Viruses are tricky with a large family. These things are spread so easily from one person to the next, and often by the time the last person is well, a new germ-invader has come into our family. A few years ago, we had such a rough winter, that I think we only had one week during the entire season when everyone was healthy at the same time. It was about this time that I started to become obsessive-compulsive more diligent about preventing these viruses from making an appearance in our household. Here are some tactics that we've used to fight these nasty intruders:

1. Wash hands obsessively often.
2. No drinking from water fountains.
3. Use hand sanitizer. Personally, I like Zero Plus Hand Sanitizer and haven't bought any other brand in several years. From the research I've looked at, most sanitizers have two problems. One, the high alcohol content dries out hands, and two, the sanitizers only kill germs that are present at the time of application. Zero Plus claims that their sanitizer has very little alcohol and instead works with something called amosilk. Supposedly, it kills not only the present germs, but forms a barrier against germs you come in contact with for up to 60 hours afterward. I don't know about all that, but I've been pretty happy with it. They also sell little purse-sized bottles of it. As for us, we keep one bottle in the house, and another in the van. During the Autumn and Winter months, we spray it before and after we go anywhere.
4. Keep up good nutrition. Sugar feeds germs, but a healthy body is better able to fight against them.
5. Lemons and oranges. Do a google search on the health benefits of lemons. The high vitamin C content is great for fighting against germs. We squeeze fresh lemon juice in the water, on our salads... one of our sons eats whole slices of them, rind and all (Blech!) Likewise, we eat oranges with our lunch frequently during the winter.
6. Go outside every day. Winter days can be very cold here in Pennsylvania, but even then we try to get out at least a few minutes for some fresh air and sunlight.
7. We occasionally open the windows in the house to get fresh air circulating inside the house. To keep it from getting too cold, I only do this in a few rooms at a time, and I don't keep them open very long.
8. At the doctor's office, avoid the toys. Sick children go to doctors' offices, and we don't need to bring home anything new. It's hard to keep the youngest kids away, but older kids can bring their own book or toy with them to avoid playing with the toys at doctor's offices. If any of the kids do touch the toys, or by chance, unexplainably lie down on the floor (done that), then we change their clothes when we get home. Also, everyone washes their hands before leaving the office or as soon as they get home.

That's about it for us. We tried the flu shots a few years ago, but this did not seem to make any difference in how often our kids got sick.

So what about you? What tips and tricks have you found that help to fight the common cold and flu?

Francesca Chang

Instructor: Jason Arenstein

70891 & English 1000C

Revised Cover Note for Essay 1

Something that was very important to the revision of my essay was going to the writing center. I’m very glad that Professor Arenstein assigned that as part of our grade because if I was never introduced to the center, I don’t think I would’ve ever gone. The person who helped me to make my essay better was extremely helpful. She told me to read my essay out loud to her at first. As I read it, she took down notes then we went through each paragraph to see how we could make it the best possible. As we were editing the paper, she made sure she covered the parts that the professor didn’t understand or like. One difficult part of this essay revision was remembering what bacteria, antigens and viruses had to do with each other. I tried my best to describe them in my own words without researching what each topic was. I gave a brief view of each topic so that the reader would be able to understand how they each played a role within the Rhinovirus. For the most part, I’ve learned a lot about the common cold from ROC1, and Essay 1. This journey has been extremely enjoyable instead of writing about a topic a professor assigned that has no interest to us.

Francesca Chang

Instructor: Jason Arenstein

70891 & English 1000C

Revised Outline for Essay 1

Will the Rhinovirus be the Key In Finding a Medication Pharmacists?

I. Introduction

1. Semester Inquiry Question: Will there be medications or vaccines to prevent the common cold in the near future?

2. Object text: Rhinovirus

3. Essay 1 Inquiry Question: How can the Rhinovirus help pharmacists determine whether or not it’s possible to develop a medication to treat the Common Cold?

4. Given statistics from past researchers about the Common Cold

5. Annual visits to doctors

6. The Rhinovirus will take a part in the discovery of whether or not there will be any medications because the antigens, bacteria and viruses within the virus will allow Pharmacists or Pharmaceutical researchers see if it’s even possible to have preventatives for the common cold.

II. Body 1

1. Introduction information –Rhinovirus

2. What it does to the human body

3. Side effects of the virus

III. Body 2

1. The first prescribed common cold medication

2. Interferon-alpha

3. Side effects of Interferon-alpha

4. Survey done by the Public Health Advisory about Antibiotics

5. Concluded: Antibiotics should not be an ingredient within making the medication or vaccine to prevent the common cold if there were to be one.

IV. Body 3

1. Bacteria

2. Antigens and Antibodies

3. Virus

V. Body 4

1. Histamines

2. Infections

3. Weak immune systems

VI. Body 5

1. No medications or vaccines to cure cold

2. No development of vaccine because there are too many viruses

3. Each virus contains antigens

VII. Conclusion

1. Rhinovirus helped Pharmacists to determine that there probably won’t be any preventatives

2. Pharmacists in pursuit of a medication for the common cold must find a way to treat the antigens, bacteria, and viruses of the Rhinovirus if a cure is to be found.

Francesca Chang

Instructor: Jason Arenstein

70891 & English 1000C

Revised Essay 1

Will the Rhinovirus be the Key In Finding a Medication for Pharmacists?

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, over sixty-two million cases of the common cold require medical attention every year. These statistics only cover the United States and only serious cases are included in this number. Can you image how many cases aren’t reported? The common cold leads to more than 100 million physician visits annually. There is a cost of $7.7 billion a year with an additional $4 billion in medical expenses due to these visits. There are no current medications to treat the common cold, which this may be due to the fact that is it caused by more than 200 different respiratory viruses. The most common virus is called the Rhinovirus. The Rhinovirus will take a part in the discovery of whether or not there will be any medications because the antigens, bacteria and viruses within the virus will allow Pharmacists or Pharmaceutical researchers see if it’s even possible to have preventatives for the common cold.

The Rhinovirus is estimated to cause 30%-35% of all adult colds which mostly happen in the Fall, Spring and Summer. This deadly virus grows best at temperatures around 91 degrees Fahrenheit which is also known as the temperature of the human nasal mucosa. The Rhinovirus penetrates the mucous blanket of the nasal epithelium (your nose) and it attaches in the inner tissues of your nose. This is only the beginning of your deadly cold journey of a full garbage with germ filled tissues and empty cabinets without soup. As the Rhinovirus slowly crawls up into your nasal tissues, it damages the cells and releases bradykinin and cytokines which result in tissue inflammation in your nose, sneezing, and a stuffy nose. These mediators will stick to your tissues and cells resulting in infections happening as fast as 15 minutes.

