8 misconceptions about colds and flu

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8 misconceptions about colds and flu
8 misconceptions about colds and flu
Anonim

Unfortunately, the cold and flu season is slowly but surely approaching, so many people are trying to prevent illnesses with various practices. However, for this we need to know exactly what we are up against, but - despite the fact that we are talking about common diseases - there are still a lot of misconceptions about them.

You can catch a cold with wet hair or without enough warm clothes

Didn't you hear from your parents countless times when you were a child that you shouldn't go out in cold weather without a jacket, and especially not with wet hair, otherwise you'll get sick? They probably said this because they heard it all the time back then, but that didn't make them right. Because being underdressed or having messy hair has nothing to do with diseases in the world. Dr. Jon Abramson spoke to ABC News about the topic, where he said that they are mostly associated with each other because the flu virus circulates in the air more often in the fall and winter months. Many people therefore think that if they try to stay in a closed place and stay warm, they can avoid the disease.

Dr. However, according to János Kádár, chief immunologist at the Immunközpont, it has also been proven that colds are somewhat more common in cold, wet physical environments, the cause of which is likely to be temporary local vasoconstriction, circulatory disorders and lack of oxygen that develop as a reaction of the body. That's why, if you don't want to risk it, better dry yourself well and get dressed when you go out!

A cold can turn into the flu

Many people think that it is worth being careful with a cold because sooner or later it can turn into a more serious flu. However, this is a wrong idea, because both diseases are caused by different viruses - the cold is caused by the adenovirus or the coronavirus, while the flu is caused by the influenza virus - so from this point of view, they are nothing to each other. The misunderstanding mostly stems from the fact that the two conditions initially have very similar symptoms. However, if we examine the full state of the disease, then the former is characterized by a sore throat, cough, sneezing and runny nose, while the latter is characterized by fever, exhaustion and sweating.

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You can prevent disease with vitamin C

Although vitamin C boasts countless beneficial effects, if you live on citrus fruits day and night, you can unfortunately catch a cold. Several studies have been carried out on the subject, but so far it has not been possible to clearly prove that vitamin C really prevents winter diseases. If you were to throw out the boxes of vitamin C and lots of fresh fruit from the apartment in frustration, let's add that the body still needs it a lot, so you should definitely consume 60-95 mg of it every day!

Dr. János Kádár also shares all of this, who confirmed that, with the exception of a few studies conducted under special conditions, vitamin C has never been proven to strengthen the immune system under normal conditions.

The flu vaccine is less effective if you give it too early

This idea has some basis in reality, but don't be afraid that if you ask for the vaccine 1-2 months before the flu season, it won't have any effect by the time you need it. The vaccine provides protection for almost a year, so these few months mean nothing.

"Optimal 2-5 months, but a minimum of four weeks is needed for the proper effect to develop. The protective effect starts to develop already at the end of the 2nd week, so you can vaccinate more than two weeks earlier," says the immunologist.

That's why you don't vaccinate, because it can still make you sick

Many people are afraid of vaccination because they know that some parts of the virus are used in the vaccine, so they conclude that it can make them sick. Although vaccines are indeed made using viruses, it is worth adding that these viruses are inactive, so they cannot cause infection. OK, but then what is the reason why some people still get sick after vaccination? The answer is simple: they were already infected, but since the disease has a 24-hour incubation period, they did not know about it, but the symptoms became noticeable right after the vaccination.

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Fast feverishly, you will be released sooner

Although it is true that a person has no appetite when feverish, the body does not directly starve itself in order to feel better. Loss of appetite is just a sign that the body is trying to fight off the fever, helping the immune system to focus on fighting pathogens with full force. In addition, a cold usually lasts longer than a fever period, so the body needs extra energy to be able to fight viruses with sufficient efficiency. So you should try to eat normally even then, and what's even more important: don't forget the extra fluid intake!

You won't get away faster

Many people say that the common cold lasts seven days if treated, and a week if not. However, according to experts, if you notice in time that something is wrong, and you go to bed in time and treat yourself with some kind of anti-viral preparation, you can get out of the winter troubles sooner.

You can sweat out a cold

You've probably heard that if you catch a cold, you should dress warmly and spend the whole day under a lot of warm blankets, because then you'll get better by sweating. Although it would be nice to believe that a cold can be cured, we have to be sad: now there is nothing you can do but wait and alleviate the unpleasant symptoms. More than 200 viruses are responsible for colds, so it can take from a few days to several weeks for the body to overcome them. Of course, if you feel comfortable wrapping yourself in warm blankets, go ahead, it won't do you any harm anyway, bed rest will only help you heal.

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