
This will surprise many people, but a kiss won't give you a cold. The
largest family of viruses causing colds are rhinoviruses, and these
rarely enter our bodies through the mouth, according to research at
the University of Wisconsin Medical School.
When infected, volunteers kissed cold-free volunteers for a full
minute and a half, but only one case of cross-infection occurred in 16
trials.
Estimates suggest that it takes as much as 8,000 times as much virus
to cause infection by way of saliva than by other routes. So kissing
or sharing drinks is unlikely to spread a rhinovirus.
For most cold viruses, the nose and eye are the main points of entry,
spread by coughs and sneezes or by touching an infected surface with
your hands.
WASHING YOUR CLOTHES WON'T KILL VIRUSES
Coughs and sneezes spread diseases: The saying is true, you are more
likely to catch cold germs this way than kissing
Washing infected clothes may be one of the major transfer points in
the home for germs, according to research by Charles Gerba, a
microbiologist at the University of Arizona.
Even the simple act of putting underwear in the machine or
transferring clothes from a washer to a dryer could put you at risk of
E.coli (a common gut bacteria) on your hands.
Washing eliminates 99 per cent of the bacteria, but if there are a
million to begin with, that leaves some 10,000. And viruses — like
those responsible for causing a cold — are even harder to wash out of
fabric than bacteria.
Cold viruses can lurk in places such as the tucks and folds of
clothing, with handkerchiefs and children's shirtsleeves particularly
likely repositories.
GREEN MUCUS ISN'T A SIGN OF BACTERIAL INFECTION
Contrary to popular belief, green mucus is not a sign of bacterial
infection, but a sign the immune system is working properly.
As the body recruits more and more virus-fighting white blood cells to
the nose, the colour of the mucus changes from clear to yellow to
green. This is because these cells carry green iron-containing
enzymes. The greener the colour, the more robust the immune response.
STAYING INDOORS WON'T PROTECT YOU
One of the most likely sources of cold viruses is your computer mouse
or desk at work.
A study of the cold virus in offices found that 47 per cent of
desktops, 46 per cent of computer mice and 45 per cent of telephones
had cold viruses on them.
The same research found that professions most at risk from cold germ
spread included lawyers, teachers, accountants, bankers, radio DJs,
doctors and TV producers.
BLOWING YOUR NOSE HARD DOESN'T HELP
The stuffy, blocked feeling that stifles breathing during a cold is
not the product, as one might expect, of excess mucus, but swelling
blood vessels in the nasal passages. These normally swell anyway in a
rhythmic alternating cycle, so one nasal passage always has a little
less airflow than the other.
But colds exaggerate the asymmetry of rhythm — completely closing one
nasal passage. So the urge to blow forcefully is increased, though it
doesn't relieve the stuffy feeling.
Perhaps more importantly, studies show that forceful nose blowing
propels viscous nasal fluid, with its load of viruses, bacteria, and
inflammatory chemicals, into the sinuses, where secondary bacterial
infections may take hold. So it's best to blow gently, one nostril at
a time.
ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP CAN'T ZAP VIRUSES
The germs which cause a cold are viruses, not bacteria — which is why
antibiotics have no effect on colds. Antibiotics kill bacteria by
preventing them from building their cell walls.
Viruses are not cells and have no cell walls, so they're utterly
unaffected by the drugs — this is also why antibacterial soaps,
shampoos and lotions have no effect on cold germs.
An alcohol-based hand sanitiser, however, is a decent alternative. In
one 2010 study at the University of Virginia, alcohol sanitisers were
significantly more effective at removing rhinoviruses than hand
washing with soap and water.
CATCHING A COLD ISN'T JUST BAD LUCK
The more years your parents had been able to afford to own their own
home before you turned 18, the lower your risk of getting a lot of
colds in the future, say U.S. researchers.
As Professor Sheldon Cohen of Carnegie Mellon University, explained:
'The most critical years are ages zero to six. If your parents did not
own their home during these early years, you're at high risk. All of
this is true no matter what your socioeconomic status may be.'
It's thought the link is stress — albeit second hand. People under
stress produce more of the stress hormone cortisol; one of cortisol's
jobs is to turn off the production of cytokines, molecules that
encourage an aggressive immune response.
