1. Move MoreMake it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!
2. Cut FatAvoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!
3. Quit Smoking The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.
4. Reduce Stress Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.
5. Protect Yourself from Pollution If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.
6. Wear Your Seat BeltStatistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.
7. Floss Your TeethRecent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.
8. Avoid Excessive Drinking While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.
9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.
10. Choose Your Parents Well The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.
Healthy Tips
If you are from a family where diabetics runs in the hereditary, try having few curry leaves every morning for 100 days. This is believed to prevent diabetics
Taking raw curry leaves daily helps prevent premature graying of hair.
Are you having high blood pressure or excessive cholesterol - take raw garlic in empty stomach everyday. This significantly reduces blood pressure and cholesterol.
Indigestion ? - Add 3-4 crushed cloves of garlic to boiling milk and drink it. It gives immediate relief.
Are you having difficulty sleeping ? - Take the juice of a few coriander leaves by grinding them. Mix it in hot water and have it before going to bed. You will have a restful sleep.
Mix coriander juice with buttermilk and drink it to treat indigestion.
If you are anemic - add fenugreek leaves (methi leaves) to your food more often. It really helps.
For cold relief - take the juice of ginger, mix it with honey and lime juice and drink it.
For indigestion/acidity - drink lime juice mixed with ginger juice.
Pudina (Mint) helps in digestion
For asthma relief - take 3-4 cloves of garlic. boil it in milk and drink it every night.
Banana helps wash fatty wastes from kidneys, is soothing to the digestive tract and helps relieve constipation and diarrhea
Oatmeal helps reduce cholesterol. Regularly eating oatmeal for breakfast results in significant reduction of cholesterol in a few days Household Tips Store coffee powder in the freezer to retain the freshness for a long period of time.
To remove greasy/oily stains from any metal, wooden or plastic surfaces, apply a dap of Vaseline over it and work the stain with your finger for a while. Then wipe it off. the stain will come off easily. Same can be done to remove grease from your hands.
To easy clean greasy pans, soak the pans in hot water and then scrub it with a lemon peel and then wash it as usual.
To shine silver utensils/jewellery, wash them using toothpaste.
While cleaning your storage containers add a pinch of baking soda. This will help to remove all odors and cut grease.
Every weak disinfect your kitchen cutting boards and knives in hot water added with bleach and vinegar. Bleach disinfects and vinegar removes odors. Beauty Tips To have healthy shiny hair, treat your scalp with a mixture of almond oil and olive oil, leave for 10-15 minutes and wash your hair. This also reduces hair loss. You can also wrap a hot towel over your head for the oil to seep in easily and also to open all your pores.
Mix honey with finely ground almond paste. Add little lime juice. Rub gently on your face and neck. Rinse off with warm water. This acts as an excellent cleansing scrub.
To get firmer skin, take a egg white, add little sugar to it. Wisk it and apply on face and neck. Leave for 10-15 minutes. Wash off with Luke warm water. This prevents fine wrinkles and gives a firmer skin.
Cut a ripe tomato and rub it on your skin. It will become very shiny.
Place slices of cucumber over your eyes to remove black circles around the eyes. This also cools your eyes and relaxes you.
Placing a slice of potato over your eyes helps reduce black circles.
For healthy looking skin apply olive oil or almond oil to your face everyday. Leave it for ten minutes and wash thoroughly.
To remove dirt from your face make a mixture of besan/channa flour and cold milk and apply it on your face. Leave it until it dries thoroughly . Scrub slowly with your hands using lukewarm water and then wash your face.
Drink plenty of water. This will automatically solve most of your hair and skin problems.
Taking raw curry leaves daily helps prevent premature graying of hair.
Are you having high blood pressure or excessive cholesterol - take raw garlic in empty stomach everyday. This significantly reduces blood pressure and cholesterol.
Indigestion ? - Add 3-4 crushed cloves of garlic to boiling milk and drink it. It gives immediate relief.
Are you having difficulty sleeping ? - Take the juice of a few coriander leaves by grinding them. Mix it in hot water and have it before going to bed. You will have a restful sleep.
Mix coriander juice with buttermilk and drink it to treat indigestion.
If you are anemic - add fenugreek leaves (methi leaves) to your food more often. It really helps.
For cold relief - take the juice of ginger, mix it with honey and lime juice and drink it.
For indigestion/acidity - drink lime juice mixed with ginger juice.
Pudina (Mint) helps in digestion
For asthma relief - take 3-4 cloves of garlic. boil it in milk and drink it every night.
Banana helps wash fatty wastes from kidneys, is soothing to the digestive tract and helps relieve constipation and diarrhea
Oatmeal helps reduce cholesterol. Regularly eating oatmeal for breakfast results in significant reduction of cholesterol in a few days Household Tips Store coffee powder in the freezer to retain the freshness for a long period of time.
To remove greasy/oily stains from any metal, wooden or plastic surfaces, apply a dap of Vaseline over it and work the stain with your finger for a while. Then wipe it off. the stain will come off easily. Same can be done to remove grease from your hands.
To easy clean greasy pans, soak the pans in hot water and then scrub it with a lemon peel and then wash it as usual.
To shine silver utensils/jewellery, wash them using toothpaste.
While cleaning your storage containers add a pinch of baking soda. This will help to remove all odors and cut grease.
Every weak disinfect your kitchen cutting boards and knives in hot water added with bleach and vinegar. Bleach disinfects and vinegar removes odors. Beauty Tips To have healthy shiny hair, treat your scalp with a mixture of almond oil and olive oil, leave for 10-15 minutes and wash your hair. This also reduces hair loss. You can also wrap a hot towel over your head for the oil to seep in easily and also to open all your pores.
Mix honey with finely ground almond paste. Add little lime juice. Rub gently on your face and neck. Rinse off with warm water. This acts as an excellent cleansing scrub.
To get firmer skin, take a egg white, add little sugar to it. Wisk it and apply on face and neck. Leave for 10-15 minutes. Wash off with Luke warm water. This prevents fine wrinkles and gives a firmer skin.
Cut a ripe tomato and rub it on your skin. It will become very shiny.
Place slices of cucumber over your eyes to remove black circles around the eyes. This also cools your eyes and relaxes you.
Placing a slice of potato over your eyes helps reduce black circles.
For healthy looking skin apply olive oil or almond oil to your face everyday. Leave it for ten minutes and wash thoroughly.
To remove dirt from your face make a mixture of besan/channa flour and cold milk and apply it on your face. Leave it until it dries thoroughly . Scrub slowly with your hands using lukewarm water and then wash your face.
Drink plenty of water. This will automatically solve most of your hair and skin problems.
General Health Tips
Drink 8-10 Glasses of Water a Day. If you normally do NOT add salt to your food, you may need to add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to your diet as a result of drinking this amount. This cleans out toxins and helps the body function much better. Add Movement to Your Life. Park further so you walk between the car and the stores, take steps instead of elevators, and take longer routes to your desk. Think Positively. Take Time to Relax. Allow yourself to destress at least once a day. Sleep 6-10 hours a night (or until you are well rested). Wash your hands often. Minimally wash hands before eating and after using the restroom. Eat a large variety of fresh produce or supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals. Believe is Something. Studies have found that people who have faith live longer. Eat vegetables every day. Vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Many are known to prevent various diseases including cancer. Drink water before, during and after exercise. Thirst lags behind your body's need for water. So drink water early and often. Laugh. Let humor enter your life. One of the easiest ways of being healthier is to find a way to relax more and have more fun. Find a way to bring joy into your life. Treat yourself to long baths or help a neighbor. Find a way to smile and help others smile.
Back Pain
Back pain affects 80% of Americans at some time in their lives. It comes in many forms, from lower back pain, middle back pain, or upper back pain to low back pain with sciatica. Common back pain causes include nerve and muscular problems, degenerative disc disease, and arthritis. Many people find relief from symptoms of back pain with pain medication or pain killers.
What Is the Difference Between Acute and Chronic Pain?
Pain that hits you suddenly – after falling from a ladder, being tackled on the football field, or lifting a load that is just too heavy, for example – is acute pain. Acute pain comes on quickly and often leaves just as quickly. To be classified as acute, pain should last no longer than 6 weeks. Acute pain is the most common type of back pain.
Chronic pain, on the other hand, may come on either quickly or slowly, and it lingers a long time. In general, pain that lasts more than 3 months is considered chronic. Chronic pain is much less common than acute pain.
What Is the Difference Between Acute and Chronic Pain?
Pain that hits you suddenly – after falling from a ladder, being tackled on the football field, or lifting a load that is just too heavy, for example – is acute pain. Acute pain comes on quickly and often leaves just as quickly. To be classified as acute, pain should last no longer than 6 weeks. Acute pain is the most common type of back pain.
Chronic pain, on the other hand, may come on either quickly or slowly, and it lingers a long time. In general, pain that lasts more than 3 months is considered chronic. Chronic pain is much less common than acute pain.
7 Muscle-Building Strategies
If you're looking for quick muscle building, go no further than your local gym, where doctors say that major strength gains can be had in just a few weeks.
Last year, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association updated their recommendations for physical activity. In addition to regular cardio workouts, Americans are now being encouraged to perform resistance training at least twice a week, working every major muscle group.
Spero Karas, MD, assistant professor of orthopaedics in the division of sports medicine at Emory University, says that testosterone, the male hormone responsible for muscle growth, maxes out between the ages of 16 and 18. It reaches a plateau during the 20s and then begins to decline. As a result, muscle building after the adolescent years can be challenging, he says.
Fortunately, a little strength training goes a long way -- particularly in the early days.
"When someone starts a fitness program, especially after not doing anything for awhile, the initial strength gains tend to be dramatic and quick," Karas says. "In the first 12 weeks, it's not uncommon for a guy to see a 10, 20 or 30 percent jump in strength."
During the first weeks of a new training regimen, strength gains come from the recruitment of new muscle fibers, which make the muscles stronger and more visible.
Even though muscle recruitment does not result in more muscle mass, says Karas, it will definitely make your muscles look bigger.
One reason is that muscles take in water and swell during training. Another is that muscles burn fat, which tends to make the muscle look more prominent.
After the first three months of strength training, muscle gain is much slower. At that point, you're aiming for an actual increase in muscle mass, which takes time to develop.
"After you've maximized the recruitment, you've reached the plateau, which is when the increase in strength and muscle mass becomes an arduous task," Karas says.
Whether you're committed to the long haul or just want some muscle-building tips, here are seven ways to maximize your gains.
(What have you done to try and build muscle in the past? What worked? Join the discussion on WebMD's Men’s Health: Man to Man board.)
1. Commit to some form of strength training.
Unfortunately, there are no easy shortcuts to good health, says Kent Adams, PhD, FACSM, CSCS, director of the exercise physiology lab at California State University Monterey Bay.
"You don't have to train like a maniac," he says. "Just start a reasonable, individualized resistance training plan."
For tips and workout plans, visit the web sites of organizations like the ACSM or the National Strength and Conditioning Association. If you don't have access to free weights, head for the weight machines or a cable system. Other alternatives include resistance bands, plyometrics, and calisthenics.
1. Commit to some form of strength training. continued...
At a minimum, perform lunges, squats, and other exercises that work your quads and hamstrings, along with extra cardio activity that will prompt your legs to begin building muscle.
No matter which strength training method you choose, however, be sure that resistance levels (the amount of weight you use) and the number of repetitions you do are high enough to fatigue the muscle. Failure to do so, Adams says, will hinder growth. The ACSM recommends three sets of 8 to 12 reps for each exercise.
To speed up the process, make the most of your workout, and keep your heart rate and metabolism elevated, try "super-setting," says Lisa De Los Santos, a Cooper's-Institute-certified personal trainer at Vandenberg Air Force Base in Southern California.
She suggests one set each of two or three opposing muscle exercises. Rest, then do a second set of each exercise before moving on to the next group.
2. Alternate muscle groups.
Weight training creates tiny micro tears in muscles, which then repair and rebuild during periods of rest. Serious injury can result if muscles are not allowed adequate time to repair.
The ACSM recommends a three-day split as follows:
* Day one: Chest, triceps, and shoulders
* Day two: Lower body (quads, hamstrings, gluteals, hip abductors and adductors, and calves)
* Day three: Back, biceps, and abs
Feeling sore? Take an extra day or two -- or work a new muscle group. Don't forget delayed-onset muscle soreness, which can hit as late as 48 hours after a workout.
3. Drink plenty of water -- before and after workouts.
Adequate hydration is essential to muscle building, yet few people get enough water, even without daily exercise. So in addition to the daily 8 to 10 glasses of water recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Karas suggests an additional 12 to 16 ounces before working out. He then recommends another 8 to 10 ounces for every 15 minutes of vigorous exercise.
Prefer sports drinks? Indulge only if you're exercising for more than an hour, when electrolyte depletion becomes more of a risk.
4. Eat a balanced diet.
Muscle building requires a careful balance of carbohydrates, fats, and protein as well as plenty of vitamins and minerals, all of which are best absorbed through food.
