Talk:Influenza treatment

message: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flu_treatment&diff=51190390&oldid=51085999 is thinly veiled advertising for linksynergy links, but also well documented (I didn't check the pubmed links).  Not sure how to rv - would like to keep what's relevant there.  Comments? - unsigned
:I deleted it along with your addition. Perhaps you (and others) would like to use this talk space to (for this article) agree on good sources on alternative treatments, then agree on good quotes from those sources, then we can add those quotes and sources to this article. WAS 4.250 18:00, 2 May 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Alternative treatments 

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Suggested treatment for head cold, sore throat,
strep throat, cold sore, outer ear infection
Possible treatment for chest cold, pneumonia (including
From bird flu), middle ear infection, skin infections from cuts
People "catch" colds, sore throats, strep throat
streptococcus bacteria), cold sores, and outer ear
infections due to invasion by bacteria or
viruses.  Then people experience fevers, swollen
tissue, and congestive symptoms thought to be
caused by the viral or bacterial infection.  The
following model of bacterial and viral infections
suggests that many of the symptoms experienced
during these infections are generated by the body
itself.  The body may be responding to invasion
by increasing the temperature of the infected
tissues.  People may get fevers and swelling
(inflammation) of the tissues during bacteria or
viral infections because their bodies may be
trying to slow down the bacteria or
viruses, which are often not able to easily 
replicate in temperatures very much higher than
98.6 degrees.  The reason humans are vulnerable
to specific viruses and bacteria is because those
bacteria and viruses thrive at the normal
internal temperatures of the body, and cannot
survive and replicate in temperatures much higher
or much lower than 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.  The
production of fever and heating of affected
tissues might be one of the ways the body has
evolved to defend against and combat infections.
	This might only help the body fight infection
moderately well.  The spot heat the body
generates that inflames (heats and swells) its
infected tissues is not very hot.  The
temperature in fevers, a general heat, can only
get as high as 106 degrees or so without
endangering the body, a temperature which may be
ineffective for killing viruses and bacteria. 
That heat level may only slow viral or bacterial
infection.  More localized heat often inflames
tissues (like nasal passages in head colds) and
causes symptoms like swelling--like in colds 
(stuffy nose, congestion).
	Given the possibility that the body heats up its
tissues in a partially effective bid to slow down
infection, a treatment that could apply spot heat
of much greater magnitude and specificity to the
areas of infection, without damaging the body's
tissues, could potentially do very well what the
body can only do fairly well: significantly slow
or kill a viral or bacterial infection with heat.
	People have had this idea before.  Treating
colds with steam heat is a folk remedy that has
existed for a long time.  One product
("Rhinotherm" from Israel) that has been on the
market claims to cure head colds with spot heat
to nasal passages, but has had mixed reviews.  It
has been evaluated in at least two 
research studies to be ineffective in shortening
the length of colds, or stopping their symptoms
(Forstall, G., Macknin, M., Yen-Lieberman, B., and
Medendrop, S. 1994. Effect of inhaling heated
vapor on symptoms of the common cold. JAMA, April
13, 271(14), 1109-1111; Hendley, J., Abbot, R.,
Beasley, P., Gwaltney, J. Jr. 1994. Effect of
inhalation of hot humidified air on experimental
rhinovirus infection. JAMA, April 13, 271(14)
1112-1113).  
	The device shoots hot blasts of steam up the
nostrils at 47 degrees Celsius (about 117 degrees
Fahrenheit), which raises the internal
temperature of the nose to 43 degrees Celsius
(about 109 degrees Fahrenheit).  Theoretically,
this product should kill or severely debilitate
the virus's ability to survive and replicate, if
the (rhino)virus that causes head colds is truly
vulnerable to heat.  Instead, the steam treatment
used in these studies had no curative effect on
head colds.
Possible etiology of upper and lower respiratory
infections and throat infections
     Treatment of head colds using the product
above to provide spot heat in the nasal passages
should work, according the theory of
viral/bacterial susceptibility to heat.  One
possible reason it may not work the way it is
used may be from a special vulnerability of the
tissues in the nasal passages (and the throat and
chest) to a quick temperature change.  The second
major supposition to this theory is that a quick
temperature change may weaken the tissues
susceptible to viral and bacterial infection and
cause or exacerbate an active infection.  The
heat treatment described in the above articles
may be successful in weakening the rhinovirus
involved, but at the same time, it could be
hurting the upper/lower respiratory tissues equally as much.  
	During a head cold, the internal temperature of
the nasal tissues are likely between room
temperature (from breathing through them) and
body temperature (98.6% degrees).  The
temperature may be slightly higher than body
temperature in the nostril(s) that is congested
at the moment and not drawing in room temperature
air and being inflamed by the body to slow infection
 (usually at least one nasal passage during a
cold is completely stuffed up).  To be suddenly
bathed in heat of 117 degrees or higher,
especially in the nostril that is clear and
closer to room temperature, may render the
already vulnerable tissues even weaker.  This
could allow a virus to maintain its foothold in
the tissues, even if it is similarly weakened by
the heat treatment.
	This is likely what happened in the two studies.
 The Rhinotherm deliveres a constant stream of
heat and water vapor at 47 degrees Celsius (117
degrees Fahrenheit).  It does not gradually warm
up the tissues slowly, but immediately bathes the
nasal passages with 117 degree heat.  If the
subjects nasal passages were exposed to that
great a temperature change immediately, about 30
degrees, their tissue may have been weakened and
in poorer shape to fight off infection, even if
the viruses were also weakened.
	Some of these treatment have shown efficacy in
treating colds.  Both of the above unsuccessful
studies were attempted replications of three
earlier studies that showed positive effects of
steam treatment (Tyrell, D., Barrow, I., and
Author, J. 1989. Local hyperthermia benefits
natural and experiment common colds. British
Medical Journal, 298:1280-1283; Yerushalmi, A., and
Lwoff, A. 1980. Traitement du coryza infectieux
et des rhinites persistantes allergiques par la
thermotherapie. CR Seances Sci D., 291:957-959;
Ophir, D., Ellad, Y. 1987. Effects of steam
inhalation on nasal patency and nasal symptoms in
patients with the common cold. American Journal
of Otolaryngology, 8:149-153).  
