Winter and how to rapidly kill a cold?
 

Hi,

Well. And again winter. Running nose, cold,... are common in winter.
You may follow common practices http://www.wikihow.com/Cure-a-Cold-Fast, but what about traditional/hi-tech methods?

More advanced methods:
- A milk with garlic potion
- A one hour of walk in the nature (with warm clothes)
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicks
- Sleeping with a running nose (if you really can)
...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP7kJFG5Uvk#t=20 <- this is quite too much.

Maybe to radically prevent it, is better somehow.

Btw, do those guys get sick? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLnD-9tNh04
"Swimming in the cold water offers many health benefits, it has known to reduce blood pressure and to keep the regular cold away."
Heart-attacks and cold water swimming?
http://jonathan-knott.com/2012/04/03...ater-swimming/
But I still do not believe in it.

Professor Tipton has been researching this area for almost20 years, and says there is strong evidence for cold-water acclimatisation. His experiments demonstrate that five daily 2-3 minute immersions can eliminate the cold shock response, and that even after 14 months without immersion, this brief acclimatisation still works at around 50 per cent. After ten exposures of 45 minutes,the professor has found that people stop shivering, too. The conditioned swimmers were actually getting colder than their non-acclimatised counterparts – the difference being that their bodies had learned to function normally at lower temperatures. However, the comfort lasts only within the times and temperatures that people are acclimatised to, after which the normal cold response kicks in.

A Czech study in 1996, for example, found that winter swimmers had more white blood cells (key to the immune system), while a 1999 study involving Berlin winter swimmers found they had more antioxidants (these help fight cancer) than non-swimmers.


But Tipton urges caution about such studies: “For every study that shows something, there is one or two that show nothing.” He also says that there can be methodological problems: “They tend to make the comparison with people who do nothing. But you really need a matching group of warm-water swimmers.”. Cold-water adaptation follows the same principle as any other kind of habituation, which is that a repeated mild stress to our bodies produces physiological changes. With physical exercise, these include a host of benefi ts, such as better cardiovascular health and stimulating the endocrine (glandular) system, which together can significantly extend our active lives. But Tipton says there’s no evidence cold-water swimming creates benefits that go beyond these.

Cold-water immersion causes large amounts of ‘stress hormones’ such as adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol – as well as endorphins (natural opioid painkillers) – to flood the brain.

Your heart works very hard in cold water. Winter swimmers should get it tested to make sure it can withstand the pressure.

Furthermore research has shown that while swimmers who train moderately get fewer viral infections (colds and flu) than non-swimmers, those in heavy training become sick as often as those who don’t train.

So, too much training might be of low benefits, since you may get too tired.

TAP INTO THE HEALING POWERS OF WATER TO FIGHT DISEASE, LOOK YOUNGER, AND FEEL YOUR BEST (McGraw-Hill 2007) says that a few seconds of cold water after your hot shower is scientifically proven to make you healthy – even if you’re in the cold water for less than 30 seconds a day. Remember that cold water therapy works only if done regularly, and also needs a few weeks (about six) to work.

These techniques boot your immunity system radically.

Gamma interferon and interleukin-4 are two important virus-fighting cytokines (immune system proteins) A new German study has shown that cold water exposure helps these two disease-fighters work better together, resulting in fewer viral colds.

A cold shower increases lymphocytes in the blood. Lymphocytes produce antibodies, which help fight germs.

So, what about a cold showering daily? May it help to boost your immunity system?

Immunity system:
A low white cell count can have many different meanings. If your white count is low and you are getting multiple infections especially with viruses or bacteria that are unusual, then you may need a more extensive work up. Otherwise, you are probably fine. Let me explain. The "normal" white count in humans varies widely. It could be normal for some people to have a white count of 2,500 while others its normal to have one of 11,000. That's why its tough to tell whether someone has a low white count because they have a real problem or if its just the way you are.

You may boot your system by eating lots of fruit and vegetables. Such a balanced diet will provide all of the immune system-supporting nutrition you need. Go to bed! Sleep is also important for immune system support. Even mild sleep deprivation reduces your effective activity levels.

The average person needs eight hours of sleep per night and if you do regularly hard training, you may need a little extra. Best sportive performances are achieved when athletes may sleep more than 9hours. Grant Hackett, Australia’s Olympic 1500m freestyle champion is always in bed by 9.00pm every night. Athletes can greatly reduce exercise-related immune system suppression by consuming a carbohydrate sports drink during and after workouts. But the main problem is that the drinks are still not natural for the body. Head colds generally do not hamper exercise performance significantly and exercise does not increase the duration or severity of colds. It may however have some quite dangerous drawbacks. When symptoms move into the chest and lungs, a athletes need to be cautious.

