Every change bring something or other and so does the season. Every season has its own friends and foes. Some diseases like fungal infections are more prevalent in humid rainy seasons while skin and respiratory disease are more commonly found in winter season. So talking about the winters , Flu and common cold are the most frequently occuring ailments in both adults and children during cold dry windy days. But how is Flu different from common cold and why they occur more in winters? Is it because its cold or something else, lets find out.
Flu and Cold : Identical twins or Non identical twins ???
So as we all know twins have the same mother, so here though the body part affected by both flu and cold is same that is our breathing machinery i.e. nose and throat , but their cause and symptoms are pretty different , just like in non identical twins.
Flu, popularly known as influenza for which we get vaccine shots also is caused by influenza virus. This virus can give you High fever, chills bodyache and fatigue along with stuffy nose, cough , sore throat etc.
Common cold on the other hand can be caused by as many as 250 different types of viruses, so it stands for its name as all these 250 viruses are commonly found in our environment. So, that means scientist will have a really hard time in finding a vaccine which can actually take care of so many viruses at the same time. But this mild disease which usually gets over within a week by itself, presents mainly as sore throat, sneezing, runny stuffy nose and mildfever, and all these symptoms can be managed with basic general measures.
So, now the question arise why we have more cases of these two diseases in winters or we may ask why these viruses love winters ?
Flu and cold : Winters presents ?
When we say winters, there are few things which surely cross our mind : snow and christmas. So, viruses also gets christmas presents in winters, which help them to multiply and infect many people . What are these conditions that are optimum for viruses during winters:
a. Low temperatures and low humidity
b. Less human activity and more indoor time
c. Less exposure to sun thus low levels of Vit D and melanin ( which gives colour to our skin pigment ), thus lower immunity.
d. Some hormones like adneocorticoid undergoing cyclical chages as per body cycle results in decreased number of White blood cells which fight infection.
Armours against Flu and Cold!
Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. If you don't have that nearby, use an alcohol-based gel.
Cough and sneeze into a tissue.
No tissue? When you cough, turn your head away from others.
If you have a sudden sneeze, bend your arm and sneeze into it.
Don't touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Wash any shared surfaces, like phones and keyboards, frequently. Viruses can live on surfaces for several hours.
Stay away from crowds during cold and flu season
Increase the intake of Vit C rich foods.
Drink lots of hot fluids like soups, water etc.
Gargling with salt water atleast 3 -4 times a day to soothe the throat.
And last and not the least, meet your homoeopathic physician to maintain your immune levels to keep yourself prepared in case you come in contact with any of these viruses.