The common cold is one of the world’s most prevalent ailments. Cold symptoms are due mainly to the body’s response to an infection. When a nasal cell is infected by a cold virus, the body responds by activating parts of the immune system and some nervous system reflexes.
Common cold: fast facts
- A common cold is an illness caused by a virus infection located in the nose. Colds also involve the sinuses, ears, and bronchial tubes.
- The symptoms of a common cold include sneezing, runny nose, nasal obstruction, sore or scratchy throat, cough, hoarseness, and mild general symptoms like headache, feverishness, chilliness, and not feeling well in general.
- Colds last on average for one week. Mild colds may last only 2 or 3 days while severe colds may last for up to 2 weeks.
- A cold is a milder illness than influenza. Influenza typically causes fever, muscle aches, and a more severe cough. However, mild cases of influenza are similar to colds.
- Adults average 2 to 3 colds per year and children 6 to 10, depending on their age and exposure. Children’s noses are the major source of cold viruses.
- There are over 100 different cold viruses. Rhinoviruses are the most important and cause at least one-half of colds.
- Cold viruses can only multiply when they are inside of living cells. When on an environmental surface, cold viruses cannot multiply. However, they are still infectious if they are transported from an environmental site into the nose.
- Cold viruses live only in the noses of humans and not in animals except chimpanzees and other higher primates.
Did you know?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 22 million school days are lost annually in the United States due to the common cold.
Is it a cold or the flu?
The common cold is an inflammation of the mucus membranes caused by a number of viruses. The symptoms include:
- nose and throat irritation
- watery eyes
- fever
- muscle aches
- chills
- high fever
- hoarse cough
- aching back, arms and legs
- enlarged lymph glands
Herbs have a long history of traditional usage for health problems. For thousands of years, our ancestors did not have medicine cabinets and turned to plants for medicine. The plants that were beneficial were passed down through generations and became traditional medicine. Herbs are the highest quality food known to man and work to regain your body’s inner balance. As we progress further into civilisation, herbal products are fuelling in growth. Factors which have led to this surge in herbal remedies include:
- increased interest in natural products worldwide
- increasing scientific proof of traditional benefits of herbs
- people taking a more pro-active role in maintaining their health
- popularisation of alternative medicine forms of health maintenance
- growing concern about the effects of prescription drugs on our body
- escalating costs of conventional medicine treatment
- new formulas, better research and product development, and more powerful extracts have improved the efficacy of herbal supplements
What is Echinacea?
Echinacea is the scientific name for the purple coneflower indigenous to eastern and central United States and southern Canada. Its common name comes from the purplish pink ray-like petals that surround a centre cone. Echinacea has 2-5 feet long stems covered with dark green leaves.
Types of Echinacea
There are nine different species of Echinacea, though only Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea pallida, and Echinacea purpurea are popularly used for medical purposes. Echinacea is harvested for its roots, flowerheads, seeds, or juice of the whole plant and can then be made into capsules, extracts, tinctures and tea. Native Americans used it to treat everything from colds to other ailments.
Echinacea entered formal medicine in 1895, becoming the best-selling American medicinal plant prescribed by physicians into the 1920s. It was later replaced by antibiotics. Traditionally, herbalists considered it a blood purifier and an aid to fighting infections.
How to choose a good Echinacea product?
Since there is no single active ingredient, the extract of standardised Echinacea is the best. Standardisation guarantees that the amount of active ingredients stated on the label is actually in the product.
Quality products normally pass the independent lab test conducted by reputable, non-profit and independent labs such as www.consumerlab.com. The test would normally compare the quality and amount of Echinacea in each tablet as opposed to the claims on the label.
The purity of product is also tested i.e. if there are any contaminants such as lead or microbes.
Health Benefits of Echinacea
Echinacea increases the “non-specific” activity of the immune system. In other words, unlike a vaccine which is active only against a specific disease, Echinacea stimulates the overall activity of the cells responsible for fighting all kinds of infection. Unlike antibiotics, which are directly lethal to bacteria, Echinacea makes our own immune cells more efficient in attacking bacteria, viruses and abnormal cells.