	If the steam treatment in these positive studies
started initiated a more gradual warming up of
the nasal passages (and a more gradual cooling
down afterward), it would account for the
disparity in findings with the two more recent
studies, which found no positive effect of hot steam
treatment on colds.  Accordingly, had the two
recent studies been done with a gradual warming
up and down of the nasal passages before and
after the treatment, they might have found
consistently positive effects of hot air
inhalation in the treatment of head colds (if as
supposed, viral/bacterial infections of this type
are truly vulnerable to heat, and if tissues
really are sensitive to a quick & large temperature
change).  Also, with a gradual warming (and
gradual cooling down after) of the heat treatment
to protect the tissues in the nasal passages, a
higher temperature might be able to be used than
with the Rhinotherm (more than 117 degrees),
which could render the treatments more effective.
 
	The subjects in the study also inhaled through
the nose, and exhaled through the mouth, which
may not be as effective as as exhaling also
through the nose (which may keep the nasal
passages at a more even temperature).  Lowering
the temperature slowly of the heat device after
treatment and avoiding breathing through the nose
for 5 minutes after the treatment is over may be
important to avoid a quick temperature change
also, as the steam from the device can evaporate
and chill the nasal passages if they are still
wet when breathing in room temperature air. 
Lastly, in the two recent studies, the heat
treatment was used for one hour or one-half hour.
 It is likely that extended treatment weakens the
tissues as much as a large, quick temperature
change is hypothesized to do in this treatment
model.  In the model presented below the heat
treatment is suggested to be used for a maximum
of five minutes for every eight hour period.
  The suggestion that a quick temperature change
leaves nose, throat, and lung tissues vulnerable
to viral/bacterial infection may give insight
into the etiology of head colds, sore throats,
strep throat, chest colds, and pneumonia.  If a
sudden temperature change does weaken tissues
actively fighting off an infection (the failed
heat treatment cited above), perhaps exposure to
a sudden temperature change also causes the
initial vulnerability to the virus/bacteria and
contributes to the subsequent infection.  The
bacteria and viruses that cause head colds, sore
and strep throats, etc. are often present around
and in people who do not develop active
infection.  Susceptibility to developing an
infection is known to be increased with a higher
amount of virus/bacteria present (being around
people who are sick with these infections), and
when the immune system is weakened.  But these
risk factors account for only about 30-50% of new
infections.  These factors may not account for
all of the variation in susceptibility.  Perhaps
the largest still unknown factor that contributes
to infection is a quick exposure to temperature
change of tissues vulnerable to these infections.
	Observations on the development of colds, throat
  infections, and lung infections (pneumonia,
chest cold)
	Tissues that are susceptible to viral and
bacterial 
infection- nasal passages, the throat, and the
lungs -seem to be weakened by exposure to a very
fast temperature change of (hypothesized) 10
degrees or more (10 degrees for nasal passages,
and about 20 degrees, for chest exposure or
throat exposure).  When people go from inside
heat to outside cold, or from inside cold (like
with air conditioning) to outside heat and vice
versa, and they breathe through their nose
immediately (or have their chest or throat
exposed very quickly to a severe temperature
change), it seems to stress and weaken cells in
those areas and make the people more susceptible
to infection.
	Catching a "head" cold is a good example.  When
a person goes through a temperature change of
more than 10 degrees and breathes through his/her
nose continually, even after her/his nasal
passages begin to inflame and swell (stuff up),
s/he might be at a significant risk of catching a
head cold.  The same is true to a degree for
throat and chest exposure.  If a person is
exposed suddenly to a temperature change (hot or
cold) of 20 degrees (hypothesized, could be 5
degrees greater or smaller) or more on his/her
chest (like with an open jacket) or his/her
throat, s/he may be more susceptible to a lower
respiratory infection (chest cold, pneumonia), a
sore throat, or a strep throat infection.
	If people become susceptible to throat and
respiratory (lower and upper) infections due to a
quick temperature change in vulnerable tissues,
any heat treatment of already weakened and
vulnerable tissue would have to avoid causing a
fast temperature change that could further weaken
the tissue and negate the benefits of the heat
treatment.  The treatment described above for
head colds (Rhinotherm) used heat that is instant
and creates the type of temperature change that
may have caused the vulnerability to the
infection in the first place.
				Ideal heat treatment
	If the heat is slowly (a gradual buildup for
about 1 minute to peak temp) applied to the area
that is infected and inflamed, and the tissues
are subsequently not weakened, the
viral/bacterial infection could likely then be
slowed or killed by the heat under this theory. 
When the tissues are not weakened by the onset of
a quick temperature change, heat treatment could
have very positive effects in slowing and killing
these infections.  The heat the body generates to
swell and heat up its tissues is not nearly as
hot as the temperature that can be generated and
locally supplied by mechanical means.  This more
localized and intense heat may be more efficient
than the body's own defenses.  Even if all the
viruses are not killed immediately, the heat
treatment seems to signal to the body to stop
heating up the tissues itself.  The spot heat is
more localized and more intense than the body's
own efforts to heat up the tissues.  The
inflammation in the throat, nose, and lungs may
stop in part because the body realizes that it
doesn't need to heat up the tissues, and/or the
weakening/killing of the bacteria/viruses leaves
the temperature increase unnecessary.  Because
the swelling in the affected areas is immediately
lowered during and after the heat treatments
(congestion clears, inflammation almost stops
completely for a little while), it is likely the
body just realizes its own heat treatment isn't
needed.  The bacteria or viruses are subjected to
higher temperatures in an artificial heat
treatment than the body's own defenses can
produce.  So the heat treatment is treating the
symptoms at the same time it is treating the
infection.   It slows or kills viruses or
bacteria much more quickly than the body's own
heat response, and signals to the body to
discontinue it's own heat and subsequent
inflammation response for a while.
     The timing of this type of heat treatment
would be important.  It should not be too long,
too frequent or too hot, in order to avoid
stressing the tissues.  It should be done
frequently enough that it catches the
viruses/bacteria in all phases of their protected
(inactive) and vulnerable (active) cycles in the
body.  Using these criteria, the effectiveness of
localized heat and elevated temperatures, and the
need to avoid overstressing the infected and
vulnerable tissues, it is suggested that the
duration of this type of heat treatment should be
no longer than 5 minutes every 8 hours.  The
degree of heat should be modulatable by the
person to be the hottest s/he can comfortably
(and safely) endure for the period (perhaps as high 
or somewhat higher than in the above device 117 degrees Fahrenheit).  
The heat should start at room or
body temperature and slowly, over one minute, be
increased to the hottest comfortable temperature.
