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.

Milk Allergy

It is ironic, but here is an allergy that is most common in children - milk allergy

Usually, when we talk about milk allergies, it refers to cow's milk. However, milk from sheep, goats and buffalo also can also cause a reaction. Unfortunately, some children who are allergic to cow's milk are allergic to soy milk too. This is unfortunate because soy-milk is the de-facto replacement for cow's milk in many instances.

A milk allergy usually occurs a few minutes to a few hours after you consume milk. Signs and symptoms of milk allergy range from mild to severe and can include wheezing, vomiting, hives and digestive problems. Rarely, milk allergy can cause anaphylaxis — a severe, life-threatening reaction.

Avoidance is the primary treatment for milk allergy. Fortunately, most children outgrow a milk allergy by age 3.

Soy Allergy

Here is an allergy that is the gastronomical opposite to milk allergy. Usually, milk allergies are more common in infants and they are then put onto a soy-based diet.

Soy is a product made from soybeans. It is a very healthy food, rich in proteins and minerals. Fortunately, most children will outgrow any soy allergies when they get older. Usually, soy allergy starts when infants are placed on soy-based formulas.

In most cases signs and symptoms of soy allergy are mild. It is very rare for soy allergy to cause a life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). If your soy allergy persists into adulthood, you will have to learn as much as you can about soy and avoid foods that contain soy.

If you or your child has a reaction to soy, tell your doctor about it, no matter how mild the reaction may have been. Tests can help confirm a soy allergy, so you can take steps to avoid future and potentially worse reactions.

Shellfish Allergy

One of the most common allergy is shellfish allergy. The problem is this: sometimes, when shellfish is not fresh, it can cause symptoms similar to some of the allergies.

The interesting thing about shellfish allergy is that you can have allergic reactions to all shellfish, or only a selected few. For example, some people are allergic to crab and are perfectly fine with lobster and prawns. Yet others cannot take oyster, but have no problems with octopus and squid.

As in all food allergies, reactions can range from mild to severe. Itchiness, rashes, and even anaphylaxis which is life-threatening. Many people have swelling around their faces when they consume shellfish to which they are allergic.

If you think you have a shellfish allergy, ask your doctor to do some tests. You need to know for sure so that you can  take steps to avoid future reactions.

Generally, shellfish are very high in cholesterol and rich in minerals. There are many alternative foods that can give you the minerals, without the allergy reactions.