Echinacea facilitates wound healing, lessens symptom and speeds recovery from viruses. Anti-inflammatory effects make it useful externally against inflammatory skin conditions including psoriasis and eczema. It may also increase resistance to candida, bronchitis, herpes, and other infectious conditions.
Primary uses of Echinacea:
- Colds, coughs and flu and other upper respiratory conditions
- Enlarged lymph glands, sore throat
- Urinary tract infections
- Other minor infections
- May help combat herpes and candida
Like most drugs and herbs, there can be side effects after consuming Echinacea. Minor side effects can include an upset stomach, nausea and dizziness. Serious side effects can include allergic reactions such as rash, swelling and difficulty in breathing. If you have a history of allergy to daisies, ragweed, marigolds, chrysanthemums or related plants, you may be more at risk of having an allergic reaction to Echinacea.
Caution needs to be exercised for asthma patients as studies have shown that Echinacea can precipitate asthma attacks. You should not take Echinacea in any form, for more than two consecutive weeks.
If you are regularly taking other medicines, check with your doctor before taking Echinacea. You should also tell your doctor if you drink beverages that contain caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke or if you use illegal drugs. These substances may affect the way Echinacea works.
Echinacea may not be helpful if you have any of the following conditions - an autoimmune disorder (such as lupus), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, Echinacea is not recommended.
When to see a doctor?
- your cold lasts for more than seven days
- your mucus is yellowish or greenish in colour
- your cough is severe and long lasting, and is accompanied by shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain or tightness, high temperature, headache or weight loss.
Additional Nutrients to Keep Cold at Bay
Citrus Fruits
The term citrus fruit includes different types of fruits and products. Although oranges are the major fruit in the citrus fruits group, accounting for about 70% of citrus output in the world, the group also includes small citrus fruits (such as tangerines, mandarins, clementines and satsumas), lemons and limes and grapefruits.
Why is an orange good for you? Citrus fruits and citrus juices have several beneficial health and nutritive properties. They are rich in vitamin C or ascorbic acid and folic acid, as well as a good source of fibre. They are fat free, sodium free and cholesterol free. In addition they contain potassium, calcium, folate, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium and copper. They may help to support a healthy heart. They are also helpful in reducing the risk of pregnant women having children with birth defects.Garlic and Licorice
Garlic has natural antibiotic properties that help fight infection while licorice helps to soothe the throat and clear mucus.
Zinc
Zinc is generally known to boost your body’s natural defense system.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants such as beta carotene, vitamins C and E are all implicated in the immune response via a wide variety of mechanisms including cytokine production.
How to Fight a Cold Naturally
The common cold is caused by a virus not bacteria, so it’s best to work on building up your immune system and relieving your symptom. Try the following steps if you feel a cold coming.
- Take time off. Getting adequate rest will help you get over your cold faster.
- Drink more water than you usually do. Eight glasses a day is standard when you’re healthy, so try to drink more than that.
- Substitute herbal tea or juice for water to meet your liquid intake.
- Let your appetite dictate how much you eat. If you are not hungry at all, try eating something that’s easy to digest like a banana. Sugar may have a negative impact on immune system, so limit sweet.
- Eat chicken soup if it makes you feel better. It can’t rid your body of the virus, but it’s easy to digest and may soothe your throat.
- Take Echinacea supplements.
- Take vitamin C - it may reduce the severity or duration of cold.
- Because cold germs on your hands can easily enter through your eyes and nose, keeping your hands away from those areas of your body may help prevent colds.
- Washing your hands with soap and water is the simplest and possibly most effective way to avoid from getting colds and giving them to others. Wash your hands more often during the cold season and teach your children to do the s ame.
You can pump all kinds of drugs and herbs into your body to ward off ailments and diseases but ultimately, there is nothing like a balanced lifestyle for optimal health. Try to be healthy physically, spiritually, intellectually and emotionally. You have to take control and make time for yourself. No one else is going to do it for you. It’s better late than never so start now!
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