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Viruses and bacteria lurk everywhere. But not everything you hear about infections is true. How to best protect yourself from illness.
It is well known that cold symptoms such as sore throat, cough and runny nose are more common in autumn and winter. But these complaints, which are caused by viruses and bacteria, can plague us all year round. There is an increased risk until spring real flu, influenzato get sick. In contrast, can Corona, which has similar symptoms occurs almost all year round. Particularly in cool and dry air, pathogens have an easy time getting into our respiratory tract via the affected mucous membranes. It is therefore very important to know how you can effectively protect yourself from infections and which advice or assumptions are less likely to be true.
Cold, flu, corona: How cold, blowing your nose and drying your hands have an impact
If you have a cold or even the real flu, your body should be able to get plenty of rest and sleep. © Moodboard/Imago
Nobody wants to become infected with pathogenic bacteria and viruses, so various methods are often tried to protect themselves. Although absolute prevention is not possible, there are certain things you can pay attention to to avoid infection. At the same time, there are still many myths surrounding the topic of colds.
These viruses and bacteria make us sick
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Myth 1: A cold comes from being cold
Since colds are usually caused by viral infections such as rhinoviruses, which are active and circulate all year round, infection can occur regardless of the outside temperature or cold. Although low temperatures can further weaken the immune system, cold as such is not the cause of colds.
Myth 2: Washing your hands alone is enough to protect yourself from infection
Whether blowing our noses, using the toilet, petting animals or preparing raw meat, our hands inevitably come into contact with germs – including those that can cause illness. When shaking hands or using shared objects, pathogens can easily pass from one hand to the other. Infection can occur as soon as someone touches their face with their hands and the pathogens enter the body through the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose or eyes. Anyone who washes their hands regularly, especially after contact with germs, can effectively break this chain of transmission, according to them Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA).
Washing your hands can ultimately protect against infections if you also pay attention to drying your hands. Because “wet hands can spread up to 1,000 times more bacteria than dry hands,” according to one Study and like that ZDF reported. If there is no way to wash your hands, you should at least avoid touching your mouth, eyes or nose with your hands or eating food with your hands. It can be helpful to carry hand sanitizer with you in case of emergencies.
Myth 3: Vitamin C protects the body from a cold
In some cases, vitamin C can have a positive effect on the course of a cold and promote the healing process. However, additional intake via diet or nutritional supplements does not protect against infection. Only in people who are exposed to intensive physical activity – such as athletes or soldiers – can vitamin C reduce the susceptibility to infection by almost half Studies show.
Myth 4: Flu and flu-like infection are the same thing
Flu is an infection with the influenza virus, which can sometimes cause severe symptoms and complaints. Doctors speak of a flu-like infection when cold symptoms – cough, fever, headache and body aches – are similar in severity to those of the flu. Ultimately, the pathogen causing a flu infection is usually the same as that causing a cold, for example rhinoviruses.
Myth 5: A cold is always caused by bacteria
Respiratory infections are caused by various pathogens that attack the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. Loud Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) However, viruses are usually the cause of respiratory infections. There are many different types of respiratory viruses, including the typical “cold viruses” such as rhinoviruses, the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as well as the influenza virus, which causes the real flu, and SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes Corona or COVID-19 .
In the event of a viral infection, the mucous membrane of the respiratory organs can be damaged to such an extent that susceptibility to bacteria is increased. As a result, in addition to the viral infection, a bacterial superinfection can develop, for example, a severe sore throat due to tonsillitis, sinusitis, bronchitis or, in rare cases also pneumonia can cause. To avoid this, sick people should take it as easy as possible and cure the viral infection.
Myth 6: Blowing your nose is better than turning your nose up
Pulling up and swallowing nasal mucus is often viewed as unhygienic and disgusting, even though doctors actually recommend it. This is because the tiny hairs in the nasal mucosa transport the mucus towards the stomach, where the stomach acid can kill any germs. This is a natural defense mechanism of the body. In particular, people who have already had sinus surgery are advised to pull up nasal mucus instead of blowing their nose. In this way, you can prevent more mucus from being pushed into the sinuses, germs from settling and multiplying there and causing an infection. In addition, when you blow your nose, the secretion that contains the pathogens can stick to your hands – if you don’t wash them thoroughly immediately afterwards, the pathogenic bacteria or viruses can be passed on. This means: If you still blow your nose, you should wash your hands afterwards.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Our editorial team is not allowed to answer individual questions about medical conditions.
