I`ve only just come across this thread, but thought i`d share with you a very interesting conversation I had with a paramedic about 4 years ago. We were talking about why it is you generally get colds/flu only in the winter. He said that when it`s cold we as people tend to over heat our houses, cars, offices etc and also wear to many clothes and create a warm, woist atmosphere which is a perfect breeding ground for bugs. In summer we drive with the windows down and have better ventilation at home and wear far less clothes. He suggested wearing/heating the least you can tolerate and ensuring proper ventilation in winter. It made sense so I tried it and have only had 1 or 2 colds since (in 4 years). I used to suffer far more.
Glenn, yes actually there is a correlation gum disease is linked to heart disease research seems to suggest that increased antibiotic usage decreases those bacteria that cause gum disease, thesebacteria are also linked to heart disease, increased resistance is linked to misuse but i think that this country is following the wrong line of logic.
I've been boosting my pretty lousy immune system with double the recommended dose of vitamin C and taking echinacea too for the last few weeks. I've been juicing daily, eating my 5 fruit & veg, having regular rest days & seeing a reflexologist monthly to try and remain healthy. I caught a cold, recovered far more quickly than usual (apparently), left it a few days than did a slow, short run yesterday. This afternoon the sniffs returned and I can feel the beginnings of a cough. This happened all through last winter and I only ran in fits and starts for months. I want to run the marathon in April but don't know what else I can do to stay healthy.
When folks are desperate, they will try anything that may help. Unfortunately, quacks do jump on the bandwagon and make a lot of money out of it. I've been very sceptical of alternative/complementary therapies in the past, but when you're in dire straits, you'll try 'em.
lady of kent you sound as pd off as me! I've really been looking after myself these last few months but it seems to have made no difference. Unfortunately I work with small children - so there's always plenty of bugs around me! But I am desperate so will try the essential oils, the nutritionist and any other pearls of wisdom that come my way! I usually play hockey as well as run but I've also got tennis elbow so can't do either!
9 days have passed, I've run 3 times but the day after each run I have felt rough and back to square one. I now feel rougher than I did to start with! I've overdosed on Vit C but only ended up with skin rashes! This is my first cold since the summer but it looks like it will only take one to finish my hopes of running the marathon, and any other races during the next 6 months!
Just caught up with this, having read another article on the website about how to avoid colds and flu, which says there is no evidence that zinc or echinacea make any difference to your immune system! I guess we all have to make up our own minds, but I hope the magazine guards against people who overclaim for particular remedies.
Odd thread this, but I'm gonna add my tuppence . . . .
Antibiotics aren't given for viral illnesses like flu . . . . only for bacterial infections that may not get better on their own. However, historically some viral infections then weakened the immune system so that bacterial infections got their chance, causing potentially serious infections . . . like rheumatic fever - which does lead to heart disease in later life!
Ordinary, hum drum medics I don't think are actually that interested in viral infections - after all, the get better on their own, generally.
And to give western medicine some credit, it is doing fairly well against cancer, HIV can generally be stopped from developing into AIDS, its trying hard with alzheimer's and parkinson's and type 1 diabetes is no longer a fatal illness - to mention just a few, of the top of my head.
Comments
There is a lot of evidence suggesting echinacea works to boost the immune system and wards off colds.
avoid tubes/packed trains
avoid young kids
avoid air conditioning systems
don't touch door handles
etc
in other words not really possible to avoid it without missing out on most things involved in life and turning into hermit
it's a pain in the a***
i have a cold at the mo
but i have had great success with echinacea and this is my first cold this year
sorry meant to say am sympathetic..
probably did not sound it !
(i am really pd off myself with this heavy cold/sore throat cause only just got back to running after layoff due to calf tear)
< cough cough cough >
When folks are desperate, they will try anything that may help. Unfortunately, quacks do jump on the bandwagon and make a lot of money out of it. I've been very sceptical of alternative/complementary therapies in the past, but when you're in dire straits, you'll try 'em.
you sound as pd off as me! I've really been looking after myself these last few months but it seems to have made no difference. Unfortunately I work with small children - so there's always plenty of bugs around me!
But I am desperate so will try the essential oils, the nutritionist and any other pearls of wisdom that come my way! I usually play hockey as well as run but I've also got tennis elbow so can't do either!
I have used it in the past with good results I tend to take when I first feel a cold coming and keep taking for a week.
I took my last one, last Wednesday when I thought I was getting a cold it stopped it and I ran the l1310k on Sunday in a reasonable time (for me).
By the way the cold arrived on Monday but is neally gone.
I will have to go and get some more next time I am in ASDA.
I also think not all these remidies work for all people.
Hope this may be of use
BigNige
This is my first cold since the summer but it looks like it will only take one to finish my hopes of running the marathon, and any other races during the next 6 months!
Erm, yes. It says that his kids were lucky enough to never have caught meningitis or septicemia. Well, isn't that nice for him.
Odd thread this, but I'm gonna add my tuppence . . . .
Antibiotics aren't given for viral illnesses like flu . . . . only for bacterial infections that may not get better on their own. However, historically some viral infections then weakened the immune system so that bacterial infections got their chance, causing potentially serious infections . . . like rheumatic fever - which does lead to heart disease in later life!
Ordinary, hum drum medics I don't think are actually that interested in viral infections - after all, the get better on their own, generally.
And to give western medicine some credit, it is doing fairly well against cancer, HIV can generally be stopped from developing into AIDS, its trying hard with alzheimer's and parkinson's and type 1 diabetes is no longer a fatal illness - to mention just a few, of the top of my head.