Symptoms:
Colds are a general inflammation of the mucus membranes of the respiratory passages. Symptoms include nose and throat irritations, watery eyes, fever, headaches, chills, muscle aches, and temporary loss of smell and taste.

A heavy cold may take the form of acute or chronic infection, such as flu, grippe, tonsillitis, sinusitis, bronchial catarrh, chronic cold, or similar virus-type infection.

Children who frequently have colds or flus may have thyroid malfunctions.

How can you tell whether it is a heavy cold—or the flu? Here is the difference:

Headache - prominent in flu, but rare in a cold.

Fever - frequent and sudden in flu; rare in a cold.

Fatigue - extreme in flu and can last 2-3 weeks; there is only mild fatigue with a cold.

General aches - common and often severe in flu; slight in a cold.

Runny nose - occasionally in flu; common with a cold.

Cough - common with flu and can become severe; only mild to moderate in a cold.

Sore throat - sometimes with flu; common with a cold.

Cause:
In one sense, the cause is a variety of viruses. But in another, the person has allowed himself to become run-down so that the virus was able to take hold. Factors which lower the body's resistance to virus infection are overexposure to cold, fatigue, recent or present infections, allergic reactions, and inhalation of irritating dust or gas, overeating, wrong eating, and sugar or alcohol consumption.

The common cold is not an infection that leaps out and attacks an innocent passerby. It is not even a disease. A cold is the cure of a pre-diseased condition. and the symptoms are attempts by the body to reestablish normal conditions. The body is carrying out a "spring cleaning."

The cold virus can change size and shape, making it impossible to produce a suitable vaccine. There are more than 100 different viruses which cause colds. Symptoms last for 7-14 days regardless of therapy. The incubation period is very short (1-3 days), instead of the 10-21 days for most viruses. The cold seems to suddenly appear. When you get a tingling nose and throat, nasal mucus, or scratchy throat; do not wait for the coughing, weakness, and fever to begin! Go to bed.

Treatment:
• A cold is the result of not living on the best level. Once it arrives, it cleanses toxins from the system and, along with the rest, enables the person to get back into better shape. A cold is actually a blessing, for it forces people to rest who, otherwise, would prematurely develop debilitating, chronic, and life-threatening diseases.

• A cold is always in the upper respiratory tract (nose, mouth, throat, and upper bronchials). If congestion develops in the chest, the cold is worsening into something even more serious!

• Do not ignore a cold and drag on with your work. As soon it develops—go to bed, drink fresh lemon juice in water, and settle down to getting well!

• If you do not know how to take care of yourself, you had better contact a physician, especially if:

(1) Chills and shortness of breath occur.
(2) An accompanying fever goes above 101o F. for more than three days, or any fever above 103oF.
(3) Yellow or white spots appear in the throat.
(4) The lymph nodes under the jaw and in the neck become enlarged.
(5) Any hot, extreme pain, such as earache, swollen tonsils, sinus pain, or aching lungs or chest occurs.
(6) There is excessively large amounts of sputum or sputum that is greenish or bloody.
(7) There is extreme difficulty swallowing.
(8) Wheezing occurs.
(9) There is shortness of breath.

• If you have a sore throat, beware of white or yellow patches on the throat. These can be Group A beta-hemolytic streptococci, which can damage the heart muscle. Have a throat swab done when there might be a question about this.

• Children with high fevers should see a physician within 24 hours.

• Treatment should include as much vitamin C as you can take, without producing diarrhea (up to 5,000 mg at a time). In acute cases, 1,000 mg of C every other hour. Also take bioflavonoids (200-600 mg), small amounts garlic. (along with vitamin C, it is an excellent germ fighter), vitamin A (50,000 units for not more than one month; then down to 25,000 units), calcium lactate or gluconate (6 tablets), brewer's yeast, B6 (100 mg; it is a natural antihistamine, as well as providing helpful protein), vitamin E (600 units), betaine hydrochloride, zinc gluconate lozenges, and vitamin F (unsaturated fatty acids) reduces the frequency and duration of colds.

• In acute stages when fever is present, the person should abstain from all solid foods and only drink fresh fruit and vegetable juices, diluted (50-50) with water, plus herb teas. The proper treatment of colds is to encourage elimination through all channels, so that elimination through one channel does not become excessive.

• As soon as the crisis subsides, let the person have some protein and other food.

• Drink potato peeling broth twice a day. The peelings should be one-half inch thick (throw away the centers). Boil it for about 20-30 minutes; strain, cool, and drink. Make it fresh every day.

• Avoid chills, get adequate bed rest, and take a little salt to replace that lost in sweat.

• After the fever subsides, a low calorie raw fruit and vegetable diet can be eaten. This should include plenty of raw juices and herb teas, sweetened with a little honey. Some raw seeds and nuts can be eaten, but should be chewed well.

• Herb teas can include rose hips, golden seal, chamomile, peppermint, slippery elm, ginger, desert tea. Eucalyptus oil is helpful. Put 5 drops in a hot bath or 6 drops in a cup of boiling water. Put a towel over your head and, without burning yourself, inhale it. Licorice root tea, drunk daily, soothes an irritated throat and relieves coughing. You might wish to take hop tea to help you get to sleep at night.

• Avoid aspirin (especially for children), since it causes internal bleeding. There is also another problem: What you think is of little consequence may be flu or chickenpox—which are caused by a virus. Colds are also. When children who have certain viral infections take aspirin, their risk of developing Reye's syndrome is greatly increased! This is a rare but fatal brain and liver disease. The same warning applies to cold medications containing aspirin.

• As already mentioned, take vitamin C, zinc, and garlic. Avoid being depressed; try to be cheerful. There is healing in this. Keep looking to Jesus and praying to God. Let a friend read a Bible promise to you every so often; think about it. Rest and relax and do not worry. Keep warm, but get fresh air from time to time. Take a lot of liquids. Gargle three times a day with saltwater (1 glass of warm water with 1 teaspoon of salt mixed in). Take a hot shower.

Prevention:
Once contracted, a cold must run its course. So it is better, far better, to prevent it than cure it. The best prevention is to live right, eat right, get enough out-of-door exercise to strengthen the body, and get enough rest. Do not skimp on sleep at night, especially in the colder months. Do not share food with someone who has a cold. Be sure and dress warmly enough when it is cold. Do not sit in a draft. Do not go outside with a wet head.

Many people, who are especially susceptible to colds, never get them. They have learned to live above the level where they contract such infections. Learn the distant early warning signs.