Avoid carbohydrate-heavy diets, which can cause insulin levels to spike and inhibit growth hormones that prompt muscle growth, says Karas. Instead, opt for five or six small, balanced meals every day. And if muscle building is your goal, don't use this time to diet.
"The body won't easily put on muscle if it is at a caloric deficit," explains De Los Santos.
Watch your fat intake, which should be no more than 30% of your total daily calories, and be sure to consume plenty of vitamin- and mineral-rich fruits and vegetables.
5. Get lots of protein.
"If you want to build muscle mass, the key is protein, protein, protein," says Karas. "Muscles are comprised of protein and you need the essential amino acids that are the building block of protein."
No time to cook? De Los Santos suggests high-protein snacks like cottage cheese, cheese sticks, protein bars, and protein shakes. Health and nutrition stores carry a variety of powders which can be mixed with water or low-fat milk for an energizing protein power punch between meals.
Other recommendations include turkey, cheese, and cracker snack packs as well as frozen or prepackaged diet foods that combine protein-rich choices with low-fat, low-complex carbohydrates.
6. Get enough sleep.
In addition to being linked to high blood pressure, depression, and other health problems, sleep deprivation can inhibit the growth hormone important for muscle building, says Karas. Recent studies have linked it to obesity as well.
How do you know you're getting enough to build muscle? People who are well rested feel alert and do not have the urge to nap, reports the CDC. The average adult needs between seven and eight hours of sleep, although some may need more.
7. Hire a trainer.
If you need information or motivation, consider hiring a personal trainer. Costs vary according to location and experience, but typically cost between $30 and $85 an hour.
A trainer doesn't need to be a long-term investment, however. According to De Los Santos, working with one for just three months is enough time to get comfortable in the gym, establish a routine, learn a variety of exercises, and see good results.
"A good trainer will educate while training and will not create long-term dependence," De Los Santos says. "Ideally, you'll learn the skills to either maintain your fitness level or work toward new goals."
Be sure your trainer is certified through a reputable fitness organization like the ACSM, the National Academy of Sports Medicine, or the American Council on Exercise and has an updated certification in CPR and/or first aid as well. You'll also want to hire someone you like, since you'll be spending at least an hour a week together.
Last year, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association updated their recommendations for physical activity. In addition to regular cardio workouts, Americans are now being encouraged to perform resistance training at least twice a week, working every major muscle group.
Spero Karas, MD, assistant professor of orthopaedics in the division of sports medicine at Emory University, says that testosterone, the male hormone responsible for muscle growth, maxes out between the ages of 16 and 18. It reaches a plateau during the 20s and then begins to decline. As a result, muscle building after the adolescent years can be challenging, he says.
Fortunately, a little strength training goes a long way -- particularly in the early days.
"When someone starts a fitness program, especially after not doing anything for awhile, the initial strength gains tend to be dramatic and quick," Karas says. "In the first 12 weeks, it's not uncommon for a guy to see a 10, 20 or 30 percent jump in strength."
During the first weeks of a new training regimen, strength gains come from the recruitment of new muscle fibers, which make the muscles stronger and more visible.
Even though muscle recruitment does not result in more muscle mass, says Karas, it will definitely make your muscles look bigger.
One reason is that muscles take in water and swell during training. Another is that muscles burn fat, which tends to make the muscle look more prominent.
After the first three months of strength training, muscle gain is much slower. At that point, you're aiming for an actual increase in muscle mass, which takes time to develop.
"After you've maximized the recruitment, you've reached the plateau, which is when the increase in strength and muscle mass becomes an arduous task," Karas says.
Whether you're committed to the long haul or just want some muscle-building tips, here are seven ways to maximize your gains.
(What have you done to try and build muscle in the past? What worked? Join the discussion on WebMD's Men’s Health: Man to Man board.)
1. Commit to some form of strength training.
Unfortunately, there are no easy shortcuts to good health, says Kent Adams, PhD, FACSM, CSCS, director of the exercise physiology lab at California State University Monterey Bay.
"You don't have to train like a maniac," he says. "Just start a reasonable, individualized resistance training plan."
For tips and workout plans, visit the web sites of organizations like the ACSM or the National Strength and Conditioning Association. If you don't have access to free weights, head for the weight machines or a cable system. Other alternatives include resistance bands, plyometrics, and calisthenics.
1. Commit to some form of strength training. continued...
At a minimum, perform lunges, squats, and other exercises that work your quads and hamstrings, along with extra cardio activity that will prompt your legs to begin building muscle.
No matter which strength training method you choose, however, be sure that resistance levels (the amount of weight you use) and the number of repetitions you do are high enough to fatigue the muscle. Failure to do so, Adams says, will hinder growth. The ACSM recommends three sets of 8 to 12 reps for each exercise.
To speed up the process, make the most of your workout, and keep your heart rate and metabolism elevated, try "super-setting," says Lisa De Los Santos, a Cooper's-Institute-certified personal trainer at Vandenberg Air Force Base in Southern California.
She suggests one set each of two or three opposing muscle exercises. Rest, then do a second set of each exercise before moving on to the next group.
2. Alternate muscle groups.
Weight training creates tiny micro tears in muscles, which then repair and rebuild during periods of rest. Serious injury can result if muscles are not allowed adequate time to repair.
The ACSM recommends a three-day split as follows:
* Day one: Chest, triceps, and shoulders
* Day two: Lower body (quads, hamstrings, gluteals, hip abductors and adductors, and calves)
* Day three: Back, biceps, and abs
Feeling sore? Take an extra day or two -- or work a new muscle group. Don't forget delayed-onset muscle soreness, which can hit as late as 48 hours after a workout.
3. Drink plenty of water -- before and after workouts.
Adequate hydration is essential to muscle building, yet few people get enough water, even without daily exercise. So in addition to the daily 8 to 10 glasses of water recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Karas suggests an additional 12 to 16 ounces before working out. He then recommends another 8 to 10 ounces for every 15 minutes of vigorous exercise.
Prefer sports drinks? Indulge only if you're exercising for more than an hour, when electrolyte depletion becomes more of a risk.
4. Eat a balanced diet.
Muscle building requires a careful balance of carbohydrates, fats, and protein as well as plenty of vitamins and minerals, all of which are best absorbed through food.
Avoid carbohydrate-heavy diets, which can cause insulin levels to spike and inhibit growth hormones that prompt muscle growth, says Karas. Instead, opt for five or six small, balanced meals every day. And if muscle building is your goal, don't use this time to diet.
"The body won't easily put on muscle if it is at a caloric deficit," explains De Los Santos.
Watch your fat intake, which should be no more than 30% of your total daily calories, and be sure to consume plenty of vitamin- and mineral-rich fruits and vegetables.
5. Get lots of protein.
"If you want to build muscle mass, the key is protein, protein, protein," says Karas. "Muscles are comprised of protein and you need the essential amino acids that are the building block of protein."
No time to cook? De Los Santos suggests high-protein snacks like cottage cheese, cheese sticks, protein bars, and protein shakes. Health and nutrition stores carry a variety of powders which can be mixed with water or low-fat milk for an energizing protein power punch between meals.
Other recommendations include turkey, cheese, and cracker snack packs as well as frozen or prepackaged diet foods that combine protein-rich choices with low-fat, low-complex carbohydrates.
6. Get enough sleep.
In addition to being linked to high blood pressure, depression, and other health problems, sleep deprivation can inhibit the growth hormone important for muscle building, says Karas. Recent studies have linked it to obesity as well.
How do you know you're getting enough to build muscle? People who are well rested feel alert and do not have the urge to nap, reports the CDC. The average adult needs between seven and eight hours of sleep, although some may need more.
7. Hire a trainer.
If you need information or motivation, consider hiring a personal trainer. Costs vary according to location and experience, but typically cost between $30 and $85 an hour.
A trainer doesn't need to be a long-term investment, however. According to De Los Santos, working with one for just three months is enough time to get comfortable in the gym, establish a routine, learn a variety of exercises, and see good results.
"A good trainer will educate while training and will not create long-term dependence," De Los Santos says. "Ideally, you'll learn the skills to either maintain your fitness level or work toward new goals."
Be sure your trainer is certified through a reputable fitness organization like the ACSM, the National Academy of Sports Medicine, or the American Council on Exercise and has an updated certification in CPR and/or first aid as well. You'll also want to hire someone you like, since you'll be spending at least an hour a week together.
10 Health Benefits of Regular Exercise
Terry Waters, a former college wrestler and baseball player, loved working out. He got real pleasure out of pushing himself hard at the gym, and he liked the feeling of tired but virtuous afterwards. He figured regular physical activity and its health benefits would always be a part of his life.
Then came marriage, three kids, a demanding job as a software engineer in Boston — and a thousand and one excuses not to make it to the gym. “For a little while, you convince yourself you’re still in pretty good shape,” Waters remembers. “Sure, you’re a few pounds heavier. Sure, your blood pressure’s a few points higher. But you’re still pretty healthy, right?”
Well, maybe not. By the time he hit 40, Waters was 20 pounds heavier than he’d been in college. His blood pressure was nudging up into the danger zone, and his cholesterol level was just on the borderline of worrisome. His father, who was 67, was on medication for both high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol. Two years earlier, the old man had been rushed into surgery for a heart bypass operation after suddenly becoming short of breath one day while on a bike ride. “Believe me, I didn’t want to go there if I could avoid it,” says Waters.
It was time, he decided, to get back to the gym.
Moderate exercise even a couch potato can manage
A lot of middle-aged men like Terry Waters know the dilemma. As family and work life become more demanding, exercise begins to drop lower on the list of priorities. Sure, you know it’s supposed to be important. But when the lawn needs mowing and the kids want attention, it’s harder to justify lacing up your running shoes for a good workout. Eventually, it’s easy to think, “Why bother?”
Why? For one very good reason. Staying active throughout your life is the single most powerful way to remain healthy and live long enough to enjoy your family and all the things you’ve worked for. Following the recommendations from WebMD’s Exercise and Fitness Tips to Improve Your Health offers so many far-ranging health benefits that you may decide a gym membership might be the most important investment you can make for your health. If drug companies developed an anti-aging pill with even some of the benefits of regular physical activity, all of us would be taking it.
“It’s hardly news now that exercise keeps your heart and lungs working efficiently,” says Steven Blair, PhD, professor of exercise epidemiology at the University of South Carolina and one of the country’s leading exercise scientists. “But we’ve also come to understand that exercise can help prevent adult onset diabetes, improve bone health, and even lower the risk of some cancers. Physical activity also appears to help ease depression for some people.”
Still not convinced you should hoist yourself up off the couch? Consider the following 10 health benefits you can get from even a moderate regular workout.
Exercise Health Benefit 1: Lower cholesterol
As most men get older, cholesterol numbers begin to move in the wrong direction. Levels of so-called bad cholesterol — low-density lipoprotein (LDL) — gradually increase. Levels of good cholesterol, called high-density lipoprotein (HDL), tend to fall. Unfortunately, that combination of high LDL and low HDL is one of the leading risk factors for heart disease. Excess cholesterol accumulates on the inner lining of blood vessels, leading to arthrosclerosis and heart attacks. The best way to keep LDL cholesterol levels down is to eat a diet low in saturated fat (the kind found in meat and high-fat dairy products.) The single best way to boost good HDL cholesterol? Exercise. A 2007 Danish study of 835 men found that regular physical activity was consistently associated with higher levels of HDL cholesterol. A meta-analysis of 52 exercise training trials, including 4700 subjects, found that HDL levels increased an average of 4.6 percent — enough to take a significant notch out of heart disease risk.
Exercise Health Benefit 2: Lower triglycerides
Triglycerides are a form of fat found in the blood. Rising triglyceride levels are associated with increased risk of heart disease. The same Danish study that found higher levels of HDL showed that the most active men also had the lowest triglyceride levels.
Exercise Health Benefit 3: Lower risk of high blood pressure
As blood pressure climbs, the risk of heart disease and stroke accelerates. Unfortunately, blood pressure levels typically climb as men get older. But they don’t have to. In a study published in 2007, University of Minnesota researchers followed men and women 18 to 30 years old for up to 15 years. The more physically active the volunteers were, the lower their risk of developing hypertension.
Exercise Health Benefit 4: Reduced inflammation
Regular exercise has been shown to reduce levels of C-reactive protein, a measure of inflammation. That matters because cholesterol-laden plaques on the lining of arteries are most likely to break off and cause heart attacks when they become inflamed. A 2006 study by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota found that men with high levels of aerobic fitness, measured as VO2max, had lower levels of C-reactive protein, along with other markers of inflammation.
Exercise Health Benefit 5: Better blood vessels
To respond to changing demands for oxygen, blood vessels must be flexible enough to widen and narrow. Smoking, cholesterol build-up, and just plain aging tend to stiffen vessels, increasing heart attack risk. A growing number of studies show that exercise training helps maintain the ability of blood vessels to open and constrict in response to changing physical demands.