An antigen is a substance that prompts antibodies to cause immune responses. Antibodies are proteins that are found in your blood or any bodily fluids of the vertebrates. They are used by the immune system to identify foreign objects such as bacteria or viruses. Bacteria is assessable everywhere you go. They are vital in recycling nutrients within each human. There are about ten times more bacterial cells than human cells in the body. Bacteria can grow at a fixed size and they are asexual. This means that even if there’s only one cell, they are able to multiply. They grow extremely rapidly and can double as quickly as every 9.8 minutes. A virus is a sub-microscopic infectious agent that is unable to grow or reproduce outside a host cell. That means, it isn’t asexual and it needs a bigger cell to grow in. The center of a virus cell is unclear and pieces of the DNA are evolved from bacteria. Viruses spread extremely fast. Antigens, bacteria and viruses are found within in the Rhinovirus itself.

About 10 years ago, the first prescribed common cold medication to fight this sickness was developed. This was the first and only medication prescribed by a physician to treat the common cold. All other drugs such as Ephedrine and Loratadine had to be bought over the counter. This drug was called the Interferon-alpha. It was prescribed to treat the common cold by daily doses of nasal spray which would fight the infection and viruses already in your system. The only problem with this prescription drug was the side effects. They were so bad that it caused nosebleeds, headaches and fatigue. It was finally taken off the market within five months of releasing it. According to a study in October 2007 made by the public health advisory, over 87% of people think are used for bacterial complications to completely kill viruses such as an ear infection but, that is a myth. Antibiotics don’t only just kill the “bad germs” but at the same time, they kill off the “good ones” too. This information, this gives Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical researchers a lead for future medications because this shows that antibiotics shouldn’t be an ingredient because it wouldn’t help to prevent patients from viruses such as the Rhinovirus.

People with colds are contagious during the first two to four days of the infection. Colds can be passed from person to person in several ways. After an infected person sneezes or even speaks, tiny fluid droplets containing the Rhinovirus are expelled. As stated before, once you’re infected, the virus attaches itself to the nasal passage and it causes the infected cells to release a chemical fluid called histamine. Histamine then increases the blood flow to the infected cells which causes the swelling, congestion and increased mucus production. There are no diagnoses to detect the common cold but only by a person’s symptoms. The common cold makes people more susceptible to bacterial infections such as strep throat, middle ear infections and sinus infections. People who have chronic lung disease, diabetes or a weak immune system should consult their doctor instead of trying to fight off the cold by themselves because it may lead to further complications. These complications, along with the viruses in ability to be diagnosed without symptoms has brought the most efficient way to control or prevent the common cold would be to vaccinate everyone against it. This approach has worked for many other conditions but it will not work for the common cold.

The prevention of the cold has become beyond the realm of possibilities. There are numerous strains of antigens, bacteria and viruses that cause the common cold which was stated earlier. Each virus carries its own specific antigens. Also, it’s nearly impossible to prevent colds because the components that cause the cold are common and highly infectious. The first thing pharmaceutical companies need to do, is to learn how to combine many viral antigens into one vaccine.

Therefore the Rhinovirus helps pharmacists determine that there will probably not be any preventatives against the common cold in this generation. Through research, it is evident that antibiotics aren’t going to help the prevention because it will kill off the “good” and “bad” germs. This may be a negative effect for your body because when you’re ill, your immune system is already low and it needs as many of the “good” germs as possible. Also, if you’re an elder or someone who has a weak immune system, it’s important to take preventatives because the common cold can lead to a deadly disease if it’s not treated properly. The Rhinovirus is the most common virus within common colds but there are more deadly viruses. Pharmacists in pursuit of a medication for the common cold must find a way to treat the antigens, bacteria, and viruses of the Rhinovirus if a cure is to be found.

Francesca Chang

Instructor: Jason Arenstein

70891 & English 1000C

Revised Work Cited for Essay 1

Davidson, Tish. "Common Cold." Health A to Z. 14 Aug. 2006. Gale of Medicine. 13 Sept. 2008 <http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?requesturi=/healthatoz/atoz/ency/common_cold.jsp>.

Hershonson, Marc B. "Rhinovirus Infections." American Journalof Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2006. University of Massachussets. 13 Sept. 2008 <http://ajrccm.atsjournals.or/g/cgi/content/full/17412/1284>.

Immunology Bookcase. 13 Mar. 2008. Dalhousie university. 23 Sept. 2008 <http://http://pim.medicine.dal.ca/atg.htm>.

]]> http://justpazz.wordpress.com/?p=279 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:34:31 +0000 Pazz http://justpazz.pl.wordpress.com/2008/09/17/bedardi-sardi-an-uncommon-tale-of-a-common-cold/

A wise man once said, 'Sardi hona aur pyaar hona, similar hota hai.' In case you're wondering who said that, it was me...and yes I said that when I had a cold. Now what's the similarity between falling ill with a cold and falling in love, you may ask. Well, everything! Your raaton ki neend and din ka chain are taken away, food loses its taste, days are bitter and nights longer than ever! Now you tell me yeh pyaar hai ke sardi ke saath bukhaar hai? But beware, both are double-dholaks. There's a dark side to both of them. Just like in pyaar, ishq and louve one goes through dard-e-dil (not dard-e-disco), one experiences the full-blown wrath of dard-e-sardi while suffering from a cold.

Dard-e-sardi is pure agony my fraand, it's Mother Nature's way of personally whooping your pichwaada. Think about it, Mother Nature knows all our weaknesses. She knows that we are puny little bechara oxygen breathers. So what does she do? She does a rasta-roko on our main oxygen passage...a.k.a. the nose. And as if having to breathe through your mouth wasn't bad enough already, she decides to make your throat dry and scratchy so that you begin to sound like Anu Malik singing Opera. Conniving as she is, she has connected your nose and your throat with your ears, such that if either one is affected all three collapse like Harbour railway on a rainy day. And finally, the coup de grace, Mummyji Nature won't even reveal the top-secret cure for this deadly monster. Don't believe me kya?

Well my fraand over the last two weeks everyone from dadi-ma to baaju wali aunty swore to me that they had a sure-fire cure for my cold. 'Steam le lo beta!', said one. 'Vicks laga lo!' said another. 'Hamari family ka super special, karela-chaap kaadha pee lo beta. The rest is all nonsense. This is the good shit!' said another enthusiastic aunty. But to no avail. Honey and ginger, turmeric and salt water gargling, D-Cold etc etc. all proved impotent before the almighty sardi which refused to budge like a Kanpur-wali Mamiji who came 'visiting' for a couple of days and ended up staying a month. Sad no?

