7 Surprising Ways Your Body Responds to the Common Cold

You’re in a funk

“Whenever there’s an infection in the body, your body releases proteins, called cytokines, to help the body fight the infection,” says Partha Nandi, MD, author of Ask Dr. Nandi: 5 Steps to Becoming Your Own #HealthHero for Longevity, Well-Being, and a Joyful Life (North Star Way, September 2017). “That happens whether you have the common cold or a more serious infection, like the flu.” Knowing the nine clear signs that a cold is coming on will help you spot trouble in advance.

Studies have found that your brain recognizes those cytokines as molecular signals of sickness. “We’ve all been there,” Dr. Nandi says. “You feel like, ‘Leave me alone; I don’t want to deal with anyone.’ It’s not because you are unique, it’s because of the chemicals being produced.”

“An illness does affect mood, performance, and alertness,” says psychologist Mary Alvord, PhD, adjunct associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Don’t beat yourself up for feeling down, she suggests. “Understand that this is a very specific situation. Tell yourself, ‘I have a cold, and it’s right now, it’s temporary. This won’t go on for very long,'” says Alvord.

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2fVETkB