Exercise Health Benefit 6: Lower risk of diabetes
Adult onset diabetes — fueled mostly by too much body fat — is one of the biggest health worries on the horizon. Staying active can help you keep the weight off. But research shows that even for people who are overweight or obese, exercise reduces the risk of diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program found that an exercise and weight loss program lowered the risk of type 2 diabetes by a whopping 58% over a three-year period. And the volunteers in that program weren’t running marathons. In fact, the exercise they were doing was the equivalent of burning only an additional 593 calories of energy — about the equivalent of walking around six miles a week for most men.
Exercise Health Benefit 7: A hedge against colon cancer
Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in men. Approximately 80% of cases of this grim disease could be prevented, experts say. A healthier diet (with more fiber and whole grains) is part of the prescription. But exercise turns out to be just as important as diet. Studies have shown that physical activity may reduce colon cancer risk by as much as 30 to 40%.
Exercise Health Benefit 8: Strong bones
Another unwelcome effect of aging is thinning bones, which can lead to a greater risk of fractures. In a study that followed 3,262 men from their 40s to their 60s, strenuous physical activity dramatically lowered the risk of hip fractures.
Exercise Health Benefit 9: Weight loss
If vanity is enough to nudge you to the gym, consider this: A lifetime of regular physical activity — even activities as simple as walking half an hour most days — can help keep that belly from bulging over your belt. In findings from the National Weight Control Registry, experts looked at the habits of 3,000 people who lost more than 10% of their body weight and managed to keep it off for at least a year. Eight out of 10 of them, it turned out, reported increasing their physical exercise regimen. The men in the group cranked up their activities — walking, cycling, weight lifting, aerobics, running, and stair climbing — enough to burn an additional 3298 calories a week.
Several recent studies have shown that men who report doing more physical activity also have slimmer waistlines. In a 2006 study at Ball State University, a group of 58 volunteers started a program of walking 10,000 steps a day. After 36 weeks, the volunteers had trimmed almost an inch from their waists and a similar amount from their hips.
Exercise Health Benefit 10: A longer life
Add it all up and an active life also means a longer and healthier life. In a 2004 study at Finland’s University of Kuopio, researchers followed 15,853 men aged 30 to 59. Over a 20 year period, men who engaged in physically active leisure activities — jogging, skiing, swimming, playing ball, or doing serious gardening — were up to 21% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease or to die of any cause during the study period.
How much exercise do you need to reap these health benefits?
The answer to how much exercise you need depends partly on what you’re after. Burning about 1,000 extra calories a week in activities is likely to extend your life. Walking half an hour most days of the week is all you need to significantly lower your risk of colon cancer and diabetes. But the more physical activities you can weave into your daily life, the healthier you’ll be. “Most studies of physical activity show a strong dose-response rate,” says exercise expert Steven Blair. “The more you do, the more you benefit.”
Then came marriage, three kids, a demanding job as a software engineer in Boston — and a thousand and one excuses not to make it to the gym. “For a little while, you convince yourself you’re still in pretty good shape,” Waters remembers. “Sure, you’re a few pounds heavier. Sure, your blood pressure’s a few points higher. But you’re still pretty healthy, right?”
Well, maybe not. By the time he hit 40, Waters was 20 pounds heavier than he’d been in college. His blood pressure was nudging up into the danger zone, and his cholesterol level was just on the borderline of worrisome. His father, who was 67, was on medication for both high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol. Two years earlier, the old man had been rushed into surgery for a heart bypass operation after suddenly becoming short of breath one day while on a bike ride. “Believe me, I didn’t want to go there if I could avoid it,” says Waters.
It was time, he decided, to get back to the gym.
Moderate exercise even a couch potato can manage
A lot of middle-aged men like Terry Waters know the dilemma. As family and work life become more demanding, exercise begins to drop lower on the list of priorities. Sure, you know it’s supposed to be important. But when the lawn needs mowing and the kids want attention, it’s harder to justify lacing up your running shoes for a good workout. Eventually, it’s easy to think, “Why bother?”
Why? For one very good reason. Staying active throughout your life is the single most powerful way to remain healthy and live long enough to enjoy your family and all the things you’ve worked for. Following the recommendations from WebMD’s Exercise and Fitness Tips to Improve Your Health offers so many far-ranging health benefits that you may decide a gym membership might be the most important investment you can make for your health. If drug companies developed an anti-aging pill with even some of the benefits of regular physical activity, all of us would be taking it.
“It’s hardly news now that exercise keeps your heart and lungs working efficiently,” says Steven Blair, PhD, professor of exercise epidemiology at the University of South Carolina and one of the country’s leading exercise scientists. “But we’ve also come to understand that exercise can help prevent adult onset diabetes, improve bone health, and even lower the risk of some cancers. Physical activity also appears to help ease depression for some people.”
Still not convinced you should hoist yourself up off the couch? Consider the following 10 health benefits you can get from even a moderate regular workout.
Exercise Health Benefit 1: Lower cholesterol
As most men get older, cholesterol numbers begin to move in the wrong direction. Levels of so-called bad cholesterol — low-density lipoprotein (LDL) — gradually increase. Levels of good cholesterol, called high-density lipoprotein (HDL), tend to fall. Unfortunately, that combination of high LDL and low HDL is one of the leading risk factors for heart disease. Excess cholesterol accumulates on the inner lining of blood vessels, leading to arthrosclerosis and heart attacks. The best way to keep LDL cholesterol levels down is to eat a diet low in saturated fat (the kind found in meat and high-fat dairy products.) The single best way to boost good HDL cholesterol? Exercise. A 2007 Danish study of 835 men found that regular physical activity was consistently associated with higher levels of HDL cholesterol. A meta-analysis of 52 exercise training trials, including 4700 subjects, found that HDL levels increased an average of 4.6 percent — enough to take a significant notch out of heart disease risk.
Exercise Health Benefit 2: Lower triglycerides
Triglycerides are a form of fat found in the blood. Rising triglyceride levels are associated with increased risk of heart disease. The same Danish study that found higher levels of HDL showed that the most active men also had the lowest triglyceride levels.
Exercise Health Benefit 3: Lower risk of high blood pressure
As blood pressure climbs, the risk of heart disease and stroke accelerates. Unfortunately, blood pressure levels typically climb as men get older. But they don’t have to. In a study published in 2007, University of Minnesota researchers followed men and women 18 to 30 years old for up to 15 years. The more physically active the volunteers were, the lower their risk of developing hypertension.
Exercise Health Benefit 4: Reduced inflammation
Regular exercise has been shown to reduce levels of C-reactive protein, a measure of inflammation. That matters because cholesterol-laden plaques on the lining of arteries are most likely to break off and cause heart attacks when they become inflamed. A 2006 study by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota found that men with high levels of aerobic fitness, measured as VO2max, had lower levels of C-reactive protein, along with other markers of inflammation.
Exercise Health Benefit 5: Better blood vessels
To respond to changing demands for oxygen, blood vessels must be flexible enough to widen and narrow. Smoking, cholesterol build-up, and just plain aging tend to stiffen vessels, increasing heart attack risk. A growing number of studies show that exercise training helps maintain the ability of blood vessels to open and constrict in response to changing physical demands.
Exercise Health Benefit 6: Lower risk of diabetes
Adult onset diabetes — fueled mostly by too much body fat — is one of the biggest health worries on the horizon. Staying active can help you keep the weight off. But research shows that even for people who are overweight or obese, exercise reduces the risk of diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program found that an exercise and weight loss program lowered the risk of type 2 diabetes by a whopping 58% over a three-year period. And the volunteers in that program weren’t running marathons. In fact, the exercise they were doing was the equivalent of burning only an additional 593 calories of energy — about the equivalent of walking around six miles a week for most men.
Exercise Health Benefit 7: A hedge against colon cancer
Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in men. Approximately 80% of cases of this grim disease could be prevented, experts say. A healthier diet (with more fiber and whole grains) is part of the prescription. But exercise turns out to be just as important as diet. Studies have shown that physical activity may reduce colon cancer risk by as much as 30 to 40%.
Exercise Health Benefit 8: Strong bones
Another unwelcome effect of aging is thinning bones, which can lead to a greater risk of fractures. In a study that followed 3,262 men from their 40s to their 60s, strenuous physical activity dramatically lowered the risk of hip fractures.
Exercise Health Benefit 9: Weight loss
If vanity is enough to nudge you to the gym, consider this: A lifetime of regular physical activity — even activities as simple as walking half an hour most days — can help keep that belly from bulging over your belt. In findings from the National Weight Control Registry, experts looked at the habits of 3,000 people who lost more than 10% of their body weight and managed to keep it off for at least a year. Eight out of 10 of them, it turned out, reported increasing their physical exercise regimen. The men in the group cranked up their activities — walking, cycling, weight lifting, aerobics, running, and stair climbing — enough to burn an additional 3298 calories a week.
Several recent studies have shown that men who report doing more physical activity also have slimmer waistlines. In a 2006 study at Ball State University, a group of 58 volunteers started a program of walking 10,000 steps a day. After 36 weeks, the volunteers had trimmed almost an inch from their waists and a similar amount from their hips.
Exercise Health Benefit 10: A longer life
Add it all up and an active life also means a longer and healthier life. In a 2004 study at Finland’s University of Kuopio, researchers followed 15,853 men aged 30 to 59. Over a 20 year period, men who engaged in physically active leisure activities — jogging, skiing, swimming, playing ball, or doing serious gardening — were up to 21% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease or to die of any cause during the study period.
How much exercise do you need to reap these health benefits?
The answer to how much exercise you need depends partly on what you’re after. Burning about 1,000 extra calories a week in activities is likely to extend your life. Walking half an hour most days of the week is all you need to significantly lower your risk of colon cancer and diabetes. But the more physical activities you can weave into your daily life, the healthier you’ll be. “Most studies of physical activity show a strong dose-response rate,” says exercise expert Steven Blair. “The more you do, the more you benefit.”
6 Serious Medical Symptoms
That new symptom is troubling: the inexplicable swelling in your calf or the blood in your urine. Could it be serious or even life-threatening?
"Your body flashes signals -- symptoms and signs -- that warn you of potential problems," say Neil Shulman, MD, Jack Birge, MD, and Joon Ahn, MD. The three Georgia-based doctors are the authors of the recently revised book Your Body's Red Light Warning Signals.
Fortunately, many symptoms turn out not to be serious. For example, the majority of headaches stem from stress, eyestrain, lack of sleep, dehydration, caffeine withdrawal, and other mundane causes.
But a sudden, agonizing "thunderclap" headache -- the worst of your life -- could mean bleeding in the brain. Being able to recognize this serious symptom and calling 911 may save your life.
Here are six important flashing signals.
1. Paralysis of the arms or legs, tingling, numbness, confusion, dizziness, double vision, slurred speech, trouble finding words, or weakness, especially on one side of the face or body.
These are signs of stroke -- or a "brain attack" -- in which arteries that supply oxygen to the brain become blocked or rupture, causing brain tissue to die.
Symptoms depend on which area of the brain is involved. If a large blood vessel is blocked, a wide area may be affected, so a person may have paralysis on one side of the body and lose other functions, such as speech and understanding. If a smaller vessel is blocked, paralysis may remain limited to an arm or leg.
If you have symptoms, call 911 right away and get to an emergency room that offers clot-busting therapy for strokes due to blocked vessels. Such treatment, which dissolves clots in blocked vessels, needs to be given within the first three hours after symptoms begin, but newer treatments may work within a longer time frame, says Birge, who is medical director at the Tanner Medical Center in Carrollton, Ga.
Timing is urgent; fast treatment can potentially stop brain tissue death before permanent brain injury happens. "There is a time clock ticking as to when you might totally recover," Birge tells WebMD.
2. Chest pain or discomfort; pain in the arm, jaw, or neck; breaking out in a cold sweat; extreme weakness; nausea; vomiting; feeling faint; or being short of breath.
These are signs of heart attack. If you get some of these symptoms, call 911 immediately and go to the emergency room by ambulance. Shulman and Birge also recommend that patients chew one regular, full-strength aspirin (unless they're allergic to aspirin) to help prevent damage to the heart muscle during a heart attack.
Not everyone who has a heart attack feels chest pain or pressure or a sense of indigestion. Some people, especially women, the elderly, and people with diabetes, get "painless" heart attacks, the doctors say. Being aware of "painless" heart attack signs is crucial: a very weak feeling, sudden dizziness, a pounding heart, shortness of breath, heavy sweating, a feeling of impending doom, nausea, and vomiting.
Both doctors say that it's important to learn heart attack signs and understand them in context. "Everybody has jaw pain. You don't immediately run and say, 'I've got a heart attack,'" Shulman tells WebMD. He is an associate professor of internal medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. "But if you're also sweating and you have some of these other symptoms -- shortness of breath and so forth -- then that's going to tip you off that there's something much more serious happening."
3. Tenderness and pain in the back of your lower leg, chest pain, shortness of breath, or coughing up blood.
These are symptoms of a potentially dangerous blood clot in your leg, especially if they come after you've been sitting for a long time, such as on an airplane or during a long car trip. These signs can also surface if you've been bedridden after surgery.