 The person may need to breathe and exhale
through the nose exclusively during the treatment
of head colds or the mouth for throat infections
to better stabilize temperature.  Exhaling
through the nose in treatment of head colds may
help keep the internal temperature of the nasal
passages from getting too hot (the exhaled air
will be closer to body temperature than the
inhaled air from the heat device).  Because
viruses can cycle into periods where they are
protected/dormant, the
heat treatment should be used every 8 hours for 4 cycles to
catch the infection in all phases of its
active-inactive cycle.  More frequent
applications might (and have seemed to) irritate
and weaken the tissues without aiding the
treatment.  
	The best device for delivery of the heat would
blow hot air in a directed stream (so it could be
applied to the nasal passages or the throat),
would have an easily adjusted temperature from at
least 98.6 degrees to the hottest comfortable
temperature (130 degrees?), and would have a
small amount of moisture/water vapor.  A small
amount of humidity would help keep the nasal
passages and throat from getting too dry from the
heat, while avoiding leaving the tissues wet and
susceptible to a quick temperature change when
the heat is taken away and the moisture
evaporates.
	The product mentioned above (Rhinotherm) that
shoots hot blasts of steam into the nostrils
would not be the ideal mechanism.  Its
temperature needs to be adjustable, the delivery
end may not be made to work to deliver the heat
stream both into the mouth (for sore throat and
strep throat infections) and on throat itself at
the same time, and the steam may contain too much
moisture.  On the other end of the spectrum, a
hot air hair dryer would not have even a small
amount of water vapor, so it wouldnnot be ideal. 
Other than this, a hair dryer does blow air in a
stream that can be directed to be breathed in by
the nasal passages, and on the throat.  It can be
held away from the vulnerable area at first, then
slowly brought forward to incrementally increase
the temperature.  
	The best delivery device would have a flexible
delivery end that would blow hot air in a
directed stream but over a large enough area to
include the outside of the throat and the mouth
together (for throat infections), have a variable
temperature dial like on an oven, have a range of
70 degrees to 130? degrees, a mild amount of
water vapor, and a 5 minute timer.
	A head cold would be treated through the nasal
passages; chest cold/pneumonia through the nasal
passages or mouth with possible simultaneous dry
heat on the chest and/or back; a sore throat and
strep throat with heat on the throat and through
the nasal passages or the mouth at the same time
(to heat up the inner and outer portions of the
throat).  Only pneumonia or a chest cold would
require a separate heat source on the chest (like
a heating pad) in addition to the hot air stream
during treatment.  For sore and strep throat the
hot air can be angled to bathe the throat and be
breathed in through the mouth or nose
simultaneously to warm the internal portion of
the throat.   The heat source can be blown
directly into the outer ear for ear infections.
				Prevention of head colds
	Using this model of tissue vulnerability, the
key to relieving or avoiding head colds would be
to avoid breathing through the nose temporarily
when going from a colder place to a warmer place
or a warmer place to a colder place.  Breathing
in through the nose immediately during any
temperature change of 10 degrees or more could be
a main contributor toward developing a head cold.
 Under this theoryl, the cells that make up the
nasal passages (and other body sites that are
vulnerable to viral/bacterial infection of this
sort) may be very sensitive to a fast temperature
change.  They seem to become vulnerable to
viruses and bacteria when air that is different
by 10 degrees or more is breathed in without the
nasal passages first getting a chance to adjust
their internal temperature.  So when the air a
person is breathing goes through the temperature
change, the person would have to breathe through
his/her mouth for 30-45 seconds until the nasal
passages have adjusted it's internal temperature
closer to the temperature in the air.  When
someone breathes through his/her nose too
quickly, it will stuff up (the body will heat it
up and make the tissues swell).  If the person
stops breathing through his/her nose immediately,
the nose may unstuff, as the nasal passages have
a chance to recover/adjust.
	For some reason, breathing through the mouth
when the nose begins to stuff up seems to almost
always stop the nose from stuffing up completely
and developing into a cold, even when it becomes
congested for reasons other than a quick
temperature change.  When the legs or feet get
exposed to cold, the nose can temporarily become
congested (for an unknown reason), even if the
nasal passages are not breathing in during a
quick temperature change.  If a person avoids
breathing through the nose, the sniffles may
clear up around 45 seconds after s/he leaves the
cool draft or breeze.  This can also happen if
s/he has too much clothing on and is overheated
in a hot room, and his/her nose begins to stuff
up.  If s/he avoids breathing through his/her
nose while it is stuffed, the nose may unstuff
and s/he usually will not develop a head cold.
				Treatment of head colds
     If a stuffed nose does develop into a cold,
a treatment with heat can potentially end the
symptoms.  The person can use some kind of hot
air blower, like a hair dryer (for the nasal
passages, slightly moist heat is better to keep
from overdrying them).  The hot air blower would
be turned on to a low level, placed a comfortable
distance from the nose, beneath it.  The dittance
the hot air blower is held away can regulate the
heat delivered, so the blower should be held far
enough away at first that only a mild heat
reaches the nasal passages.  After turning it on
the person should avoid putting his/her sinuses
through too quick a temperature change.  The
person should breathe through the mouth for at
least 30 seconds to avoid further weakening the
tissues in the nasal passage.  After the person
tentatively starts breathing through the nose
after 30 seconds of the passages getting slowly
heated up (and stopping for a little while if
his/her nose starts to stuff up), the heat source
can be brought gradually closer.  The temperature
can be gradually raised (as the heat source gets
closer) until the naeal passages have adjusted to
the highest comfortable temperature.  Even a
comfortable temperature will be more than hot
enough for treatment.  Increasing thedtemperature
any higher than comfortable isn't safe for your
tissues, and will actuall  weaken the tissues and
keep them vulnerable to infection.   The hot air
blower dryer should be below the nose, blowing up
into it.  The time should be limited to 5 minutes
per treatment (1 minute gradual warming, 4
minutes full heat).  The heat level possibly
needed for effective treatment is too high to
breathe in longer than 5 minutes, and the
treatment may actually loses effectiveness when
continued any longer (as the tissues may weaken).
	The person should then gradually lower the heat
source over 1 minute back to room temperature to
avoid a quick temperature change.  After the
temperature of the air going into the nose is
back down to normal, the person should breathe
through his/her mouth for a couple of minutes. 
This is a very important step.  The tissues of
his/her nasal passages (or throat, or lungs
depending upon the location of the treatment) are
very sensitive right after a heat treatment. 
