What is common cold?

A common cold is an infection of the upper respiratory tract; the nose and throat are normally affected. The symptoms are runny nose, sore throat, cough, watery eyes, sneezing and congestion, the villains are the more than 200 viruses which cause common cold.

The average adults have two to four times common cold in a year, but the children may have a common cold six to ten times in a year. In one or two weeks the symptoms disappear, the child feels well, if not it is better to go to the doctor immediately. The complication includes acute ear infection, wheezing, sinusitis, strep throat, pneumonia, bronchitis which the doctor must treat.

The main way of common cold infection is the spreading from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. Remember, some bacteria and viruses can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs and desks.

To stop the spread of these germs, cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, clean your hands often with soap or alcohol based hand wipes. Teach this also to your children, once they learn, they follow it always.

What is fever?

Normal body temperature varies with age, activity and time of the day and the average normal body temperature is 37 degrees C. Body temperature varies less in adults, but a woman’s menstrual cycle can elevate body temperature by 1 degree C or more. In children between 6 months to 2 years, the average variation is about 1 degree C and the difference is about 2 degrees C when they become six years old.

A rectal temperature up to 38 degrees C may be entirely normal and above 38 degrees C should be considered a fever. Fever is not a disease and it is an important part of the body’s defence against infection. Fever signals us the fight which is going on in the body against the bacteria or virus or other micro-organisms for your survival. Optimum temperature for bacteria and viruses are 37 degrees C and increasing the temperature few degrees activate the body’s immune system to make more white blood cells and antibodies to fight against.

Brain damage is possible if the fever is above 42 degrees C and untreated fever caused by infection in children go seldom above 40.5 degrees C.

The other causes of fever are including cancers, autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or toxins.

In cases where the body cannot stop the rise of temperature such as a child in a hot car or too much of exercise with less fluid intake can cause heatstroke which is very dangerous.

Can you explain me the viral infection?

A virus is a small infectious micro organism; it is much smaller than a fungus or bacterium. It needs a cell to replicate. The virus attaches to a cell, make entrance in it and releases inside the cell its DNA or RNA, takes control of the cell and forces it to replicate the virus. The infected cell dies and releases new viruses which go on to infect other cells.

Some viruses do not kill the host cells, but instead alter the functions and sometimes the infected cell loses control over normal cell division and becomes cancerous. Some viruses have their genetic material in the host cell, where it remains idle for an extended time, the so called latent infection. When the cell is disturbed, the virus may begin replicating again and causes disease.

Viruses infect usually one particular type of cell; i. e. cold viruses infect only cells of the upper respiratory tract. Some infect plants or animals, some human beings, but they commonly infect infants and children.

Viruses are spread or transmitted in several ways, some are inhaled, some swallowed and others are spread by the bites of insects and other parasites, for example, mosquitoes and ticks. The very dangerous are the infections which are spread sexually, e.g. HIV infection. Safer sex is the only alternative.

Relationship between “Early Puberty, Pregnancy and Breast Cancer”

There are no advantages of early puberty. Early puberty and first menstruation, late or no child birth and late menopause are considered the risk factors for breast cancer.

Are there any disadvantages of early puberty?

There is one very important disadvantage of early puberty. When a girl reaches puberty her breast cells undergo a rapid growth and development. It is the time when there are more undeveloped breast cells which are vulnerable to cancer-causing agents like chemicals, radiation, virus and estrogens. So when girls reach puberty earlier the risk for breast cancer also starts. To make it clear in the beginning of 20th century the first menstruation was between 16 to 18 years and now it is between 9 to 13 years.

How this risk for breast cancer could be avoided?

There are three possibilities to minimise this risk and they include:

• Avoiding early puberty
• Avoiding risks like environmental poisons, radiation, virus etc.
• Pregnancy

Avoiding early puberty: If a girl is physically very active with aerobic exercises, sports, swimming, walking, gym, bicycling, team sports like basket ball and volleyball her puberty starts later. Intake of too much of carbohydrates including rice, sweets, chips and chocolates consumption is also a main cause of early puberty. Late puberty and normal pregnancy between 20 to 25 years decrease the risk of breast cancer.

Avoiding risks like environmental poisons etc.: Pesticides and many chlorinated chemicals (xeno-estrogens) which are in our environment, food or water have low estrogenic activity which also favours early puberty. It is better to avoid these chemicals. For example, organic vegetables, fruits and whole grain foods are the best. If organic vegetables are not available, buy fresh vegetables and wash them well with enough water so that up to 30% of the pesticides residues could be removed.

Fast food, junk food and processed food must be avoided. Food containing hormones should be avoided.

An individual diet plan from an expert is important from the childhood because unfortunately many mothers know very little about the right selection of the foods. The ads in the media spoil them also.

(Read the author’s book “Food and our Health, Facts and Misconceptions” and “Environmental Poisons and Illness” from Aaron Verlag Publishers Private Ltd.)

Pregnancy: The hormones of pregnancy, particularly estriol and progesterone, make these undeveloped breast cells to mature to cell types which cannot be easily damaged and transformed into cancer cells. Late puberty and early pregnancy between 20 to 25 years can decrease the risk of breast cancer.

Phyto-estrogens (Plant-estrogens) are important to our health, the action mechanism is completely different and these are not stored in our body. But, xeno-estrogens are fat soluble and are stored in our body fat.

The rest hereditary risk is always there.