"Anybody is susceptible," Birge says. He adds that such blood clots are more common than most people and doctors realize.
Blood is more likely to pool in your legs when you're sitting or lying down for long periods of time, as opposed to standing and walking. If a blood clot forms in your leg as a result, your calf can feel swollen, painful, and tender to the touch; you should be evaluated. If you get sudden chest pain or shortness of breath, a piece of the blood clot may have broken off and traveled through the bloodstream to your lungs. This condition can be life-threatening, so get to an emergency room without delay.
4. Blood in the urine without accompanying pain.
Anytime you see blood in your urine, call your doctor promptly, even if you have no pain.
Kidney stones or a bladder or prostate infection are common causes of blood in the urine. But these problems are usually painful or uncomfortable, which sends people to the doctor promptly.
In contrast, when people see blood in their urine but feel no pain, some take a "wait and see" approach, especially if they just have one episode. "But you can't have this attitude," Shulman says. Lack of pain doesn't necessarily mean lack of seriousness.
Cancer of the kidney, ureter, bladder, or prostate can cause bleeding into the urinary tract; when these cancers are small enough to be curable, they may not cause pain. So don't dismiss this important sign because, according to Shulman and Birge, "blood in the urine may be the only clue for an early diagnosis."
5. Asthma symptoms that don't improve or get worse.
Asthma attacks are marked by wheezing or difficulty breathing. When an attack doesn't improve or worsens, a patient should get emergency care.
If an asthma attack is left untreated, it can lead to severe chest muscle fatigue and death, say Shulman and Birge. Some people with persistent asthma hesitate to go to the emergency room because they've gone so many times before, or they need someone to drive them because they're too short of breath. So instead of seeking care, "They try to hang in there," Birge says, even if they need higher doses of inhalants or have decreasing lung function measurements when using a device to measure how well they move air out of their lungs.
Because asthma makes breathing difficult, the muscles for breathing may tire and the volume of air exchanged by the lungs will decrease. As a result, a person's oxygen level drops while blood levels of carbon dioxide rise. As Birge and Shulman explain in their book, "A carbon dioxide buildup in the blood has a sedating effect on the brain, which may cause you to feel even drowsier. You may lose the motivation or energy to breathe."
"A person with asthma who seems to be relaxing more, who seems to not be struggling for breath anymore -- even though they've been at it for six or eight hours -- may actually be worse. It could be a sign of respiratory fatigue," Birge says. Eventually, the person could stop breathing.
"They're really in a big danger zone," Shulman adds. Patients believe they're getting better when they're actually getting worse, he says. "They become sedated and seem to be peaceful when actually, they're dying."
One of the most important considerations is how long an attack lasts, according to both doctors. "If you've been having labored respirations with the asthma not relenting after a period of several hours, even though you may be apparently doing OK, don't let it go any longer," Birge says. "Get on to the emergency room."
6. Depression and suicidal thoughts.
Few people would put up with crushing chest pain or extreme shortness of breath, but many endure depression, even though at its extreme it can be life-threatening.
"Depression can be a very, very serious problem because people can commit suicide," Shulman says. "Some people will not seek care when they are depressed because they think that they'll be perceived as being crazy or not strong or not manly, and they have to understand that there is a chemical imbalance going on in their brain. It is a disease just like any other disease."
Symptoms of depression include sadness, fatigue, apathy, anxiety, changes in sleep habits, and loss of appetite. Depression can be treated with medications and psychotherapy.
If you have suicidal thoughts, you can speak to someone right away by calling national phone numbers such as 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-SUICIDE.
Speak Up When You Think Something Is Wrong
Doctors are human: They can miss important diagnoses, including heart attacks. A patient's awareness and vigilance can make a difference, Shulman says.
"My feeling is, as a doctor, I want a patient who's informed. I'd rather have a patient who's informed, who's helping me so I won't make a mistake," Shulman says. "And I can be honest and say, 'I'm human. Don't be intimated by me because I have a white coat on. Don't be intimidated by me because I'm using big words.'"
If patients can recognize potentially serious symptoms, they'll have more power when they go to the doctor or the emergency room, he adds. "You have enough to say, 'Well, have you ruled out this problem?'"
"Your body flashes signals -- symptoms and signs -- that warn you of potential problems," say Neil Shulman, MD, Jack Birge, MD, and Joon Ahn, MD. The three Georgia-based doctors are the authors of the recently revised book Your Body's Red Light Warning Signals.
Fortunately, many symptoms turn out not to be serious. For example, the majority of headaches stem from stress, eyestrain, lack of sleep, dehydration, caffeine withdrawal, and other mundane causes.
But a sudden, agonizing "thunderclap" headache -- the worst of your life -- could mean bleeding in the brain. Being able to recognize this serious symptom and calling 911 may save your life.
Here are six important flashing signals.
1. Paralysis of the arms or legs, tingling, numbness, confusion, dizziness, double vision, slurred speech, trouble finding words, or weakness, especially on one side of the face or body.
These are signs of stroke -- or a "brain attack" -- in which arteries that supply oxygen to the brain become blocked or rupture, causing brain tissue to die.
Symptoms depend on which area of the brain is involved. If a large blood vessel is blocked, a wide area may be affected, so a person may have paralysis on one side of the body and lose other functions, such as speech and understanding. If a smaller vessel is blocked, paralysis may remain limited to an arm or leg.
If you have symptoms, call 911 right away and get to an emergency room that offers clot-busting therapy for strokes due to blocked vessels. Such treatment, which dissolves clots in blocked vessels, needs to be given within the first three hours after symptoms begin, but newer treatments may work within a longer time frame, says Birge, who is medical director at the Tanner Medical Center in Carrollton, Ga.
Timing is urgent; fast treatment can potentially stop brain tissue death before permanent brain injury happens. "There is a time clock ticking as to when you might totally recover," Birge tells WebMD.
2. Chest pain or discomfort; pain in the arm, jaw, or neck; breaking out in a cold sweat; extreme weakness; nausea; vomiting; feeling faint; or being short of breath.
These are signs of heart attack. If you get some of these symptoms, call 911 immediately and go to the emergency room by ambulance. Shulman and Birge also recommend that patients chew one regular, full-strength aspirin (unless they're allergic to aspirin) to help prevent damage to the heart muscle during a heart attack.
Not everyone who has a heart attack feels chest pain or pressure or a sense of indigestion. Some people, especially women, the elderly, and people with diabetes, get "painless" heart attacks, the doctors say. Being aware of "painless" heart attack signs is crucial: a very weak feeling, sudden dizziness, a pounding heart, shortness of breath, heavy sweating, a feeling of impending doom, nausea, and vomiting.
Both doctors say that it's important to learn heart attack signs and understand them in context. "Everybody has jaw pain. You don't immediately run and say, 'I've got a heart attack,'" Shulman tells WebMD. He is an associate professor of internal medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. "But if you're also sweating and you have some of these other symptoms -- shortness of breath and so forth -- then that's going to tip you off that there's something much more serious happening."
3. Tenderness and pain in the back of your lower leg, chest pain, shortness of breath, or coughing up blood.
These are symptoms of a potentially dangerous blood clot in your leg, especially if they come after you've been sitting for a long time, such as on an airplane or during a long car trip. These signs can also surface if you've been bedridden after surgery.
"Anybody is susceptible," Birge says. He adds that such blood clots are more common than most people and doctors realize.
Blood is more likely to pool in your legs when you're sitting or lying down for long periods of time, as opposed to standing and walking. If a blood clot forms in your leg as a result, your calf can feel swollen, painful, and tender to the touch; you should be evaluated. If you get sudden chest pain or shortness of breath, a piece of the blood clot may have broken off and traveled through the bloodstream to your lungs. This condition can be life-threatening, so get to an emergency room without delay.
4. Blood in the urine without accompanying pain.
Anytime you see blood in your urine, call your doctor promptly, even if you have no pain.
Kidney stones or a bladder or prostate infection are common causes of blood in the urine. But these problems are usually painful or uncomfortable, which sends people to the doctor promptly.
In contrast, when people see blood in their urine but feel no pain, some take a "wait and see" approach, especially if they just have one episode. "But you can't have this attitude," Shulman says. Lack of pain doesn't necessarily mean lack of seriousness.
Cancer of the kidney, ureter, bladder, or prostate can cause bleeding into the urinary tract; when these cancers are small enough to be curable, they may not cause pain. So don't dismiss this important sign because, according to Shulman and Birge, "blood in the urine may be the only clue for an early diagnosis."
5. Asthma symptoms that don't improve or get worse.
Asthma attacks are marked by wheezing or difficulty breathing. When an attack doesn't improve or worsens, a patient should get emergency care.
If an asthma attack is left untreated, it can lead to severe chest muscle fatigue and death, say Shulman and Birge. Some people with persistent asthma hesitate to go to the emergency room because they've gone so many times before, or they need someone to drive them because they're too short of breath. So instead of seeking care, "They try to hang in there," Birge says, even if they need higher doses of inhalants or have decreasing lung function measurements when using a device to measure how well they move air out of their lungs.
Because asthma makes breathing difficult, the muscles for breathing may tire and the volume of air exchanged by the lungs will decrease. As a result, a person's oxygen level drops while blood levels of carbon dioxide rise. As Birge and Shulman explain in their book, "A carbon dioxide buildup in the blood has a sedating effect on the brain, which may cause you to feel even drowsier. You may lose the motivation or energy to breathe."
"A person with asthma who seems to be relaxing more, who seems to not be struggling for breath anymore -- even though they've been at it for six or eight hours -- may actually be worse. It could be a sign of respiratory fatigue," Birge says. Eventually, the person could stop breathing.
"They're really in a big danger zone," Shulman adds. Patients believe they're getting better when they're actually getting worse, he says. "They become sedated and seem to be peaceful when actually, they're dying."
One of the most important considerations is how long an attack lasts, according to both doctors. "If you've been having labored respirations with the asthma not relenting after a period of several hours, even though you may be apparently doing OK, don't let it go any longer," Birge says. "Get on to the emergency room."
6. Depression and suicidal thoughts.
Few people would put up with crushing chest pain or extreme shortness of breath, but many endure depression, even though at its extreme it can be life-threatening.
"Depression can be a very, very serious problem because people can commit suicide," Shulman says. "Some people will not seek care when they are depressed because they think that they'll be perceived as being crazy or not strong or not manly, and they have to understand that there is a chemical imbalance going on in their brain. It is a disease just like any other disease."
Symptoms of depression include sadness, fatigue, apathy, anxiety, changes in sleep habits, and loss of appetite. Depression can be treated with medications and psychotherapy.
If you have suicidal thoughts, you can speak to someone right away by calling national phone numbers such as 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-SUICIDE.
Speak Up When You Think Something Is Wrong
Doctors are human: They can miss important diagnoses, including heart attacks. A patient's awareness and vigilance can make a difference, Shulman says.
"My feeling is, as a doctor, I want a patient who's informed. I'd rather have a patient who's informed, who's helping me so I won't make a mistake," Shulman says. "And I can be honest and say, 'I'm human. Don't be intimated by me because I have a white coat on. Don't be intimidated by me because I'm using big words.'"
If patients can recognize potentially serious symptoms, they'll have more power when they go to the doctor or the emergency room, he adds. "You have enough to say, 'Well, have you ruled out this problem?'"
Medications for Skin Conditions
Medications used to treat skin conditions include topical and oral medications.
Some common topical treatments for skin conditions include:
* Antibacterials; These medicines, including Bactroban or Cleocin, are often used to treat or prevent infection.
* Anthralin (Drithocreme, Micanol, and others): These medicines, though not often used, help to reduce inflammation and can help treat psoriasis.
* Antifungal agents: Lamisil, Lotrimin and Nizoral are a few examples of common topical antifungal drugs used to treat skin conditions such as ringworm and athlete's foot.
* Benzoyl peroxide: Creams and other products containing benzoyl peroxide are used to treat acne.
* Coal tar: This topical treatment is available with and without a prescription, with strengths ranging from 0.5% to 5%. Coal tar is used to treat conditions including seborrheic dermatitis (usually in shampoos) or psoriasis. Currently, coal tar is seldom used because it can be slow acting and can cause severe staining of personal clothing and bedding.
* Corticosteroids: These are used to treat skin conditions including eczema. Corticosteroids come in many different forms including foams, lotions, ointments and creams.
* Retinoids: These medications (such as Retin-A and Tazorac) are gels or creams derived from vitamin A and are used to treat conditions including acne.
* Salicylic acid: This medication is sold in lotions, gels, soaps, shampoos, and patches. It should be used sparingly as putting too much on your body at once can cause toxicity. Salicylic acid is the active ingredient in many skin care products for the treatment of acne and warts.
Some common oral treatments for skin conditions include:
* Antibiotics: Oral antibiotics are used to treat many skin conditions. Common antibiotics include erythromycin, tetracycline and dicloxacillin.
* Antifungal agents: Common oral antifungal drugs include ketoconazole and Diflucan. These medicines can be used to treat more severe fungal infections.