If there's too much cortisol, this process goes haywire triggering a
greater response to colds.
WRAPPING UP WARM WON'T PROTECT YOU
Exposure to the cold has nothing to do with catching a cold, says Ron
Taylor of the University of Virginia.
Colds are more common in autumn and winter because the cooler, wetter
weather drives people indoors, where viruses may more easily jump from
one person to the next.
The distinct peak in colds in September and early January is likely
due to the return of students to schools and colleges after the summer
and winter break.
OLD WIVES ARE RIGHT ABOUT CHICKEN SOUP
Touted as a cold remedy by grandmothers since time immemorial, recent
research shows there may be some scientific fact behind the legend
that chicken soup helps a cold.
Stephen Rennard, a pulmonary specialist at the University of Nebraska
Medical Centre, conducted an informal study to determine if chicken
soup would reduce the movement of neutrophils, cells drawn to sites of
infection and which in turn trigger inflammation.
He found that it did — although he couldn't pinpoint the components responsible.
Many canned soups appeared to be just as efficient as homemade ones.
No wonder cure: The benefits of echinacea are very small
ECHINACEA ISN'T MUCH USE
In terms of popularity, the purple coneflower is king of herbal
remedies for cold sufferers and parts of the plants are sold as
capsules, juices, tinctures and teas.
While some research suggests that the leaves and flowers of one strain
(purpurea) may have a small effect on reducing cold symptoms, recent
better-designed studies find that the herb does little to shorten
colds or relieve symptoms.
According to the latest reviews, taking Echinacea regularly won't
protect you from catching a cold, nor will it reduce the severity or
duration.
Bottom line: experts say don't waste your money.
SOCIALISING WON'T PUT YOU AT RISK
People who socialise with a great variety of people suffer fewer colds
than those with small social circles.
Although you might think coming into contact with a broad range of
people could increase your risk, U.S. researchers have found that a
wide social group contributes to a more positive, healthy outlook —
and sociable people produce fewer pro-inflammatory chemicals in
response to cold viruses.
OLDER PEOPLE DON'T GET MORE SNIFFLES
In almost everyone, susceptibility to colds declines over time. The
over-50s, for instance, catch only half as many as teenagers. This is
largely because they will have been exposed to more colds and
therefore developed more antibodies to common cold viruses than
younger people.
DRINKING FLUIDS MAKES LITTLE DIFFERENCE
It's the cold-cure mantra we've all heard so often. But the truth is,
drinking loads of fluids won't help get rid of a cold. And there are
no controlled clinical studies showing any benefit of maintaining
steady fluid intake during a cold either.
However, drinking normal amounts of water, juice, broth, and other
clear fluids can help to loosen congestion and certainly prevents
dehydration.
YOU WON'T LOSE WEIGHT WITH A COLD
There are at least five families of cold viruses, among them the
adenoviruses. A shocking new finding points to some kinds of
adenoviruses being capable of triggering not just a blocked nose but
obesity.
Three types of adenovirus normally spur symptoms of the common cold,
but in 20 per cent of people they may also affect the rate of fat-cell
formation.
Essentially this means they play a role in changing stem cells
(essentially 'precursor' cells, which can turn into other cells such
as fat, blood — even bone) into fat cells, so those infected with the
virus gain weight faster than non-infected people who eat the same
amount.
BLAME YOUR GENES
Over the past five or ten years, scientists have discovered genetic
variations that may explain why some people suffer many more colds
than normal.
It seems there are differences in their receptor cells — to which
rhinoviruses attach as they 'invade the body' — and in the amounts of
inflammatory chemicals their bodies make.
Who said life was fair?
Adapted from Ah-Choo by Jennifer Ackerman, published by 12. The book
is available from amazon.com
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"Ethics" is simply a last-gasp attempt by deist conservatives and
orthodox dogmatics to keep humanity in ignorance and obscurantism,
through the well tried fermentation of fear, the fear of science and
new technologies.
There is nothing glorious about what our ancestors call history,
it is simply a succession of mistakes, intolerances and violations.
On the contrary, let us embrace Science and the new technologies
unfettered, for it is these which will liberate mankind from the
myth of god, and free us from our age old fears, from disease,
death and the sweat of labour.
Rael
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