Today, thanks to technology we may have sliced bread, elastic-wali chaddis, soap bars that pani mein reh ke bhi melt minimally, but somehow through it all we haven't been able to figure out how a blocked nose can leak endlessly. What's sadder is that despite the fact that colds are incurable and incredibly contagious (and did I mention incredibly annoying already?), we still don't take them seriously. To this day, school teachers consider the words 'cough and cold' on a leave note as 'I was just plain lazy to come to school yesterday' and make a murga out of your poor little sniveling bacchas. It's about time we changed this trend. We must create more awareness about bedardi sardi through all forms of the media. Heck even a Taare Zameen Par based on a kid who suffers from acute maxillary sinusitis if that's what it takes (Aamir Khan, are you listening?). Only then will poor victims like me feel sardi mein bhi pyaar ke warmth ki garmi ka ehsaas. Chalo, I've done my bit promoting this noble cause. Mera kaam to ho gaya. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go search for my hanky! Achooo!

P.S. The writer of this article made a full recovery from his sardi but next week wonly it relapsed. After multiple guesses by fraands and family alike, the doc said 'Sinus-it-is'. As you can see it has taken an adverse effect on his writing. So please to forgive him!

]]> http://coolcrys.wordpress.com/?p=263 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:58:38 +0000 coolcrys http://coolcrys.pl.wordpress.com/2008/09/17/ginger-and-lemon/ I'm sick Cool World!

It started with a tickle in the back of my throat on Saturday night. On Monday I had a wicked cough. Tuesday my nose alternated between draining and stuffing up. And Today I woke up with a head ache. UGH!

I've started taking Tylenol Severe Cold. But I hate it. All the over-the-counter meds do is inhibit my immune system so that I don't FEEL the symptoms...it doesn't make the sickness go away.

So, I've taken a page from the Adaora Bandele handbook and taken my health into my own hands. I put my self on a vitamin C regiment a few weeks ago. So I upped the anty (ante?) from 1000 mg to 2000 mg.

Last night, rather than buying "herbal" tea..I bought fresh ginger and lemons honey from the PUBLIX in Midtown ATL. I boiled the ginger and lemon for about thirty minutes and then drank the mixture (with a bit of honey, of course).

THe FIRE root did exactly what I hoped it would. When I'm sick, I find myself chanting...wll not so much chanting as humming. I makes me feel better...like the vibrations resonate in my core and shake some healin'. Between the ginger-fire tea and the hummin'... I woke up this morning feeling almost normal. I took a cup to go! And started the last day of my trip wonderfully.

Unfortunately...I didn't have a way to bottle my concoction. So now I'm at the airport and I'm misreable again :-( I've had some egg drop soup and I'll have some generic tea once I get on my plane. Good thing I have short flights today...and I get to go home tonight. This sick shyt is for the birds ...

Peace.

I have cured many of my common colds and have never failed to cure one in two days [well maybe three days sometimes] when I used the following technique... Well, we all know the standard joke about the flu, “If you simply ignore it, a typical flu will take as long as fourteen days to go away but if you treat it aggressively using all the medicines known to modern science you can get rid of one in as little as, two weeks.” I know my claim that the following simple procedure has cleared up my flus in two days is a bit outrageous. Nevertheless, it has worked repeatedly! [14 years and never failed] So I am passing this discovery on to you in the hope that you will have similar results.
At the first sign that you are catching a flu, heat your whole body temperature up to a mild fever, 102.0° F, by any means readily available. Use an oral fever thermometer to get it right. Ideally this self-induced fever can be produced by immersing yourself in a bath of 103° F water for five minutes followed by raising the water temperature to 106° F for about ten minutes. After adjusting the bath to 106° F, which will feel a bit uncomfortable, just lie there deep in the water and soak in the heat and let the tub temperature drift back down to about 105° F, by the end of the ten minute period. You may have to reheat the water to keep it at 105°+ [106.5° absolute maximum]. Use your thermometer to measure your mouth temperature and the bath temperature alternatively until your reach 102° F. Do not force anyone to do this procedure...especially children or people with known physical problems. This induced fever must be self administered. If before the time in the tub is up you start to feel nauseated dizzy or have unusual heart beats, get out immediately and cool down. Redo the bath as above once every eight hours for two days (or every 12 hours for 3 days)—that is a minimum of six hot baths. My experience with this procedure is that 50 hours after the first bath I have been totally cured of the feeling of flu. However, I do recommend taking a hot bath at least once a day for a few more days, as a precaution against a relapse. [It is better to do three baths per day rather than increase the temperatures or times!]

While using these procedures you may carry on most normal light activities such as reading, watching TV, and normal sleeping but keep taking the time outs to spike a fever. Fifty hours or so from your first hot bath you should be feeling fine again and you should never have felt any serious annoyance. If you get started with these hot baths at the first onset of symptoms, you may escape all the suffering and there will be very little mucus to be thrown off by your body.

Using these techniques will be a slight inconvenience for two [or three] days, but isn’t that better than being sick for two weeks? How much in lost wages is being sick worth to you?

Most of this technique was published in 1994 in Proba and is now available in a more complete form in Probaway-Flu which was first put online in 1999.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

ENG 1000C- MWF

Due: September 8^th, 2008

ROC1

I. Part 1

My major at St. John’s University is Pharmacy. School has been in session for about a week and a half now. There has been a ton of work to do every night. Most of it isn’t even actually doing the homework but all the reading and studying. My chemistry professor who lectures goes extremely fast so it’s very hard to understand what he’s saying. It’s easier to just read the textbook on your own and do all the problems he assigns. This Wednesday 9/3/08 I had my conference with him and I learned some things that I didn’t know about. What interested me the most was when he spoke about crystallizations and enzymes. I would like to do some outside research on either of those two topics. We talked about Chemistry as a general. There are 4 main parts of chemistry which is a. organic- the making of molecules, b. analytic chemistry- the forensic side of chemistry, c. biochemistry- pharmacy/medical and d. physical-the border of chemistry and physics. My professor specializes in physical. He gave me some examples such as what makes plastic? The essential properties of actually understanding why things happen. One of the current projects which my professor is working on is to find out how protein enzymes to can pull and push through crystallization. Do scientists need to add protein which is lacking or amino acids? He is also trying to find how does an unfolding crystallized protein urea do? Lastly he’s also trying to explain to other scientists how to use the new technology of chemistry tools. My professor suggested that I should attend all the pharmacy seminars which are also required by my department and do some basic research on pharmaceutical drugs and to read some magazines such as; the Science section in The New York Times, a magazine called Science Times, Scientific American, and Psychology Today. What I am looking forward to learning in the next couple of weeks is how chemistry forms these bonds with other molecules, how come some molecules can’t combine with other molecules and about enzymes. In about a few weeks, I would like to meet with my professor again to ask him what he’s found out about his current project and if there are any other things he can suggest I learn about on my own.

