Form of words:
aAs we return to pre-lockdown levels of social mixing, winters are starting to become very common. there is a tiktok video gone viral Just one in a long line of claimed remedies, or cures, involves placing garlic over your nose as a cold cure.
We asked two experts to examine some common misconceptions about colds.
1. Can you catch a cold if you have a cold?
Colds become more common during the winter season. Like other upper respiratory tract infections (in the nose, throat, and trachea), they are normally caused by a virus. There may be some truth to the idea that getting a cold can give you a cold, because as the temperature changes it can change the lining of our throats and trachea, which probably Make it easier for viruses to infect cells. However, the main reason we get colder in winter is to spend more time inside, closer to other people – the perfect environment for transmitting viruses.
2. Does sticking garlic on the nose help?
The TikTok trend involves placing garlic buds over your nose as it claims to act as a decongestant. Sticking something on your nose blocks the flow of mucus, so when it’s removed, the flow begins and the mucus drips or even leaks out of your nose. Mucus not only helps trap and remove pathogens, including viruses, but it also contains antibodies and can how to reduce There are infectious and spreadable viruses. So it’s not a good idea.
Garlic contains a variety of compounds that can irritate the nose, and remember that sticking anything on your nose is never a good idea. This can damage the lining and cause bleeding or even entrapment. So it doesn’t really help and can be harmful.
read also: How the common cold can protect you from coronavirus
3. Can Herbal Remedies Prevent Colds?
Various herbal remedies claim to either prevent or accelerate recovery from a cold. people often Mention Echinacea, a family of plants that grow in North America. Some trials have suggested a small preventive effect, but evidence does not show a statistically significant reduction in disease levels. Turmeric is also known as a preventive medicine, but there is no strong evidence of its effectiveness.
4. Can Vitamin C Help?
Nobel Prize winning scientist Linus Pauling suggested that vitamin C in high doses may be an effective treatment for several viral infections. but one cochrane review, a very robust system in which the researchers assessed the evidence, found that vitamin C was not cold protection, but in some people their duration may be shorter. Since a dose of about 200 mg of vitamin C per day is considered low risk, some suggest that this is a reasonable strategy for reducing the effects of a cold.
5. Does Vitamin D Prevent Colds?
Vitamin D has been linked to a reduced risk of everything from heart disease and diabetes to viruses, from being the sunshine vitamin associated with healthy bones. This includes a great deal of interest in vitamin D as a way to help us fight the flu and more recently, COVID-19.
laboratory experiment show that vitamin D is important in supporting immunity and that it is important in fighting viruses. The problem may be that some people have insufficient levels of vitamin D. Sunlight allows us to make our own vitamin D – but less so in winter. So it’s likely that taking vitamin D supplements as advised UK government is wise in winter so that you get enough, and this can help Protects you from cold and flu.
6. What about Chicken Soup?
Chicken soup has been used for centuries to treat colds, and like honey It may have some benefit in managing symptoms. But it is unlikely to have a major effect on driving away the infection. The water in the soup will help with hydration, which is a often a problem When we have winter Like most hot drinks, it can help relieve painful sinuses. There are studies looking at the effect on our immune system cells, but the evidence for these is far from conclusive.
Unfortunately, there is no miracle cure for the common cold. Some tips can be helpful, and are generally not harmful, such as getting enough vitamins C and D. But others are definitely not worth trying and can be risky, such as putting garlic in your nose. The best thing to do is to get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
Duane Melor, Lead for Evidence-Based Medicine and Nutrition, Aston Medical School, Aston University And james brown, associate professor in biology and biomedical sciences, Aston University
This article is republished from Conversation Under Creative Commons license. read the original article.
read also: Nature wants you to die every time you breathe in a cocktail of pathogens. yet you don’t get sick
subscribe our channel youtube And Wire
Why is the news media in crisis and how can you fix it?
India needs free, unbiased, non-hyphenated and questionable journalism even more as it is facing many crises.
But the news media itself is in trouble. There have been brutal layoffs and pay-cuts. The best of journalism are shrinking, yielding to raw prime-time spectacle.
ThePrint has the best young journalists, columnists and editors to work for it. Smart and thinking people like you will have to pay a price to maintain this quality of journalism. Whether you live in India or abroad, you can Here.