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<\/a>“But, why do I only notice it when I get a cold?”<\/p>\n“When you have a sinus infection,” Alice corrected again. \u00a0“A cold starts in the throat.”<\/p>\n
“I usually get a cold first in my nose and sometimes it goes down to my throat after a few days,” Zizi argued. “I thought I only need to know the difference between a cold and the flu?”<\/p>\n
“Marketing for cold medicines is designed for selling to people with colds and sinus infections. The the most famous quote ‘with proper medication you can cure a cold in 7 days, but leave it alone and it will go away in a week<\/strong><\/em>‘ – is probably a mistake. \u00a0eg. It’s about sinusitis, not colds. \u00a0Colds are caused by a virus, and normally last only 4 to 6 days. \u00a0Sinus infections last longer and can lead to a cold. Sinusitis – sinus infections are a fuzzier group of diseases – they can be caused by bacteria or a virus.”<\/p>\n “Ok, smartypants,” Zizi reacted, “what do I do? \u00a0What’s the best medicine?”<\/p>\n “I’m no doctor,” replied Alice, “I just like to study healthiness and illness. \u00a0Besides, the best plan is probably to get some rest. \u00a0Antibiotics are sometimes prescribed for a serious infection – but they are a dangerous\u00a0crap-shoot\u00a0 Also, if your infection is a virus – antibiotics won’t help at all. \u00a0Antibiotics might actually harm your overall health more than they help your illness. If it’s a bacterial infection, your body will fight it off. \u00a0If it’s a virus, truth be told, it might actually be a healing illness.”<\/p>\n “A healing illness? \u00a0OXYMORON or what.”<\/p>\n “Our medical mentality likes to study illness – and hardly understands healthiness at all. \u00a0It may be that some illnesses actually improve our healthiness. \u00a0Think of a forest. \u00a0After a long time, it can become ingrown and unhealthy. \u00a0Then a fire rages through and cleans it up – and a new, healthier forest can re-grow. \u00a0Some people believe viruses are like forest fires, attacking unhealthy cells. \u00a0Of course, fires are dangerous – and virus attacks can be dangerous too – they can weaken you leading to pneumonia or other more severe illness.”<\/p>\n “Like fires? What do you mean?” asked Alice.<\/p>\n “Well, the cells in your nasal passages and throat multiply rapidly. Over time, they might build up a lot of unhealthy or damaged cells. \u00a0The weaker\u00a0cells are vulnerable to attack by a virus. \u00a0Didn’t you ever wonder why a virus doesn’t continue to develop and kill ALL of your cells? \u00a0It can only attack the weaker cells. ”<\/p>\n “So after I have a cold, I have a higher percentage of ‘healthy cells’?” Zizi asked.<\/p>\n “That’s the theory, and, there is space for new, healthier cells to replace the old ones that were consumed by the virus. \u00a0Yes, it might be healthy to get a cold. \u00a0I don’t think anyone has really studied that question. It might be that you can only get healthy from a cold if you are unhealthy. \u00a0If you are healthy, the cold virus doesn’t affect you. It also explains why you don’t get a second cold right after you recover from a cold. There are no more unhealthy cells for a virus to attack. \u00a0It takes time to become unhealthy again. But take care, you can easily get a sinus infection. \u00a0Many people get a sinus infection immediately after having a cold, because the cold blocks up the sinuses, making a warm breeding place for bacteria.”<\/p>\n “So… maybe that’s why your colds last longer, because you get a cold and then a sinus infection afterwards?” Zizi asked.<\/p>\n “It could be, I don’t really keep track.”<\/p>\n “But I don’t get many colds,” Zizi queried, “does that mean I’m less healthy?”<\/p>\n “It’s more complicated. \u00a0You might get fewer colds because you have fewer unhealthy cells for the virus to attack. \u00a0That would also explain why your colds are milder and shorter, because you are healthier. \u00a0We don’t measure people’s ‘breathing passage tissue healthiness’, so we don’t really know.”<\/p>\n “Damn,” said Zizi, “my nose hurts, and now my head hurts too….”<\/p>\n “Damn,” exclaimed Zizi, “My nose feels like someone is stabbing me. \u00a0I’m getting a cold. \u00a0 I hate that, there’s nothing I can do. And to top it off, the weekend is coming – I’d rather have my cold during … Continue reading <\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"