Cold and Flu Facts
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December 03, 2001
The Problem In the course of a year, individuals in the United States suffer 1 billion colds, according to some estimates. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 35 to 50 million Americans come down with the flu during each flu season. The cold and flu season typically lasts from November to March. While that is a much lower number than colds, if you are on of the 35-40 million who catch a flu you will be miserable and an estimated 20,000 people die each year from the flu.) Colds and flu are most prevalent among children, and seem to be related to youngsters' relative lack of resistance to infection and to contacts with other children in day-care centers and schools. Women, especially those aged 20 to 30 years, have more colds and flu than men, possibly because of their closer contact with children Seasonal changes in relative humidity appear to affect the prevalence of colds and flu. The most common cold-causing viruses survive better when humidity is low--the colder months of the year. Cold weather also may make the nasal passages' lining drier and more vulnerable to viral infection. Note: the flu often spreads like an epidemic with up to 50% of a community contracting the flu. The epidemic the number of cases peak in about three weeks. How Colds and flu are Spread Depending on the cold virus type, any or all of the following routes of transmission may be common: -Touching infectious respiratory secretions on skin and on environmental surfaces and then touching the eyes or nose. -Inhaling relatively large particles of respiratory secretions transported briefly in the air. -Inhaling droplet nuclei: smaller infectious particles suspended in the air for long periods of time. Much of the research on the transmission of the common cold has been done with rhinoviruses, which are shed in the highest concentration in nasal secretions. Studies suggest a person is most likely to transmit rhinoviruses in the second to fourth day of infection, when the amount of virus in nasal secretions is highest. Researchers also have shown that using aspirin to treat colds increases the amount of virus shed in nasal secretions, possibly making the cold sufferer more of a hazard to others. You can get the flu if someone around you who has the flu coughs or sneezes. You can get the flu simply by touching a surface like a telephone or door knob that has been contaminated by a touch from someone who has the flu. The viruses can pass through the air and can enter your body through your nose or mouth. If you've touched a contaminated surface, they can pass from your hand to your nose or mouth. You are at the greatest risk of getting infected in highly populated areas, such as in crowded living conditions and in schools. (Think about airplane cabins, taxis, church, sports arenas, restaurants, gyms - anywhere there are large number of people and you can understand the point - YOU WILL BE EXPOSED TO COLD AND FLU . So what are you going to do about it?) Prevention The first line of defense is to posses a healthy, vibrant immune system. Hand washing is a must do to help prevent getting rhinovirus colds. Not touching the nose or eyes is another. Individuals with colds should always sneeze or cough into a facial tissue, and promptly throw it away. Because rhinoviruses can survive up to three hours outside the nasal passages on inanimate objects and skin, cleaning environmental surfaces with a virus-killing disinfectant might help prevent spread of infection. For additional information about what you can do to prevent or treat colds and flu, read the Must Have Oils For Colds and Flu Report within this site. This report is provided by: Health Rewards International, Inc. Offering
Steve Pohlit, President PO Box 897 Largo, Fl 33779 727-587-7871 efax 561-591-0177 Email health@healthrewardsinternational.com
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