What is fiction and what is reality from all the rumors and advices that are widely spread among the population? You are one step away from finding out

Aug 17, 2006 14:45 GMT  ·  By

In an article published on the website of the University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell, a team of medical experts distinguished between the fictions and facts known by population about colds and flu. The reason why the editor of the article has chosen this subject is because clods and flu are extremely common among people all throughout the year. Due to the fact that everyone, from infants to elders, have been ill with a cold or flu at least once in their lives, there are many wrong ideas, or "fictions" circulating among the population.

Aiming to make it more clear and easy for the average man, Dr. Seth Feltheimer and colleague Patricia Ciminera explain in their article what colds and flus are and what is myth and reality from all the rumors and advices about these two health disorders. Dr. Seth Feltheimer is an associate attending physician, while Patricia Ciminera is a nurse practitioner at the New York Presbyterian Hospital/ Columbia University Medical Center.

First of all, the two authors of the article differentiated colds from flues. A cold usually affects the upper respiratory airways and has symptoms such as a sore throat, headaches or runny nose. On the other hand, flu is mainly marked by high fever (which is not present in people who are ill with common colds). As compared to a cold, influenza can be more dangerous for one's health, leading to more serious health impairments (especially in asthmatics or elder people).

Writers point out that "a cold is usually an upper respiratory tract infection with symptoms including a sore throat, head congestion, sinus pain and low-grade fever. On the other hand, the flu is generally marked by a higher fever, a sore throat, a cough and body aches. A common cold usually lasts two to three days while the flu can take as long as a week. Unlike colds, the flu can lead to more serious complications and even hospitalization, especially in high-risk individuals like asthmatics and the elderly."

Then they specify what are the most spread beliefs about colds and flu and say if they are true or false, explaining why. People always say that "The best way to prevent a cold is to wash your hands." Authors admit this as a fact about the two miserable health disorders and also advise people to avoid other people who already have colds in order to protect themselves from getting one.

"You can catch a cold by staying outside in the cold too long," they say. But they are wrong. Colds are caused by a virus and the reason why people catch colds more often during the cold season is not because they stay out in the freezing weather, but because they spend more time inside, joining other people who may already be carrying the virus. As a matter of fact, it is good to know that viruses usually die when exposed to extreme temperatures, such as too high or too low. Therefore, staying out in the cold is not a reason for catching a cold.

"Antibiotics can cure a cold or the flu." Also a fiction, as we have already found out that colds are caused by viruses. And viruses cannot be annihilated by antibiotics. Of course, there are drugs which can alleviate some of the colds' and flu's symptoms, such as headaches, a sore throat etc. But antibiotics cannot kill the virus that causes all these symptoms. However, one can always get vaccinated against colds and flu.

"If you have the flu, you shouldn't go to work." This is true, because flu is contagious and when going to work you can spread the virus among your coworkers. Therefore, it is best for you to stay at home, get some rest and also protect your colleagues at work from unpleasant states.

"Flu shots can give you the flu." It is funny to think that a vaccine which aims at stopping something may actually give you the symptoms of the specific disorder. It is true that some people who get flu shots may have very mild flu-like symptoms for a short period of time. But one should not be scared by anti-flu vaccine.

"If you have a flu shot one year, you don't need it the next." Also myth. First of all, the protective serum in the vaccine is due to protect you only throughout a year, not longer. Second of all, flu vaccines aim at annihilating a certain virus which is widely spread in that particular period. But the virus can change from year to year and medical experts develop new serum to protect against the current year's flu virus.

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