How to catch, and fix, a cold

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 288, 30 May 1989, Page 9

How to catch, and fix, a cold

by

david

Sutherland

One of the remarkable things about the common winter illnesses which cause sniffles, coughs and sore throats is the false information many sufferers have about their condition.

For instance you do not catch a cold by going out into the cold air or getting wet; it is unlikely high dosages of vitamin C will help your cold; a cold that drags on for weeks probably is not a cold virus at all; anti-biotics will not get rid of a cold; and many of the symptoms we believe are colds may actually result from allergies. Let us look at some of those popular misconceptions. Catching a cold If you stand around in wet clothes or get caught in a cold wind you will not get a cold virus. There is an institute in England that studies the common cold. They stand people under cold showers and blow fans on them and try to give them a cold. They do not succeed and the answer is that you can't because a cold is a virus and must be caught. It is passed on when somebody coughs or sneezes on you, or you get the virus on your hands from shaking hands with them, or off

a door knob somewhere. Vitamin C There is no evidence that large doses of vitamin C will prevent colds or 'flu. There is one study which suggests that possibly large doses of vitamin C will reduce the severity of symptoms during an acute viral disease like a cold. That is far from proof and I do not think it sufficient to recommend that people take large doses of vitamin C, but provided they do not take huge doses it is a relatively benign intervention and I am not too concerned. Influenza injections The evidence is clear. Older people benefit from the 'flu injections and it is cost effective. I do not think there is any doubt that in the geriatric population it is much better to give all elderly people 'flu injections. What we do not know is, if you come back to say age 50 years, is it still so effective.

With younger fit and well people it really doesn't make much difference. You are risking some discomfort and a few days off work. But as you get older and less robust the chances of complications from the 'flu increase significantly. Treating a cold While there is no cure for a cold there are a number of remedies which will reduce the symptoms, some which are prescribed by doctors, many more which can be bought from a pharmacist. One of the reasons I visited New Zealand is to highlight to pharmacists the advice they can give to sufferers of viruses and allergies. There are products available which will ease the discomfort of sinus congestion, sneezing, nasal discharge and other symptoms of colds and 'flu. Recent advances in non-sedating anti-

hisamines mean there are now products available which will not have side effects associated with earlier congestion relief products. Antibiotics Flu and cold are viruses, antibiotics will do no good. A virus infection must run its course and must be fought through the body's own defences. If that virus infection becomes complicated by a bacterial infection like sinusitis or bronchitis then you need an antibiotic. Viruses will not respond to antibiotics, only time will cure. Allergies Very often people have upper respiratory system problems involving the mouth, throat, nose and ears and some of those will be infections. But often, despite symptoms, there will not be an infection. There may be some other cause for inflammation.

If you have an infection under normal circumstances it will last for a short duration. If you have a cold that lasts four days to a week with a blocked nose, running nose, headache and so on - and it goes away - it is likely to be a virus. On the other hand if it is allergic, the triggering factor may be around for longer and you may appear to have a cold for months on end. It is a very common presentation of allergic disease of the upper respiratory system for a patient to tell his doctor that he or she has had a cold for months. However it is not always like that and could be caused for a shorter time due to a change of location, or could be caused by a horse or cat or something else. In allergic disease the symptoms te'nd to be confined to the organs involved and not cause shakes and shivers or other symptoms. A final word on treatment of colds and 'flu. If you have a fever, take fluids, and asprin or paracetamol. If your symptoms are bad stay at home. If everybody who had cold or 'flu , stayed at home for two days then we would not

spread it. In the short term it may seem very noble to go to work, so

you go to work and spread it to eight, ten or fifteen other people.