After a couple of minutes, the person can then
breathe through his/her nose or his/her mouth, as
long as the air temperature is warm.  The person
needs to stay in a warm place, the warmer the
better and not go outside (into cold air, or into
a large temperature change) for at least 30
minutes whill the tissues are still sensitive
from the heat treatment.  The person should also
avoid eating or drinking anything cold for 30
minutes, as this could irritate the tissues.  
	The real benefit of the treatment is that many
of the symptoms associated with the
virus/bacterial infection will be immediately
relieved.  In the case of a head cold, the
throbbing, sensitivity, and stuffiness will leave
the person's nose and nasal passages and it will
feel close to normal for a couple hours, as long
as she remembers to breathe through his/her mouth
when s/he next encounters a temperature change of
10 degrees or more, or when s/he get the sniffles
(start to stuff up).  Staying in a warm area with
no cold drafts lengthens the immediate relief,
possibly until the second heat treatment.  The
person should repeat the heat treatment no more
often than every 8 hours as necessary.  It seems
to kill the next generation of viruses or
bacteria when done every 8 hours, but more
frequently than once every 8 hours seems to hurt
the tissues more than help.  It should work
equally well for all types of cold viruses, as
they all seem to have the same effects and modes
of operation, differing only by incubation
period- the amount of time before full symptoms
are present (Tyrrell, D., Cohen, S., and Schlarb,
J. 1993. Signs and symptoms in common colds.
Epidemiology and Infection, 111(1), 143-156).
	After the second treatment, the person is often
nearly symptom free (the sooner treatment is
initiated after exposure to the temperature
change, the quicker the recovery).  Heat
treatments of this type seem to work for head
colds, sore throats, strep throats (a very
serious infection), cold sores and outer ear
infections (the techniques to treat these will be
explained later).  It is hypothesized to possibly
work in combating viral/bacterial infection with
chest colds, pneumonia, and other lower
respiratory infections.  Treatment of the early
symptoms of these infections (when the nose
starts to stuff for an hour; the throat starts to
feel sore or scratchy; or the outer ear first
begins to feel sensitive to touch) can reduce
recovery time from the need for 6 treatments over
2 days to just one treatment.  Cutting the
infection symptoms off just as they get started
can help prevent even moderate symptoms, as well
as the fatigue and energy drain that accompanies
a full infection.
	The reason for almost immediate results from the
heat treatment may be that many of the symptoms
of bacterial/viral infections may be brought on
by the body to help fight the infection.  When
using a mechanical heat source, in a manner that
is many times more efficient (higher
temperatures, more localized) than a fever or
tissue inflammation, it may signal to the body to
immediately stop its own attempts to heat the
infected/affected area.  This effect is more
pronounced when used in the early stages of the
infection, as the heat treatment may both signal
the body to stop the inflammation and it may kill
and slow down the viruses/bacteria before the body
has been weakened and fatigued.
			Prevention of sore and strep throat
	Some types of sore and strep throat (streptococcus
bacteria) may be preventable to some degree by
having the throat protected from a large
temperature change.  Going outside into cold with
a coat that doesn't cover the throat might leave
a person vulnerable to infection.  Overwrapping
the throat with scarfs can backfire by causing
the skin over the throat to sweat.  If the person
then takes off the scarf and goes out into the
cold with a sweaty throat for just a brief
period, the evaporation of the sweat could chill
the throat, leaving it vulnerable.  The best
course could then be to have the throat covered
adequately by a coat with a high collar or with
one scarf, but not so hot that it sweats.
		 Treatment of (some types of) sore throat
	With a sore throat (actual feelings of soreness
at the front of the throat), have the person hold
the hot air source (dry heat is best for the
outside of the throat, as moist heat will make
the throat cold from evaporation after the heat
is taken away) away from the throat to give the
tissues a chance to adjust to the temperature
change and increased heat.  After 30-45 seconds,
the person can bring the hot air source as close
to the throat as comfortable.  Then the hot air
can blow it on the throat for another 4 minutes. 
After the 5 minutes are up, the heat source
should be slowly withdrawn to allow the tissues
to adjust to the temperature change.  A scarf or
high-neck clothing can be put over the throat
now.  After ending the heat treatment, the person
should avoid going outside or through a large
temperature change for the next 20-30 minutes
(including avoiding cold drafts or drinking cold
beverages).  When s/he does, s/he should cover
his/her throat with a high-necked coat or a scarf
to keep its temperature at an even leve..  S/he
should repeat this treatment no more than once
every 8 hours.
				Treatment of strep throat
	With strep (streptococcus bacteria) throat (it
often begins with a deep scratchiness in the back
of the throat), have the person turn on the hot
air source and hold it far enough away from the
throat to give the tissues a chance to adjust to
the temperature change.  The hot air source can
then slowly be brought toward the throat until it
is at the highest comfortable temperature.  Have
the hot air source angled upward to blow up the
nose or mouth while heating the throat.  It may
be more important than with a sore throat to have
the treatment be breathed in as well as having it
on the outside of the neck, because the heat may
not get to the back of the throat as well if it
is not breathed in.  A moist heat is best to
breathe in here, because the throat often feels
very dry and scratchy.  If a dry heat is used, the
person should swallow often, or have a warm/hot
beverage available to sip on.  After 30-45
seconds (the person should breath through his/her
mouth at first) the person can bring the hot air
source as close to the throat and nose as
comfortable.  Then it can be blown on the throat
and up the nose (with breathing) for another 4
minutes, before being slowly taken away.  If a
person uses a moist heat, the throat should be
dried off immediately after the treatment, and if
possible, a scarf should be put around the neck
for 30 minutes.
	After the heat treatment is done, the person
should avoid going outside or through a large
temperature change (stay in a very warm place
with no cold drafts) for the next 20-30 minutes
(and avoid drinking anything cold for the same
amount of time).  When s/he does, s/he should
cover his/her throat with a high-necked coat or a
scarf to keep its temperature at an even level,
and have another scarf double-layered over
his/her mouth and nose to warm the air coming in.
 At this time (and anytime during the infection,
treated or not) the throat is sensitive to cold
drafts, to cold breathed in, and to cold
beverages and food.  The person should repeat
this treatment only once every 8 hours.
			Treatment of outer ear infections and
		 prevention of middle ear infections (otitis
media)
	
	Heat treatment can help relieve and prevent the
pain and inflammation of outer ear infections (it
may also help with middle ear infections).  The
procedure for administering the heat treatment
is: gradual warming up of the ear canal (the hot
air blower should be angled to blow into the ear
canal) with the hot air blower until the maximum
comfortable heat is reached; treatment for 5
minutes only; only one treatment every 8 hours;
and avoidance of cold air or a large temperature
change for (at least) thirty minutes after the
treatment.
