Yes, it’s that time of year again-cold season. The typical cold is an upper respiratory infection that can be caused by more than 200 different viruses. Symptoms include sinus pressure, nasal congestion, headaches, body aches and sometimes fever and cough.

Recent statistics have shown that adults average two to four colds a year, which amounts to one billion colds nationwide. Contrary to popular belief, exposure to cold weather is not proven to cause colds. In fact, spending more time indoors actually increases the chance for viruses to spread.

When someone has a cold, sneezing, nose-blowing and nose-wiping may spread the virus. You’re likely to catch a cold by inhaling the virus if you are sitting close to someone who sneezes, or by touching your nose, eyes or mouth after you have touched something contaminated by the cold virus.

There are over-the-counter (OTC) medications available at your local pharmacy to relieve symptoms of the common cold. If you’re looking for 12 hours of relief from just one pill, Aleve Cold & Sinus is effective in treating headaches, body aches, fever, nasal congestion and sinus pressure that may result from a cold.

New guidelines published by The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) suggest that the pain reliever naproxen, an active ingredient in Aleve Cold & Sinus, is more effective in treating cold-induced coughs than popular OTC cough syrups.

If a cold causes your sinuses to become congested, this congestion may lead to painful sinus headaches. You might have a sinus headache if you are experiencing pain or pressure around the eyes, cheeks and forehead; tender skin and bones over and under the eyes; and pain when bending over. The active ingredient in Aleve Sinus & Headache is an extended-release decongestant that works to reduce sinus pressure for up to 12 hours.

In addition to an OTC medication, other ways to treat your cold include:

Get plenty of rest

Drink plenty of fluids

Don’t drink alcohol

Gargle with warm water to soothe a sore throat.

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a breathing problem. It is lung disorder that commonly affects premature infants. Sometimes affects babies born about 6 weeks or more before their due dates. RDS affected an mostly infants born alive in the United States. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the rapid onset of respiratory failure (ability to adequately oxygenate the blood) that can occur in critically ill persons of any age over 1 year. This is the most important disorder resulting in increased permeability pulmonary edema. It is characterized by inflammation of the lung parenchyma leading to impaired gas exchange with concomitant systemic release of inflammatory mediators causing inflammation, hypoxemia and frequently resulting in multiple organ failure.

ARDS has a death rate of approximately 30 to 40 percent. The estimated annual frequency of ARDS is reported as 75 cases per 100,000 population. ARDS Symptoms include severe difficulty in breathing , anxiety, agitation and fever. ARDS infants may develop several complications such as sepsis, an infection of the bloodstream, as well as other problems related to prematurity, such as bleeding into the brain. These and other complications can cause convulsions, shock-like states, and in some cases, death. ARDS patients are usually treated in the intensive. Treatment is primarily supportive using a mechanical respirator and supplemental oxygen. A supportive breathing technique called positive end expiratory pressure. These are combined with continuing treatment of the precipitating illness.

Corticosteroids may sometimes be administered in late phases of ARDS or if the patient is in shock. Intravenous fluids are given to provide nutrition and prevent dehydration. Antianxiety drugs to relieve anxiety. Drugs to counteract low blood pressure that may be caused by shock Inhaled nitric oxide (NO) potentially acts as selective pulmonary vasodilator. Rapid binding to hemoglobin prevents systemic effects. It should increase perfusion of better ventilated areas. A risk factor for ARDS, taking appropriate measures to prevent aspiration, such as elevation of the head of the bed, may prevent some cases of ARDS. There are many therapies such as, replacement surfactant (a natural soapy substance that keeps the lung air sacs open) may be beneficial.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Treatment and Prevention Tips

1. Intravenous fluids are given to provide nutrition.

2. Use of a surfactant preparation can be lifesaving and reduces complications.

3. Corticosteroids have been used empirically and in numerous clinical trials.

4. Replacement surfactant therapy may be beneficial.

5. Rapid binding to hemoglobin prevents systemic effects.

6. Antianxiety drugs to relieve anxiety.

Old hatha yoga books suggest that breathing is the essence of hatha yoga training. It is much more fundamental than learning or mastering most difficult yoga poses or asanas.

Which breathing or respiration matters most? The breathing process is going on 24/7 and the body requires O2 all the time. Hence, it is necessary to have a closer look at our unconscious or basal breathing.

Classical manuscripts on Hatha Yoga (Gheranda Samhita, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and Shiva Samhita) were written about 5-7 centuries ago. What do they say about breathing? According to these ancient hatha yoga manuscripts, the goal of hatha yog is to “suspend”, “hold”, “restrain”, and “calm” our breathing.

Unfortunately, modern yoga gurus, leaders and instructors teach and express opposite views in regard to involuntary or basal breathing patterns. Contemporary yoga leaders and practitioners believe in toxic waste nature of CO2 gas. They also promote the deep breathing myth claiming that our basal or unconscious breathing should be deep or large (for better health).

There are now dozens of proven benefits of carbon dioxide for the human body. It is vital for our health. If it gets 4 times below the medical norm, we can die in minutes due to spasms of blood vessels and severe tissue hypoxia in the brain and heart.

Elevated carbon dioxide content or mild arterial hypercapnia is the central factor that explains exceptionally slow respiration rates in some hatha yoga gurus (only about 3 breaths per minute at rest or during sleep) and exceptionally high body oxygen levels.

Normal and sick people often take more than 20 breaths per minute at rest depending on their health state. Faster breathing decreases body CO2 causing constriction of blood vessels (CO2 is the most potent tested vasodilator) and the suppressed Bohr effect (less oxygen is released in body tissues and vital organs at low CO2 levels). Furthermore, tiny normal diaphragmatic breathing is sufficient for 98% saturation of the arterial blood with oxygen. Overbreathing cannot provide more oxygen for us. It only reduces alveolar and arterial CO2 (if there are no problems with lungs).

Hence, slow unconscious breathing pattern provides people with higher cellular oxygenation.

Other confirmed properties of CO2 include: sedative or calmative effects on nerve cells, bronchodilation (dilation of airways), suppression of inflammation, abilities to heal lungs and other tissues, strong muscle relaxant, powerful antioxidant abilities (suppression of free radicals), regulator of hundreds of chemical reactions.

In agreement with old traditional yoga books and teaching, it was found that with slower breathing, breathing retraining students start to sleep much less (down to 2-3 hours without any voluntary limitations, if they get up to 2-3 min for the body oxygen test) if they manage to slow down their breathing down to 3-4 breaths per minute at rest. They start to crave physical exercise naturally, have exceptionally strong immune systems, can digest wider varieties of foods, and so forth.

These discoveries were made by the leading Soviet physiologist Dr. Konstantin Buteyko, MD, PhD who created the legendary Buteyko breathing technique. Dr. Buteyko studied the effects of breathing retraining in thousands of patients. He also analyzed effects of yoga asanas and found that many of yoga poses can only be performed while holding one’s breath. Hence, a challenging yoga practice naturally involves many breath holds and short transitions between them.

The main yoga breath work (hatha yoga pranayama) requires gradual increase in durations of all phases of the breathing cycle also leading to accumulation of carbon dioxide.

Best yoga gurus, when they do pranayama, have only 1 deep breath for every 2-3 minutes. They breathing may seem deep, but they reduce their minute ventilation and raise their arterial CO2, thus retraining their breathing center located in the brain to increased CO2 levels.

Hence, their basal breathing pattern later, after this breath work, becomes slower and lighter. This is possible since any medical textbook claims that breathing is regulated not by oxygen want, but by arterial CO2 levels.

Hence, slow breathing is the key to health and, if you manage to achieve it, you will be in excellent health.