cold and flu-top tips to fight against the cold and flu virus.

Let me remind you that cold and flu season lasts from September to march every year, and unless you live a very secluded life, there is a good chance that you may catch a cold or flu at some point this year. So here are some need to know facts about colds and flu.

For the starters, the common cold is one of 200 cold viruses and there is no known cure or vaccine. Flu is caused by one of three influenza viruses each year worldwide. Vaccines are prepared yearly to tackle the relevant strains.

In general most people feel terrible but recover well. However vulnerable people such as the very young or old or people with chronic health conditions are really at a greater risk from flu. For these people and for health workers vaccination is suggested.

Colds and flu are viral and cannot be cured with antibiotics which only tackle bacterial infections. 1-5% of colds will cause a secondary infection such as sinusitis which may require treatment through antibiotics.

Cold and flu usually last for 7-10 days, regardless of any treatments. The cold affects the head and neck area, mostly causing nasal discomfort, sometimes with throat irritation and coughing. Young children may also experience a fever with a cold, however adults and older children will experience none or minimal fever.

Cold and flu usually starts with an abrupt fever, aches throughout the body, extreme fatigue, and sometimes nausea. Now after a couple of days these symptoms tend to give way to sore red throat, hacking cough, cold like symptoms and sometimes a further bout of fever.

Symptoms usually go within a further 4-7 days sometimes leaving a lingering cough and tiredness. Children will catch 3-10 colds a years and adults half as many. Now catching a chill is an outdated concept, it is now known that becoming cold, chilled or overheated will not make an individual more susceptible to cold virus.

Again stress may increase your chances of developing a cold. Most of the symptoms associated with colds are a result of body’s inflammatory responses to the virus. 25% of people who contract the cold virus will display no symptoms.

Further, new research has shown that taking aspirin to relieve symptoms of a cold may make your more contagious. Now it is suggested that children and teenagers should not be given preparations containing aspirin to soothe symptoms of colds, flu or chicken pox due to link with a rare but dangerous condition called Reyes syndrome.

At the end of the day the best way to avoid a cold or avoid spreading a cold is to wash your hands regularly with soap and water. The cold virus is mostly passed on through skin contact like from people wiping noses etc along with contact with infected surfaces such as telephones, banisters and door handles.

The cold virus remains active on skin and surfaces for 3 hours, and can also spread through sneezing and coughing. The cold and flu virus is airborne which spread through coughing and sneezing, quite contagious and often results in clusters of infected people. So until next time if you really want to stay healthy then please visit here.