Do you also have the feeling that you keep catching colds? But are the infections actually getting more and more persistent, or is there some other reason that we get sick again and again? And how do you finally get rid of the common cold?
As soon as the cold season is here again, you feel like you’re constantly caught cold. How many days should I get better with a normal cold with a stuffy nose?
“Usually after five to seven days,” says Dr. Matthias Tisch, professor of ear, nose and throat medicine. However, this is an average value, which means: some are fit again after two days, others only after two weeks. It also depends on how good your immune system is. Different complaints last different times depending on the susceptibility to infection. They are most stubborn when they affect the lower respiratory tract, so there is also a cough.
Constantly catching a cold: Why do some infections hang longer or more intensely than others?
Colds and runny nose are caused almost exclusively by viruses, there are over 200 different ones. They belong to different virus families, such as the rhino or corona viruses, and also have different potentials – some pathogens simply make you sicker or ill longer than others.
And what do I have to do with the duration of a cold myself?
“A person between the ages of 20 and 50 with a healthy immune system will be healthy again after a relatively short time,” says ENT doctor Tisch. In younger years, on the other hand, the body’s own defenses are not yet fully developed, and in the second half of life, the pathogen defense sometimes no longer works so well, many people suffer from immunodeficiency. The risk of getting sick and having a cold or even a real flu drag on increases.
Even regardless of age Stress, a sleep deficit, lack of exercise or an unhealthy diet trigger an immune deficiency and make sure that we always have colds. A cold is especially prolonged when the respiratory tract is attacked by bacteria in addition to the viruses and these trigger inflammation – this creates a so-called superinfection.
Trigger lymphatic system
The body’s lymphatic system plays a special role in recurring colds: the lymph removes lymphatic fluid every day. If this lymph flow is disturbed – for example due to swollen lymph nodes – the fluid cannot be properly transported away and builds up in the nose and sinuses, among other things. Foreign substances also remain in the tissue – making it easy for bacteria and viruses to spread. The result: We constantly catch colds.
Does the treatment of infections bring anything at all – and if so: which therapy makes sense?
“The claim that it has no influence whether and how you treat a cold is in any case scientifically dubious,” explains ENT specialist Dr. Matthias table. Of course, our bodies can usually cope with colds without help. But: “Failure to treat increases the risk of chronification; complaints stay longer or even become a permanent problem.” Correctly curing the infection is therefore important.
However, that does not mean that you always have to resort to medical clubs such as antibiotics in the event of an infection, so that it only happens quickly. Antibiotics are ineffective against the cold viruses themselves, and even a bacterial superinfection cannot prevent precautionary use. “That was said earlier, but it is a fairy tale,” said Tisch. Herbal remedies and traditional home remedies for colds, such as inhalation and compresses, bring relief. The good old tip of drinking plenty of fluids, such as water, is also a good idea when you have a cold. If you have a scratchy throat, home remedies for a sore throat can also help.
What else can I do if I keep catching colds?
A balanced diet with lots of vitamin C as well as sufficient rest and sleep support the immune system in coping with the infection. Smoking, on the other hand, damages the mucous membranes and can prolong healing. The same applies to major physical stresses that affect health in the event of an infection. Because these put additional strain on our defenses, and the risk increases that the pathogens attack other organs, in the most dramatic case the heart muscle. Studies suggest, however, that you can at least continue to train with a runny nose if you otherwise feel good and do not exhaust yourself. The duration of the symptoms did not change in joggers with a cold compared to people who took a week off.
As soon as the area from the neck down is also affected (swollen lymph nodes, body aches, fever, cough), however, it is advisable to refrain from exercising. You should only start again a few days after recovery and observe your body to see whether it can handle the full workload again or whether it is better to start more slowly. If you have a real flu, you should take it easy for at least a week after recovery.
And what if a cold lasts longer and longer for me or doesn’t end at all?
Then the cause should be clarified, for example using x-rays of the sinuses. Doctors can also check whether the constant cold or cough is not due to an allergy or the gastric acid reflux.
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Sources:
S2k guideline “Diagnostics for the presence of a primary immune defect – clarification of susceptibility to infection, immune dysregulation and other symptoms of primary immune defects”
Journal Oncology: “Primary and Secondary Immunodeficiencies”