Who has never a cold a winter? If some of you, please let us know how you manage to do so.

Cheers

I read many years ago that there are two ways to deal with a cold:

1. Drink lots of liquids, take medicine for symptomatic relief, and stay in bed. In a week or ten days, it will be gone.

2. Drink lots of liquids, take medicine for symptomatic relief, drag yourself to work as long as you don't have a fever (if you have a fever, it's likely flu) and won't be assaulted by co-workers who don't want you to expose them to it. In a week or ten days, it will be gone.

On a more serious note, I read in Smithsonian Magazine long before there was a world wide web that, once you get symptoms, you had the cold for at least a week. The symptoms are a result of your body's efforts to fight it off. Since colds are caused by viruses, the only thing you can do is not to abuse your body and wait them out.

To call much of the stuff you see in print or on the web on how to cure a cold "old wives' tales" would be to insult old wives.

The last cold I had was in July. Meteorology has nothing to do with it; it's the microbes.

Edit:

My favorite remedy is a cup of hot tea, two fingers of Scotch, with honey and lemon juice. Doesn't cure a thing, but three of these and you don't care any more.

I think I recall reading that, when you recover from a virus that causes a "cold," you are thereafter immune to that specific virus. (In evidence thereof was offered stories about submarine crews and over-winter Antarctic station personnel who, after a few weeks in isolation, no longer caught any "colds" - until they were exposed to non-isolated people.)

Epidemiological studies show that the incidence of infective illness, as a function of age, follows an exponential decay curve from age zero through about age 18, rises again to a peak (lower then the age zero peak), followed be another exponential decay. From this it's possible to conclude that the immune system "learns" to cope with infective agents by being exposed to such agents, with the primary exposure started by birth, and the secondary peak caused by exposure to "novel" infections brought home by one's children.

So, to avoid having a "cold,"

1. Don't have children.
2. Don't go out in public.
3. Live to an old age.

The only part of that list I've followed is item (3), but that seems to be working fairly well for me so far. (Note that the list only addresses infective agents. The are some other, obvious, drawbacks to (3), but viable alternatives are, so far, quite limited.)

The only solution is holiday in a hot place and come back between 4-5 months ;)

I always have a good hot curry, or other spicy food when I feel a cold coming on. I believe that is part of the reason why I havent had much more than a bit of the sniffles in years now.....and I'm silly enough to smoke. ;)

Lots of the spices and ingredients in curries, like chilis, ginger, garlic, tumeric, cloves and fenugreek have antiviral and antibacterial properties.

I eat oranges drink water and make sure I get out and walk or run everyday. In the Army they said to run out your cold and there is nothing less pleasant than big gobs of nasty coming out of your nose while running but you do feel better when you're done.

I used to brew up a remedy with ginger root, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom seeds, and lemon. I don't know if it shortened the cold, but it left me feeling that I was being treated!

"Lots of the spices and ingredients in curries, like chilis, ginger, garlic, tumeric, cloves and fenugreek have antiviral and antibacterial properties."
I just found some garlic into the kitchen.
I will make a juice with 2 cloves, and oranvge
and i hope that it helps




Wehn I had a flue or beginning (intgestinal)
I went to jpg at comfortable speed and after 30min, it was better.
Two days ago, AM, I went to jog this time with
this damn cold and one day after it was fine and better.
But so stupid, I went outside yesterday, and
left my jacket open for 3-4 min, and today, I got my
pay back - Got a big slap,and I have a bit running
nose and it is green. damn I wont sleep at all the
whole night... with so much green stuffs.

I consider tomorrow am to jog or walk outside in the
deep nature with a lot of clothes on (warm).


Why do they say to do in the US army? and how to practice it?
I believe in it since I say imporovement the day
that I went to jog very early in the morning, and
at about 6 or 7 am.
I believe that it blows fresh oxygen in teh lungs
and oxygen "irrigates" the alveola. dont know, not doctor.

I think that for cold shower, it is already too late.


