Food Stuff Consumption And Miscellany

Monday, March 12, 2007

1 plain hotdog
two donuts (chocolate/glazed) with green sprinkles
two plain hotdogs
bottle of water (1pt,.9fl.oz.)
2 slices of pepperoni pizza
two sm bags of dried fruit, nuts
ham/cheese sandwich
2 Tastykake cream filled koffee kake cupcakes (total nt.wt. 2 1/8 oz.)
bottle of water (16.9 fl.oz.)
1/2-3/4 pack of cigarettes

Old Man Winter Will Not Fool Me

Yesterday was a beautiful day, upper 50's. Was able to get away with wearing only a light jacket plus scarf/gloves/knit hat. Today, morning is sort of chilly. Decided to wear a heavier coat plus scarf/gloves/knit hat. As of 9:30 am was still sort of cold.

Why suffer? Prefer to be warm if there is a nip in the air plus not in the mood to get sick which I don't believe is an ol' wives tale. Underdress/lack of layers... you get sick. Also coffee is nice and warm this morn. A good taste.

more info:

What is the common cold?

The common cold is an infection of the upper respiratory tract - the nose, nasal passages and the throat. There are more than 200 viruses that can cause colds. The primary family of viruses that cause common colds in adults are the rhinoviruses. There are more than one hundred kinds of rhinoviruses. These are also called "nose viruses", based on a Greek word "rhino" meaning nose.

What are the symptoms of common cold?

Symptoms usually show up about two days after a person becomes infected. Early signs of a cold are a sore, scratchy throat, sneezing, and a runny nose. Other symptoms that may occur later include headache, stuffy nose, watering eyes, hacking cough, chills, and general malaise (ill-feeling) lasting from 2 to 7 days. Some cases may last for two weeks. The common cold may be accompanied by:

* laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx or "voice box");
* tracheitis (inflammation of the membrane lining the trachea or "wind pipe") or
* bronchitis (inflammation of the bronchial membranes).

(Another OSH Answers document explains more about parts of the respiratory tract.)

These inflammations may make one more susceptible to more serious complications such as

* sinusitis (inflammation of sinus membranes) and
* pneumonitis (inflammation of the lungs).

Although no fatalities have been reported among otherwise healthy workers the disability is important because it affects work performance and industrial absenteeism.

Can someone be infected with a cold virus and not show symptoms?

Yes, it is even possible to be exposed to cold viruses and not become infected. When people are infected, they can be asymptomatic (i.e., showing no symptoms); this is called a sub-clinical infection since the infection is not causing a disease. Most people with colds show mild symptoms but severe colds can send one to bed with all the nasty symptoms of headache, fever, aches and pains all over, stuffy nose and coughing.

How widespread is the common cold?

Common cold infections are so widespread that there can be very few people who escape the infection each year. It has been estimated that adults suffer 2 to 5 colds per year.

In the U. S. there are nearly 61 million cases of common cold annually resulting in approximately 58 million bed-days.

How are common cold viruses transmitted?

Colds are really not very contagious, compared to other infectious diseases. Close personal and prolonged contact is necessary for the cold viruses to spread. The viruses must get into the nose where they can infect the nasal membranes. The virus must attach to nasal cells after which the viruses can multiply. Inhaling contaminated droplets produced when someone else coughs or sneezes may be one way to catch a cold.

Cold viruses can remain infective even if they are outside the body for a few hours. You can catch a cold if you handle something that is contaminated with a cold virus and then stick your contaminated finger up your nose or rub your eyes. The cold viruses can reach the nose when you rub your eyes because the virus can be passed down the tear ducts that go from the eyes into the nasal cavities.

Do chills or exposure to cold temperatures cause colds?

In a word - no. Some people may sneeze if their skin is cooled. More people catch colds when the weather temperature is cold than when it is warm outside because they tend to be inside more often and longer. People tend to blame cool temperatures for getting a cold rather than being in closer, prolonged contact with people who have a cold.

Some people associate exposure to the cool air from air conditioners as a cause of colds. Again, it is not the temperature that is the culprit. Air conditioners remove moisture from the air which, in turn, can dry the mucous on the nasal membrane. Without a sufficient mucous layer covering these membranes, the nose becomes more susceptible to viruses that cause the common cold.

When are people with a common cold most infective?

People are most infective or more likely to be able to pass on a cold around two days after they were infected. This is when the first signs of a cold (sneezing, runny nose and cough) appear. People can cough or sneeze out in droplets of mucus containing the cold virus. People can also spread the cold virus on their fingers when they contaminate them with nasal secretions (for example, someone blows their nose and then shakes hands with someone else, who rubs his or her eyes with the contaminated fingers).

Can you tell the difference between a cold and the "flu"?

You cannot really tell the difference between a cold and the flu (from the word "influenza") from the symptoms alone. Flu symptoms usually occur very quickly after one is infected but the onset of cold symptoms can be up to a couple of days or so. Symptoms like headaches, fever and muscle aches and pains are usually associated with influenza but someone with a severe common cold can also have these symptoms.

How can we control the spread of common colds?

You cannot cure a cold but you can help protect yourself from getting a cold by following good personal hygiene practices. Good hygiene practices include:

* washing hands properly and frequently
* covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing
* wiping noses using disposable tissues in a way that secretions are contained by the tissue without contaminating the hands
* avoiding rubbing the eyes with dirty hands
* avoiding nail biting (especially important for infections that are transmitted orally)

A healthy diet and getting sufficient sleep are also important in helping to prevent colds. Our immune system is also affected by stress. Studies have shown that people are more susceptible to getting colds after times of psychological stress.

Document last updated on April 12, 1999

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