If you have Multiple Sclerosis… have you ever felt out of commission for weeks, if not months, when you have the cold, flu, UTI, or any sickness/illness/infection?! You aren’t along. Unfortunately, it is very common to have pseudo-relapses and worsened strength and balance during sickness.
Dr Hilary Jones dispels our coughing confusions
So Christmas festivities are over for another year, while all the excitement and adrenaline of New Year’s Eve is fading fast as we return to work.
And with some forecasters projecting lows of -2° C by the 19th January*, common cold season is well and truly upon us.
Research released recently by Unicough showed that 98% of adults say that they typically develop a cough following a cold or a chest infection, with 40% of people thinking they have become more prone to coughing as they’ve gotten older.
So how can you avoid falling victim to one of the 200+ viruses that can cause a cold this January? TV’s Dr Hilary Jones joins us now with Top 5 tips for staying healthy in the New Year.
Dr Hilary Jones dispels our coughing confusions
New consumer insight shows more than half (56%) of adults ‘usually’ get a cough following a cold or chest infection, with one in five (20%) ‘always’ developing one
58% of people think you need to get the right cough mixture for the type of cough
Another study debunks the myth that different coughs require different medicines – all coughs are driven by the same underlying mechanism, cough reflex hypersensitivity
Research revealed today shows that 98% of adults say that they typically develop a cough following a cold or a chest infection.
In a recent clinical trial, the largest recent study on OTC products conducted in the UK, shows that one new medicine on the market helps to reduce cough frequency and night time disruption.
While 40% of people think they have become more prone to coughing as they’ve gotten older, 44% still don’t ask their pharmacist or GP for advice when buying cough medicine.
86% of people surveyed by UNICOUGH believe there are different types of cough, with 56% thinking you need the right cough mixture for the type of cough you have.
Yet in a recent publication in the Clinical Pharmacist, Professor Morice establishes that the traditional classification of “wet” and “dry” coughs are outdated. In fact all coughs are caused by the same mechanism – cough reflex hypersensitivity.
And despite 84% of us thinking it’s important that all cough medicines have undergone clinical trials to prove their effectiveness, the experts involved in the study warn, “Much of the over-the-counter therapy currently recommended is based on custom and practice and is not supported by clinical studies of sufficient quality to meet the standards of modern evidence-based medicine”.
So what should you be using to treat your coughs during the chilly months, and beyond?
To find out more Emilee Senchyna interviewed TV’s Dr Hilary Jones
As many of you know I’m not totally wrapped in using products to fight common medical conditions such as the common cold.
Of course a huge amount of stuff that passes as alternative, complementary or natural treatments is little better than snake oil.
But food is important so with Winter coming up I thought it would be useful to remind of a foods which can help you fight the common cold. (and it is not just
How long is someone infectious after a viral infection?
[Original article on NHS Choices website]
The length of time you’re infectious for after having a viral infection depends on the type of virus involved. The infectious period often begins before you start to feel unwell or notice a rash.
The infectious periods for some common viral infections are described below.
The length of time that bronchitis is infectious varies, depending on its cause. In most cases, bronchitis is caused by the same viruses that cause the common cold or flu and you’re likely to be infectious as long as you have cold or flu symptoms.
Chickenpox is infectious from about one to two days before the rash appears until all the blisters have fully crusted or scabbed over. This is usually five to six days after the start of the rash.
The common cold is infectious from a few days before your symptoms appear until all of the symptoms are gone. Most people will be infectious for around two weeks.
Symptoms are usually worse during the first two to three days and this is when you’re most likely to spread the virus.
Flu is usually most infectious from the day your symptoms start and for a further three to seven days. Children and people with lowered immune systems may be infectious for a few days longer.
Glandular fever is infectious during the incubation period (the time between catching the virus and developing the symptoms). For glandular fever, this can be two to four weeks.
Some people have the virus in their saliva for a few months after recovering from glandular fever, and may continue to have the virus in their saliva on and off for years. However, glandular fever isn’t very infectious and the length of time people remain infectious varies considerably.
Symptoms of measles appear around 10 days after you become infected. Measles is most infectious after the first symptoms appear and before the rash develops.
First symptoms of measles include:
a high temperature
red eyes
sensitivity to light
cold-like symptoms – such as a runny nose, watery eyes, swollen eyelids and sneezing
Around two to four days later, a red-brown spotty rash develops that normally fades after about a week.
Mumps causes your salivary glands to swell. These glands are just below and in front of your ears. Mumps is most infectious from a few days before your glands swell until a few days afterwards.
Rubella is infectious for one week before the rash appears and for up to four days afterwards.
You should stay away from school or work for six days after the rash starts to avoid infecting others and try to avoid contact with pregnant women during this time.
Shingles is infectious from when the rash first appears until the last blister has scabbed over. This is usually after about 10-14 days.
Tonsillitis itself isn’t contagious but the viruses that cause it are. The length of time you’re infectious will depend on the virus. Read more on the causes of tonsillitis.