* Antiviral agents: Common antiviral agents include Valtrex and Famvir. Antiviral treatments are used for skin conditions including those related to herpes.
* Corticosteroids: These medications, including prednisone, can be helpful in treating skin conditions linked to autoimmune diseases including vasculitis. Dermatologists prefer topical steroids to avoid side effects; however, short-term use of prednisone is sometimes necessary.
* Immunosuppressants: Immunosuppressants, such as azathioprine and methotrexate, can be used to treat conditions including severe cases of psoriasis and eczema.
* Biologics: These new therapies are the latest methods being utilized to treat psoriasis and other conditions. Examples of biologics include Enbrel, Raptiva and Amivieve.
Some common topical treatments for skin conditions include:
* Antibacterials; These medicines, including Bactroban or Cleocin, are often used to treat or prevent infection.
* Anthralin (Drithocreme, Micanol, and others): These medicines, though not often used, help to reduce inflammation and can help treat psoriasis.
* Antifungal agents: Lamisil, Lotrimin and Nizoral are a few examples of common topical antifungal drugs used to treat skin conditions such as ringworm and athlete's foot.
* Benzoyl peroxide: Creams and other products containing benzoyl peroxide are used to treat acne.
* Coal tar: This topical treatment is available with and without a prescription, with strengths ranging from 0.5% to 5%. Coal tar is used to treat conditions including seborrheic dermatitis (usually in shampoos) or psoriasis. Currently, coal tar is seldom used because it can be slow acting and can cause severe staining of personal clothing and bedding.
* Corticosteroids: These are used to treat skin conditions including eczema. Corticosteroids come in many different forms including foams, lotions, ointments and creams.
* Retinoids: These medications (such as Retin-A and Tazorac) are gels or creams derived from vitamin A and are used to treat conditions including acne.
* Salicylic acid: This medication is sold in lotions, gels, soaps, shampoos, and patches. It should be used sparingly as putting too much on your body at once can cause toxicity. Salicylic acid is the active ingredient in many skin care products for the treatment of acne and warts.
Some common oral treatments for skin conditions include:
* Antibiotics: Oral antibiotics are used to treat many skin conditions. Common antibiotics include erythromycin, tetracycline and dicloxacillin.
* Antifungal agents: Common oral antifungal drugs include ketoconazole and Diflucan. These medicines can be used to treat more severe fungal infections.
* Antiviral agents: Common antiviral agents include Valtrex and Famvir. Antiviral treatments are used for skin conditions including those related to herpes.
* Corticosteroids: These medications, including prednisone, can be helpful in treating skin conditions linked to autoimmune diseases including vasculitis. Dermatologists prefer topical steroids to avoid side effects; however, short-term use of prednisone is sometimes necessary.
* Immunosuppressants: Immunosuppressants, such as azathioprine and methotrexate, can be used to treat conditions including severe cases of psoriasis and eczema.
* Biologics: These new therapies are the latest methods being utilized to treat psoriasis and other conditions. Examples of biologics include Enbrel, Raptiva and Amivieve.
Dry Skin
Does winter-dry skin make you want to hibernate this time of year?
You're not alone. No matter what our age, most of us experience flaky, itchy skin at some point when the weather gets chilly. The culprits may be winter wind, dry indoor air, harsh soaps, low humidity, or even a cold-weather sunburn.
With all that working against us, what can we do to pamper -- and prevent -- dry skin? The experts offer help with these winter skin care tips.
1st Step for Dry Skin Care: Prepare Your Skin
* Clear Away Old Skin Cells
Sloughing away dead cells is the first step to pampering your dry skin, writes Joely A. Kaufman, MD, in the American Academy of Dermatology's Skin News Briefs. That's because the clearer the skin, the deeper a moisturizer can penetrate.
To shed old skin cells, Kaufman suggests exfoliating with an over-the-counter or prescription keratolytic moisturizer, one containing lactic or salicylic acid. And whether or not you're dealing with normal, sensitive, or dry skin, it's always a good idea to exfoliate gently -- a soft scrub is all you need. If your skin is super dry or irritated, talk to your doctor before starting a new skin care product or regimen.
* Take Time to Moisturize
Once you've got a fresh, smooth surface to work with, soothe winter-dry skin with an oil-based moisturizer. Thick, heavy products like these have more staying power, and keep water from evaporating from your skin.
Not a fan of fancy creams and lotions? You can also help dry skin with basic moisturizer ingredients such as mineral oil, petroleum jelly, or glycerin. Whichever product you choose, be sure to smooth on your preferred moisturizer right after a shower, then pat your skin dry.
2nd Step for Dry Skin Care: Clean the Right Way
* Warm Showers and Baths Only, Please
Long, hot showers may feel divine, but they can be damning for troubled, itchy skin, drying it out even further, reports Susan C. Taylor, MD, in Skin News Briefs. The solution if you're dealing with dry skin: learn to warm up to short, lukewarm baths and showers, which help your body retain its natural, skin-protecting oils.
And when you bathe, use soap only on the spots that really need it, such as your face, underarms, groin, and feet. Since the rest of your body doesn't tend to get very dirty, a simple warm-water wash everywhere else is fine say the pros -- and it helps you retain those vital natural oils.
* Use a Gentle Cleanser
Scented, deodorant, and anti-bacterial soaps can be harsh, stripping skin of essential oils. That's why many skin care experts suggest using non-scented, mild cleansers or soap-free products like Aveeno, Cetaphil, Dove, Dreft, or Neutrogena.
Body washes with petrolatum (another name for petroleum jelly) are also a great option for soothing very dry skin, says Kaufman, helping to trap in water as you clean.
3rd Step for Dry Skin Care: Be Aware of the Sun
* Keep Using Sunscreen
Though the sun's rays are less intense in winter, those rays can still burn and damage your skin, says Taylor.
As a matter of fact, snow is an even better reflector than water, bouncing 80% of the sun's rays back to us, compared to less than 20% for sand and surf. That's why you can get a nasty sunburn even in winter -- and why it's important to put on sunscreen all year long.
For daily protection, Taylor suggests using a moisturizer with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15, and when heading outdoors for winter fun, use a sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays, with an SPF of 15 or higher. And give your UV protection an even bigger boost by donning sunglasses, a hat, and scarf.
4th Step for Dry Skin Care: Get Your Diet Into the Act
* Eat Up for Better Skin
A diet rich in healthy fats can be another crucial element in your fight against dry, itchy skin. That's because essential fatty acids like omega-3s help make up your skin's natural, moisture-retaining oil barrier. Too few of these healthy fats can not only encourage irritated, dry skin, but leave you more prone to acne, too.
Give your diet an essential fatty acid boost with omega-3-rich foods like flax, walnuts, and safflower oil, as well as cold-water fish such as tuna, herring, halibut, salmon, sardines, and mackerel.
* Hydrate Yourself -- And Your House
Dry indoor air can really irritate your skin, so give it a fighting chance by keeping inside air moist. Taylor recommends using a humidifier to pump up the moisture, or even surrounding yourself with indoor plants.
Whichever you choose, aim for an indoor moisture level between 40% and 50%. Investing in a $5 hygrometer (humidity monitor) can help you easily keep track of your house's humidity.
And don't forget to humidify from the inside out by drinking lots of water. To keep skin at optimal hydration, Kaufman recommends 6-8 glasses daily.
Is Your Skin Still Dry? Talk to a Pro
If you're skin gets really dry in winter and these tips aren't helping, or if you develop eczema or other skin irritation, it's time to talk to a dermatologist.
Not only can a dermatologist prescribe stronger treatments to soothe dry skin, they can also help you tailor a skin care regimen that suits your individual needs.
Talk to your primary care physician for a recommendation, or visit the American Academy of Dermatology's web site to find a certified dermatologist near you.
You're not alone. No matter what our age, most of us experience flaky, itchy skin at some point when the weather gets chilly. The culprits may be winter wind, dry indoor air, harsh soaps, low humidity, or even a cold-weather sunburn.
With all that working against us, what can we do to pamper -- and prevent -- dry skin? The experts offer help with these winter skin care tips.
1st Step for Dry Skin Care: Prepare Your Skin
* Clear Away Old Skin Cells
Sloughing away dead cells is the first step to pampering your dry skin, writes Joely A. Kaufman, MD, in the American Academy of Dermatology's Skin News Briefs. That's because the clearer the skin, the deeper a moisturizer can penetrate.
To shed old skin cells, Kaufman suggests exfoliating with an over-the-counter or prescription keratolytic moisturizer, one containing lactic or salicylic acid. And whether or not you're dealing with normal, sensitive, or dry skin, it's always a good idea to exfoliate gently -- a soft scrub is all you need. If your skin is super dry or irritated, talk to your doctor before starting a new skin care product or regimen.
* Take Time to Moisturize
Once you've got a fresh, smooth surface to work with, soothe winter-dry skin with an oil-based moisturizer. Thick, heavy products like these have more staying power, and keep water from evaporating from your skin.
Not a fan of fancy creams and lotions? You can also help dry skin with basic moisturizer ingredients such as mineral oil, petroleum jelly, or glycerin. Whichever product you choose, be sure to smooth on your preferred moisturizer right after a shower, then pat your skin dry.
2nd Step for Dry Skin Care: Clean the Right Way
* Warm Showers and Baths Only, Please
Long, hot showers may feel divine, but they can be damning for troubled, itchy skin, drying it out even further, reports Susan C. Taylor, MD, in Skin News Briefs. The solution if you're dealing with dry skin: learn to warm up to short, lukewarm baths and showers, which help your body retain its natural, skin-protecting oils.
And when you bathe, use soap only on the spots that really need it, such as your face, underarms, groin, and feet. Since the rest of your body doesn't tend to get very dirty, a simple warm-water wash everywhere else is fine say the pros -- and it helps you retain those vital natural oils.
* Use a Gentle Cleanser
Scented, deodorant, and anti-bacterial soaps can be harsh, stripping skin of essential oils. That's why many skin care experts suggest using non-scented, mild cleansers or soap-free products like Aveeno, Cetaphil, Dove, Dreft, or Neutrogena.
Body washes with petrolatum (another name for petroleum jelly) are also a great option for soothing very dry skin, says Kaufman, helping to trap in water as you clean.
3rd Step for Dry Skin Care: Be Aware of the Sun
* Keep Using Sunscreen
Though the sun's rays are less intense in winter, those rays can still burn and damage your skin, says Taylor.
As a matter of fact, snow is an even better reflector than water, bouncing 80% of the sun's rays back to us, compared to less than 20% for sand and surf. That's why you can get a nasty sunburn even in winter -- and why it's important to put on sunscreen all year long.
For daily protection, Taylor suggests using a moisturizer with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15, and when heading outdoors for winter fun, use a sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays, with an SPF of 15 or higher. And give your UV protection an even bigger boost by donning sunglasses, a hat, and scarf.
4th Step for Dry Skin Care: Get Your Diet Into the Act
* Eat Up for Better Skin
A diet rich in healthy fats can be another crucial element in your fight against dry, itchy skin. That's because essential fatty acids like omega-3s help make up your skin's natural, moisture-retaining oil barrier. Too few of these healthy fats can not only encourage irritated, dry skin, but leave you more prone to acne, too.
Give your diet an essential fatty acid boost with omega-3-rich foods like flax, walnuts, and safflower oil, as well as cold-water fish such as tuna, herring, halibut, salmon, sardines, and mackerel.
* Hydrate Yourself -- And Your House
Dry indoor air can really irritate your skin, so give it a fighting chance by keeping inside air moist. Taylor recommends using a humidifier to pump up the moisture, or even surrounding yourself with indoor plants.
Whichever you choose, aim for an indoor moisture level between 40% and 50%. Investing in a $5 hygrometer (humidity monitor) can help you easily keep track of your house's humidity.
And don't forget to humidify from the inside out by drinking lots of water. To keep skin at optimal hydration, Kaufman recommends 6-8 glasses daily.
Is Your Skin Still Dry? Talk to a Pro
If you're skin gets really dry in winter and these tips aren't helping, or if you develop eczema or other skin irritation, it's time to talk to a dermatologist.
Not only can a dermatologist prescribe stronger treatments to soothe dry skin, they can also help you tailor a skin care regimen that suits your individual needs.
Talk to your primary care physician for a recommendation, or visit the American Academy of Dermatology's web site to find a certified dermatologist near you.
FAQ on cold
What Can I Buy for Fast Relief from a Cold or the Flu?
Most cold and fludrugs attack symptoms, not the specific viruses. They don't cure, but they can bring relief, lighter symptoms, or shorten your illness. There's no one right way to treat a cold or the flu. But here are some questions to ask your pharmacist to get the right over-the-counter medication for you.
#1 Should I take a decongestant or an antihistamine?
This depends on your symptoms. If you have nasal or sinus congestion, then a decongestant can be helpful. If you have drainage -- either a runny nose or postnasal drip or itchy watery eyes -- then an antihistamine may be helpful. Over-the-counter antihistamines often make people drowsy; decongestants can make people hyper or keep them awake. Antihistamines can make secretions thick, which can be a problem for people with asthma. Keep in mind that both these medications may interact with other drugs you may be taking for conditions such as heart disease, and they may worsen some conditions. Discuss with your doctor or pharmacist which cold medication may be best for you.