	The person should tip his/her head so it is
angled with the infected ear pointing down to the
ground (or at an angle to the ground) during the
treatment.  This keeps any fluid in the outer ear
canal from pushing back up into the middle ear
during the treatment.  Then the person can turn
on the hot air (dry heat is best for the ear, to
dry up any fluids contributing to the infection),
blowing it up in the ear and keeping it far
enough away from the ear at first to make the
temperature change of the ear canal slow.  After
30-45 seconds the hot air source can be brought
as close to the ear as is comfortable.  The
tissue of the ear canal during an outer ear
infection is very sensitive, so the temperature
should be comfortable, and not feel overl hot. 
After the heat is stabilized, the treatment
should go on for 4 more minutes.  Then the heat
source should be slowly removed, allowing time
for the tissues to adjust to the temperature
change.  This should be repeated at need only
once every 8 hours.  The person should avoid
going out into the cold for at least a half hour
after treatment, and should wear earmuffs until
the infection and all signs of it are gone if it
is winter outside.  The tissues of the ear are
very sensitive to cold right after treatment, and
exposure to cold in a sensitive stage of healing
can be as painful and last as long as the
original infection.  
	This heat treatment should relieve the
inflammation of an outer ear infection and dry up
any liquid that is contributing to the infection
in the ear canal.  If done with a slow
temperature change, the heat treatment often
immediately relieves most of the painful symptoms
of an outer ear infection.  If done early, when
the ear canal first starts to itch and the ear
itself becomes sensitive to touch, it may help
prevent an outer ear infection from spreading to
the middle ear.
	A good preventative measure for preventing
middle and outer ear infection is to repeat the
same hot air treatment- blowing hot air into the
ear canal with the side of the head tilted down
for only 30 seconds immediately after taking a
shower, a swim, or after immersing the ears in
water.  A 30-second treatment should dry up any
liquid in the ear that contributes to chronic ear
infections in people who have recurrent problems.
 A person should be able to dry both ears with a
30-second mild burst of heat every time s/he
immerses them in water without hardening the wax
in the ears, or without the ear canals becoming
too sensitive.  When using this treatment for
prevention, a person should always be careful to
keep the temperature comfortable, the side of the
head tilted down (to keep from blowing the water
up further into the ear canal) and the times
conservative (no more than one minute if no
infection symptoms are present, only once every 8
hours as necessary).  This should prevent any
outer or middle ear infections that come from
water in the outer ear canal getting into the
middle ear.  The treatment dries some of the
water in the ear canal, likely slows or kills
(damages) any bacteria in the water in the ear,
and seems to prevent inflammation.
	It is extremely important in these treatments to
gradually warm up the tissues before application
of full heat.  The sensitive and weakened tissues
become weaker when put through a fast temperature
change.  People also cannot handle treatment more
often than once every 8 hours, and a maximum of 5
minutes per (because of the moderately high heat
levels used).  The heat should only be increased
to the degree comfortable, and lessened when
uncomfortable.  The tissues should also be
protected from a large temperature change or
exposure to any cold for at least 30 minutes
after treatment.  Tissue exposed to cold too
quickly after a treatment can feel as bad as if
the cold or infection had been allowed to run its
course untreated.  The longer the vulnerable
tissue is sheltered from the cold, the longer the
symptoms will decrease and the formerly inflamed
area will feel almost like normal (especially if
kept in a warmer than normal area until the next
treatment).
     Scarfs and hats help to keep the temperature
level more stable and warm.  When the throat
infection, ear infection, chest cold or sinus
cold has already happened, these keep the throat,
head (nasal passages), and chest more comfortable
and keep irritation of these tissues down.  But
if a person sweats in them, s/he needs to dry off
his/her throat or head when s/he takes them off,
or only take them off in a hot place.  Otherwise
the sweat will evaporate and chill his/her head
and throat.  A pair of earmuffs will help the ear
maintain a stable temperature during recovery
from an ear infection.  After a treatment, it is
immensely helpful to use a hat or scarf to keep
the temperature consistent and warm (still
protecting against sweat evaporation) on/in the
treated area.  The tissues are very sensitive
after treatment and during recovery.  Without
protection, the temperature change occurring when
going out into the cold (or into the air
conditioning) has a damaging effect, and recovery
from the symptoms of a cold or infection is
slower.
Treatment of cold sores (herpes blisters)
	The heat treatment can be applied to different
infections or inflammations on the skin that are
caused by the body's reaction to an infection. 
Cold sores, cuts, and any other conditions where
the body causes swelling in an attempt to heat up
the tissue to kill an infection can benefit
(except where heat will damage the skin, like
infections from burns).  Skin tissue is also
quite amenable to heat treatment, as it is
tougher and less sensitive to temperature change
or drying out than internal tissue like the nasal
passages, throat, or the outer ear (heat
treatment could be used in areas where
sensitivity is not important but resistance to
infection is).
	Oral herpes (usually herpes simplex 1) lesions
may be treated by localized heat directed on the
blister.  The blister must not be directly on an
area too sensitive for the heat treatment. 	The
procedure for administering the heat treatment
consists of a gradual warming up of the lesion
with the hot air blower until the maximum
comfortable heat is reached; treatment for 5
minutes only; only one treatment every 8 hours;
avoidance of cold air or a large temperature
change for (at least) thirty minutes after the
treatment.
	To keep the skin from drying out during the
treatment, moisturizing ointment or lotion can be
liberally applied on the lesion or blister.  A
large amount of ointment should be used, and it
should be layered on instead of rubbed in, so a
layer of ointment completely covers the lesion
during the treatment.  The heat treatment should
be applied before the ointment is fully absorbed,
to keep the skin cells from drying out during the
treatment.  This should keep the skin cells from
being irritated or damaged.  Drying the cells out
by not using moisturizer during treatment would
make them susceptible to further infection, and
to exacerbation of the current infection.  This
treatment has been used on cold sores (usually
herpes simplex 1).
	Treatment during the initial stages of the
infection may reduce what would have been a full
scale blowup over the course of a couple weeks
with much pain and inflammation to 4 to 7 days of
mild symptoms and little discomfort.  The herpes
simplex #1 blisters will develop and leave
quicker, and be less painful and sensitive to
cold and touch.  The full course of infection may
last only 4-7 days instead of weeks if the
treatment is used when the first signs of a
blister appear (itchiness, irritation, a red bump
on the skin where past blisters have appeared). 
