Common Cold Mystery

Here are some commonly held mis-information about the common cold:

There is a myth that common cold enters through our nose. The reality is that studies have used volunteers where the cold virus is dropped directly into the nose. The interesting effect was that only 75% developed cold symptoms. The rest had the virus growing in the nose, but no cold.

This is a mystery. One possible theory is that some people are not able to produce extra inflamatory mediators. These are actually the chemicals produced by the body, which causes the cold symptoms. Ironically, this might imply that people with weaker immune systems, might get infected, but do not show any cold symptoms. This is opposite of those with strong immune systems, which produces the chemical in reaction to the cold virus.

Isn't this an interesting mystery?

Fever Myths

As we strive for a healthy life, children are our big concern. Many children are not able to express themselves clearly, especially when they are ill. Here are some common myths about fever that may help you:

Myth: All fevers are bad for children.
Fact: Fevers are one of the body's protective mechanisms. It is an indication that the body's immune system is kicking into action.

Myth: Fevers cause brain damage or fevers above 104°F (40°C) are dangerous.
Fact: Fevers with infections don't cause brain damage. Only body temperatures above 108°F (42.2°C) can cause brain damage. Fevers only go this high with high environmental temperatures (e.g., confined to a closed car).

Myth: Anyone can have a febrile seizure (seizures caused by fevers)
Fact: Only 4 percent of children can have a febrile seizure.


Myth: Febrile seizures are harmful.
Fact: Febrile seizures are scary to watch, but they usually stop within 5 minutes. They cause no permanent harm.

Myth: All fevers need to be treated with fever medicine.
Fact: Fevers only need to be treated if they cause discomfort. Usually fevers don't cause any discomfort until they go above 102° or 103°F (39° or 39.5°C).

Myth: Without treatment, fevers will keep going higher.
Fact: Wrong. Fevers from infection top out at 105° or 106°F (40.6° or 41.1°C), due to a thermostat in the brain.

Myth: With treatment, fevers should come down to normal.
Fact: With treatment, fevers usually come down 2° or 3°F (1° or 1.5°C).

Myth: If the fever doesn't come down (if you can't "break the fever"), the cause is serious.
Fact: Fevers that don't respond to fever medicine can be caused by viruses or bacteria. It doesn't relate to the seriousness of the infection.


Myth: If the fever is high, the cause is serious.
Fact: If your child looks very sick, the cause of the fever is serious.


Myth: The exact number of the temperature is very important.
Fact: How your child looks is what's important.

Myth: Oral temperatures 98.7° to 100°F (37.1° to 37.8°C) are low-grade fevers. Fact: Oral temperatures 98.7° to 100°F (37.1° to 37.8°C) are normal temperature variations--often peaking in the late afternoon and evening. For rectal temperatures, normal elevations are 99.5° to 100.3°F (37.5° to 37.9°C).

The above is an article found on the Texas Children's Hospital website.

Can you catch H1N1 twice?

Here is an interesting health question that would concern many people: can you catch the H1N1 bug more than once?

Usually, when you get infected with with any influenza virus, your body should develop an immunity to that particular strain. Hence, H1N1, which is a strain of influenza virus, should be no different. However, if your immune system is not fully developed (young children) or weakened, then you might contract the illness again.

Sometimes, a person appears to have contracted the illness twice. But this could be due to him or her having H1N1, then another "regular" flu.

Another reason could be because of the finicky nature of the influenza virus, which usually create "false positives" in tests. This is more likely to happen when the diagnosis is made with the rapid flu tests. More information about flu diagnosis is available at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/diagnosis/.

Generally, if you eat fruits like apples, tomatoes, oranges and so on, you can help boost your immune system and avoid many of these illnesses. Also, they are low on cholesterols and will help you maintain a healthy weight.

Wheat Allergy

Wheat contains a lot of proteins. Usually, wheat allergy is due to one or more of these proteins. This allergy is most common in young children.

What happens in wheat allergy is the body mistakenly creates an anti-body (a disease fighting agent in our blood) that is targeted at a wheat protein. There is a wide range of symptoms to wheat allergy, including hives, difficulty in breathing and nausea. Wheat allergy can also cause a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis.

Avoiding wheat is the primary treatment for wheat allergy. Medications may be necessary to manage allergic reactions when you accidentally eat wheat.

Note that wheat allergy is not the same as another disease which is an intolerance for Gluten, another specific protein found in wheat.