II. Part 2

a. Common Cold

b. Breathing

c. Health Statistics

d. Different Viruses

e. Temperature effect viruses

f. Symptoms

g. Average length of virus

h. Infections

i. Transmission

j. Mechanism of transmissions

k. Prevention

l. Life modifications

m. Vaccinations

n. Nonprescription Therapies

o. Prescription Therapies

p. Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements

q. The Role of a Pharmacist

r. Education/Counseling

1. This article is called Newer Insights Into the Prevention of the Common Cold and I found this article on U.S Pharmacist. It talks about what kind of role a pharmacist needs to do in order to serve their patients right, how a regular person can prevent getting a common cold, the seriousness of an elder catching a cold, and the different viruses a regular cold may cause. The goal of this article is to educate pharmacists about the occurrence and transmission of the common cold and to provide accurate information to patients regarding methods of prevention. The thesis of this article is “The common cold which is also known as acute viral nasopharyngitis, is a mild, self limiting infectious disease which was first described as a disease as early as the 5^th century. There are many major pieces of supporting the article. Colds are most common among children and it seems that most of them get it in school. Children have about six to ten colds a year on average. Women in their 20s-30s have more colds than men. The common cold leads to more than 100 million physician visits annually with an estimate $7.7 billion a year. It can also cause more than 200 different respiratory viruses. Rhinovirus is the most commonly implicated virus however, there are other ones called coronaviruses, influenza viruses and many more. Rhinoviruses penetrate the mucous blanket of your nose and attaches to the intercellular molecule receptor. The symptoms associated with the common cold are usually first noticed as sneezing, discharge or cough and they usually last about 7 days. If it’s serious enough, common colds can lead to secondary bacterial infections in your ear, swollen lymph glands in your neck or facial pain across your sinuses; by that time taking regular over the counter medicine won’t do any good. You’ll need to go to your physician. Viruses can cause infections by overwhelming the body’s natural defense system that can produce mucus by the membranes in the nose and throat. The mucus provides a barrier trapping foreign material such as bacteria or pollen from entering. Patients with asthma, cystic fibrosis, elders or smokers have an increased risk for developing complications. These are some of the topics discussed in the article.

2. Salcido, Amista L. "Newer Insights of the Prevention of the Common Cold." US Pharmacist. 1 Nov. 2007. University of Texas. 5 Sept. 2008 <http://http://www.uspharmacist.com/index.asp?page=ce/105608/default.htm>.

3. In the article which I chose, I learned few things such as how many people visit their doctor each year just due to common colds and about $1.1 million is spent on drugs to treat common colds. Also, I learned that the rhinovirus is the most common causative agents. It’s statistically proven that it causes 30%-35% of all adult common colds. I also learned that the best temperature for the virus to grow in is 33 degrees Celcius. Also, environmental conditions such as crowding and damp low temperatures can cause someone to have a lower immune system can have a higher risk of catching a cold.

Before I did research on the Common Cold and the flu, I thought they were the same thing but apparently there are some distinct differences. The symptoms of the Common Cold are, for the nose: drips like a leaky faucet, it may get clogged up many of the times and the sinus membranes are usually inflamed. Sometimes there’s a sore throat and a fever is uncommon but it may sometimes common. There are also barely any body aches, no nausea and it usually lasts 2 to 14 days. Unlike the flu, the symptoms are a little more severe. The nose isn’t affected, there’s a dry cough without any phlegm, it’s very common to have a sore throat, your eyes may burn, there may be a loss in appetite and in many occasions it lasts more than 14 days. These are just some of the things that I learned from reading the article. My Semester Topic is Prevention of the Common Cold.

Part III.

- What causes the common cold?

- What are some viruses that are deadly to the human body from the common cold?

- Are there any medications for the elderly so they don’t catch it since they’re immune system may be very weak?

- Are there any shots preventing the common cold?

My Semester research problem is: Does Zinc have to do with the common cold? If so, what does it do the human body?

Part IV Prevention of the Common Cold

People can view this world as a place to enjoy life or a terrifying place filled with germs and bacteria that can harm the human body. Living in New York City my whole life, I’ve probably seen the nastiest things especially in the subways. There are rats everywhere, garbage in sewers, people sticking gum on the seats in the subways and buses. All of these problems can cause something as easy as the common cold. There are people that are very careful with their health and they always wipe the seats or use a tissue to hold onto the bars on public transportation which is one of the ways to prevent themselves from getting a cold.

In my meeting with my professor, we talked about the four fields of chemistry. His field is physical chemistry so he explained to me that in his field he needs to deal with both chemistry and physics. His research is mostly about why things happen instead a straight forward answer. One of the topics he’s working on as his own personal project is finding out how protein enzymes can pull and push through crystallization. He also told me to attend all the pharmacy seminars and to do my own private research on certain things I may not understand during his lecture and read magazines such as the Science Times.

My article in Part 2 was about the New Insights of Preventing the Common Cold. It talked about who is more likely to get a cold, what are the statistics and which viruses may cause deadly diseases. This related to my conversation because one part of chemistry is biochemistry which is what Pharmacy basically is. It’s a study of medication names but at the same time we need to know what it does to our body, which then relates to biology. From what I read, my Semester Topic is Prevention of the Common Cold.

My research problem is “Does Zinc have to do with the common cold? If so, what does it do to the human body? This relates to my conversation with my professor because in his field, physical chemistry, his job is to understand “who, what, where, when and how” so I would like to know Does zinc have anything to do with the common cold and if it does what? The reason I ask this question is because after reading about the common cold in several articles, many of them kept talking about the use of zinc. I would think zinc didn’t do anything for us because it’s a metal.

Lastly, it’s very important to take care of yourself instead of ignoring your medical needs. There are times your body can fight off the bacteria in your system by making your immune system stronger but there are many times, if you wait too long your body may suffer from severe damages. Also it’s important to regularly have a checkup with your physician and update them on any medical conditions you may have. Pharmacy has a wide range of studies and researching on the Common Cold is just one small part of it.

Part V

Does Zinc have to do with the common cold? If so, what does it do to the human body?

Zinc:

Zinc gluconate

Zinc salts- effective against pathogens in a direct application on the body

Strong effect on the intestines

Zinc gluconate and zinc fluconate glycine are used in lozenges

: both will shorten the durations of a common cold

: reduces the duration by 42%

Glycine: Zinc Gluconate 2:20 moles

This weekend I spent at Mumbai's Yoga Institute on a 2 day specialist course.  My skills were honed and my body twisted into a variety of contortions (All for the calming price of a tenner).

Now the Yoga Institute is a little blissful haven, an ashram located right in the centre of Mumbai's mayhem.

Unfortunately though for the institute it was built several years ago, before there was an airport and now resides directly under the flight path. Thunderous roars crash into the peaceful karma like a three legged randy bull in Harrod's Royal Doulton dept after a Christmas delivery. But, like any a city's noise, you soon get used to it and even welcome the pauses to meditate on the topic of  meditation.