The heat treatment likely both slows down the
herpes virus, and halts the inflammation response
of the body.  The treatment only needs to be used
once or twice, until the pain from the sore
leaves.  If the lesion is caught early, the later
pain from the sore may only be minimal. Moderate
to strong heat only should be used.  Too much
heat will only make the tissue vulnerable to the
recurrent viral infection, not speed up healing. 
This treatment seems to best shorten the flareup
and stop the pain and sensitivity.  It does not
keep the lesions from forming, just stops
debilitating effects of the full infection and
the pain and sensitivity.
	During the heat treatment, the area of infection
should be kept moisturized.  This might speed
healing, and retard symptoms of pain and
inflammation.  Any touching (or scratching) of
the area or application of ointment to the area
should be done with tissue or cloth.  Touching
the area of infection with hands can spread the
infection to other parts of the body and to other
people, as well as exacerbate symptoms, as
fingers are often full of opportunistic germs
that can make the area more susceptible to the
virus flareup.  Also, when prodromal symptoms of
dryness and itching are present, moisturizing
with any liquid handy and a brief heat
application, along with avoiding touching the
area with fingers, may prevent lesions from
forming at all.
			Chest colds, pneumonia (proposed)
Heat treatment may also work for chest colds and
pneumonia. If used for chest colds or pneumonia,
the heat used could be steam to keep the air
moist (steam will help loosen mucus in the chest
if that's needed, and avoid exacerbating a dry
cough), or hot air.  The person should prepare
the lungs for the temperature change by breathing
through the nose for 45 seconds.  Then the person
can start breathing a little bit of steam or hot
air through the mouth, gradually increasing the
temperature for at least 1 minute (after 30
seconds the person can breath the heat through
their nasal passages).  After a 5 minute
treatment with steam or hot air, the person can
gradually decrease the temperature (amount)
breathed in.  As soon as possible, the person
should breath throught the nose for at least 3 to
5 minutes, even during coughing.  This will keep
the air going into his/her lungs warm for a
period of time that the lungs are vulnerable
after treatment.  The temperature of the room
should be elevated, and drafts soould be avoided.
 The hotter and more stable the temperature in
the room is, the better.  A heating pad can be
kept on the chest and/or back for as long as is
comfortable (making sure to wipe off any sweat
immediately when it is taken off).
     During chest colds and pneumonia it is
important to stay in for a full day or a number
of days out of the cold, and to avoid any large
temperature changes.  Chest colds and pneumonia
stay with people for a long period (weeks
sometimes) because a person going outside or into
a large temperature change must breathe through
his/her nose or his/her mouth.  If the person
immediately breathes through his/her nose
immediately, it could stuff up and s/he may get a
head cold (sinus infection).  If the person
breathes through his/her mouth, s/he may make
his/her lungs more vulnerable and prolong or
intensify the infection (chest cold) by exposing
the lungs to a fast temperature change, and to
cold air.  Staying inside a warm place with no
cold air pockets is best while symptoms still are
present.  This could partly explain (in addition
to a weakened immune system) why people often get
head colds that follow up chest colds.  People
unconsciously will breathe through their nose to
warm the air to the lungs immediately when going
outside.  If they don't, they exacerbate their
chest cold.  The best solution is to double layer
a scarf over the mouth and nose to warm the
breath, and especially to stay inside and avoid
the cold and large temperature changes until the
chest cold/pneumonia is completely over.  The
heat treatments should be able to speed the
process and lower the symptoms significantly.
	Bronchitis may or may not be helped by the heat
treatment.  The treatment may help if the
irritation from bronchitis causes a vulnerability
to getting a chest cold, or pneumonia.  If used
to treat a person with bronchitis and
pneumonia/chest cold, the heat used should have
enough water vapor, like steam, to avoid
exacerbating the dry coughing from bronchitis.
			Prevention and early treatment
	Prevention is the most effective use of the heat
treatment for these types of viral and bacterial
infection.  If the symptoms are full blown before
implementation, three to six treatments (1-2
days) of one treatment every 8 hours could be
necessary to fully relieve symptoms (exposure to
the cold during this time, even sometimes by
drinking cold liquids, may delay full recovery of
symptoms by a day).  If initiated when symptoms
of an infection first appear, one treatment is
often enough to stop the symptoms (and the
infection), even if the infection would
eventually have been severe without treatment
(like with strep throat).
	The key to prevention of viral and bacterial
infections, in this model, is to avoid exposing
sensitive areas like the nasal passages, throat,
or chest to quick temperature changes.  The key
to ending the infections is with heat treatment
to slow or kill viruses (or bacteria) and
counteract the symptoms stemming from the body's
reaction to it, and with introducing and
withdrawing that heat slowly.  Perhaps because of
the sensitivity of the tissues to temperature
change, heat treatments with this aim in the past
have not been successful.  Products that shoot
steam up the nostrils fail because the fast
temperature change (from intake of steam, and
from not delaying breathing through the nose for
1 minute after treatment ends) may have weakened
the tissues in the nasal passages, negating any
benefit from decreased viral activity.  Also,
exposure to cold was not likely delayed for a
half hour while the tissues were still sensitive
from the treatment.  The sensitivity to
temperature change is possibly the missing
element in the treatment of viruses and bacteria
by heat, as well as some of the vulnerability to
them in the first place.
     This sensitivity to a fast temperature
change and to cold for 1/2 hour after treatment
also explains anecdotal accounts of spas and
steamrooms curing symptoms from different viral
respiratory infections.  The temperature change
into spas and steamrooms would have to be slow,
and the temperature change coming out of them
would have to be slow, with much delayed exposure
to cold afterward (at least 1/2 hour) while the
tissues were sensitive after the high temperature
treatment.  If by chance these circumstances came
about, the person would likely have been relieved
of his/her symptoms, and recommended the therapy
to others. However, if the next person who tried
this unthinkingly experienced a very quick
temperature change when going in or coming out of
the spa or steamroom, or was exposed to cold too
soon after the heat treatment, s/he would not
have benefitted and would not have know why.
