The symptoms are quite familiar
and very likely you'll come up with a correct diagnosis.
Yes it looks like a cold a common cold runny nose headache a Kingis very often a
slight fever. Those are some of the symptoms of the common cold.
Well how do we get into
that on a happy state have cold simply because of cold because of ice or snow
and low temperature no funny thing about cold.
Where is coldest the inhabitants hardly ever get colds explorers tell us
that Eskimos are cold free.
And if they come in contact with visitors from outside their frozen world.
Then if it is not just cold weather.
What is it that causes so many of us to catch cold.
Scientists think
that most colds are caused by extremely small microorganisms called viruses
viruses.
And there are many different kinds of them can be scattered with each particle of
saliva and mucus when one sneezes or coughs for it
but do not think for a moment
that cold producing viruses are spread only by sneezing and coughing.
If by some magic
that tiny particles of saliva mucus could be made visible as a black smudge we
quickly would realize and how many other ways we are apt to scatter.
Act eerie and viruses all around us.
For instance again here have a close look at
that Smudge look at those germs the leaves on the door knob
and here's Bob's hand picking them up.
Bob His hands are covered with germs picked up from
that door knob transfers them to a book to having a bad habit of wetting her finger
to turn pages carries the germs from the book to her mouth
and then passes them along with a pencil to an man carries
them home and leaves them on the family's dinner table.
Yes Even during an ordinary conversation saliva
and mucus particles escape our mouth
and easily reach others who inhale them as they breed.
Just remember how breath becomes visible on a cold day.
How then with so many germs surrounding us can we avoid having colds all the time.
Well fortunately our body has defenses against this enemy.
Normally we breathe through our nose.
The nose as well as the sinuses the eustachian tube and the throat.
I lined with a delicate membrane if under a microscope you look at the lining of
the nose. We call it the nasal membrane you can see
that it is covered with tiny moving threads.
These are called cilia they move back and forth like stocks of grain
when a wind blows over a field.
The sillier are covered with a warm moist sticky substance called mucus the
nose. Usually secrete about a quart of this liquid every twenty four hours.
This mucus by warming and moistening the air we breathe in.
Prepares it for our lungs the mucus also catches and destroys microorganisms
that is. Bacteria
and viruses the movement of the cilia carries the mucus down to the pharynx
then it is coughed out or swallowed into the stomach
or any remaining microorganisms are destroyed by the jest of juices.
If these defenses are weakened the cold virus will gain a foothold
and cause the informations which so often are associated with the common cold the
common cold is not a serious sickness
but still Medical science has yet has not found a cure for it.
R.I.A.'s there are remedies galore all sorts of medications which soothe pain
and headaches and so bring some relief.
However they do not cure colds
and no matter how convincingly they may be advertised do not use them without
having to check with your doctor but there is a sound prescription.
If you have a cold.
Don't stay in school because if you do you may send others home with your cold.
If you have a cold stay home stay in bed.
This is the prescription which common sense
and medical science recommend medicines.
But only those your doctor prescribes know others warm rest which you can get
best when you stay in bed
and while you're there you might as well make the best of it
right. Use tissues instead of handkerchief that way.
Dispose of the germs much better than when you blow them into a handkerchief.
However to do not feel better in a couple of days or if you keep on having a fever.
You should ask your parents to call a doctor if you see what you think is a simple
cold could really be the first symptoms of some other disease such as measles
infant paralysis. Diphtheria. Moving cough.
Scarlet fever. Influenza and others.
However even if your illness proves to be only a simple cold.
It is still important
that you take care of it a cold which is not treated my very well back up along the
mucous membrane. And so invade the sinuses the cavities in the bones of the face
and the skull or the infection may reach the middle ears
when it invades the eustachian tube which connects the middle ears with the throat.
Frequently the inflammation also traveled down the respiratory tract to the pharynx.
The larynx and the trachea your throat feels sore and your voice is husky.
It travels to the Bronco. You have a bad cough.
And occasionally even to the lungs. And that is pneumonia.
These are painful complications.
And they often take a long time to clear up the best defense against the common
cold in all these other diseases is to keep up the body's natural resistance to do
so you must eat regularly and well balanced meals
that is meat vegetables fruit milk and so on.
Get lots of exercise and fresh air. But do not exhaust yourself. In cold weather.
You must wear sensible clothing to provide proper warmth to remain healthy.
Go to bed at a reasonable hour while you grow.
You need about ten hours of sleep each night sleep three charges the body's
energies protect yourself against infection keep pencils
and other things out of your mouth.
Never take bites of other people's food do not use somebody else's drinking straw
or glass not even within your own family.
In the bathroom for instance use only your glass
and wash your hands frequently and thoroughly especially before eating
when you wash your hands you wash away many of the disease carrying Smudge is you
may have picked up.
But if in spite of all these precautions you still come down with a cold.
Let us repeat take it to bed
and stay there until it has run its course this is the safest way to regain your
health
and to return as quickly as possible to work to fun
and to play.