Don't let the cold or flu get in the way of your life
At this time of year, blocked noses, congested sinuses and sore throats can affect us all. And when we’re suffering with a cold, the effects on our day and on our sleep at night seem to last for days on end.
In fact, a new survey by SUDAFED® Mucus Relief Day & Night Capsules has found that typical congestion with a cold could last on average 5.5 days having a huge impact on our functionality during the working week.
The survey also reveals the impact congestion with a cold can have on our day and night routines:
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DURING THE DAY: Just over two thirds of Brits describe the effect of mucus build up as leaving us feeling woolly headed, while almost half say mucus build up makes them slower at doing even the most basic daily things
- AT NIGHT: Almost a third who have suffered from congestion with a cold in the last 12 months say that they lose out on two hours of sleep or more on a typical night due to mucus build up. This could add up to an estimated 32,000,000 hours of sleep being missed across the UK each year.
To help separate the facts from the fiction and to provide top tips on the best ways to relieve congestion with a cold during the day and at night, Dr Rob Lambkin-Williams, Chief Scientific Officer at Retroscreen Virology, Queen Mary, University of London, is on hand to answer the common questions and set the record straight.
Q. What impact can mucus build up really have on us during the day?
A. “A blocked nose is a very common symptom associated with viral infections such as the common cold and can be a frustrating and annoying side effect. But the nose is an important part of the human body and many people don’t realise the profound effect it can have on them when it is not working properly. In fact, congestion that comes with a cold may be having more of an affect on our bodies than we realise, and it can impact us differently during the day and at night. Congestion with a cold can cause us to lose out on quality sleep during the night, which can affect our functionality the next day. Clinical data show that sleep lost because of congestion with a cold can lead to decreased cognitive and psychomotor abilities, such as impaired work performance and learning, decreased productivity, increased accidents and difficulty concentrating.[iv] It can even cause memory loss, anxiety and depression.v It’s very important then to treat the day and night symptoms separately, to help clear the mucus build up and that will help us to get more quality sleep and improve our functionality during the day.”
Q. How does mucus build up affect our sleep at night?
A. “A blocked nose caused by congestion with a cold can interfere with our sleep at night by causing us to snore and can even cause us to suffer with sleep-related disorders, such as sleep apnoea; where we wake up throughout the night as our bodies try to get enough oxygen. As congestion with a cold impacts our quality of sleep, it impacts the body’s ability to recover which is why it’s important to treat the mucus build up before bedtime. Look for a medicine designed to treat mucus build up at night time which doesn’t contain caffeine to give you the best chance of quality sleep.”
Q. Why does mucus tend to build up in the nose and then spread to the throat and chest?
A. “This is called the ‘post nasal drip’; as mucus builds up in the nose, small hairs brush the mucus up the nose and normally it would simply be swallowed. However given the increase in quantity of mucus when someone is congested with a cold, it gets onto the lungs. It’s the build-up of mucus in the nose and sinuses that gives us that woolly-headed feeling.”
Q. What are your top tips for relieving congestion with a cold?
A. “Try and get as much sleep as possible to help your body recover and avoid caffeine at night. There are also a few natural remedies that can help, however, a decongestant spray or tablet is likely to be more effective at clearing the mucus build up and that woolly-headed feeling – look for one that’s designed to treat the day and night symptoms separately. Paracetamol can also help to relieve the pain and discomfort associated with congestion with a cold but make sure you check the active ingredients in each medicine to ensure you’re not taking more than the recommended dose.”
Q. What natural remedies work and which don’t?
A. “Hot steam inhalation and essential oils can really help clear the mucus build up, so a hot bath before bedtime is a good idea. But there is no quality evidence that Vitamin C, Echinacea or zinc are effective in helping to treat congestion with a cold so they are a waste of time.”
Q. What lifestyle factors can make congestion worse?
A. “Stress will make almost any illness worse. Also rapid changes in temperature, like going from a centrally heated building into the cold can also have an effect on congestion when you are bunged up because this causes blood vessels to expand and contract. And smoking is never going to help mucus build up.”
Q. What are the most common myths associated with a cold?
A. “That you can catch a cold if you get wet in the rain and that you need antibiotics to treat a cold. Common colds are mostly caused by viruses so spread through contact with an infected person. People are more likely to be in closer contact during the winter months when they’re more often indoors and travelling around to see friends and family over the holiday season. It’s simply a case of being in contact with someone with a cold so getting caught in the rain will not increase your chances of getting bunged up. Antibiotics are not effective in treating viruses so these will make little difference if you’re congested with a common cold. The best thing to do is to rest up, have a hot bath and choose a medicine that can treat the day and night symptoms separately.”
Tagged in Health cold and flu