"Cold" and "Flu" Season is Coming!

So let's take today . . . and better understand what this season of "discomfort" really is . . .

Okay . . . so to most of us . . . the "discomfort" from a "cold" or the "flu" . . . means a nose that won't stop "dripping", a cough that becomes a nag and a scratchy throat that hurts no matter how much water we drink.

But . . . how can we tell if we have a "common cold" . . . or the "flu"???

Because "BOTH" . . . a "cold" and the "flu" cause "infections" . . . by entering the body through the mouth, nose and eyes.

And "knowing" the difference between a "cold" and the "flu" . . . is key to effectively treating our symptoms.

So let's start with . . . the "common cold" . . .

The "common cold" is a "viral infection" of the nose and throat . . . and even though it feels pretty "major" . . . it's usually "harmless".

This "cold" is caused by any one of over 200 viruses that cause "inflammation" of the membranes that line the nose and throat. And the "rhinoviruses" cause most "colds" and spreads easily to others.

Okay . . . so what time of year do we normally get a "common cold"???

Well . . . in the Northern Hemisphere . . . that would be . . . December, January and February . . . but in the Southern Hemisphere . . . it's June, July and August.

And how long does a "common cold" last???

Well . . . most people recover in a