"Lots of the spices and ingredients in curries, like chilis, ginger, garlic, tumeric, cloves and fenugreek have antiviral and antibacterial properties."
Might be good.
But this is a solution that is too light, is like to
clean with a soap and water, something that need a mechanical cleanign such as with a metallic sponge and hand.

honey, butter, garlic and milk potion did not work at all, at all. no single improvement.

maybe to breath to curly or garlic <--- caution: do not do that.this is a bad joke and bad idea

Please describe the US army method or other strong one?

Running nose :( hip.

One working method is : a teaspoon of honey (raw is best) and a 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
I recommend but small doses.

Too much garlic is not so much recommended. Example: http://www.ener-chi.com/tag/dangers-of-garlic/

You can take precautions to reduce the chances you will catch a cold (or that it will catch you) and to reduce the symptoms, but there is no way to cure one other than to let it work its course.

If someone claims he or she can sell you a cure, take several grains of salt and research it at a reputable site, such as mayoclinic.com.

I believe that PTrenholme is correct about the immunity, but Mayo Clinic says well over 100 viruses can produce cold symptoms, and they mutate constantly.

I was an Infantryman and so I was taught running is the cure for everything ;)

It's the elevation of heart rate and the forcing of fresh air into you lungs and sinuses that seems to take care of it. The fresh air forces all the build up out of your nose and lungs and in many ways (to include health) shortens and prevents colds. My first duty station was Ft. Drum in upstate NY and really after the first winter of acclimatizing you don't get colds much and it's carried me through to this day.

I don't run for a jacket at the first sign of chill and I don't keep the house very warm and that may all help too. In the end I'm just a Polar Bear I don't get cold like most people do so I spend more time out side during the winter than most people do. *shrug* it works for me anyway.

Just drinking some garlic wont help that much, and if it does help it will be in the length of infection, not severity of symptoms. Or to put it more simply, it might make the cold go away faster, but it wont make the running nose etc. better in the short term.

I dont believe that milk is a good idea when you have a cld, it can cause thickening of mucous/

It might be 'too light' if you use them in low quanities. Its best to use as many of those 'good spices' ingredients as possible, rather than just using one like garlic.

If I make noodles with a nice chunk of ginger (a bit smaller than the size of my thumb), a small chili and some tumeric powder it always makes me sinuses run a little, even if I dont have a cold. A good stong curry works a lot better.

Part of how chilis (and some of the other spices I mentioned) helps with colds is by increasing mucus production. Which helps 'blow out' the buildup in your sinuses and lungs.

If you really want a fast and easy way to reduce symptoms with ingredients that most westerners have in the house, try vinegar and honey, at about a 50%/50% mix.

I'd be laughing at that link if I though you were joking, but I dont think you are....

That is one of the misleading articles you'll see on the internet. Largely baseless, with 'facts' that are a joke ('damage to brain cells'- LMAO), and stupid logic failures (if the italians were using garlic on bullets as a poison in WW2, it wouldnt have taken til now for 'garlic-free restaurants' to appear....and they are driven by fashion and the tastes of the former italian dictator Berlusconi among others)

From the looks of that site, the atricle is a combines the Hindu nutjobs (yes, its not just Jews, Christains and Muslims who have crazies) and the threories of Dr. Beck.

Overall, not worth reading, unless you want a laugh, or know about the subject and the biases around garlic in some quaters.

Whiskey? It may not cure the cold, but it will help you sleep with a running nose.

Whiskey helps with pretty much everything

Salt (IF it's a viral infection, as opposed to bacterial (do you have a temperature?) ).

Doc says get plenty of fluids. True.

Why? Virus does NOT like water in a cell, in which the virus is trying to take control, and do it's OWN re-programming for viral re-production - think 'computer virus'.

But when the cold virus DOES get a foothold in a region, like nasal passage cells (rhino-virus, in this example), the FIRST thing it does is start driving water OUT of the nasal passage cells. This is a runny nose.

Only AFTER the body begins to overcome the VIRAL infection - 7-10 usually, not much can be done to impede viral re-production.

Drink lots of fluids? Yep - but that water will NOT get into the virus-controlled cells.

UNLESS...

... the SALT content in those cells is increased. Salt WILL get into those virus-controlled cells. NOTHING will stop that, including a virus in control of the cell. And once the sale gets into the virus-controlled cells, water WILL follow, and make the virus 'uncomfortable', and it will impede viral re-production.

