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6 Myths About Flu

What do you know about flu?

By Selina RyanPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
6 Myths About Flu
Photo by Brittany Colette on Unsplash

With the cold season came the sudden temperature drops. The big differences from one day to the next and even between certain parts of the day, make it difficult for you to dress properly and it is often too hot or too cold. This way it's pretty easy to feel like you're about to catch a cold. There are several myths about colds that you should better understand so as not to create confusion.

The first thing you need to do is figure out if it's just a cold or the flu. If the cold can be caused by about 200 viruses, which do not endanger life, the flu is caused by one, but the body can be severely affected by it, which is why, in the case of those predisposed, there is the problem of vaccination.

What you need to do next is treat yourself, but it is said that the best treatment is prevention. How can you avoid getting sick? It's simple, you get information from reliable sources because all kinds of more or less true information circulate in the people. Some of the most popular myths are:

Chicken Soup

A bowl of soup can help you fight the cold. Some research suggests that soup may be good for relieving inflammation, but in fact, tea and other hot liquids also provide a temporary feeling of well-being.

In the case of colds, it is more important to consume as much water as possible, because it helps to eliminate the infection from the body and to release the sinuses and airways.

Going out with wet hair

As mentioned earlier, colds and flu are also caused by viruses, so going out with wet hair cannot trigger these conditions.

However, improper clothing or a diet low in vitamins can help weaken the immune system, and so seriously tested by the presence of the virus. That's why it happens that the symptoms worsen in the background of going out with wet hair and eating ice cream in winter, but they do not in themselves trigger the disease.

The cold can turn into the flu

It is said that if left untreated, the cold can worsen and even turn into the flu. It is a misconception, and the answer is that the viruses responsible for the two types of diseases are different, even if both act on the respiratory system.

The flu has severe symptoms, with pain throughout the body, severe fatigue, and fever, while the cold is more characterized by a stuffy nose.

You need to avoid physical activity

Conversely, the more physical activity you do when you have a cold, the better. But you have to make sure that if you go to the gym, you sanitize your appliances and wash your hands often, so as not to pass on germs.

If you do not feel able to do sports, you do not have to force the note. It is important to listen to your body because it knows best what it needs. You can make a few moves at home to die.

You have to put your hand to your mouth when you sneeze

Nothing could be further from the truth. By putting your hand to your mouth, you partially block the transmission of the virus to others, but if after sneezing, you put your hand on the bar in the tram or on any other object then used by someone else, your gesture is in vain.

When it comes to sneezing, instead of using your palms, it is advisable to use your arm to protect others.

A cold can be cured in a day

There are people who believe that if they take different pills, they will be able to cure a cold in one day.

But this is a dangerous myth. The body needs time to recover, and if you take medications that only relieve the symptoms, they affect the heart and the consequences can be really serious. You should also be careful with medicines that contain paracetamol: an overdose can lead to liver failure.

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