Flu Immune 500

When your nose runs like a faucet and your head feels like it’s being squeezed in a vise, you may be experiencing the common cold. Soon the runny nose becomes post-nasal drip and you’re coughing until your throat is raw and red. It’s a cold all right. Every year, during the winter months especially, millions of people fall victim to any one of the 200+ varieties of this unpleasant malady.

The causes of the common cold may be viral or bacterial in nature. The organisms responsible include:

Rhinovirus

Coronavirus

Influenza virus

Respiratory syncytial virus

When any of these viruses enter the body, they quickly go to work infecting a person. Once exposed to a virus, a person begins to experience the symptoms of a cold within 3 to 5 days. The runny nose, sore throat and chest congestion associated with the common cold are the result of the body’s defense system trying to rid itself of the invading virus. The quickest way for it to do that is to begin producing a lot of excess mucus, which will flow out of the body, taking the virus, as well as any other allergens or bacteria. Were it not for the mucus, the viruses would begin to take up residence in the body’s cells where it would thrive and reproduce itself.

In addition to the specific viruses that bring on a cold, there are other factors that contribute to a person’s susceptibility to the common cold. These include:

Stress

Anxiety

Poor diet

Existing respiratory problems

Allergies

The average duration of a cold is anywhere from a week to ten days. Although there is no true cure for the common cold, there are a number of ways to effectively manage its symptoms. Frequent hand washing for example, is essential not only to keep from spreading the cold to others, but to ensure that you are not re-infecting yourself. During a cold it’s important to stay well hydrated so that the mucus, which carries the virus out of the body, is moist enough. Over the counter medications containing expectorant are another good way to assist the body in clearing out the mucus. Few cough medications are as useful as they purport to be, so it’s probably better to sooth the throat and quiet your coughs by sucking on a lozenge or sipping hot tea.