The Truth About Colds and Flu It is the cold and flu season once more, and perhaps it’s a more important season than most because of the shortage of flu vaccine.
Many people hold misconceptions about colds and flu. This article reminds us of some of them.
Jay Marks, MD Medical Editor, MedicineNet.com
Related Links
Common Cold Flu (Influenza) Flu Season 2004-2005: Questions & Answers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Truth About Colds and Flu
SATURDAY, Oct. 16 (HealthDayNews) -- Even though they're common, there are still many misconceptions about colds and flu.
New York-Presbyterian Hospital offers some information to help you sort through the facts and fictions of colds and flu.
To begin, colds and flu are different. A cold is usually an upper respiratory tract infection. Symptoms include a sore throat, head congestion, sinus pain, and low-grade fever. Flu symptoms usually include a higher fever, a sore throat, cough and body aches.
A cold usually lasts two to three days while a flu can last as long as a week. Flu can lead to more serious health complications, especially in the elderly and people with asthma.
Now, here are some facts about colds and flu:
The best way to prevent a cold is to wash your hands and to avoid people with colds. You can't catch a cold by staying outside in the cold too long. You catch a cold by touching something that's been touched by someone infected with a cold or by breathing in moisture that's been coughed out by someone with a cold. People get colds more often in the winter because they spend more time indoors in contact with one another. Antibiotics cannot cure a cold or flu, which are caused by viruses. The best way to defend against the flu is to get a flu shot. There is no vaccine against the common cold. If you have the flu, don't go to work. If you go to work, you'll expose your colleagues to flu infection. Stay home where you can rest and recover. Flu shots cannot give you the flu. They may cause mild flu-like symptoms, but this is rare. -- Robert Preidt
SOURCE: New York-Presbyterian Hospital, news release, October 2004
Copyright © 2004 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved.
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=39908 You can join Unsolved Mysteries and post your own mysteries or
interesting stories for the world to read and respond to Click hereScroll all the way down to read replies.Show all stories by Author:  48531 ( Click here )
Halloween is Right around the corner.. .
|
( 