Eat ham, sausage, bacon, any salt-laden food, and you get thirsty in a few hours. Know why? Because the salt gets into all of the body's cells, and then the salt-laden cells take water from the bloodstream, and from interstitial (between cells) spaces. The brain then processes your blood, and says, "Not enough water in the blood", and triggers the thirst response. You drink water, and the body KEEPS it in the blood.

Best way to 'treat' a [some] viral infections. Salt.

And if you're on a Sodium-restricted diet, you needn't worry. There's a hormonal change during a viral infection - more than I can explain here, and it changes what's going on with respect to that condition.

Med-school dropout - I know a little about it... Ask your doctor - he won't say to take salt, but he'll substantiate the physiological processes as I've said here.

Chicken soup...

Cold and flu season is definitely associated with the Winter season, and one thing we all look forward to in the Spring and Summer is dodging the fever, stuffy noses, and fatigue associated with the common cold.

I was thinking that maybe in India, Korea,... US or Europe, or northern countries, there might be some trends in statistics with regard to colds. Maybe due to weather conditions, food (e.g. spice?), or practices (eg. cold showers,...)...

But google haven't shown any possible trends/info.


Evtl. differences between countries and practices:
The practice of cold showers is still very much in the traditions of several nations today: Finland, Russia, Thailand, Korea, Japan and many others have a history of cold showering for good health. Read on to find out why maybe you should start feeling the chill of cold water!

Through thorough scientific research, many health benefits have been identified for exposing your body to regular bursts of coldness. This is best achieved by taking a cold shower each morning or evening at a temperature that you can just about put up with.

Method
If you decide to start taking cold showers, slowly adjusting the temperature is best advised. However, many people (myself included) decide to "throw themselves in at the deep end" of cold showering and start by simply throwing themselves under as cold water as they can get their hands on! This is of course a much quicker way of reaping the health benefits of cold exposure but carries the downfall of much more discomfort and risk to your health. For those with potentially weak hearts, the gradual 'easing' method is strongly advised.


1. Strengthens Immunity

The most established benefit of cold showers is that overall, they simply increase your chances of fighting off disease and infection. People who take regular cold showers have been shown to have less chance of getting things like:
-Colds
-Cancer
-Flu's
-Haemorrhoids
-Varicose veins
Furthermore, the practice of cold showers was re-introduced to western culture through the Kundalini Yoga practices outlined by Yogi Bhajan.

The benefits of cold showers certainly don't stop there. There are health benefits such as increased peripheral circulation as well as improvement to imbalanced mental and emotional states. One of the best kept antiaging secrets is how cold showers can keep your skin glowing and radiant looking.


That brings me to this list I have put together of the pros and con(traindication)s of cold showers. But first I would like to outline the unsavory effects that hot showers have on your body and mind. Upon waking from a full nights sleep the majority of your blood has flowed into the deeper parts of your body such as the internal organs to help them regenerate. To be active, alert and productive during the day you need a good portion of this blood to flow back into the peripheral extremities of your body. Tea or coffee in the mornings provides this for some people but it has negative consequences after long term use of the caffeine (most notably adrenal fatigue from the constant damaging stimulation).


When hot water hits your skin your body has the feeling of still being wrapped in the warm blanket it had around it when it was in bed just moments ago. The blood stays in the deeper parts of your body giving you a tired and lethargic feeling. You may notice that even after a 15 minute hot shower, when you step out, parts of your body are still cold, even during the summer months! If you have really hot showers you may even find you have created or enhanced a feeling of drowsiness!



Another effect of cold bathing/shower methods on improvement of lymphatic movement:
The lymphatic system is a system of tubing separate to your blood vessels (arteries, veins & capillaries) that is responsible for carrying away waste from your cells as well as help fight pathogens (disease).

Unlike blood vessels, the lymphatic system does not contain blood. Instead it has lymph, which carries away waste products and white blood cells which handle infection. Also different from blood vessels is that the heart does not pump lymph around the body like it does the blood.

The lymph relies on the contraction of muscles. This contraction squeezes the lymph up to the thoracic duct so that the lymph can mix with the blood and then be dealt with by our organs.

Cold showers cause whole-body contraction and this works excellently with the lymph system, squeezing the fluid up through the body, so try cold showers today!

If the lymphatic system is compromised and inefficient, then the fluid pools at far away places (usually the feet). This results in what is known as lymphedema (type of edema). The pooling of lymph can result in serious health detriments.








Myth 1:
The greatest myth about the common cold is that susceptibility to colds requires a weakened immune system.

