The Hindu Business Line : Cold facts

Walking, cycling and jogging improve blood circulation that charges the immune system to circulate infection-fighting antibodies. Exercise also raises body temperature to a degree that kills certain germs.

A decongesting diet means less fat, meat, milk, flour, and more fruits and vegetables. A congesting diet chokes the body's metabolism. Thus, infectious agents that normally get destroyed in the digestive process survive and thrive.

Lack of sleep lowers the body's immune response. When it's crying for rest it cannot summon the strength to zap the virus. Yes, your 40 winks can be your fortress.

A positive belief that your body can mobilise its immune resources, combined with a strong emotional resistance to falling sick does stave off or reduce the frequency of colds. So much so that Dr Martin Rossman of Mill Valley, California, guides his patients through imagery techniques: "Relax completely. Then, imagine a white tornado decongesting your sinuses. Or imagine an army of microscopic maids cleaning up germs with buckets of disinfectant," he advises.

The Big V

A virus penetrates our protective mucous layer in the nose and throat and invades the mucous membrane cell beneath. The body, however, fights back. The wounded membrane-cells release protein interferon that alerts other healthy cells to shoot out antiviral chemicals. If the invasion is blunted right here, the cold gets nipped in the bud. If not, the membrane cells shoot out inflammation-boosters that dilate blood capillaries. With more blood coursing through the capillaries, our nose and throat redden and throb. More body fluids seep through the stretched-thin blood-vessel walls and inflate the mucous membrane. The nasal passage narrows and we get a cold. When the excess infected mucous drips out, our nose `runs'. Nerve endings in the nose get tickled and our muscles contract into... "aatishoo!" And to clear the mucous from our throat, we cough involuntarily. Since there are over 200 viruses, researchers are hard-pressed to find a remedy for each of them. However, the Common Cold Unit, Harvard Hospital, Salisbury, England, hopes to find one common drug — interferon — which they expect will take care of almost every virus.

Meanwhile, doctors advise various remedies:

The Old C-Dog: "Vitamin C works as a scavenger picking up virus trash," explains Dr Keith W. Sehnert, specialist in self-care, Trinity Health Care, Minneapolis, Minnesota. "It can shorten the length of a cold from seven to may be three days." The recommended dose: 500 mg four times a day. Orange and lemon juices are also rich in vitamin C.

Chew lozenges: Zinc lozenges can reduce the cold's span to four days, say researchers in Great Britain. They also soothe a dry, irritated throat. Caution: zinc in large doses can be harmful. Other decongestant lozenges contain anaesthetics that numb and reduce the need to cough.

Sip a cuppa soup: Hot soup or rasam sprinkled with pepper opens out the nose to help us blow the germs out of our system. Also, warm water, tea laced with honey — a sedating simple carb — replace lost body fluids and flush out toxins.

Gargle with saltwater: Add one-teaspoon salt to one cup of warm water and gargle thrice a day.

Inhale steam: In boiling hot water, pour the decongesting liquid from the Karvol-Plus capsule. Drape a towel over your head and inhale. This clears the nasal passage, relieves a dry cough and banishes a persistent cold-induced headache. A hot steamy bath helps too.

Tip: Apply Vaseline petroleum jelly on raw, sensitive nostrils.

Night medications: Some cold-drugs may induce drowsiness, so check out the labels and have them only before sleeping.

Tip from Dr Timothy Van Ert, preventive medicine specialist, San Francisco and Saratoga, California: "Take medications that treat your specific symptoms during the day. Combination drugs to treat a wide range of symptoms often contain alcohol that can cause nausea or drowsiness. These should be taken only at night."

For body-ache and fever with cold: Aspirin or acetaminophen. Caution: Children under 12 should not be given aspirin. If the child has some other viral infection like chickenpox, aspirin increases its risk of developing Reye's syndrome — a brain- and liver-disease.

To dry a runny nose: Anti-allergy antihistamines block the release of histamine that causes the nose to run. Caution: They induce drowsiness. Don't drive. Don't play a sport as they interfere with coordination. Take them only at bedtime.

Nasal sprays: Nasal drops clear the nose and help you sleep well. But they shouldn't be used for more than three nights.

Cough syrups: These contain cough-suppressing ingredients called `antitussives'.

Caution: Check with your doctor. Certain syrups should not be taken by hypertensives.

Keep warm: In cold weather, wear warm clothing. This helps your immune system to concentrate on cold-fighting strategies rather than using its ingenuity to keep you warm.

A final tip: Don't ever step outside with a wet head. That virus could come rolling in.

The writer is co-author of the book `Fitness for Life'.

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