Health Update

Everything You Need to Know About the Flu What’s the difference between a cold and the flu? The common cold and the flu may seem similar at first. They’re both respiratory illnesses and can cause similar symptoms. But different viruses cause these two conditions. Your symptoms help you tell the difference between them. Both a cold and the flu share a few common symptoms. People with either illness often experience: runny or stuffy nose sneezing body aches general fatigue As a rule, flu symptoms are more severe than cold symptoms. Another distinct difference between the two is how serious they are. Colds rarely cause other health conditions or problems. But the flu can lead to  sinus  and  ear infections ,  pneumonia , and sepsis. To determine whether your symptoms are from a cold or from the flu, you need to see your doctor. Your doctor will run tests that can help determine what’s behind your symptoms. If your doctor diagnoses a cold,...

How Sleep Strengthens Your Immune System Researchers say adequate sleep helps T cells in your body fight off infection If you needed another reason to get a good sleep, this might be it. Sleep helps the immune system. Numerous studies have reported the benefits of a good night’s sleep, and now researchers from Germany have found that sound sleep improves immune cells known as T cells. “T cells are a type of… immune cells that fight against intracellular pathogens, for example virus-infected cells such as flu, HIV, herpes, and cancer cells,” Stoyan Dimitrov, PhD, a researcher at the University of Tübingen and an author of the study, told Healthline. The  stu d y  found a new mechanism through which sleep can assist the immune system. “We show that the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline (also known as epinephrine and norepinephrine) and pro-inflammatory molecules prostaglandins inhibit the stickiness of a class of adhesion molecules called integrin...