The Common Cold

The common cold is an infection that affects the upper respiratory tract.  It is a virus that most often occurs during the Fall and Winter months.  It is not that cold weather gives rise to colds per se, but rather that the cold viruses tend to thrive more in colder temperatures. 
While there are a large variety of viruses that may cause the common cold, most affect the head, nose and throat.  Symptoms of the common cold include headache, watery eyes, sore throat, coughing and nasal congestion.  In some cases children may develop a low grade fever, however if fever rises than this can be a sign of flu rather than cold.

While most colds will heal themselves in a week to ten days they can nevertheless be fairly detrimental to productivity and can at times develop into more serious conditions.  Colds may occasionally lead to bronchitis, sinus infection or ear infections.  Colds can often mimic both allergies and flues, but certain symptoms should help distinguish these maladies.  A cold will at times give rise to body aches, but unlike the flu these are usually mild.  Likewise tiredness is usually not as severe with a cold as it is with flu.  And while a cold can often cause watery eyes, sneezing and red itchy eyes are more commonly associated with allergies.  Moreover, allergies are most common from March through to September.  On the other hand, cold viruses prevail most from about late August until April.

Although colds are rarely dangerous they can be a real nuisance.  Most adults are subject to about two colds per year.  With each case lasting up to ten days this can be a real detriment to one’s life.  Children usually catch many more colds than adults, in part because their immune systems are still maturing.  Children often have yet to develop immunity to many of the common cold viruses.
Despite the fact that as you’ve probably already heard a hundred times there is no cure for the common cold, there are nevertheless steps you can take to both prevent and treat cold symptoms.  Vitamins A,C,E, and Zinc are some of the  most essential cold fighting and immune system boosters around.  Vitamin A has also been found to help heal the mucous membranes that become inflamed due to colds.  Vitamin C fights cold viruses, and Zinc boosts immune function.

Aside from these vitamins, Garlic is also a powerful anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and natural immune system enhancer.  Cold FX , which is made from Ginseng, has also been found to help fight viral and bacterial infections.  A good multivitamin works well also as a preventative means.  Keeping the body as healthy as possible with a good diet and exercise regime makes it more difficult for colds to get you, and when they do you will have a much shorter period of convalescence than people with poor immune function.  It is apparently possible for cold viruses to lie dormant in people until such time as stress or other factors lower immune function and allow colds to take hold. 
Given the possibilities of catching at least two colds a year, it makes sense to take as many precautionary measures as one can.  Keeping up a healthy lifestyle is one of the best ways to ward off colds.  While it can be hard to eat right and exercise during the cold, wintery months of the year, it is at this time that such steps are most important.  Supplements alongside a healthy diet and exercise program can therefore be some of the best ways to prevent being taken hold of during the cold and flu season.