Show Do Talk s r l B B. B REMBERT MD M.D. D. D fr J Ji i This This is the season of oC the thc year cal literally m mill millions i 11 i ion o n s of parsons persons per par r- r sons are arc under the weather with ith the common cold more ore I specifically acute The common cold yearly causes more loss of oC time from tram industry industry indus try and consequently loss Joss of or employee pay and production of goods than any anyone one other oilier disease disease dis ease case affecting man Just what causes causes the common cold in man is a n difficult question question ques ques- tion lion to explain but the early invader in the body appears tobe to tobe tobe be filterable a virus irus this this invader invader in vader ader confining its activities to io th the early stages of or the disease Just how the invading virus I brings on the cold Is s purely guess work guess Nark but it is felt that the virus passes through the mucous membrane of the nose and affects the nature of the nasal secretions It is b believed b by most investigators that the bacteria usually associated with the diseases of the upper respirator respiratory res res- tract have nothing to todo todo todo do with the onset of the attacks It is gener generally believed that the foremost factor actor in predisposing predisposing predis predis- posing a person to a cold is the individuals individual's failure to adjust himself to sudden changes of temperature Some other fac fore factors factors tors are mental and physical fatigue gastrointestinal disturb ances antes lack of ot sleep excesses o of oC all types and allergies Chilling of the body appears to be a necessary prerequisite for or the development de of a cold being cold does not otter offer the virus the necessary environ environments environments ments menu to produce the disease This is the point that parents can watch closely in children children- do not overdress a child and send him out to play with resulting re re- suIting elevation in the body temperature and perspiring the child then removes a hea heavy cap or jacket and the damp body then becomes chilled This c chi h i U lJ i n g causes abnormal ch changes in the mucous membrane membrane mem mem- brane of oI the nose and the normal normal nor nor- mal mat b body d defense to Co the invading in wading virus is weakened and the virus has a strong foothold and will stay around for awhile T The e early s symptoms of a cold are aro dryness o of the mem- mem branes of the nose and throat sneezing and chilliness congestive congestive i tive five headache and pain in the nasal passages Lou Low grade temperature tem tern ternI I is usually present and general malaise and body toxicity tox tax taxI I lefty is present The acute cold may last for only a few Cew hours to a n few days If Il the cold persists longer lon than n few Cew days then complications in the upp upper r or lower respiratory tory Cory tract have developed this being due to the secondary bacterial bacterial bac bore serial invaders becoming entrenched entrenched en trenched because because of lowered tissue resistance In the next column we will tell some o of the suggested ways as for preventing enting colds |