$Unique_ID{BRK01372}
$Pretitle{Respiratory System}
$Title{Has Anything New Been Developed in the Fight Against Colds?}
$Subject{cold viruses treatment}
$Volume{H-6}
$Log{
Influenza*0008501.scf
The Common Cold*0008502.scf}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Has Anything New Been Developed in the Fight Against Colds?


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QUESTION:  It is cold season again, and I know I am going to be battling one
miserable cold after another.  By now there surely must be something new you
can tell us to help in the fight.  With all the resources given to research,
has anything new been developed?

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ANSWER:  Almost everyone I know has a remedy for the flu or a cold, from the
woman next door to the deli owner downtown.  We've all heard the fruit juice
remedy, the chicken soup cure, the starve a cold, feed a fever (and it's
opposite) aphorism.  We've watched the vitamin C poppers, before, during, and
after a cold.  And, of course, those brave souls that take a swim in the midst
of a northern winter as some type of cold preventive.  But does anyone,
including the wise men medicine, really have a cure?
     Well, colds and flu are viral as we all know by now, and medicine seems
to have some trouble dealing with viruses, including our newest and most
deadly, AIDS.  When we take ourselves to our doctors with all the symptoms of
cold or flu in full-bloom, we frequently pester him for an antibiotic as a
prophylactic (not documented) and simply because something in human nature
reacts positively to a placebo (if we take some medicine, we'll feel better).
But antibiotics work on bacteria, not viruses.  And the harm in their frequent
use is the creation of a whole new class of bacteria resistant to our known
antibiotics.  Colds are limited viral infections that usually run their course
and are not helped by administering an antibiotic.
     But there is good news.  There has been some limited success in treating
colds and flu with medication recently.  For instance, in the influenza type A
virus, a drug called amantadine has been used.  In a study where the drug was
used as a preventive measure before exposure to the virus, 75 percent were
protected from the illness and 50 percent were protected from infection.  This
means that 50 percent acquired the virus, but showed no symptoms of the
disease.  An immune response was developed, which might also act as protection
against future infection.  If given early in the treatment of influenza A,
amantadine can lessen the severity of disease and shorten its course.  Coupled
with a flu vaccine, amantadine decrease your chances of ever contracting the
disease.
     A drug used in treating RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) infection, a
type of viral pneumonia, is ribavirin, administered in this country only to
hospitalized patients at high risk.  Studies are being conducted (not
conclusive) using this drug to treat type A and B flu.  But in studies of
infants with RSV, the drug has seen some success administered through an
aerosol method.
     The last drug we'll mention is interferon, which seems to be of value in
the prevention of the common cold caused by the rhinovirus.  In a case study
(this drug has not been approved in this country), where interferon was used
in a nasal spray, the spread of a cold was stopped in a household.  What is
curious about the drug is that its side effects resemble cold/flu
symptoms--headache, nausea, vomiting.
     So as you can see there's work being done in the fight against viruses,
including cold and flu.  And yes, there have been some breakthroughs, though
much more study and research is needed.  But you can bet, for long as there is
no wonder drug to cure virus infection, you will still hear all kinds of
claims for a wide variety of home remedies.
ÿ
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
