The common cold is something that afflicts many of us almost every winter but there are tons of things we don’t actually know about it. Here are 10 things that you didn’t know about the common cold:
1. Its name is a misnomer
The thing about the common cold is that there’s nothing common about it, because it’s actually a collective term for more than 200 viruses that each have their own way of getting around the human body’s defenses.
2. The “cold” part is a bit complicated
Scientists aren’t certain sure whether lower temperatures affect a virus’ pathogenicity, but they do know that the common cold spreads more easily in winter because we tend to spend more time indoors in closed quarters.
3. Colds dry out protective barriers
During wintertime, air tends to be drier, and this can lead to the protective mucus in our nasal cavities drying up when we breathe in. As a result, the body cannot do its job of catching potentially dangerous microbes before they reach our respiratory system. When you get a runny nose from a cold, it’s because your body is fighting back and trying to compensate for the dried up mucus.
4. Common colds are more common than we realize
While adults suffer an average of two to three colds per year, children can experience up to eight or perhaps even more. A survey conducted in the US in 2012 found that colds decreased productivity by 26%. Yet another survey found that colds cost the US economy some $25 billion per year.
5. Rest is the best cold medicine
Our bodies go into overdrive when we’re sick, doing their best to try and cure whichever ailment we may be suffering from. This means that just going about your daily routine as usual can have a negative impact on your health, and your brain. A study published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity found that those with colds experienced poorer alertness, a negative mood, and psychomotor slowing. In other words, they experienced muddied thought processes and slower reaction times.
6. Don’t lie flat on your back when resting
Gravity can actually cause further congestion in your nasal passages, leading to it dripping down your throat, making it sore and causing you to cough. The best position to rest in when you have a cold is to prop yourself upright with pillows to reduce the cough receptor irritation in the back of your throat.
7. A cost-free way of getting better quicker is…
…finding a caring friend or relative to nurse you back to good health. A study conducted back in 2009 found that patients who had more empathetic doctors were sick one day less on average than those who did not. Patients with empathetic doctors were found to have double the levels of IL-8, which is a protein molecule that the body releases to fight colds.
8. Light exercise won’t go amiss
You obviously need to rest when you’re ill, but doing some light exercise can also help to boost your immune system. Regular exercise can help your body to fight back against germs. An explanation for this, according to the US National Library of Medicine, is that exercise helps to flush out germs from the lung and airways.
9. Vitamin C isn’t as effective at treating common colds as we think
Back in 2013, some 29 separate trials regarding vitamin C supplements failed to reduce incidences of colds. Huge doses did have small effects, but they were almost negligible.
10. Gargling a lot is good
A Japanese study found that participants who gargled regularly with water exhibited an almost 40% decrease in colds when compared to the control group. Try gargling with a quarter-teaspoon of salt mixed in with eight ounces of warm water.
Images by Deposit Photos.
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