Here comes the rain again!
The rainy season doesn’t just bring floods and traffic jams. Changes in temperature, humidity and rainfall patterns influence the growth of viruses and fungi. This increases the risk of the spread of infectious diseases such as cough and colds. Children, with their still underdeveloped immune systems, are most vulnerable.
Cough and colds are commonly spread through bacteria- or virus-infected droplets coughed or sneezed into the air. Since most of the people are indoors during the rainy season, the probability of spreading these conditions is higher. The air inside a house or a hall packed with people staying out of the rain does not circulate well, especially with the windows and doors closed all the time to prevent water from coming in. This makes the bacteria or virus easily transmittable. And with more people inside, exposure to these elements is far greater.
Experts recommend the following tips to prevent cough and colds:
* Practice good hand washing techniques. Wash in warm or hot running water. Use soap.
* Use disposable tissues when sneezing and coughing. This lessens the risk of transferring germs onto objects others may touch.
* Keep away from crowded places during cough and cold epidemics.
Here are some other cough and cold facts that may be helpful to you during the rainy season:
* More than 200 viruses cause colds. And some of those viruses can be quite potent. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, some viruses, such as the rhinoviruses, seldom produce serious illness. But others, such as parainfluenza and respiratory syncytial virus, can lead to severe lower respiratory infections in young children
* Frequent hand washing can reduce your chances of getting a cough or cold.
* Frequently cleaning telephones, countertops and faucets in your home when a family member has a cough or cold can help keep the illness from spreading.
* Wearing warm clothing, avoiding cold drafts and not going outside with wet hair will not keep you from catching a cold.
* Although there is no cure for the common cold, over-the-counter cold/cough medications can alleviate cold symptoms. There are, however, medications to help you stop or prevent coughing.
* Keeping your fingers out of your eyes and nose can help keep you from getting a cold.
* Chronic sleep deprivation may increase your chances of getting a cough or catching a cold as it lowers your immunity from bacteria and viruses.
* Fever and headache are rare with colds but common with the flu.
* It’s better to blow your nose with a tissue than a handkerchief, as long as you use the tissue only once. Coughing on a tissue is preferred likewise.
* Drinking lots of liquids can help you recover from a cold. Fluids help keep mucus more liquid and help prevent ear infections, bronchitis and other complications.
* Several studies have shown people who get regular, moderate exercise catch half as many colds as sedentary people.
* Drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes can make you feel worse when you have a cold. Alcohol swells nasal passages, and smoke irritates them. Furthermore, smoking can make you cough more as it irritates the throat, as well.
* Most colds can be self-treated at home. But you should see a doctor if ear discomfort becomes severe; if you cough up thick, rusty or green mucus; or if a child with a cold develops rapid or difficult breathing, starts wheezing or acts irritable or lethargic.
* Antibiotics cannot cure a cold—they have no effect on viruses. They can, however, be used for severe cases of cough such as those that are caused by bacteria that result in phlegm production.
–A health message brought to you by HealthToday—Empowering You to a Healthy Living!
