Comment from: stella0603, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: November 13
At the first sign of a cold (the slight sore throat), I take a large dose of vitamin C, echinacea and zinc. I continue to take them at least twice a day until the sore throat goes away. If the sore throat reoccurs, I do the same regimen. This has worked very well.
Comment from: Sandy65, 65-74 Female (Patient)Published: October 06
Working in a preschool doesn't help when it comes to catching a cold, however, at the first signs of a cold, I take echinacea and vitamin C and it seems to keep the symptoms at bay. The cold is then less severe and takes a few less days to go away. I used to take zinc, but this seems to work better and more consistently. I've noticed, too, that if I take vitamin C only when I have cold symptoms, and not daily, it seems to work better.
Comment from: Avenger, 45-54 Male (Patient)Published: October 06
While suffering from a cold, I have managed to stay at work in fairly close proximity to colleagues and not pass it on. I simply covered my mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, disposed of the tissue immediately, and used a hand sanitizer each time. There is a certain satisfaction in making sure the virus dies in you and not allowing it to reproduce. Call it revenge for my suffering!
Comment from: 65-74 Female (Patient)Published: September 25
I try to wash my hands often and well. I also try to keep my hands away from my face and, thus, my mouth, eyes and nose. However, as I am just not getting over a miserable cold, I obviously failed to do one of the above!
Comment from: Red face, 65-74 (Patient)Published: December 27
My husband had a bad cold about a month ago and although I felt some slight symptoms within a week but took care to increase my vitamin C intake, wash my hands frequently, sleep in another bedroom and take an immune boosting preparation I received from my chiropractor and nothing troublesome developed until now. I thought my immune system had fought it off but with all the Christmas hype and rushing around my immune system has lowered sufficiently for the cold to develop the usual runny nose a streaming eyes which I get with a cold. He is insisting I have got a cold from someone else and did not catch his cold or would have had the symptoms I have now weeks ago.
Comment from: peter, 65-74 Male (Patient)Published: April 06
I have taken Sambucol (elderberry extract) as a cold preventive for the past ten years. I have never caught cold. It was very easy to catch cold before I started taking Sambucol. It took 7-14 days to cure my cold. Sambucol makes my body produce immune system mediators- cytokines-to block cold virus to enter into cells. If virus could not enter into cells, virus will die in few hours.
Comment from: Bob 35, 7-12 Male (Patient)Published: October 15
I avoid colds by cleaning plenty of my stuff and making sure I cover my mouth when I cough or sneeze, that type of stuff.
Comment from: bugsy950, 55-64 Female (Caregiver)Published: January 04
Being outdoors as much as possible during the winter months help me never get a cold. I think breathing in lots of good fresh air is the answer to avoiding colds.
Comment from: CowsAreFrriends, 13-18 Female (Patient)Published: December 08
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Most sore throats are caused by viruses or mechanical causes (such as mouth breathing) and can be treated successfully at home. However, a person should be seen by a health care professional if they have a sore throat that has a rapid onset, and is associated with a fever or tenderness of the front of the neck; a sore throat that causes the person to have difficulty swallowing (not just pain swallowing) or breathing; or if a sore throat lasts for more than a week.
Headaches can be divided into two categories: primary headaches and secondary headaches. Migraine headaches, tension headaches, and cluster headaches are considered primary headaches. Secondary headaches are caused by disease. Headache symptoms vary with the headache type. Over-the-counter pain relievers provide short-term relief for most headaches.
Sinus infection (sinusitis) signs and symptoms include headache, fever, and facial tenderness, pressure, or pain. Treatments of sinus infections are generally with antibiotics and at times, home remedies.
Lymph nodes help the body's immune system fight infections. Causes of swollen lymph nodes (glands) may include infection (viral, bacterial, fungal, parasites). Symptoms of swollen lymph nodes vary greatly. They can sometimes be tender, painful or disfiguring. The treatment of swollen lymph nodes depends upon the cause.
An upper respiratory infection is a contagious infection of the structures of the upper respiratory tract, which includes the sinuses, nasal passages, pharynx, and larynx. Common causes of an upper respiratory infection include bacteria and viruses such as rhinoviruses, group A streptococci, influenza, respiratory syncytial, whooping cough, diphtheria, and Epstein-Barre. Examples of symptoms of upper respiratory infection include sneezing, sore throat, cough, fever, and nasal congestion. Treatment of upper respiratory infection are generally with OTC medication and home remedies.
Chronic cough is a cough that does not go away and is generally a symptom of another disorder such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, sinus infection, cigarette smoking, GERD, postnasal drip, bronchitis, pneumonia, medications, and less frequently tumors or other lung disease. Treatment of chronic cough is dependant upon the cause.
