Doctor tell me; Common cold

Doctor tell me are there any drug miracles for the common cold. Because answering questions about your health is an important part of your doctor's services. The Minnesota State Medical Association presents doctor tell me here to ask the doctor your questions. Is Janice Hughes dead. Today your health questions will be answered by Dr. Robert W. RIF a family physician from White Bear Lake Dr. RIF. Has there been any practical progress toward curing or preventing the common cold. Yes I think there has been definite progress toward some prevention of the common cold or upper respiratory infection. I would be a little hesitant to say that we are now at the stage of development that we can see that there is a proven vaccine to prevent colds but certainly the development of the flu vaccine is something along this line. As you're well aware with all the publicity given

to it the flu epidemics are now beginning or have begun out in the Far East and are threatening to come this way. And there is some definite push toward getting the people who are most affected by chronic illness to be immunized against this type of influenza attack our flu vaccine does a credible job along this line. Why is the common cold so difficult to prevent or treat. Because there are so many different. Types of microbes of germs and of that's including bacteria and virus that cause this so-called common cold. It's not like pneumonia or some of the other serious well known illnesses that we know

about where the etiological agents are the agents that cause the infections are somewhat limited in number. There are many many viruses that cause the influenza that we know or that we accept as being a common yearly occurrence for instance. And there are also many different viruses and bacteria that cause the coolers that we see so frequently in our offices. What is a vessel constrictor and what does it fly in incrementing called. Well this is a a chemical agent that works on the body by constricting the blood vessels in the areas of the nasal membranes the sinus membranes and in the throat and in doing this it limits the amount of mucus production. It doesn't really prevent a cold but it helps change some of the

manifestations of a cold so that if you as an individual were to be coming down with the common symptom of a head cold with the stuffy nose and draining sinuses and so forth. If you were to take such a drug a vasoconstrictor drug you'd find that. Much of this discomfort would be alleviated but it does nothing for preventing or really treating the basis of a cool how serious can colds be. Well I think they can be serious only if they lead to secondary complications. Mostly cause are just an annoyance. And if we treat them this way and treat them by taking good care of ourselves and going to bed at least resting forcing fluids and staying out of areas where we can get more serious complications to this. I think most calls will subside in a few days. Thank you very much Dr rife.

The Minnesota State Medical Association has presented doctor tell me recorded in the studios of KUNM at the University of Minnesota. Janice who is dead has asked the doctor your questions if you have any additional questions. Write to Dr. tell me. Minnesota State Medical Association Three seventy five Jackson St.. St. Paul Minnesota 5 5 1 0 1. This program was distributed by the national educational radio network.