Winter has been here for a while. There was a cold front blowing through the state for a Why Cant We Defeat The Common Cold? week just some time ago. With it came sniffles, runny noses, sore throats and fever. These are the symptoms of the common cold. It comes like clockwork, every year during the winter season. But why is it that we can’t resist it?
Background
The common cold is a viral infection. There are no less than 200 different virus strains that can be the cause of the disease. It is actually one of the most infectious diseases in the world. This is because the human body’s immune system is very specific in its response to viral agents. Each virus must be responded to separately in order to fight off the infection.
Winter has been here for a while. There was a cold front blowing through the state for a week just some time ago. With it came sniffles, runny noses, sore throats and fever. These are the symptoms of the common cold. It comes like clockwork, every year during the winter season. But why is it that we can’t resist it?
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Background
The common cold is a viral infection. There are no less than 200 different virus strains that can be the cause of the disease. It is actually one of the most infectious diseases in the world. This is because the human body’s immune system is very specific in its response to viral agents. Each virus must be responded to separately in order to fight off the infection.
Ear infections can result in fluids running from the ears, dizziness and difficulty in Why Cant We Defeat The Common Cold? maintaining balance. Throat and nasal infections can make difficult for you to breath and irritate your eyes due to swelling of your tear ducts.
Fortunately, these cases are rare and only Why Cant We Defeat The Common Cold?affect those with compromised immune systems like the elderly, small children or those suffering from AIDS.
How Does It Spread?
The virus can remain alive airborne for some time. The cold virus also spreads indirectly Why Cant We Defeat The Common Cold? through infected surfaces which are commonly handled like door handles, taps etc. This is why people are told to cover their nose and mouth when sneezing. The virus then enters your body through the nose and mouth and infection can begin.
To prevent infections the simplest idea is to avoid close contacts with people who Why Cant We Defeat The Common Cold? already have the cold. It is also a good idea to wash your hands with disinfectant soap and not touch the eyes, nose or mouth with unclean hands. Face masks may also help.
Treatment
There is no treatment for the common cold. Antibiotics have no effect on the infection and Why Cant We Defeat The Common Cold? antivirals have little effect themselves. The best idea is to let the cold pass. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) like ibuprofen may help against the pain but do nothing to other symptoms. Sadly, cough medicines are of limited effect.
In case of alternative medicine, there is little evidence to the efficacy of various home remedies. In other word, they are not bad for you, but there is very little evidence that it does you any good. The only treatment I would recommend is steam inhalation to soothe the nasal cavity and throat.
Conclusion
We have come a long way from the times when we thought diseases were curses Why Cant We Defeat The Common Cold? put on us by gods and evil spirits. we have eradicated many diseases from the world. However, the common cold stands as a testament that nature is still untamed and we still have a long road to go. There has been some news on a vaccine for the common cold, but it is still being worked. We will see what the future brings.
Edit: Originally I was going to write a different post on a different topic but the cold got to me so I wrote this instead of that. The next post will be on the original topic I was going for.