     Spas, steamrooms, and even the everyday
shower can be used as aides in treating the
infection by bathing the body in heat.  These can
be effective as long as the temperature change of
the infected part of the body into these places
is slow enough (about 1 minute); the temperature
change coming out of the shower, steamroom, or
whirlpool is slow; the person puts on clothes
quickly enough that s/he doesn't feel chilled and
doesn't encounter cold air pockets or drafts; the
person stays warm and indoors (if in winter) for
at least 1/2 hour afterward while the tissues are
sensitive (this includes not drinking or eating
anything cold if the person has a throat or upper
respiratory infection).  In these situations, a
steamroom could be the ideal heat treatment
(except for an ear infection) if it wasn't
inconvenient to go to every 8 hours.  When done
safely, all of these can feel good.
					Effectiveness
	This treatment has worked for the viral and
bacterial infections indicated.  This treatment
has had no effectiveness in treating nasal
congestion identical to head colds but caused by
allergies and hay fever, even in people who've
successfully used the treatment for viral and
bacterial infections.  It has done nothing for
the congestion and symptoms of hay fever and
allergies, which may provide evidence that the
effectiveness of the treatments may not be due to
the placebo effect.  The reasons given for the
effectiveness of these heat treatments are just
speculations, some having lead to the treatment's
development and some used in an attempt to
explain the seemingly successful applicability of
the treatment.  They do not necessarily fully or
accurately explain the process behind the
methods' success.
	This hot air treatment has been used for
treatment and prevention (when symptoms first
start) of head colds, sore throat, strep throat,
outer ear infections, minor cuts, and cold sores
(the mild form of herpes).  It is only
hypothesized for pneumonia, chest cold, and major
cuts.  The principle is the same, and the
implications for possible quick and effective
treatment of pneumonia, as works for head colds and
throat infections, may suggest further
exploration for this treatment.
	A hair dryer may be good enough to use with sore
throats, ear infections, and skin infections when
there is not much problem or need to prevent
against tissue drying out.  With head colds,
strep throat, and chest colds a machine should
ideally be used that generates mild water vapor
with the heat (or steam) that shoots gently up
the nostrils.  It would have to be room
temperature at first, gradually building up to
it's peak temperature at the end of 1 minute,
with temperature control in case someone needs a
slower buildup.  Then the machine should maintain
peak temperature for 4 minutes.  After 4 minutes,
the machine should, over 1 minute time, gradually
lower temperature back to room temperature.  A
dry heat has been ok for head colds.  If a dry
heat is used with sore/strep throat, hot liquid
could be drank intermittently during the 5
minutes to keep the tissues of the throat moist
(or frequent swallowing may be enough).  Steam
may be best for chest colds and congestion.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mdwickimd (talk • contribs) 00:05, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Working area, add to and modify until ready to add to article

message: *Apple - ""[]
*Astragalus root (Astragali Radix) - ""[]
*Banana - ""[]
*Cat’s Claw (Uncaria tomentosa) - ""[]
*Chocolate - ""[]
*Cranberry - ""[]
*Curcumin (Tumeric Spice) - ""[]
*Echinacea - ""[]
*Elderberry (Sambucal) - ""[]
*Garlic (Allicin) - ""[]
*Green tea - ""[]
*Honey - ""[]
*Kimchi - ""[]
*Micro Algae (Chlorella and Spirulina) - ""[]
*Milk (Dairy products) - ""[]
*Resveratrol Foods- ""[]
*St Johns Wort (Hypericum) - ""[]
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Suggested treatment for head cold, sore throat,
strep throat, cold sore, outer ear infection
Possible treatment for chest cold, pneumonia (including
From bird flu), middle ear infection, skin infections from cuts
People "catch" colds, sore throats, strep throat
streptococcus bacteria), cold sores, and outer ear
infections due to invasion by bacteria or
viruses.  Then people experience fevers, swollen
tissue, and congestive symptoms thought to be
caused by the viral or bacterial infection.  The
following model of bacterial and viral infections
suggests that many of the symptoms experienced
during these infections are generated by the body
itself.  The body may be responding to invasion
by increasing the temperature of the infected
tissues.  People may get fevers and swelling
(inflammation) of the tissues during bacteria or
viral infections because their bodies may be
trying to slow down the bacteria or
viruses, which are often not able to easily 
replicate in temperatures very much higher than
98.6 degrees.  The reason humans are vulnerable
to specific viruses and bacteria is because those
bacteria and viruses thrive at the normal
internal temperatures of the body, and cannot
survive and replicate in temperatures much higher
or much lower than 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.  The
production of fever and heating of affected
tissues might be one of the ways the body has
evolved to defend against and combat infections.
	This might only help the body fight infection
moderately well.  The spot heat the body
generates that inflames (heats and swells) its
infected tissues is not very hot.  The
temperature in fevers, a general heat, can only
get as high as 106 degrees or so without
endangering the body, a temperature which may be
ineffective for killing viruses and bacteria. 
That heat level may only slow viral or bacterial
infection.  More localized heat often inflames
tissues (like nasal passages in head colds) and
causes symptoms like swelling--like in colds 
(stuffy nose, congestion).
	Given the possibility that the body heats up its
tissues in a partially effective bid to slow down
infection, a treatment that could apply spot heat
of much greater magnitude and specificity to the
areas of infection, without damaging the body's
tissues, could potentially do very well what the
body can only do fairly well: significantly slow
or kill a viral or bacterial infection with heat.
	People have had this idea before.  Treating
colds with steam heat is a folk remedy that has
existed for a long time.  One product
("Rhinotherm" from Israel) that has been on the
market claims to cure head colds with spot heat
to nasal passages, but has had mixed reviews.  It
has been evaluated in at least two 
research studies to be ineffective in shortening
the length of colds, or stopping their symptoms
(Forstall, G., Macknin, M., Yen-Lieberman, B., and
Medendrop, S. 1994. Effect of inhaling heated
vapor on symptoms of the common cold. JAMA, April
13, 271(14), 1109-1111; Hendley, J., Abbot, R.,
Beasley, P., Gwaltney, J. Jr. 1994. Effect of
inhalation of hot humidified air on experimental
rhinovirus infection. JAMA, April 13, 271(14)
1112-1113).  
	The device shoots hot blasts of steam up the
nostrils at 47 degrees Celsius (about 117 degrees
Fahrenheit), which raises the internal
temperature of the nose to 43 degrees Celsius
(about 109 degrees Fahrenheit).  Theoretically,
this product should kill or severely debilitate
the virus's ability to survive and replicate, if
the (rhino)virus that causes head colds is truly
vulnerable to heat.  Instead, the steam treatment
used in these studies had no curative effect on
head colds.
