new fact, maybe...

[sienna]

I have a friend who told me that a doctor told him that the reason we get
viruses more often in the winter is because our noses get cold.

He says the antibodies in the bloodstream that attack the virus when we
breathe don't work as well when the nose is cold.

Hope I havn't opened up a Pandora's Box of nose warming!

[liriodendron]

And in warm climates?



Just as good of a theory as any that I got but I figured it would be
from the nose drying out rather than just getting cold. Drier air seems
to be the common thread but I don't know.


Edited by: liriodendron

[tayda]

Hmm.. interesting... but I'm gonna say.. that more sick people touch public stuff before washing their hands... so the likelihood of touching anything contaminated w/ a SV* is much higher...


So I tell myself... but its cool cause I have my trusty mini-bottle of purell

[samara's on tv]

Cold noses cause more viruses? That seems weird. But if a doctor said it then maybe he or sheis right.Who knows. I'm just careful about whatI touch when I'm out in public!


~Monica

[beadgirl]

Tayda---


I'm gonna play devils advocate here: I know we all love our purell... I use it when I absolutely cant wash my hands, But is it effective in preventing a sv? I only ask this because thier called antibacterial hand gels and a sv is a virus, not bacteria. Anyone know if it pervents all germs?

[mjewell]

Bead girl -


There was a study in the news not too long ago where a bunch of famly housholds were given Purell that they had to use several times a dayand the other half weren't. In the house with Purell, a very small percentage of people gotSVs but it didn't spread - and in the other house almost everyone got SV's at some point that spread through the house. I'm pretty sure the purell also kills viruses.

[liriodendron]

Beadgirl,



This link should answer your questions about Purell and hand sanitizers in general.

http://www.purell.com/faq.aspx



They are gaining in popularity and many health depts have edited
regulations such as food code and health care regulations to allow for
the use of hand sanitizers like Purell in some instances such as when
the hands aren't visibly dirty.



Although it's also been said, it's not a 100% replacement for
handwashing with soap and water, that matter is still open for debate.

[crystalmom]

Just a quick note on the cold nose thing. I live in a colder climate (Alberta, Canada) and I find the MORE I am outdoors in the winter the LESS freguently I get any type of illness. I rarely got sick as a tenn, b/c I had to walk everywhere...now I get sick more often, since I am a wuss who loves her car. I HATE the cold now, but, it is a really good idea to get out in it for a while everyday!


Crystal

[crimgoddess]

Hmmm....with purell and other things that are antibacterial, another issue arises. Since their use has increased, so has the resiliency of bacteria. The strongest survive....and then become harder to kill. I'm guessing it's only a matter of time before things like purell are ineffective. (kind of like new strains of HIV that are becoming immune to treatment)


That being said- I still use it on occasion when it really is impossible to get to a sink. Another problem with it is that my boyfriend has a kitten- who has just discovered his claws and makes good use of them. Whenever I purell my hands it hurts like a MoFo.


*amber*

[crimgoddess]

Crystal- I live in Ottawa (lol- the second coldest capital city in the world) and I find the same thing.


When I am out and about (I dont own a car, have a 20 minute walk to campus, and skate on the canal at every opportunity), I find I get sick less often...but on thoseweeks that I dont leave the apartment (usually when I have a lot of marking to do)- I get the most horrendous colds and flus. ALso, I generally am sick MORE in the summer than any other season (which, incidentally, the summer is when I am LEAST likely to be outside). This past summer, in the space of four months, I managed to get 2 colds, a flu, strep and mono. Yay me.


Hmmm....Im not going to say that sienna's dr is wrong (because I don't have the letters 'md' behind my name)- but is it possible that the study done on this phenomena was not valid in the scientific sense? Maybe there is a higher correlation with winter/cold noses and the proliferation of viruses....but correlation is not causation. Could part of it be due to the fact that when our noses are cold, they tend to run; and when people get a runny noses (especially young kids)- they have a tendency to wipe it with their hands. If they are sick (even if not yet symptomatic) and do so, and them touch other things (or touch something else and then touch their face/nose)- there is a higher possibility for the spread of illness?


*amber*

[sienna]

Heck, it wasn't even my Dr., just a Howard Hughsian friend who isn't an
emet, but is certainly a hypochondriac. And I doubt I'll be wearing a nose
warmer because of it.

I use Purell like mad. I sure hope it works like I tell myself it does.

[tayda]

.

I use Purell like mad. I sure hope it works like I tell myself it does.

Had to laugh.. hehe.. cause that's what I do...


Before anthony started preschool.. I was NEVER S* w/ a cold.. except for once or twice a year.. and I had that nasty norwalk tthing.. **shudders**


Anyways, I'm outdoors a lot... and I've still been sick a lot lately.. and Ithink it's cause of preschool...





I just picked him up... and his voice sounds scratchy.... is it bad that I'm already thinking.. "here we go again...?"

[crystalmom]

I am one of those crazy people who runs a day home, and has kids in and out of my house constantly. The same ones, granted, but, these kids have older sibling who go to school, and some of them go to preschool as well. I have no idea why I would choose to do this, aside from the fact it is good money to stay home with your kid, b/c it is a constant battle with all kinds of bugs. One gets sick, then the next, and then it changes, and goes through again! Kids do get sick alot, so chances are much higher (sorry [img]smileys/smilies_11.gif[/img]) that this cold/flu season will be hard on your family....with the little one in preschool. It sucks, believe me I know. My hands are SO dry from constantly washing them. AHHHHH!!! Being a parent isn't always easy to us emets. Good thing they are cute, and do amazing things!


Crystal

[bexcelica]

sienna.. i love how you said that "i hope i hoped up pandoras box of nose warming" pure genious comment.


i can just picture all of us al over the world walking around with little nose covers on our noses in the winter. lol

[angel13]

^ lol. Nose covers. Thanks for the imagery, bex!


I'm undecided on the whole climate thing. But on the cold issue - extreme cold kills germs anyway, right? Like ice and snow and frost, and whatever. So...maybe that's reassuring! Like crystalmom said, the cold is good to get out into once in awhile, its nice and fresh. I think in winter, when you spend alot of time indoors, you don't adjust as well to the coldness, so when you DO go out in it, you aren't as resistant to it. Or, something along those lines. I find I always get my worst colds in situations where I go out and leave my throat uncovered.


Anyways, rambling off topic here. Me, I live in South Australia, the driest state in the country (which is pretty damn dry to begin with), yet I find Summer more relaxing with winter. I like to think that the sun fries everything to a crisp, germs included XD Whether thats true or not, I have no idea, but summer has always felt a bit safer to me than winter.

[futuredr]

I heard about the nose warming thing too. The theory is that by keeping your nose warm, the blood vessels don't constrict as much (which they do when it is cold) and therefore the things in your blood which combat viruses can still get to your nose and keep 'em out!


I appreciate the idea, but it isn't going to change me! I think if you're going to get it, you'll get it..

[tayda]

two words... (one item)


Face mask.. sketchy.. OF COURSE.. but.. you'll be warm, and your little nose too!


(Just don't go prowling aorund your neighbors houses)