Coughs, runny nose, sore throat – hardly anyone is spared

Coughs, runny nose, sore throat

Hardly anyone is spared

In the cold season, cold viruses always gain the upper hand. They cause coughs, runny nose and sore throat, the typical signs of a cold. The contagion usually occurs via a droplet infection. This means that when a sick person coughs or sneezes viruses swirl wildly through the air and the people around him inhale the pathogens, or they come into contact with the secretion via hands, clothing and toys.

The air expelled during coughing travels at a speed of up to 900 kilometres per hour. Viruses and bacteria are ejected from the airway at the same time.

At first, the viruses roost in the nasal mucosa in the throat area, where they multiply. The body’s immune system is now alerted. Nose and throat are tickling and scratchy. The mucous membranes swell and produce more mucus, to remove the virus from the respiratory tract. Swallowing becomes difficult and the nose is running.

When the cold reaches this stage, usually a dry cough comes first, followed by a mucous cough. Normally, the symptoms will subside after about a week, but sometimes a cold will last up to 14 days. Our body is not defenceless against colds. On the contrary, there are natural mechanisms with which it attempts to get the trigger under its control. The first barrier to the pathogens is the mucous membrane lining the airways. And the purpose of a running nose is not to make it difficult to breathe, but rather our body is trying to get rid of the harmful pathogens with the liquid. When we cough, something similar is happening. Coughing is a natural reflex of the body. It makes sure that everything that does not belong in the bronchia is removed from them. This includes foreign objects, dirt and the mucus produced in a cold and carried with the virus and the accompanying bacterial infection out of the respiratory tract. Herbal substances can relieve cold symptoms in various ways