Colds

Beat That Winter Cold
The best way to lower the odds of coming down with a cold this season may be to grab a drum. Don't laugh -- a new study shows that group drumming, which has been practiced for centuries, boosts the immune system's "natural killer" cells, which destroy viruses and help head off cancer. (It's even been used to help calm autism and Alzheimer's patients.) While some experts doubt that a temporary post-drumming surge in immune cells can actually ward off disease, others say the musical technique is worth a try. So the next time you start to sniffle, beat it!

Cold and Cold Sore Prevention
Stress and cold weather weaken our immune system and allow viruses to replicate.

To prevent cold sores and the common cold:
1. Take 1 Stress tab (Multiple B vitamin complexes) every day.
2. Take in increased amounts of lysine found in dairy products and potatoes or use a lysine supplement.
3. Avoid foods rich in arginine, such as chocolate, cola, peas, grain cereals, peanuts and beer.
4. Eat lots of yogurt.
5. Use a zinc supplement daily

Cold Care
Rest in bed if you have a fever.
Drink lots of liquids. They help clear out your respiratory tract. This can help prevent other problems, like bronchitis.
Take aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium for muscle aches and pains.
(Note: Do not give aspirin or any medication containing salicylates to anyone 19 years of age or younger, unless directed by a physician, due to its association with Reye's Syndrome, a potentially fatal condition).
Use salt water drops to relieve nasal congestion. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water. Place in a clean container. Put 3 to 4 drops into each nostril several times a day, with a clean medicine dropper.

If you have a sore throat:
Gargle every few hours with a solution of 1/4 teaspoon of salt dissolved in 1/2 cup of warm water.
Drink tea with lemon (with or without honey).
Suck on a piece of hard candy or medicated lozenge every so often. (Do not give to children under age 5).
Use a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier to add moisture to the room.
Check with your doctor before trying vitamin C or zinc lozenges. It seems to make some people feel better when they have a cold.

Cold Prevention
Wash your hands often. Keep them away from your nose, eyes, and mouth.
Try not to touch people or their things when they have a cold, especially the first 2-3 days they have the cold. This is the most contagious stage.
Get lots of exercise. Eat and sleep well.
Use a handkerchief or tissues when you sneeze, cough, or blow your nose. This helps keep you from passing cold viruses to others.
Use a "cool mist" vaporizer in your bedroom in the winter.

Cold Sore Remedies
1. Dab on witch hazel or zinc lozenge solution to dry it.
2. Take in increased amounts of lysine found in dairy products and potatoes or use a lysine supplement.
3. Avoid foods rich in arginine, such as chocolate, cola, peas, grain cereals, peanuts and beer.
4. Replace your toothbrush because it can harbor the herpes virus for days.
5. Use small tubes of toothpaste instead of large ones because of the chance of contamination of the tube with your toothbrush.

Cold Symptoms
Sneezing
Runny nose
Fever of 101 F or less
Sore throat
Dry cough

Colds and Dry Air
Most people catch colds by inhaling the cold virus from someone who is ill or by having hand-to-hand contact with them. Contrary to popular belief, cold air won't make you more vulnerable to catching a cold, but dry air will.

Reach for the Chicken Soup
Now that sneezing season is in full swing, it's nice to know that scientific research has finally confirmed what your grandmother has said for years: Chicken soup can ease your sniffles. Common symptoms such as congestion, a cough and a runny nose are believed to be triggered by immune cells called neutrophils that flood the respiratory tract, throat and lungs. The neutrophils kill germs but cause inflammation. In studies at the University of Nebraska, chicken soup containing onions, sweet potato, parsnips, turnips, carrots, celery and parsley (many of which are chock-full of healthful antioxidants) reduced the activity of the neutrophils, quelling annoying sneezes and coughs.

What Is a Cold and How Do I Get It?
The common cold usually lasts 3 to 7 days and the average person gets 3 or 4 colds a year. How do we get colds? Colds are caused by viruses. You can get a cold virus from mucus on a person's hands when they have a cold, such as through a hand shake. You can also pick up the viruses on towels, telephones, money, etc. Them someone else picks them up from you. It goes on and on. Cold viruses also travel through coughs and sneezes.

Work Out with a Cold, Rest with a Fever
Should you hit the treadmill when you've got the sniffles? Here, the sick-girl's guide to exercising during the flu season:

--Symptom: Fever. Working out in a hot gym coupled with a high temp could make you feel faint -- or even cause you to pass out.

--Symptom: Coughing. Exercise can increase your risk of dehydration, especially if you have a bad cough or the flu. Nix exercise if you're hacking.

--Symptom: Runny nose and/or sneezing. The general rule of thumb: If your symptoms are confined to areas above the neck, it's usually OK to exercise.

--Symptom: Muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, swollen glands. If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, rest is your best bet -- otherwise you could wind up sick all over again.