Apart from the usual array of yoga techniques I found myself staring at candles, with the instructions that I was not allowed to blink. The ironic thing was that as soon as I was told not to blink, I blinked...and I was doing so well. It is all part of focusing the mind on a single point and cleansing the eyes through the tears that start to stream down your face.

Absolutions are an essential part of the of the yogi lifestyle, so with red eyes I moved onto the next daily routine, Jala Neti. To but this technique into its most basic form it is snorting lukewarm, salty water up both of your nostrils and marvel at the gunk that rapidly escapes from you nose, eyes and mouth. It is an enema for the nasal passage and sinuses or saline nasal irrigation to be exact.

Let’s face it the nose is designed to filter all the pollution and bugs that lurk in the air and as such why not give this filter a good clear out. And I have to say it is brilliant.

Yogis dub this as one of the best things you can do in your life. As well as physical, psychological and spiritual benefits it can cure, or help prevent sinus infection; allergy problems; respiratory disorders; asthma; hay fever;  deafness; migraine; giving up smoking; depression; mental tensions; epilepsy; hysteria; temper tantrums; sore throats and the common cold. It stimulates better powers of visualization and concentration and gives clarity to the mind.

Pranayama or good breathing is an essential part of meditation and yoga. As such a clear nasal passage goes a long way to aid this. Furthermore, Jala Neti subtly stimulates the olfactory bulb - the psychic centre, known as the Ajna Chakra and yogis believe the right and left nostrils need to be in balance to ensure a healthy nervous system and as such a healthy body and mind. 

So next time you are cleaning your teeth, think about giving those sinuses their daily enema. You may never look back.

Both Lizzie and I have been feeling a bit strange lately. Yesterday she started to feel this itch in her sinuses. Today I woke up feeling a bit sore in my throat, but I didn't think too much of it as I didn't feel like you do when you have a cold. Of course, later on the mental fatigue hit me. And now I can really confirm that my immune system didn't manage to hold back longer. I don't feel too bad, but I really hope this is the worst part.

Not really how I hoped spending the weekend, but it's good that Lizzie and I decided to have a lazy weekend though.

Take care.

Note: So if there is any spelling mistakes in this post, get over it.
I have a cold.

oh yeah, and the pictures are great ;))

It might not surprise you to learn I considered majoring in art in college.

*Also, it's how I look**.

**Thus proving that art can be both representational and symbolic.

I picked this cold up sometime last week, but the first effect didn't show up until Saturday morning, in the usual manner of sore throat and blocked nose. I went to a friend of mine's 23rd birthday party that night, and unfortunately for me, there were many people smoking in that venue. I'm not a smoker, and second hand smoke has always annoyed me, but Saturday night's smoke probably made things worse for me. I spend most of yesterday, Sunday, sneezing and coughing in bed.

I forced myself to come in to work today, as I have a ton of things that need to be done. I may stay out tomorrow though, depending on how I feel. I'm always reluctant to be off sick, but my health has to come first. I'm not the world's fittest nor most healthy person, and rather one day off than risk the cold worsening and then take a week off.

People keep suggesting I take meds, but it serves no real purpose other than to relieve some of the symptoms. Furthermore, it's useless. So at the moment, I'm just drinking Corenza C in water to help relieve some of the blocked nose problems, and Cepacol lozenges for my raw throat to ease the pain after coughing a lot.

I doubt we'll ever get to the point where we can prevent or cure the cold, the blasted thing is so simple, yet so complex. It mutates every time, and every person suffers in their own way.

Ug, my eyes feel so heavy now. Long day ahead and I'm not in a mood to be here. Sigh

As time passed, I found my answers....

Taking maths first, the calculus...never understood in school what was it supposed to do. There were just formulas and more formulas. But when i entered college and saw how important a part it was playing in everything remotely mathematical, i understood why it had earned itself a place in CBSE textbooks.

Next comes physics. I had always enjoyed the subject. It was much more closer to the real world...you could definitely understand the concept of relative speed of vehicles, the direction of rain for a man walking with so and so speed etc etc..

And then i had wondered why they taught us the structure of a nuclear power plant in our 8th standard..the painful diagrams...the working..we were supposed to know everything. But then today i was watching a documentary on chernobyl, and there they were..talking about the disappearance of the graphite rods from the nuclear reactor. And i was able to understand every bit of it. Thanks to my 8th std science.

And finally--Chemistry..i always considered it a waste of time to study organic compounds in 11th and 12th stds. I was not gonna be a chemical engineer or something. So why were they teaching me this! But then again an eye opener.

The other day, I went to see the doctor. My allergies were giving me a hard time. Sneezing 30 times within a period of 3 hrs is not something u want. So, after he gave me medicines, i checked out their compositions. Googled the formulas ( all thanks to organic chemistry-betamethasone sodium phosphate didnt seem like an alien term) and i came to know what exactly was i suffering from.

Guess wat i found. I had a very simple viral infection. And the doctor had prescribed anti-biotics!!!

Now, first u need to clearly understand that an anti-biotic can not treat a viral infection. Nothing can. Viruses are very simple organisms and hence very difficult to kill. Its only now after so many years that we have a treatment for AIDS virus..and it still doesnt cure it. It keeps it under check. Common-cold is a viral infection and there's no cure for it yet. Generally, the virus dies on its own. A virus cannot sustain on itself..it needs a particular environment to grow. And our bodies natural immune systems are strong enough to recover from their attacks. AIDS virus is so deadly because it attacks the immune system itself.

Anyways, the point is...Do not take an anti-biotic for a viral infection. Too much usage of anti-biotics makes people grow resistant to them---a problem that is fast becoming a very important concern in the global health community. Ask ur doctor, if u have viral and further inquire if he has prescribed anti-biotics..tell him what u read here. Then he will simply tell u, the only good way to treat viruses are to let them run their course. All of them have an expiry date.

Meanwhile u can use anti-analgesics, anti-pyretics etc...for some relief from their painful assault. But not anti-biotics.

Disclaimer:   Hot and Cold Diseases is a blend of traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic and Western medicines and is based on the author’s personal and professional experiences, including the questioning and counseling of 30,000+ people. Western medical authority does not scientifically recognize either medicine. It considers them more opinion than fact despite the fact that two billion plus people practices them. The content is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. All material contained herein is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable health-care practitioner if you need medical care. Everything builds up and breaks down. For more info, you can buy, read the whole book, as the whole (story) is better, more illuminating than the part. .

The following are symptoms of the common cold: coughing, mucous, phlegm, runny nose, sore throat, stiff shoulders, headache, fever, numbness and or shaking in the hands and feet, etc. The flu is a more serious cold, with the following additional symptoms: upper respiratory infection, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, malaise, etc. often lasting a week or more. Both tend to occur during the winter, colder months. The majority of symptoms indicate deficiency, cold and damp.

