Colds and flu (influenza) are very common infections of the upper respiratory tract. Caused by viruses, these infections are passed on by tiny droplets and hand contact and are very contagious.
Anyone can catch a cold or flu. Peak cold season is the colder winter months, not only because of the weather but because central heating dries out the normally moist nasal mucosa – an important defence against invading viruses. However, you can catch a cold at any time of the year; one particular type of cold virus thrives in the summer.
Flu rarely occurs outside November to February in the UK except for the new strains of swine flu which have caused the recent pandemic.
There are hundreds of different types of virus that can cause a cold, which is why people often suffer with repeated infections.
Flu is caused by the influenza virus. There are three major types: A (often the cause of flu epidemics), B and C. The flu virus is constantly changing its structure, so new strains appear each year. We don’t have immunity to the new strains, which is why we can catch flu repeatedly.
Symptoms of cold and flu
A cold causes a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough, mild fever and tiredness, lasting two to four days.
Flu is more severe with a high fever, chills, headache, intense muscle pains, exhaustion, loss of appetite, cough and sometimes a blocked nose and sore throat. It may last a week or more.
Contributory factors associated with colds and flu
Immunity: as with all viruses, there is no actual cure for colds or flu so prevention is by far the best way forward.
Keeping your immune system healthy is vital for preventing cold and flu viruses from making a home in your body. Recurrent colds or flu may indicate an immune system that’s not functionally optimally.
Smart Nutrition’s nutritional therapists can help you to improve your diet and ensure that you’re keeping your nutrient levels topped for maximum immunity. Smart Nutrition can also advise you on a range of specific immune-boosting foods and supplements to aid in keeping the winter sniffles at bay. Please use the button at the bottom of the page to book.
Stress: when we’re stressed, our bodies produce more of the ‘fight or flight’ chemicals, which prepare us for an emergency. This is fine in the short term as it helps us to deal with the problem in hand.
However, these stress chemicals have a few downsides, one of which is suppressing the immune system. Therefore, a prolonged stressed state can prevent the immune system from functioning optimally.
An Adrenal Stress Test can pinpoint imbalances in stress hormones and identify stress before it becomes a problem.
Smart Nutrition can also use the results to design you a specific diet, supplement and lifestyle protocol to provide support through times of high pressure. This will help to restore your inner balance and allow your immune system to do its job properly.