Facts:

1. Healthy people with normal immune systems are highly susceptible to cold virus infection once the virus enters the nose. In volunteers studies, approximately 95% of normal adults became infected when virus was dropped into the nose (72, also see How Cold Virus Infection Occurs).

2. Of people who become infected, only 75% develop symptoms with a cold. (5, 72) The other 25% have virus growing in the nose but have no symptoms. They have an "asymptomatic infection".

3. Why people sometimes become infected but do not develop cold symptoms is a mystery. One clue is that in such instances the person may not be producing the normal amount of certain inflammatory mediators, the natural body chemicals which cause cold symptoms (2, also see What Causes Cold Symptoms). If this theory is correct, then people with active immune systems may be more prone to developing cold symptoms than people with less active immune systems!


Myth 2:
Central heating dries the mucus membranes of the nose and makes a person more susceptible to catching a cold.

Myth 3:
Becoming cold or chilled leads to catching a cold. <--------- I am not so sure about this one . cf picture.

Myth 4:
Having cold symptoms is good for you because they help you get over a cold, therefore you should not treat a cold.
Facts:
1. Approximately 25% of people who get a cold virus infection do not develop symptoms and yet they get over the infection as well as people who do have symptoms (5, 72, also see How Virus Infection Occurs.


Myth 5:
Drinking milk causes increased nasal mucus during a cold.
Facts:
1. Milk and mucus may look alike, but milk is digested like any other protein and is not specifically converted into nasal mucus.
2. An Australian study was actually done in volunteers to address this question. (77) It showed that people drinking lots of milk had no more nasal mucus than those not drinking milk.




Myth 6:
You should feed a cold (and starve a fever).
Facts:
1. The origin of this old saying is obscure. There is no scientific evidence that excess eating will cure a cold.
2. On the other hand, eating tasty food will not make a cold worse and may help the cold victim feel better. Commoncold.org features tasty recipes for the cold sufferer.

Personally, I have doubts to believe in cold shower practices. Indeed. Please tell me how in the world this is supposed to help at all with anything except coming your body temp down by cold showers. Peroxide every morning? You gain a virus to exposure, certainly not in your sleep. Unless you constantly all day used this to wash your hands it MAY help. Lowering caloric intake? Give me a break people. Please don't be anorexic to try and stay healthy. No, actually it makes you sicker because your body is so frail and weak it has no energy to fight anything off. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe the reason these people are healthier is associated to the active lifestyles they have and not just the limited caloric intake? Look it is normal to be sick, there is no miracle cure. I am far from a hypochondriac and am young and healthy and lean and oh no guess what I have a cold right now. The best thing to do? Ride it out. Some people that "never ever" (highly doubt this) get sick probably have great genetics with strong antibodies and are very fortunate.



Feel free to post your comments and tips how to avoid getting colds...

What works for me are some things already mentioned in this thread. What I use depends on what my symptoms are but that constant thing I use is fresh garlic, very often.

* Fresh Raw Garlic
* Cinnamon Stick (ground)
* Cloves (ground)
* Ginger Root Raw
* Chicken Soup (Fresh with real chicken, not canned)
* Honey and Lemon
* Fresh Hot Peppers, sometimes bottled depending on the type. (Various ones but for me the hotter the better)
* Fresh Raw onions

**Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger I will sometimes brew as a tea. Also Green Tea with Honey and Lemon.
**Also as much sleep as possible.
** I don't believe in using anykind of tablets such as garlic pills and the like. I don't believe that they do any good because the method of making these takes out the important stuff, such as garlic oil, and is more of a marketing gimmick than anything that useful or helpful.

The things I stay away from,

* Dairy Products including milk
* Sugar and sugary foods
* Acid foods such as oranges, grapfruits, etc.
* Caffeine
* Alcohol

A person working in nutrition told me that fruits with increased acidity might bring to a normal PH level the stomach, and might not detrimental. But, well, I experienced (tested) and it might be true. But I don't know.

I am not a health nut be any means. I am also not over paranoid concerning my health issues. However I do have more confidence in the so called "alternative" cures or preventions.

I learned awhile ago about acid and alkaline. This link will give you an idea of why I beleive what I do.

http://www.naturalhealthschool.com/acid-alkaline.html

Wash your hands frequently.
Do not touch your eyse, nose or mouth with unclean hands.
Frequently sanitize those items and surfaces that everyone touches i.e. handrails, phones, remote controls, door handles, pens etc.
Eat right, get enough sleep and exercise.