#2 Is it safe to take a decongestant if I have high blood pressure?
Decongestants can increase blood pressure and heart rate, and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Pseudoephedrine is the primary oral decongestant available. In general, if your blood pressure is well controlled with medications, then a decongestant shouldn't be a problem as long as you monitor your blood pressure. This may not be true with certain types of blood pressure medications. Check with your doctor or pharmacist about what may be best for you.
#3 How often should I use nasal spray?
Nasal decongestants work fast to open breathing passages. But if you use them for more than three days in a row, you may suffer a "rebound effect," and end up more congested than you were at the start. Some doctors suggest using a saline spray instead of a medicated spray. Saline spray works more slowly but has no rebound effect.
#4 What's the deal with cough medicine?
An occasional cough may clear the lung of pollutants and excess phlegm. A persistent cough should be diagnosed and treated specifically. On the shelf you'll find numerous cough medicines with various combinations of decongestants, antihistamines, analgesics/antipyretics, cough suppressants, and expectorants. Ask your pharmacist which combination, if any, would be right for you.
#5 What should I take for fever and aches?
Fever may be a good thing. It helps the body fight off infection by suppressing the growth of bacteria and viruses and activating the immune system. Doctors no longer recommend suppressing fever for most people, except perhaps for the very young, the very old, and those with certain medical conditions such as heart disease or lung disease. However, if you are uncomfortable then it's fine to take medications. Young people (including those in their early 20s) should avoid aspirin. Acetaminophen (Tylenol and others) or the numerous other medicines like ibuprofen (Advil and others) are your best choices. Each has their own risks, so check with your doctor or pharmacist as to which may be best for you. Be careful not to overdose! These drugs are often mixed in with other cough and cold and flu remedies you may also be taking. Your pharmacist can help you make the right choice.
#6 What's best for my sore throat?
Drinking lots of fluids and using salt water gargles (made by combining a cup of warm water and a teaspoon of salt) can often be helpful for easing the pain of a sore throat. Some oral medications (such as Tylenol) and medicated lozenges and gargles can also temporarily soothe a sore throat. Get your doctor's approval before using any medications, including over-the-counter drugs, and don't use lozenges or gargles for more than a few days. The medications could mask signs of strep throat, a bacterial infection that should be treated with antibiotics.
#7 What is the difference between a cold and the flu?
Although the flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses, they are caused by different viruses. Because they have similar symptoms, it can be difficult to tell them apart. But generally cold symptoms are much milder than flu.
Common cold symptoms include:
* Sore throat
* Stuffy nose
* Runny nose
* Cough
* Mild fever
The flu, on the other hand, often causes higher fever, chills, body ache, and fatigue.
#8 Why isn't there a cold vaccine?
The common cold can be caused by nearly 250 different viruses. It's just too difficult for scientists to prepare a vaccine that protects against all of the cold viruses. Also, there's less need for a cold vaccine. Colds are minor infections of the throat, nose, and sinuses. Colds generally come and go with no serious complications. You're miserable for a few days, then it's over.
#9 Could my cold symptoms actually be allergies?
If you are sniffling, but not achy or feverish at all, you may very well have allergies. Also, if your symptoms last longer than two weeks, and you also have red, itchy eyes, the evidence points to allergies. However, it's often hard to tell because people with allergies and asthma are more likely to get colds. They may already have inflamed and irritated lungs - so they are less able to fight off a cold virus.
#10 What's the best treatment for a cold?
There is no cure for the common cold. The most important thing you can do is drink a lot of fluids to keep your body hydrated. This will help prevent another infection from setting in. Avoid drinks like coffee, tea, and colas with caffeine. They rob your system of fluids. As for eating, follow your appetite. If you're not really hungry, try eating simple foods like white rice or broth.
Chicken soup is comforting, plus the steam helps break up nasal congestion. Ginger seems to settle an upset stomach. A hot toddy may help you sleep, but beware of mixing alcohol with other cold remedies.
Over-the-counter cold medicines can offer relief from aches and fever. However, doctors no longer believe in suppressing low-grade fever except in very young and very old people, or people with certain medical conditions such as heart or lung disease. Low-grade fever helps the body fight off infection by suppressing the growth of viruses or bacteria and by activating the immune system.
* Aspirin. Young people and children should not take aspirin because of the risk of Reye's syndrome.
* Decongestants can help make breathing easier by shrinking swollen mucous membranes in the nose. Use for no more than two or three days.
* Saline nasal sprays can also open breathing passages and may be used freely.
* Cough preparations are not hugely effective. For minor coughs, water and fruit juices probably help the most. The FDA and manufacturers now say that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines should not be given to children under 4.
* Gargling with salt water can help relieve a sore throat.
#11 How effective are natural remedies like zinc, echinacea, and vitamin C?
Some studies show that zinc nasal sprays help cut a cold's severity and duration. The theory? Zinc sprays may coat the cold virus and prevent it from attaching to nasal cells where they enter the body. But other studies show that zinc is no more effective than placebo. Recent, well-done studies on echinacea show that it is not effective in preventing colds. However, in one study, 120 people with cold-like symptoms took 20 drops of echinacea every two hours for 10 days and had briefer colds than others.
As for vitamin C's effects, a recent survey of 65 years' worth of studies found limited benefit. The researchers found no evidence that vitamin C prevents colds. However, they did find evidence that vitamin C may shorten how long you suffer from a cold. One large study found that people who took a vitamin C megadose -- 8 grams on the first day of a cold -- shortened the duration of their colds.
To prevent colds the natural way, it's best to make sure you've got a well-nourished immune system. Dark greens foods like spinach are loaded with vitamins A and C. Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which fight inflammation. Low-fat yogurt may help stimulate the immune system.
Regular exercise - aerobics and walking - also boosts the immune system. People who exercise may still catch a virus, but they have less severe symptoms. They may recover more quickly compared with less-healthy people.
#12 Should I go to the doctor or get an antibiotic?
You usually don't need a doctor or an antibiotic when you have a cold. Colds are caused by viruses. Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses.
But a cold can turn into a sinus infection. If your sinuses become blocked and cannot drain properly, you can develop inflammation and a bacterial infection. An ear infection may also result from a bout with a cold. Although sinus and ear infections can improve on their own, sometimes you need antibiotics to clear the bacterial infections from your body.
Symptoms of an ear infection include ear pain, fever, and/or a feeling of fullness in the ears.
Symptoms of a sinus infection include a runny or stuffy nose, facial pain, and pressure, and headache.
#13 Should I stay at home if I have a cold?
You're contagious for the first few days of your cold, so it's best to stay home then. You need to be careful about coughing and sneezing around other people. Also, you will recover quicker if you get some rest.
#14 How can I prevent a cold?
Hand washing! Both flu and cold viruses are transmitted the same way -- through microscopic droplets from an infected person's respiratory system. Someone sneezes or coughs, and droplets are sprayed onto any nearby surface -- including you! If people cough or sneeze into their hands (without a tissue), they can contaminate every surface they touch. If you touch that same surface, you pick up the virus. If you rub your eyes or nose, you've just infected yourself.
To protect yourself and prevent spread of cold and flu viruses:
* Wash your hands frequently. Use an alcohol-based gel if you don't have access to water.
* Cough and sneeze into a tissue or into your hands. Wash your hands afterward.
* 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.
#15 Can you catch a cold from getting chilled?
This is one of the most persistent myths about colds. The only way to catch a cold is by being exposed to a cold virus. Cold air may irritate an existing condition, such as asthma, which would weaken your immunity. This could make your body more receptive to a cold virus, but only if you come in contact with it. If you've caught a cold after getting chilled, it's only coincidence.
#16 Why does my child always seem to have a cold?
School children are incredibly good at passing a virus along. Children naturally exhale more highly concentrated virus droplets than adults do. They also exhale them for longer periods of time. Plus, children are very active, always in each other's faces. And there is a general lack of hygiene - children don't their wash hands. They don't cover noses or mouths when they sneeze or cough. Even more importantly, they don't get very sick - which means they continue to spread the virus while they are very contagious.
Most cold and fludrugs attack symptoms, not the specific viruses. They don't cure, but they can bring relief, lighter symptoms, or shorten your illness. There's no one right way to treat a cold or the flu. But here are some questions to ask your pharmacist to get the right over-the-counter medication for you.
#1 Should I take a decongestant or an antihistamine?
This depends on your symptoms. If you have nasal or sinus congestion, then a decongestant can be helpful. If you have drainage -- either a runny nose or postnasal drip or itchy watery eyes -- then an antihistamine may be helpful. Over-the-counter antihistamines often make people drowsy; decongestants can make people hyper or keep them awake. Antihistamines can make secretions thick, which can be a problem for people with asthma. Keep in mind that both these medications may interact with other drugs you may be taking for conditions such as heart disease, and they may worsen some conditions. Discuss with your doctor or pharmacist which cold medication may be best for you.
#2 Is it safe to take a decongestant if I have high blood pressure?
Decongestants can increase blood pressure and heart rate, and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Pseudoephedrine is the primary oral decongestant available. In general, if your blood pressure is well controlled with medications, then a decongestant shouldn't be a problem as long as you monitor your blood pressure. This may not be true with certain types of blood pressure medications. Check with your doctor or pharmacist about what may be best for you.
#3 How often should I use nasal spray?
Nasal decongestants work fast to open breathing passages. But if you use them for more than three days in a row, you may suffer a "rebound effect," and end up more congested than you were at the start. Some doctors suggest using a saline spray instead of a medicated spray. Saline spray works more slowly but has no rebound effect.
#4 What's the deal with cough medicine?
An occasional cough may clear the lung of pollutants and excess phlegm. A persistent cough should be diagnosed and treated specifically. On the shelf you'll find numerous cough medicines with various combinations of decongestants, antihistamines, analgesics/antipyretics, cough suppressants, and expectorants. Ask your pharmacist which combination, if any, would be right for you.
#5 What should I take for fever and aches?
Fever may be a good thing. It helps the body fight off infection by suppressing the growth of bacteria and viruses and activating the immune system. Doctors no longer recommend suppressing fever for most people, except perhaps for the very young, the very old, and those with certain medical conditions such as heart disease or lung disease. However, if you are uncomfortable then it's fine to take medications. Young people (including those in their early 20s) should avoid aspirin. Acetaminophen (Tylenol and others) or the numerous other medicines like ibuprofen (Advil and others) are your best choices. Each has their own risks, so check with your doctor or pharmacist as to which may be best for you. Be careful not to overdose! These drugs are often mixed in with other cough and cold and flu remedies you may also be taking. Your pharmacist can help you make the right choice.
#6 What's best for my sore throat?
Drinking lots of fluids and using salt water gargles (made by combining a cup of warm water and a teaspoon of salt) can often be helpful for easing the pain of a sore throat. Some oral medications (such as Tylenol) and medicated lozenges and gargles can also temporarily soothe a sore throat. Get your doctor's approval before using any medications, including over-the-counter drugs, and don't use lozenges or gargles for more than a few days. The medications could mask signs of strep throat, a bacterial infection that should be treated with antibiotics.
#7 What is the difference between a cold and the flu?
Although the flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses, they are caused by different viruses. Because they have similar symptoms, it can be difficult to tell them apart. But generally cold symptoms are much milder than flu.
Common cold symptoms include:
* Sore throat
* Stuffy nose
* Runny nose
* Cough
* Mild fever
The flu, on the other hand, often causes higher fever, chills, body ache, and fatigue.
#8 Why isn't there a cold vaccine?
The common cold can be caused by nearly 250 different viruses. It's just too difficult for scientists to prepare a vaccine that protects against all of the cold viruses. Also, there's less need for a cold vaccine. Colds are minor infections of the throat, nose, and sinuses. Colds generally come and go with no serious complications. You're miserable for a few days, then it's over.
#9 Could my cold symptoms actually be allergies?
If you are sniffling, but not achy or feverish at all, you may very well have allergies. Also, if your symptoms last longer than two weeks, and you also have red, itchy eyes, the evidence points to allergies. However, it's often hard to tell because people with allergies and asthma are more likely to get colds. They may already have inflamed and irritated lungs - so they are less able to fight off a cold virus.
#10 What's the best treatment for a cold?
There is no cure for the common cold. The most important thing you can do is drink a lot of fluids to keep your body hydrated. This will help prevent another infection from setting in. Avoid drinks like coffee, tea, and colas with caffeine. They rob your system of fluids. As for eating, follow your appetite. If you're not really hungry, try eating simple foods like white rice or broth.
Chicken soup is comforting, plus the steam helps break up nasal congestion. Ginger seems to settle an upset stomach. A hot toddy may help you sleep, but beware of mixing alcohol with other cold remedies.
