Colds: here’s how to avoid them

Climate facilitates viruses and bacteria

Viruses and bacteria have an easy life in this season, during which the body is more susceptible to infections, especially of the respiratory tract.

Despite being called “colds”, the typical disorders of autumn and winter are not favored by the cold per se, but by the sudden changes in temperature to which we are subjected when the climate is dancing and when we suddenly and frequently pass from the outside to air-conditioned and heated interiors.

To suffer are in particular the cells of the respiratory mucosa, responsible for defending us by implementing a mechanism called mucociliary clearence (or cleaning): the airways are covered with a layer of mucus that captures the microorganisms penetrated with the air we breathe, and which are then transported to the nose and mouth, and then expelled outwards, thanks to the movement of the cilia with which the cells of the entire respiratory mucosa are equipped.

Too cold air, or an excessively dry environment, however, are able to put this important defense weapon out of use.

So you keep them away

Dressing appropriately, perhaps in layers, and maintaining temperatures in your homes not exceeding 20-21 ° C, with a good degree of humidity, are therefore two of the most immediate and simple strategies to defend ourselves from autumn ailments.

To these we can add a healthy diet rich in vitamins, C in particular, and minerals, such as zinc: foods and supplements containing these precious substances must therefore never be missing at this time of year.

However, if you already feel the first signs of malaise, then try to rest and avoid closed and overcrowded places, where the chances of contagion increase, especially if the immune defenses are already compromised.

In fact, cooling disorders are mainly transmitted through droplets of saliva released even with a cough, a sneeze or during a simple conversation.

What to do at the first symptoms

The main culprits are viruses, and symptoms can range from colds, nasal congestion and coughs to sore throats and fever.

In these cases, to relieve malaise, it may be useful to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as those based on acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen or flurbiprofen that help fight inflammation, lowering fever and relieving headaches and muscle pain.

In case of colds, nasal decongestants may be useful, often sold in the form of a spray, while for cough the pharmacist can recommend a syrup with a sedative effect in the case of “dry” cough, or able to thin the phlegm in the case of “fat” cough.

If it is a burning throat to ruin your days, you can ask the pharmacy for a spray or tablets that relieve inflammation and difficulty swallowing.

For those who prefer to ask nature for help, propolis, thanks to its antimicrobial properties, will certainly be useful both to prevent and to treat the symptoms of these seasonal ailments: it is available in the form of tablets or syrups, often in association with other natural products, such as thyme or eucalyptus, also useful in fighting inflammatory states.

However, if the malaise and fever last for more than 2-3 days, without any sign of improvement, then contact your doctor: it is in fact possible that the culprit is not a virus, but a bacterium, which can cause complications such as otitis or bronchitis; Only in this case the doctor may decide to prescribe antibiotics, which are useless in the case of viral infections.