Acute viral nasopharyngitis primary prevention
|
Acute viral nasopharyngitis Microchapters |
|
Differentiating acute viral nasopharyngitis from other diseases |
|---|
|
Diagnosis |
|
Treatment |
|
Case Studies |
|
Acute viral nasopharyngitis primary prevention On the Web |
|
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Acute viral nasopharyngitis primary prevention |
|
Risk calculators and risk factors for Acute viral nasopharyngitis primary prevention |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Primary Prevention
The best way to avoid a cold is to avoid close contact with existing sufferers; to wash hands thoroughly and regularly; and to avoid touching the mouth and face. Anti-bacterial soaps have no effect on the cold virus; it is the mechanical action of hand washing that removes the virus particles.[1]
In 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended alcohol-based hand gels as an effective method for reducing infectious viruses on the hands of health care workers.[2] As with hand washing with soap and water, alcohol gels provide no residual protection from re-infection.
The common cold is caused by a large variety of viruses, which mutate quite frequently during reproduction, resulting in constantly changing virus strains. Thus, successful immunization is highly improbable.
Exposure to cold weather
Although common colds are seasonal, with more occurring during winter, there is no evidence that short-term exposure to cold weather or direct chilling increases susceptibility to infection.[3][4][5][6]
With respect to the causation of cold-like symptoms, researchers at the Common Cold Centre at the Cardiff University[7] conducted a study to "test the hypothesis that acute cooling of the feet causes the onset of common cold symptoms."[8] The study measured the subjects' self-reported cold symptoms, and belief they had a cold, but not whether an actual respiratory infection developed. It concludes that the onset of common cold symptoms can be caused by acute chilling of the feet, but that "further studies are needed to determine the relationship of symptom generation to any respiratory infection."
References
- ↑ "The importance of handwashing for your health". Canadian Health Network.
- ↑ Boyce, John M. (2002-10-25). "Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings: Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings Recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee and the HICPAC/SHEA/APIC/IDSA Hand Hygiene Task Force" (pdf). Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 51 (RR-16). PMID 12418624. Unknown parameter
|coauthors=ignored (help) - ↑ Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedNIAID2006 - ↑ Dowling HF, Jackson GG, Spiesman IG, Inouye T (1958). "Transmission of the common cold to volunteers under controlled conditions. III. The effect of chilling of the subjects upon susceptibility". American journal of hygiene. 68 (1): 59–65. PMID 13559211.
- ↑ Eccles R (2002). "Acute cooling of the body surface and the common cold". Rhinology. 40 (3): 109–14. PMID 12357708.
- ↑ Douglas, R.G.Jr, K.M. Lindgren, and R.B. Couch (1968). "Exposure to cold environment and rhinovirus common cold. Failure to demonstrate effect". New Engl. J. Med. 279.
- ↑ Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedCCCentre - ↑ Johnson C, Eccles R (2005). "Acute cooling of the feet and the onset of common cold symptoms". Family Practice. 22 (6): 608–13. doi:10.1093/fampra/cmi072. PMID 16286463.