Over-the-counter cold medicines can offer relief from aches and fever. However, doctors no longer believe in suppressing low-grade fever except in very young and very old people, or people with certain medical conditions such as heart or lung disease. Low-grade fever helps the body fight off infection by suppressing the growth of viruses or bacteria and by activating the immune system.
* Aspirin. Young people and children should not take aspirin because of the risk of Reye's syndrome.
* Decongestants can help make breathing easier by shrinking swollen mucous membranes in the nose. Use for no more than two or three days.
* Saline nasal sprays can also open breathing passages and may be used freely.
* Cough preparations are not hugely effective. For minor coughs, water and fruit juices probably help the most. The FDA and manufacturers now say that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines should not be given to children under 4.
* Gargling with salt water can help relieve a sore throat.
#11 How effective are natural remedies like zinc, echinacea, and vitamin C?
Some studies show that zinc nasal sprays help cut a cold's severity and duration. The theory? Zinc sprays may coat the cold virus and prevent it from attaching to nasal cells where they enter the body. But other studies show that zinc is no more effective than placebo. Recent, well-done studies on echinacea show that it is not effective in preventing colds. However, in one study, 120 people with cold-like symptoms took 20 drops of echinacea every two hours for 10 days and had briefer colds than others.
As for vitamin C's effects, a recent survey of 65 years' worth of studies found limited benefit. The researchers found no evidence that vitamin C prevents colds. However, they did find evidence that vitamin C may shorten how long you suffer from a cold. One large study found that people who took a vitamin C megadose -- 8 grams on the first day of a cold -- shortened the duration of their colds.
To prevent colds the natural way, it's best to make sure you've got a well-nourished immune system. Dark greens foods like spinach are loaded with vitamins A and C. Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which fight inflammation. Low-fat yogurt may help stimulate the immune system.
Regular exercise - aerobics and walking - also boosts the immune system. People who exercise may still catch a virus, but they have less severe symptoms. They may recover more quickly compared with less-healthy people.
#12 Should I go to the doctor or get an antibiotic?
You usually don't need a doctor or an antibiotic when you have a cold. Colds are caused by viruses. Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses.
But a cold can turn into a sinus infection. If your sinuses become blocked and cannot drain properly, you can develop inflammation and a bacterial infection. An ear infection may also result from a bout with a cold. Although sinus and ear infections can improve on their own, sometimes you need antibiotics to clear the bacterial infections from your body.
Symptoms of an ear infection include ear pain, fever, and/or a feeling of fullness in the ears.
Symptoms of a sinus infection include a runny or stuffy nose, facial pain, and pressure, and headache.
#13 Should I stay at home if I have a cold?
You're contagious for the first few days of your cold, so it's best to stay home then. You need to be careful about coughing and sneezing around other people. Also, you will recover quicker if you get some rest.
#14 How can I prevent a cold?
Hand washing! Both flu and cold viruses are transmitted the same way -- through microscopic droplets from an infected person's respiratory system. Someone sneezes or coughs, and droplets are sprayed onto any nearby surface -- including you! If people cough or sneeze into their hands (without a tissue), they can contaminate every surface they touch. If you touch that same surface, you pick up the virus. If you rub your eyes or nose, you've just infected yourself.
To protect yourself and prevent spread of cold and flu viruses:
* Wash your hands frequently. Use an alcohol-based gel if you don't have access to water.
* Cough and sneeze into a tissue or into your hands. Wash your hands afterward.
* 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.
#15 Can you catch a cold from getting chilled?
This is one of the most persistent myths about colds. The only way to catch a cold is by being exposed to a cold virus. Cold air may irritate an existing condition, such as asthma, which would weaken your immunity. This could make your body more receptive to a cold virus, but only if you come in contact with it. If you've caught a cold after getting chilled, it's only coincidence.
#16 Why does my child always seem to have a cold?
School children are incredibly good at passing a virus along. Children naturally exhale more highly concentrated virus droplets than adults do. They also exhale them for longer periods of time. Plus, children are very active, always in each other's faces. And there is a general lack of hygiene - children don't their wash hands. They don't cover noses or mouths when they sneeze or cough. Even more importantly, they don't get very sick - which means they continue to spread the virus while they are very contagious.
Cough
Do cough medicines work? Given the billions of dollars that we spend on over-the-counter cough and cold remedies in the U.S. every year, we clearly think they do. But cough experts are not so sure.
“We want to believe these remedies will work because we’re so desperately uncomfortable when we’re sick,” says John E. Heffner, MD, a pulmonologist and immediate past president of the American Thoracic Society. “But clinical trials have not found that cough medicines are any better than a placebo.”
Among experts, doubts about the effectiveness of cough medicines are longstanding. Members of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association ( CHPA), an association that represents most of the makers of nonprescription OTC cough and cold medicines in children, voluntarily modified the labels of OTC cough and cold medicines to state "do not use" in children under 4 years of age.
The reasons: a lack of proven benefit and a small risk of serious side effects.
While cough medicines don’t pose the same risks in adults, a larger question looms. If there’s no good evidence that these drugs work, should anyone be using them? Should we banish those sugary cough syrups from our medicine cabinets? Is it time for us to muddle through the common cold without them?
Cough Medicine: The Evidence
Over the years, a number of studies have found little evidence that cough medicines work.
* Most recently, in 2006, the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) surveyed a number of cough medicine studies from the last few decades. These medicines include drugs to suppress the cough, like dextromethorphan (DM), as well as expectorants like guaifenesin, which are supposed to loosen up mucus in the airways so you can cough it up. The AACP found no evidence that these medicines help people with run-of-the-mill coughs caused by viruses.
* A 2004 review of studies had a similar conclusion. That study found that almost 60% of the studies showed no benefit to cough medicines over a placebo.
Of course, it’s important to understand that these studies have not proven that cough medicines don’t work. Rather, they’ve just shown that there isn’t good evidence that they do. It’s possible that further studies could show that they help.
The ACCP study did find one combination of drugs that did work. When combined with a decongestant, the older antihistamine, brompheniramine, eased coughs caused by colds and allergies.
The catch is that brompheniramine, like other first generation antihistamines, is a sedative. So it’s not something you could take before school or work. “The sedative effect is actually what might be helping with the cough,” says Norman Edelman, MD, chief medical officer at the American Lung Association.
Popularity of Cough Medicine
But why would these medicines be so popular if there’s no proof that they work? Edelman says it’s simple. “People like them,” he tells WebMD.
* Coughs are the reason for more than 30 million doctor visits every year.
* By some estimates, coughs are the most common medical symptom.
When we’re sick with a cough -- or worse, when our children are sick -- we’re desperate to do something, anything, to relieve it. Knowing that there’s a medicine we can take makes us feel better and more in control.
“It’s really nice to be able to go down a pharmacy aisle and pick up a medicine that says it’s going to help,” Edelman says.
Cough medicines may also seem like they work even if they aren’t. “Most coughs caused by a viral infection get better on their own within a few days,” says Heffner. “But since so many people take cough medicines, they credit the drug for resolving the symptoms.”
Still, you might assume that the government would prevent the sale of medicines that don’t do what they claim to do. But it’s not quite so simple.
“Many of these cough medicines have a long tradition of use behind them,” says Heffner. “If they were being submitted to the FDA for approval today, the evidence might not be good enough to get them approved.” But since they were approved long ago, they are likely to stay that way.
Risks of Cough Medicines Low
The good news about cough medicines is that while they might not work, they’re unlikely to hurt. “If you take a cough medicine as prescribed, the odds of having any problems are pretty small,” Edelman tells WebMD.
Heffner says that the mildly riskier drugs are the decongestants that might be included in some cold and cough medicines. For instance, pseudoephedrine is a stimulant and might be dangerous for people with heart problems or uncontrolled high blood pressure. But the cough medicines themselves should be safe when taken as recommended. The problem is that not everyone takes them that way.
“Virtually all of the problems and side effects from over-the-counter cold and flu medicines are from overdoses,” Edelman says.
You might not think of yourself as the sort of person likely to overdose on a drug. But it may be easier than you expect.
“Often, overdosing is completely accidental,” says Edelman. One cause: people taking different cold and flu remedies at the same time without looking at the ingredients. While the brand names may be different, they may be getting double doses of the same ingredients.
Other times, it’s more deliberate. People may knowingly take doses that are too high. But that’s not necessarily because they’re trying to abuse the drug. They may just be trying to get rid of their cough. One dose doesn’t help, so they try another. Edelman says it’s not uncommon for people to overdose on medicines that don’t work very well precisely because they don’t work very well.
“If a medicine is only marginally effective, people just keep taking more and more, trying to get an effect,” Edelman says.
Do Cough Medicines Have Any Benefits?
Despite the doubts, experts might still recommend these medicines in certain patients. One example is a person who gets a chronic cough after a viral infection. These coughs can be self-perpetuating. Every time you cough, you irritate the airways, and that makes you more likely to cough. It’s like picking a scab. So sometimes, experts recommend cough suppressants in these cases to try to break the cycle of coughing. But Heffner notes that the evidence that they help even in these cases is fairly weak.
* Experts stress that you should never treat a long-lasting cough on your own.
* You should also never use a cough medicine for longer than recommended on the label.
In fact, Heffner says that any cough that lasts longer than five to seven days -- or is accompanied by other symptoms, like a fever or rash -- should be checked out by an expert. You might have something more severe than the common cough that needs expert treatment.
Should You Use Cough Suppressants or Expectorants?
Heffner says that definitive studies of whether cough medicines work are unlikely, since there’s little interest in funding them. So for the foreseeable future, cough medicines will remain on the shelves, whether there’s proof they work or not. Should you use them? That depends.
If you have any health conditions, you should always talk to your doctor before using a cough medicine. And Edelman stresses that you should never use a cough medicine in a child under 6 without talking to his or her pediatrician first.
But for the rest of us, taking a cough medicine for a few days is probably ok.
“Generally, we think these are pretty benign medications in adults,” says Heffner. “When used as prescribed, they should be safe. “ Edelman agrees, and observes that despite the evidence, they do make some people feel better.
“It might just be a placebo effect,” Edelman tells WebMD. “But the placebo effect can be very powerful.”
There is one last thing to consider before deciding whether to use cough medicine: coughing may be good for you.
“In most cases, a cough is actually useful,” says Edelman. “It helps clear out mucus, so you really don’t want to suppress it.”
Of course, that’s probably small comfort when you’re up in the middle of the night with a miserable, hacking cough. A lot of us would really prefer a few teaspoons of cough syrup.
“That drive to get treatment is very strong,” says Heffner, “regardless of whether that treatment really works or not.”
“We want to believe these remedies will work because we’re so desperately uncomfortable when we’re sick,” says John E. Heffner, MD, a pulmonologist and immediate past president of the American Thoracic Society. “But clinical trials have not found that cough medicines are any better than a placebo.”
Among experts, doubts about the effectiveness of cough medicines are longstanding. Members of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association ( CHPA), an association that represents most of the makers of nonprescription OTC cough and cold medicines in children, voluntarily modified the labels of OTC cough and cold medicines to state "do not use" in children under 4 years of age.
The reasons: a lack of proven benefit and a small risk of serious side effects.
While cough medicines don’t pose the same risks in adults, a larger question looms. If there’s no good evidence that these drugs work, should anyone be using them? Should we banish those sugary cough syrups from our medicine cabinets? Is it time for us to muddle through the common cold without them?
Cough Medicine: The Evidence
Over the years, a number of studies have found little evidence that cough medicines work.
* Most recently, in 2006, the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) surveyed a number of cough medicine studies from the last few decades. These medicines include drugs to suppress the cough, like dextromethorphan (DM), as well as expectorants like guaifenesin, which are supposed to loosen up mucus in the airways so you can cough it up. The AACP found no evidence that these medicines help people with run-of-the-mill coughs caused by viruses.
* A 2004 review of studies had a similar conclusion. That study found that almost 60% of the studies showed no benefit to cough medicines over a placebo.
Of course, it’s important to understand that these studies have not proven that cough medicines don’t work. Rather, they’ve just shown that there isn’t good evidence that they do. It’s possible that further studies could show that they help.
The ACCP study did find one combination of drugs that did work. When combined with a decongestant, the older antihistamine, brompheniramine, eased coughs caused by colds and allergies.
The catch is that brompheniramine, like other first generation antihistamines, is a sedative. So it’s not something you could take before school or work. “The sedative effect is actually what might be helping with the cough,” says Norman Edelman, MD, chief medical officer at the American Lung Association.
Popularity of Cough Medicine
But why would these medicines be so popular if there’s no proof that they work? Edelman says it’s simple. “People like them,” he tells WebMD.
* Coughs are the reason for more than 30 million doctor visits every year.
* By some estimates, coughs are the most common medical symptom.
When we’re sick with a cough -- or worse, when our children are sick -- we’re desperate to do something, anything, to relieve it. Knowing that there’s a medicine we can take makes us feel better and more in control.
“It’s really nice to be able to go down a pharmacy aisle and pick up a medicine that says it’s going to help,” Edelman says.