The Eustachian tube is a membrane lined tube that connects the middle ear space to the back of the nose. Problems include partial or complete blockage which can cause popping, clicking, and ear fullness. Allergies, sinus and ear infections, or the common cold can cause this blockage, while altitude changes can cause symptoms in those persons with Eustachian tube problems. Treatment includes several maneuvers (swallowing, chewing gum, yawning etc.), which can be done to improve Eustachian tube function.
Laryngitis is an inflammation of the voice box (vocal cords). The most common cause of acute laryngitis is infection, which inflames the vocal cords. Symptoms may vary from degree of laryngitis and age of the patient. Common symptoms include croup, hoarse cough, fever, cold, runny nose, dry cough, and loss of voice. Chronic laryngitis generally lasts more than three weeks. Causes other than infection include smoking, excess coughing, GERD, and more. Treatment depends on the cause of laryngitis.
Sinus headache is caused by a sinus infection or inflammation of the sinus cavities. The primary symptom of a sinus infection is pain and increasing pressure overlying the area and associated tenderness to the touch. Treatment of a sinus headache depends on the cause.
Snoring, like all other sounds, is caused by vibrations that cause particles in the air to form sound waves. While we are asleep, turbulent air flow can cause the tissues of the nose and throat to vibrate and give rise to snoring. Any person can snore. Snoring is believed to occur in anywhere from 30% of women to over 45% of men. People who snore can have any body type. In general, as people get older and as they gain weight, snoring will worsen. Snoring can be caused by a number of things, including the sleep position, alcohol, medication, anatomical structure of the mouth and throat, stage of sleep, and mouth breathing.
Before treating a cold, the flu, or allergies with over-the-counter (OTC) medications, it's important to know what's causing the symptoms, which symptoms one wishes to relieve, and the active ingredients in the OTC product. Taking products that only contain the medications needed for relieving your symptoms prevents ingestion of unnecessary medications and reduces the chances of side effects.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a highly contagious viral infection. Symptoms include fever and nasal congestion and discharge. Treatment focuses on supportive care.
Adenovirus infection, particularly Ad14, or the "killer cold virus" has been on the increase in the past two years. Symptoms range from those experienced with colds, sore throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, diarrhea, pinkeye, fever, bladder infection, and neurological conditions. Diagnosis and treatment options need to be discussed with your physician.
Reye's syndrome (RS, or Reye syndrome) is a sudden, sometimes fatal, disease of the brain with degeneration of the liver. Reye syndrome occurs in children and comes after the chickenpox or an influenza-type illness, is also associated with taking medications containing aspirin. Symptoms include vomiting, listlessness, irritability or combativeness, confusion, delirium, delusions, convulsions, and loss of consciousness. Treatment depends on early diagnosis and focuses on protecting the brain against irreversible damage by reducing brain swelling, reversing the metabolic injury, preventing complications in the lungs, and anticipating cardiac arrest.
Children's health is focused on the well-being of children from conception through adolescence. There are many aspects of children's health, including growth and development, illnesses, injuries, behavior, mental illness, family health and community health.
Kids get headaches and migraines too. Many adults with headaches started having them as kids, in fact, 20% of adult headache sufferers say their headaches started before age 10, and 50% report their headaches started before age 20.
If you have a COPD such as emphysema, avoiding chronic bronchitis and colds is important to avoid a more severe respiratory infection such as pneumonia. Avoiding cigarette smoking, practice good hygeine, stay away from crowds, and alerting your healthcare provider if you have a sinus infection or cold or cough that becomes worse. Treatment options depend upon the severity of the emphysema, bronchitis, or cold combination.
Early warning signs of job stress include headache, sleep disturbance, difficulty in concentrating, short temper, upset stomach, job dissatisfaction, and low morale. Stress on the job can be damaging to your health in that job stress is the outcome when job demands cannot be met.
Lymph nodes are an important component of the body's immune system and help
in fighting infections.
They are small, soft, round or oval structures that are found throughout the
body and are connected to each other in chain-like (lymphatic chains) fashion by
channels similar to blood vessels. Each individual lymph node is covered
by a capsule made up of connective tissue.
Within the capsule, lymph nodes contain certain kinds of
immune cells. These
cells are mainly lymphocytes, which produce proteins that capture and fight
viruses and other microbes, and macrophages, which destroy and remove the
captured material.
Where are the lymph nodes located in the body?
Lymph nodes are located throughout the body. Some are directly under the skin
while others are deep inside the body. Even the most superficial (close to the
skin) lymph nodes are usually not visible or palpable (felt by touchi...
If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
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Healthy Living Tips
At the first sign of a cold (the slight sore throat), I take a large dose of vitamin C, echinacea and zinc. I continue to take them at least twice a day until the sore throat goes away. If the sore throat reoccurs, I do the same regimen. This has worked very well.
Related Reading: sore throat | echinacea