1. WHAT IS COMMON COLD? It is an illness caused by a virus infection inside the nose. It also involves the ears, sinus and bronchial tubes COMMON SYMPTOMS  Sneezing  Running or blocked nose  Sore throat  Cough  Headache, Chill  Feverishness  General weakness The cold virus enters through the nose and is carried to the adenoid area where it attaches itself to cells 5 SIMPLE THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE A COLD A cold virus is deposited in front of the nasal passage through droplets or through contaminated hands Drink lots of water and juices to loosen the phlegm and also to avoid dehydration Get lots of rest and sleep Always cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing so that you don’t spread the virus. Always use a clean dry piece of cloth to wipe your nose. Do not share food or drinks with other people. This will help reduce the spread of germs. Always wash your hands after you wipe your nose or after sneezing or coughing and before you eat food.

2. COMMON MYTHS ABOUT COMMON COLD GETTING WET IN THE RAIN OR BECOMING COLD WILL CAUSE COLD DRINKING MILK INCREASES THE MUCUS AND PHLEGM DURING A COLD STARVE A FEVER, FEED A COLD OR FEED A FEVER AND STARVE A COLD EATING BANANA CAN INCREASE COLD – NOT SURE IF THIS IS A POPULAR MYTH Oh it’s raining! Now I will surely catch a cold THE TRUTH Cold virus is passed from one person to another due to contact. In rainy season people spend a lot of time indoors and are in close contact with each other which increases the chance of cold. So the rain doesn’t cause cold! THE TRUTH Milk only looks like the mucus! But it gets digested like any other protein. So there is no increase in mucus because of milk To eat or not to eat is the big question? THE TRUTH Eat normal, healthy food. Neither starve nor eat too much. Drink lots of water and if possible fruit juices THE TRUTH Not sure about this one!!!!

3. WHAT IS COUGH? Coughing is the body’s way of cleaning the breathing system and getting rid of phlegm or other germs in throat or lungs. Cough by itself is not a sickness and usually indicates an illness in some other part. DRY COUGH This is the most common type of cough and usually produces little or no phlegm. It is usually due to cold or flu. COUGH with PHLEGM This results when there is mucus in the lungs. The mucus is cleared from the lungs when coughing the phlegm out. 1 part honey + 1 part lemon juice is the best cough syrup for dry cough. Take a teaspoonful every 2 to 3 hours Picture of someone breathing hot vapors Things to do to loosen the phlegm. 1)Drink lots of water as it loosens the mucus 2)Sit on a chair with a bucket of hot water at your feet. Place a sheet over your head and breathe the hot vapors for 15 minutes. Repeat several times a day DO NOT SMOKE Not smoking is the best way to prevent, cure or calm a cough COUGH THAT NEEDS SPECIAL ATTENTION – TALK TO YOUR HEALTH WORKER 1.Cough with wheezing – usually asthma or bronchitis 2.Coughing up blood, pus or smelly phlegm – TB or Pneumonia 3.Persistent cough that lasts several days or weeks – TB, bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma FOR A SORE THROAT Add ¼ teaspoon of salt to warm water and gargle frequently. It provides relief to a sore throat