Cough medicines may also seem like they work even if they aren’t. “Most coughs caused by a viral infection get better on their own within a few days,” says Heffner. “But since so many people take cough medicines, they credit the drug for resolving the symptoms.”
Still, you might assume that the government would prevent the sale of medicines that don’t do what they claim to do. But it’s not quite so simple.
“Many of these cough medicines have a long tradition of use behind them,” says Heffner. “If they were being submitted to the FDA for approval today, the evidence might not be good enough to get them approved.” But since they were approved long ago, they are likely to stay that way.
Risks of Cough Medicines Low
The good news about cough medicines is that while they might not work, they’re unlikely to hurt. “If you take a cough medicine as prescribed, the odds of having any problems are pretty small,” Edelman tells WebMD.
Heffner says that the mildly riskier drugs are the decongestants that might be included in some cold and cough medicines. For instance, pseudoephedrine is a stimulant and might be dangerous for people with heart problems or uncontrolled high blood pressure. But the cough medicines themselves should be safe when taken as recommended. The problem is that not everyone takes them that way.
“Virtually all of the problems and side effects from over-the-counter cold and flu medicines are from overdoses,” Edelman says.
You might not think of yourself as the sort of person likely to overdose on a drug. But it may be easier than you expect.
“Often, overdosing is completely accidental,” says Edelman. One cause: people taking different cold and flu remedies at the same time without looking at the ingredients. While the brand names may be different, they may be getting double doses of the same ingredients.
Other times, it’s more deliberate. People may knowingly take doses that are too high. But that’s not necessarily because they’re trying to abuse the drug. They may just be trying to get rid of their cough. One dose doesn’t help, so they try another. Edelman says it’s not uncommon for people to overdose on medicines that don’t work very well precisely because they don’t work very well.
“If a medicine is only marginally effective, people just keep taking more and more, trying to get an effect,” Edelman says.
Do Cough Medicines Have Any Benefits?
Despite the doubts, experts might still recommend these medicines in certain patients. One example is a person who gets a chronic cough after a viral infection. These coughs can be self-perpetuating. Every time you cough, you irritate the airways, and that makes you more likely to cough. It’s like picking a scab. So sometimes, experts recommend cough suppressants in these cases to try to break the cycle of coughing. But Heffner notes that the evidence that they help even in these cases is fairly weak.
* Experts stress that you should never treat a long-lasting cough on your own.
* You should also never use a cough medicine for longer than recommended on the label.
In fact, Heffner says that any cough that lasts longer than five to seven days -- or is accompanied by other symptoms, like a fever or rash -- should be checked out by an expert. You might have something more severe than the common cough that needs expert treatment.
Should You Use Cough Suppressants or Expectorants?
Heffner says that definitive studies of whether cough medicines work are unlikely, since there’s little interest in funding them. So for the foreseeable future, cough medicines will remain on the shelves, whether there’s proof they work or not. Should you use them? That depends.
If you have any health conditions, you should always talk to your doctor before using a cough medicine. And Edelman stresses that you should never use a cough medicine in a child under 6 without talking to his or her pediatrician first.
But for the rest of us, taking a cough medicine for a few days is probably ok.
“Generally, we think these are pretty benign medications in adults,” says Heffner. “When used as prescribed, they should be safe. “ Edelman agrees, and observes that despite the evidence, they do make some people feel better.
“It might just be a placebo effect,” Edelman tells WebMD. “But the placebo effect can be very powerful.”
There is one last thing to consider before deciding whether to use cough medicine: coughing may be good for you.
“In most cases, a cough is actually useful,” says Edelman. “It helps clear out mucus, so you really don’t want to suppress it.”
Of course, that’s probably small comfort when you’re up in the middle of the night with a miserable, hacking cough. A lot of us would really prefer a few teaspoons of cough syrup.
“That drive to get treatment is very strong,” says Heffner, “regardless of whether that treatment really works or not.”
cold
The common cold (also known as "acute nasopharyngitis") is a mild viral infectious disease of theCommon Cold nose and throat; the upper respiratory system. Symptoms include sneezing, sniffling, running/blocked nose (often these occur simultaneously, or in only one nostril); scratchy, sore, or phlegmy throat; coughing; headache; and tiredness. Colds typically last three to five days, with residual coughing lasting up to three weeks. As its name suggests, it is the most common of all human diseases, infecting subjects at an average rate of slightly over one infection per year per person. Infection rates greater than three infections per year per person are not uncommon in some populations. Children and their caretakers are at a higher risk, probably due to the high population density of schools and the fact that transmission to family members is highly efficient.
The common cold belongs to the upper respiratory tract infections. It is different from influenza, a more severe viral infection of the respiratory tract that shows the additional symptoms of rapidly rising fever, chills, and body and muscle aches. While the common cold itself is hardly life threatening, its complications, such as pneumonia, can very well be.Cold occur throughout the year but are most common in late winter and early spring. There is no cure for the common cold. If you cath a cold, you must treat the symptoms as using amouthwash will not prevent a cold nor will antibiotics cure a cold. A cold usually lasts about 1 to 2 weeks is is brought on by any of a number of viruses. If a person seems to have a cold all of the time, or if symptoms last much longer than 2 weeks, suspect allergies or sinusitis.
Symptoms
* Runny nose
* Red eyes
* Sneezing
* Sore throat
* Dry cough
* Headache
* General body aches
Prevention
The best way to avoid a cold is to avoid close contact with existing sufferers, to wash hands thoroughly and regularly, and to avoid touching the face. Anti-bacterial soaps have no effect on the cold virus - it is the mechanical action of hand washing that removes the virus particles.
Because of the large variety of viruses causing the common cold, vaccination is impractical.
* Eat well.
* Get plenty of sleep.
* Exercise regularly.
* Try to avoid people with colds.
* Keep your hands away from your nose, eyes and mouth but cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
* Wash your hands often.
* Humidify your bedrooms or your whole house, if possible.
* Do not smoke.
* Home treatment for a cold will help relieve symptoms and prevent complications.
Home Treatment
There is no cure for the common cold, i.e. there is no treatment that directly fights the virus. Only the body's immune system can effectively destroy the invader. A cold may be composed of several million viral particles, and typically within a few days the body begins mass producing a better tailored antibody that can prevent the virus from infecting cells, as well as white blood cells which destroy the virus through phagocytosis and destroy infected cells to prevent further viral replication. Furthermore the duration of infection is on the order of a few days to one week so at most a "cure" could hope to reduce the duration by only a few days.
Available treatments therefore focus on relieving the symptoms.
Common treatments include: analgesics such as aspirin or acetaminophen, as well as localised versions targeting the throat (often delivered in lozenge form), nasal decongestants which reduce the inflammation in the nasal passages by constricting local blood vessels, cough suppressants (which work to suppress the cough reflex of the brain or by diluting the mucus in the lungs), and first-generation anti-histamines such as brompheniramine, chlorpheniramine, and clemastine (which reduce mucus gland secretion and thus combat blocked/runny noses but also may make the user drowsy). Second generation anti-histamines do not have a useful effect on colds.
* Get extra rest.
* Drink plenty of liquids.
* Hot water, herbal tea, chicken or tomato soup will help relieve congestion.
* Take aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen to relieve aches remembering not to give aspirin to children.
* Humidify your bedroom.
* Take hot showers to relieve nasal stuffiness and headaches due to congestion.
* If you see streaks of mucus in the back of your throat (postnasal drip), gargle with warm water to prevent a sore throat.
* Do not use handkerchiefs, use disposable tissues.
* If your nose is red and raw from tissues, put a dab of petroleum jelly on the sore area.
* Avoid cold remedies that contain a combination of drugs to treat many different symptoms. Treat each symptom separately. Take a decongestant for stuffiness, a cough medicine for a cough and so on.
* Do not use nasal decongestant sprays for more than 3 days in a row as it may lead to a "rebound" effect causing mucous membranes to become swollen.
* Avoid antihistamines as they are not an effective treatment for colds.
* Elevate your head with extra pillows to ease a dry cough.
* Do not take anyone else's prescription cough medication.
* Avoid exposure to dust, smaoke and other irritants.
When To Call A Physician (in some cases, a bacterial infection follows a viral infection and can be treated with antibiotics)
* If you develop facial pain.
* Fever of 104 or higher that does not go down after 2 hours of home treatment.
* Fever of 102 or higher for 2 full days.
* Fever of 101 or higher for 3 full days.
* Fever of 100 or higher for 4 full days.
* Fever higher than 101 with shaking chills and a productive cough.
* Labored, shallow, rapid breathing with shortness of breath.
* Sputum is yellow, green, rust-colored or bloody.
* Nasal discharge changes from clear to colored after 5 to 7 days of a cold.
* If nasal discharge is colored from the start of a cold and lasts longer than 7 days
* Cough that lingers more than 7 to 10 days after other symptoms have cleared.
The common cold belongs to the upper respiratory tract infections. It is different from influenza, a more severe viral infection of the respiratory tract that shows the additional symptoms of rapidly rising fever, chills, and body and muscle aches. While the common cold itself is hardly life threatening, its complications, such as pneumonia, can very well be.Cold occur throughout the year but are most common in late winter and early spring. There is no cure for the common cold. If you cath a cold, you must treat the symptoms as using amouthwash will not prevent a cold nor will antibiotics cure a cold. A cold usually lasts about 1 to 2 weeks is is brought on by any of a number of viruses. If a person seems to have a cold all of the time, or if symptoms last much longer than 2 weeks, suspect allergies or sinusitis.
Symptoms
* Runny nose
* Red eyes
* Sneezing
* Sore throat
* Dry cough
* Headache
* General body aches
Prevention
The best way to avoid a cold is to avoid close contact with existing sufferers, to wash hands thoroughly and regularly, and to avoid touching the face. Anti-bacterial soaps have no effect on the cold virus - it is the mechanical action of hand washing that removes the virus particles.
Because of the large variety of viruses causing the common cold, vaccination is impractical.
* Eat well.
* Get plenty of sleep.
* Exercise regularly.
* Try to avoid people with colds.
* Keep your hands away from your nose, eyes and mouth but cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
* Wash your hands often.
* Humidify your bedrooms or your whole house, if possible.
* Do not smoke.
* Home treatment for a cold will help relieve symptoms and prevent complications.
Home Treatment
There is no cure for the common cold, i.e. there is no treatment that directly fights the virus. Only the body's immune system can effectively destroy the invader. A cold may be composed of several million viral particles, and typically within a few days the body begins mass producing a better tailored antibody that can prevent the virus from infecting cells, as well as white blood cells which destroy the virus through phagocytosis and destroy infected cells to prevent further viral replication. Furthermore the duration of infection is on the order of a few days to one week so at most a "cure" could hope to reduce the duration by only a few days.
Available treatments therefore focus on relieving the symptoms.
Common treatments include: analgesics such as aspirin or acetaminophen, as well as localised versions targeting the throat (often delivered in lozenge form), nasal decongestants which reduce the inflammation in the nasal passages by constricting local blood vessels, cough suppressants (which work to suppress the cough reflex of the brain or by diluting the mucus in the lungs), and first-generation anti-histamines such as brompheniramine, chlorpheniramine, and clemastine (which reduce mucus gland secretion and thus combat blocked/runny noses but also may make the user drowsy). Second generation anti-histamines do not have a useful effect on colds.
* Get extra rest.
* Drink plenty of liquids.
* Hot water, herbal tea, chicken or tomato soup will help relieve congestion.
* Take aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen to relieve aches remembering not to give aspirin to children.
* Humidify your bedroom.
* Take hot showers to relieve nasal stuffiness and headaches due to congestion.
* If you see streaks of mucus in the back of your throat (postnasal drip), gargle with warm water to prevent a sore throat.
* Do not use handkerchiefs, use disposable tissues.
* If your nose is red and raw from tissues, put a dab of petroleum jelly on the sore area.
* Avoid cold remedies that contain a combination of drugs to treat many different symptoms. Treat each symptom separately. Take a decongestant for stuffiness, a cough medicine for a cough and so on.
* Do not use nasal decongestant sprays for more than 3 days in a row as it may lead to a "rebound" effect causing mucous membranes to become swollen.
* Avoid antihistamines as they are not an effective treatment for colds.
* Elevate your head with extra pillows to ease a dry cough.
* Do not take anyone else's prescription cough medication.
* Avoid exposure to dust, smaoke and other irritants.
When To Call A Physician (in some cases, a bacterial infection follows a viral infection and can be treated with antibiotics)
* If you develop facial pain.
* Fever of 104 or higher that does not go down after 2 hours of home treatment.
* Fever of 102 or higher for 2 full days.
* Fever of 101 or higher for 3 full days.
* Fever of 100 or higher for 4 full days.
* Fever higher than 101 with shaking chills and a productive cough.
* Labored, shallow, rapid breathing with shortness of breath.
* Sputum is yellow, green, rust-colored or bloody.
* Nasal discharge changes from clear to colored after 5 to 7 days of a cold.
* If nasal discharge is colored from the start of a cold and lasts longer than 7 days
* Cough that lingers more than 7 to 10 days after other symptoms have cleared.
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