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Most people catch cold because they are cold. Human beings are naturally hot, warm blooded. Normal body temperature is approximately 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Body temperature measures heat, energy produced by the body as it builds up and breaks down. This energy, heat not only warms the body but also keeps out excess cold out. Any temperature, energy production below 98.6, in the extreme, tends to leave the body cold, weak, defenseless and open to external invasion of cold air via the skin, open pores. Cold air can enter the body via the pores in the same way cold air enters a house with open windows. 

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Catching a cold is more prevalent in the winter than any other time of year, except summer (air conditioning). It is also more prevalent among women, children and elderly than in men.

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The body, immune system builds up and breaks down largely according to the food, nutrients provided. There are only two nutrients, foods: building and cleansing. Building foods, nutrients (protein, fat, red meat, eggs, chicken, cheese, beans, etc.) build and fuel all structure and function, including immunity. Cleansing nutrients, foods (water, minerals, sugar, fruit, vegetables, etc.) reduce, cleanse, cool and moisten. The correct balance of building and cleansing produces heath, the incorrect, disease.

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The body’s external immune system is the skin, which not only acts like a defensive shield in keeping out the six environmental evils: hot, cold, dry, damp, wind and summer heat but also helps regulate body temperature.

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The lungs, according to traditional Chinese medicine, regulate the skin, opening and closing of the pores. The opening of the pores allows excess energy, heat to escape, in the form of perspiration, cooling the body. The closing of the pores holds, keeps energy in. so that it does not needlessly escape (energy, heat naturally rises, moves up and out). It also keeps external energy (hot, cold, damp, etc.) out

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Low protein and low fat diets (lacto vegetarian, vegan, raw foods, fruitarian and sproutarian), in the extreme, tend to drain, weaken all structure and function including the lungs, skin, opening and closing of the pores, often leaving them open; as it take more energy to hold them closed. This proves especially disastrous in winter allowing cold air to penetrate the skin, neck, muscles, throat, lungs, etc.  

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Low protein and low fat diets, in the extreme, also tend to thin the blood, bones, skin, etc. Thick skin acts like a coat, insulation in the winter keeping heat, energy in and cold air out. Protein and fat are thick nutrients.

Too many cooling, damp foods (milk, yogurt, fruit, juice, vegetables, sugar, cold drinks, etc.) tend to inadvertently cool and moisten the lungs with excess fluids: mucous, phlegm, which in turn, disturbs the breath (coughing, shortness, etc.).

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The lungs are located above the digestive organs. The fire, heat of digestion, stomach and small intestines, heats the whole body, including the lungs. Energy, heat naturally rises moves up into the lungs, heating and drying, dissipating excess fluids.

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The lungs are naturally moist. Moisture, water facilitates the exchange of gases, oxygen and carbon dioxide between blood and the external environment. Too many cooling, moistening foods, drinks, in the extreme, dilutes, cools and weakens digestive fire, acid and enzymes, which in turn, fails to warm and dry, but instead cool, moisten (mucous, phlegm) and clog the bronchial, alveolar (sacs) reducing gas exchange, disrupting and shortening the breath. Too little moisture can dry and or shrink the alveoli.

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Cold, damp foods (milk, yogurt, fruit juice, salads, tropical fruits, cold drinks, etc.) in excess tend to dampen the lungs (includes nose, sinuses, throat, etc.) producing the following symptoms: coughing,  snoring, inflammation, sinusitis, sleep apnea, bronchitis, shortness of breath, asthma, pleurisy, pneumonia, etc.) and or weaken the immune system (catch colds easily). Lacto vegetarian, vegan, raw foods, fruitarian and sproutarian diets tend to be cold, damp. Cold in excess slows cools, hardens and moistens.

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In nature, cold in excess, condenses cools and hardens water into ice and snow, clear and white. In the body, cold cools, hardens water into clear and white mucous, whether in the lungs, nose, throat, ears, sinuses, etc. The color changes to yellow and green when the body, mucous, phlegm, etc. become overheated, i.e. cooked. Smoking, caffeine and excessive sex tend to dry the lungs as well as everything else.

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Cold, and or damp air travels with the wind, and usually enters the neck and shoulders, via the pores (if left open, exposed). Wind is light, airy and tends to rise. “Colds” tend to attack the upper part of the body (lungs, shoulders, neck and head). Many mothers tell their children in winter to cover their necks and wear a hat before they go outside. They are not being fashionable, just smart. The following are symptoms of the common cold, mild to severe:

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Stage One: Common cold

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1. Fever. Cold in excess tends to drain the body's energy, heat, which in turn, forces the body to overheat to regain balance. When the body becomes cold, it tends to overheat (to burn excess cold) which in turn produces a fever.

2. Itchy throat. Cold in excess reduces drains lung chi, energy, which in turn slows or obstructs the movement of fluids within the lungs, sinuses, throat, etc, which in turn, creates dryness, itchy throat. Hot soups, spices, etc. warm the body, increasing energy and circulation of blood, body fluids, etc.

3. Cough. The lungs like it moist. Respiration is smooth and easy when the lungs are moist. External cold and damp (winter, air condition) tends to over cool the lungs increasing mucous, phlegm, which in turn, clogs the alveoli, bronchial tubes, trachea, etc, impairing and irritating the breath producing shortness of breath and or coughing. Spicy vegetable soups help to reduce mucous and phlegm, improve breathing.

4. Clear, white mucous. Cold in excess tends to slow, thicken and congeal body fluids into mucous and phlegm which in turn can lodge within the lungs, throat, nose sinuses and ears. White and clear are the colors of cold.

5. Stuffy nose. See #4. Environmental cold tends to attack the upper body (head, neck, shoulders and lungs) first before it attacks the lower or middle part of the body.

6. Chest congestion. Cold congeals fluids inside the lungs, chest.

7. Aversion to cold You fear cold when you are weak, cold. You catch cold because you are cold (weak, deficient).

8. Stiff shoulders and neck. The shoulders and neck are irrigated, moistened by blood. Cold in excess tends to slow energy and blood flow to the muscles, tendons and ligaments in the neck and shoulders, making them dry and tight, limiting their range of motion (expansion and contraction) creating pain on exertion. Stiffness in the shoulders, neck can also be caused by liver tension, congestion via high protein, high fat, alcohol, smoking, overeating, etc.

9. Daytime sweating. The lungs control the opening and closing of the pores. Environmental cold in excess can weaken, drain the lungs (holding power) causing the pores to be left open allowing heat, energy and fluids (perspiration) to escape. Intermittent daytime sweating is generally a symptom of energy (chi) deficiency (lack of holding). The body is strongest (has the greatest holding power) during the day. Excess heat (coffee, tobacco, alcohol, fried foods, etc.) can cause daytime sweating but more profuse.

