You may have felt it already: a runny nose, the sore throat, that embarrassing cough. Or perhaps you’ve had to take a sick day because you’ve spiked a fever, felt achy all over, and are so tired you don’t want to get out of bed. Cold and flu season is in full swing. While your local drug store is full of conventional and natural treatment options aimed at reducing the symptoms of colds and flu, this 2-part article summarizes research that supports good basic nutrition and proper hygiene can:
- decrease your risk of catching the cold and flu this season
- reduce the length of time you have symptoms (which is great if you have limited sick days!)
- lessen the severity of your symptoms (so you can enjoy the season!)
BUT FIRST, STATISTICS!
A family of viruses called the rhinoviruses causes about 80% of colds during peak cold season and 30-50% of colds throughout the rest of the year (1). That being said, there are actually 200 other viruses that can also cause the symptoms of a common cold (1).
The average adult has about 2 to 3 colds per year (2). The common cold typically lasts for 7-10 days (2). Throughout the year, that adds up to 14 to 21 sick days on average per adult. If you’re one of the unlucky people that have a cold last up to 3 weeks (2), you could be looking at 42 to 63 sick days per year. I know what you’re thinking – that’s unacceptable! I agree. And by the way, luck doesn’t have anything to do with it. It’s all about your health, specifically the health of your immune system and how capable it is to fight off infectious causes of illness such as viruses that cause the cold and flu.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF THE COMMON COLD?
The common symptoms (pun intended!) of the common cold are:
- Runny nose (1, 2)
- Nasal congestion (1, 2)
- Coughing (1, 2)
- Sore throat (1, 2)
- Sneezing (1)
- Fever (1) – may or may not occur and is more common in children than adults (2)
- Fatigue (2)
- General discomfort & feeling unwell (2)
A cold usually runs its course but in some cases can lead to:
- Sinusitis (1, 2)
- Otitis media (middle ear infection) (1, 2)
- Pneumonia (1)
- Worsening of asthma & other chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (1)
BUT IS IT REALLY JUST A COLD?
It can be easy to confuse the cold with the flu. Influenza virus, which causes the flu, accounts for 5 to 15% of all acute respiratory disease (1). In general, the flu leads to more serious illness than a cold (2) with the most common symptoms including:
- Fever (1, 2)
- Body aches (1, 2)
- Fatigue (1, 2)
- Headache (1, 2)
- Chills (2)
- General discomfort & feeling unwell (2)
The elderly and people who are immunocompromised (for example diabetics, and those on immunosuppressant medication, including organ transplant recipients) are at risk for developing more serious complications of the flu (1).
Due to some overlap in symptoms between the cold and the flu, and understanding that you can have both the cold and the flu (and any other infection) at the same time, it makes sense to support your immune system as a whole this season.
Check back next week when I’ll be sharing 3 often overlooked yet important natural ways that can help reduce your risk of cold and flu in Building a Naturally Strong Immune System – Part 2: Back to Basics.
References:
- Nahas R, Balla A. Complementary and alternative medicine for prevention and treatment of the common cold. Can Fam Physician. 2011 Jan;57(1):31-6.
- Allan GM, Arroll B. Prevention and treatment of the common cold: making sense of the evidence. 2014 Feb 18;186(3):190-9.
- Smith SM, Sonego S, Wallen GR, Waterer G, Cheng AC, Thompson P. Use of non-pharmaceutical interventions to reduce the transmission of influenza in adults: A systematic review. 2015 Aug;20(6):896-903.
