Word: gwaltney
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...course, even if an effective antiviral drug is eventually developed, that takes care of only part of the problem. "You have to do more than just stop the virus," says Dr. Jack Gwaltney of the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville. "You need to block these inflammatory processes too." Intriguingly, Gwaltney, who has studied the common cold for more than 40 years, has shown that although it's easy to become infected with a cold virus, about 25% of those who get infected suffer few if any symptoms. For whatever reason, their bodies do not go overboard fending...
...Gwaltney's favorite combo is a curious mix of high-and low-tech treatments: a quick squirt into the nose of the biotech drug interferon, followed by two over-the-counter pills--an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin) and a so-called first-generation antihistamine like chlorpheniramine (such as Chlor-Trimeton). The interferon primes the immune system to unleash its antiviral defenses while the ibuprofen and the chlorpheniramine keep the inflammatory processes under control...
...drawbacks of this approach is the high cost of interferon. Gwaltney estimates that at today's prices the doses needed to treat a cold would set you back $200 (although interferon may eventually go generic, which should bring costs down). Another problem is that chlorpheniramine makes many people very sleepy, so you should not drive a car or operate machinery while treatments are under way. For reasons that are unclear, the nondrowsy antihistamines that work for allergies don't seem as effective against colds...
...fair thing to say about Zicam is that its benefits are still not proved. Maybe if I'm desperate, I'll try it next time I get a telltale tickle in my throat. In the meantime, I hope to sidestep the problem by following the advice of Dr. Jack Gwaltney of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, a top cold researcher. "Wash your hands a lot with soap and water," he says, because cold viruses like to linger there. Don't put your fingers in your eyes or nose, as they give easy access to the nasal passages...
...catch a cold, Gwaltney suggests taking an over-the-counter antihistamine like chlorpheniramine or clemastine (they make lots of people sleepy but work better against colds than the nondrowsy formulas) and an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen or naproxen. And don't forget to cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze. It won't make you feel any better, but the rest of us will thank you for keeping your viruses to yourself...