10. Tongue has normal thin white coating. The tongue in general is a reflection of the digestive system. Its coating represents the excess of stomach fluids, which naturally overflow onto the tongue causing a thin white coating, which is normal. The common cold initially does not attack the digestive system, i.e. the stomach.

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11. Coughing with mucous (frothy) and or phlegm discharges. Excess cold congeals, thickens water into mucous and phlegm which can lodge in the lungs, sinuses, throat, nose and ears.

12. Splashing sounds in the chest. Excess liquids in the lungs cause splashing sounds.

13. Breathlessness. Excess mucous tends to congest the lungs, which in turn restricts the breath. The lungs are a filter and can easily become clogged with excess mucous and other debris, which decreases oxygen intake, absorption while increasing carbon dioxide. A certain amount of carbon dioxide in the blood is normal as it stimulates the breathing mechanism, which is why it is impossible to hold your breath. The desire to breathe increases as carbon dioxide in the bloodstream increases.

14. Snoring. Excessive water, mucous and or phlegm can clog the nose, throat and sinuses disrupting the breath, causing snoring.

15. Sinusitis. Mucous and or phlegm can trap; dry and lodge in the sinuses, making them dry, and in the extreme, inflamed. Spices can be used in cooking, soups to decongest the lungs, sinuses, mucous, phlegm.

16. Bronchitis (inflammation of the bronchi, lungs) Inflammation is generally caused by dryness. You cannot burn wet wood. Mucous and phlegm can obstruct the flow of blood and fluids within the lungs, bronchi, causing dryness and or inflammation. Spices can be added to soups, stews, etc as they are heating, drying, and helping dissolve excess mucous while moving blood and body fluids up and out. Heat rises. Cold condenses, which is why most foods, including vegetables are generally cooked. The body is more susceptible to cold, infection, bacteria, viruses and fungi when it becomes too cold. 

17. Tongue has thick, sticky white coating. A thick, white coating indicates excessive cold and damp.

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Stage Three: Chronic Lung Chi deficiency

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18. Shortness of breath Phlegm congestion is generally the cause. The lungs, alveoli are like a balloon. They take in a great amount of air when moderately empty of fluids and less air, when the balloon, lungs are half-full, clogged with water, shortening the breath

19. Asthma. Anything (shortness of breath) can get worse. If you do not remove the cause, input then the effect, output keeps on growing. Cold and phlegm tend to clog the lungs, nose, sinuses, etc. and in the extreme can weaken respiration producing habitual shortness of breath, i.e. asthma.

20. Barking cough with profuse yellow or green mucous. The body, lungs are hot and active. Trapped white, clear mucous and or phlegm within the lungs, sinuses, etc. over time tend to overheat, turn yellow and green as well as hot. Hot mucous is drier, harder and more difficult to dislodge which forces the lungs to violently cough hard, bark in order to dislodge the phlegm. Radishes and turnips can help dissolve mucous.

21. Tongue has red body and thick yellow coat. The thick yellow coat indicates damp heat. Too many hot foods, drinks (red meat, eggs, fried, foods, alcohol, etc.) and or overexposure to hot and damp climates tend to cause damp heat. .

Symptoms 1- 10 are the initial symptoms of wind cold attacking the lungs. Stage 2 represents a deeper attack, indicating severe deficiency, cold and or damp. It is often accompanies by digestive symptoms: abdominal bloating, loose stools, diarrhea, facial pallor, fatigue, etc. Stage 2 is the flu.

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 The common cold in general is easy to cure if you can treat it at the onset (day 1 or 2) with excess heat in the form of spicy (cardamom, cumin, coriander, fennel, cayenne, turmeric, ginger, etc.) soups, hot teas, alcohol, hot baths, extra clothing, etc. Avoid, decrease all cold foods and drinks, especially milk (any kind), ice cream, raw vegetables, juice and sugar.

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The body catches cold because it is cold; therefore, you cure it by doing the opposite, i.e. heat the body (produce a fever and perspiration). Heat in excess destroys cold. There are also herbal remedies, combinations like golden seal and echinacea that help defeat the common cold. Mushrooms, black fungus, poria and spices can be used in the diet to drain excess mucous and phlegm. Check with your doctor first before using.

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Weak lungs, poor diet and or environmental extremes tend to weaken the body’s immune system making it more susceptible, internally (diet) and externally (environment) to attacks of cold and damp.

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Preventing the common cold is fairly easy as long you eat well, maintain energy (eat adequate amounts of protein, fat) in addition to grains, cooked vegetables, spices, fruit, etc. as well as using common sense, i.e. dress appropriately, get plenty of rest, etc.

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Women, children and the elderly tend to have less energy than men do and are more susceptible to catching cold. Many women tend to eat low protein, low fat and high carbohydrate diets. They also menstruate, loose blood monthly. Children are under developed and the elderly in a state of decline. Men tend to be hotter, more energetic due to testosterone (hot, building hormone) and diet. Many men tend to eat hotter diets (high protein, high fat). Women tend to eat low protein, low fat and high carbohydrate diets.

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Well, it's cold season again. No-one suffers more from the common cold than men (or at least it appears that way). When we women are sick we must soldier on looking after the kids, working, and keeping things flowing nicely. When men have a cold they let EVERYONE know about it and expect us to drop everything to care for them. Here's a fantastic comedy sketch from the clever Man Stroke Woman show (on the Australian ABC/British BBC), demonstrating my point.  Very funny.

So I surfed the net looking for any evidence. My initial searches showed articles that did not support this claim. Scientists believed that colds occurred more during the colder season since during this time, people tended to stay indoors making transmission of the colds virus easier, thus more people get sick. Just when I was about to give up and debunk this claim, I came across a report by the New York Times done in November 2005. It reported that in a study done by the Common Cold Center in Wales (yup, you read that right, the UK has a center that’s devoted to studying JUST the common cold! – shows us how important this common condition is), it was shown that when volunteers were exposed to cold conditions, they developed, within 5 days, a cold almost 3x more frequent than subjects who remained dry. Though this was just one article among the many that showed cold weather is not a risk factor for developing colds, it’s still important because it gives a little credence to what our mothers have always been telling us ever since we were kids… “stay out of the cold, and keep yourself warm, as you might develop a cold.”

Though cold weather doesn't really weaken a person's immunity, the viruses that are the cause of a cold grow maximally at lower temperatures, and this may partially explain why we develop colds more during colder weather.

For runners, what does this mean? It just means that if the weather conditions seem to be not good for running, it’s a bit prudent to skip running in the meantime, but if the urge to run is strong, just remember to keep yourself warm before and after your run…. Keep on running!

Tomorrow, I'll be posting other ways of preventing the development of the common cold...

Into the realm of actual reality for MaeBee. My father has not been feeling good and therefore, has not been eating except for a grilled cheese for two days. It is upsetting because he is tremendously skinny already and he is losing weight. He still won't go to the doctors because he is scared. Maybe he should be seeing as they have been telling him for the past, oh TWENTY YEARS that he should stop smoking and he should stop drinking and he should start eating more. Has he done any of that? No. He brought it on himself, but that doesn't mean it hurts any less. I love my father and I would love for him to walk one of his daughters (preferably me) down the aisle at least once in his lifetime. Unfortunately, that is not looking like it will happen.

As for that crazy niece of mine, she's on trial for domestic abuse on Friday. She could stay where she is or she could go to Juvie. My sister was telling me about how juvie is a teen prison (which I knew. Duh.) but like they make people their bitches and beat the shit out of each other...? I have no idea. I really hope she doesn't have to take that path. Although, it might make her realize the shit she got herself into. Probably not though. If that girl is anything, she is stubborn to the core.

I have one more final to go before I can say adios to this dorm and hola to my brand new apartment. The final is going to be the easiest one of the past two weeks though, so I'm not too worried. DId I tell you guys I got a C in microbio? I am so proud of myself for passing. I hate that class. I am so glad it is not my major anymore.

This morning I woke up and my eye was twitching. I went to my 8AM final (GROSS) and my eye was twitching. I am sitting here typing this AND MY EYE IS STILL TWITCHING.

CSG and I will have been dating for two years in August. I was thinking of taking him camping...? We've always said we would love to go together and this summer would be perfect to do that as we are both living away from our parents, but I don't have anything. I don't have a tent or a clue as to how to go camping. I've never done it before. :O I know. You're shocked. That's what happens when your parents are old when they have you. You don't get to do anything fun. Anyways, do you think camping is a good idea or do you have better ideas?? I want something creative, maybe a little romantic, but mostly something fun. Give me your ideas people!!

I think I shall nap now. Have a wonderful day.

PS- I should be able to update a liiiitle bit more because of the whole summer-beginning-school-craziness-ending thing, but I got a job so we'll see how that goes. Not to mention, I'm not sure if I'll have the internets right away at my brand new apartment. I'll try my hardest.

Rumi: Are you kidding ? Its so long since we attacked someone. Lets go and do what we do the best.

Remo: I am fed up . Its the same thing every time. We go and attack them, only get beaten up later.

Rumi: So what , they are still not able to get rid of us totally. Don't you like it when your victim is totally helpless, unable to even breath, struggling to move. Not even knowing what hit him. Wow! what a sight.

Remo: You are becoming a saddist day by day. whats wrong with you.

Rumi: Whats wrong with me? I should be the person asking that. Dear Remo, You are born this way. You are supposed to inflict this pain on all humans. This is your destiny. Then only you can reach paradise after your death. So lets device a plan and start working on it.

Remo: I am still worried. Remember that guy named bushy from "World boxing council - WBC". He almost closed our chapter last time. I feel he is beter prepared nowadays.

Rumi: Shut up. We were always ahead of him. Luckily for him , he was able to get more troops from outside last time. But this time we will make sure that we hit those humans with such ferocity that they will get no time to react.

Remo: OK OK ... So where are we planning to attack this time?

Rumi: How about Chennai ? Its summer there . Nobody will suspect us at this time of the year.

Remo: you are brilliant. Now I am also getting the energy and enthusiasm. Lets do it.

Rumi: We will stick to the basics. Attack straight in the nose. After that we can always think about other parts. C'mon lets do it.

(Rhinovirus)

And thus they set out to Chennai. There near Guindy Bus stop they saw their prey. A poor software guy. The easiest prey of all preys. The lowest resistance group, who are so used to calm quite AC atmosphere, that even small thugs like Remo and Rumi can easily attack them. Soon enough the poor chap was coughing and struggling in the hands of Rumi and Remo. Everybody around him watched in helplessness as the two Rhinoviruses attacked poor Balesh. The only thing Balesh could do was to hope his WBC member Bushy comes to the rescue soon enough and get rid of these pests . Till then he will have to bear the Cold causing Rhinos inside him and continue writing stupid entries like this one.

Cough cough ...

Balesh

i sound disgusting. my nose hurts. i can barely breathe. my throat itches on the inside and spreads out to the outside. all i want to do is sleep, but when i lay down, my sinuses fill up and i feel like i'm going to choke to death.

it came over me so quick.  one minute i'm pointing morter, the next minute, i'm like this

i want to be writing something better, but i feel like garbage... soaked in septic waste, frozen, and dropped into a pile of burning hot magma. i'm going to try to sleep.

*cough*

A nasal spray made from Atlantic Ocean seawater eased wintertime cold symptoms faster and slowed cough and cold symptoms from returning among children ages 6 to 10. Click here to read more about it.

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics have been talking about the possible risks associated with giving cold medicines to children under 2, and the possibility that they might be ineffective altogether in children under 6.


So, why risk using cold medicine if it, a, might not work, or b, might do harm?

Ocean water (saline) sprays are totally safe and totally natural. When prepared correctly, they have a balanced combinations of minerals and micronutrients, some of which might help combat colds. At the very least, the saline washes away mucous, pollution residue, and pollen, so it will likely make breathing easier and more pleasant. These sprays, and Neti pots, flush the sinuses, too. Granted this is anecdotal, I know a number of people who have used Neti pots as part of a regimen that halted years of sinus infections.


It is really important not use the salt in your kitchen to make one of these solutions. It just doesn't have the same "juice" as the natural stuff. Luckily, the good stuff comes powdered in individual use packetsand handy-dandy booster. Allergy season is upon us, give it a whirl, and don't forget to try it next cold season, too.

REASONS FOR NOT STAYING IN BED - AKA - STAYING HOME FROM WORK.

Why bother taking off (taking care of yourself - Whooda Thunkit), everyone else is catching the creeping crud too! Or... You won't get paid because all you have is Paid Time Off (PTO), which doesn't cover sick days. Oh, another one is... Staffing doesn't allow for anyone to be sick. Or, Even Worse... It will be a strike against you, even if you've seen a physician and it's legitimate. What The Hell!!!!!

This seems to be the woes of most employees of companies these days. Unless you work for a company that genuinely cares about your wellbeing. Unfortunately, those types of companies are too few these days. If you're lucky, you may have management within a company that will stand up for you. That too is hard to find.

Whatever happened to the companies that cared about their employees? I'm thinking that was kicked to the curb when companies started considering employees, "Team Members". Sounds great, but not really a true sense of the words.

Anyway.... I feel like shit! But ya know what? I'll go to work tomorrow. The more I infect with this wretched cold... The more the merrier. LET'S HAVE A PARTY!!!!