Possible etiology of upper and lower respiratory
infections and throat infections
     Treatment of head colds using the product
above to provide spot heat in the nasal passages
should work, according the theory of
viral/bacterial susceptibility to heat.  One
possible reason it may not work the way it is
used may be from a special vulnerability of the
tissues in the nasal passages (and the throat and
chest) to a quick temperature change.  The second
major supposition to this theory is that a quick
temperature change may weaken the tissues
susceptible to viral and bacterial infection and
cause or exacerbate an active infection.  The
heat treatment described in the above articles
may be successful in weakening the rhinovirus
involved, but at the same time, it could be
hurting the upper/lower respiratory tissues equally as much.  
	During a head cold, the internal temperature of
the nasal tissues are likely between room
temperature (from breathing through them) and
body temperature (98.6% degrees).  The
temperature may be slightly higher than body
temperature in the nostril(s) that is congested
at the moment and not drawing in room temperature
air and being inflamed by the body to slow infection
 (usually at least one nasal passage during a
cold is completely stuffed up).  To be suddenly
bathed in heat of 117 degrees or higher,
especially in the nostril that is clear and
closer to room temperature, may render the
already vulnerable tissues even weaker.  This
could allow a virus to maintain its foothold in
the tissues, even if it is similarly weakened by
the heat treatment.
	This is likely what happened in the two studies.
 The Rhinotherm deliveres a constant stream of
heat and water vapor at 47 degrees Celsius (117
degrees Fahrenheit).  It does not gradually warm
up the tissues slowly, but immediately bathes the
nasal passages with 117 degree heat.  If the
subjects nasal passages were exposed to that
great a temperature change immediately, about 30
degrees, their tissue may have been weakened and
in poorer shape to fight off infection, even if
the viruses were also weakened.
	Some of these treatment have shown efficacy in
treating colds.  Both of the above unsuccessful
studies were attempted replications of three
earlier studies that showed positive effects of
steam treatment (Tyrell, D., Barrow, I., and
Author, J. 1989. Local hyperthermia benefits
natural and experiment common colds. British
Medical Journal, 298:1280-1283; Yerushalmi, A., and
Lwoff, A. 1980. Traitement du coryza infectieux
et des rhinites persistantes allergiques par la
thermotherapie. CR Seances Sci D., 291:957-959;
Ophir, D., Ellad, Y. 1987. Effects of steam
inhalation on nasal patency and nasal symptoms in
patients with the common cold. American Journal
of Otolaryngology, 8:149-153).  
	If the steam treatment in these positive studies
started initiated a more gradual warming up of
the nasal passages (and a more gradual cooling
down afterward), it would account for the
disparity in findings with the two more recent
studies, which found no positive effect of hot steam
treatment on colds.  Accordingly, had the two
recent studies been done with a gradual warming
up and down of the nasal passages before and
after the treatment, they might have found
consistently positive effects of hot air
inhalation in the treatment of head colds (if as
supposed, viral/bacterial infections of this type
are truly vulnerable to heat, and if tissues
really are sensitive to a quick & large temperature
change).  Also, with a gradual warming (and
gradual cooling down after) of the heat treatment
to protect the tissues in the nasal passages, a
higher temperature might be able to be used than
with the Rhinotherm (more than 117 degrees),
which could render the treatments more effective.
 
	The subjects in the study also inhaled through
the nose, and exhaled through the mouth, which
may not be as effective as as exhaling also
through the nose (which may keep the nasal
passages at a more even temperature).  Lowering
the temperature slowly of the heat device after
treatment and avoiding breathing through the nose
for 5 minutes after the treatment is over may be
important to avoid a quick temperature change
also, as the steam from the device can evaporate
and chill the nasal passages if they are still
wet when breathing in room temperature air. 
Lastly, in the two recent studies, the heat
treatment was used for one hour or one-half hour.
 It is likely that extended treatment weakens the
tissues as much as a large, quick temperature
change is hypothesized to do in this treatment
model.  In the model presented below the heat
treatment is suggested to be used for a maximum
of five minutes for every eight hour period.
  The suggestion that a quick temperature change
leaves nose, throat, and lung tissues vulnerable
to viral/bacterial infection may give insight
into the etiology of head colds, sore throats,
strep throat, chest colds, and pneumonia.  If a
sudden temperature change does weaken tissues
actively fighting off an infection (the failed
heat treatment cited above), perhaps exposure to
a sudden temperature change also causes the
initial vulnerability to the virus/bacteria and
contributes to the subsequent infection.  The
bacteria and viruses that cause head colds, sore
and strep throats, etc. are often present around
and in people who do not develop active
infection.  Susceptibility to developing an
infection is known to be increased with a higher
amount of virus/bacteria present (being around
people who are sick with these infections), and
when the immune system is weakened.  But these
risk factors account for only about 30-50% of new
infections.  These factors may not account for
all of the variation in susceptibility.  Perhaps
the largest still unknown factor that contributes
to infection is a quick exposure to temperature
change of tissues vulnerable to these infections.
	Observations on the development of colds, throat
  infections, and lung infections (pneumonia,
chest cold)
	Tissues that are susceptible to viral and
bacterial 
infection- nasal passages, the throat, and the
lungs -seem to be weakened by exposure to a very
fast temperature change of (hypothesized) 10
degrees or more (10 degrees for nasal passages,
and about 20 degrees, for chest exposure or
throat exposure).  When people go from inside
heat to outside cold, or from inside cold (like
with air conditioning) to outside heat and vice
versa, and they breathe through their nose
immediately (or have their chest or throat
exposed very quickly to a severe temperature
change), it seems to stress and weaken cells in
those areas and make the people more susceptible
to infection.
	Catching a "head" cold is a good example.  When
a person goes through a temperature change of
more than 10 degrees and breathes through his/her
nose continually, even after her/his nasal
passages begin to inflame and swell (stuff up),
s/he might be at a significant risk of catching a
head cold.  The same is true to a degree for
throat and chest exposure.  If a person is
exposed suddenly to a temperature change (hot or
cold) of 20 degrees (hypothesized, could be 5
degrees greater or smaller) or more on his/her
chest (like with an open jacket) or his/her
throat, s/he may be more susceptible to a lower
respiratory infection (chest cold, pneumonia), a
sore throat, or a strep throat infection.
	If people become susceptible to throat and
respiratory (lower and upper) infections due to a
quick temperature change in vulnerable tissues,
any heat treatment of already weakened and
vulnerable tissue would have to avoid causing a
fast temperature change that could further weaken
the tissue and negate the benefits of the heat
treatment.  The treatment described above for
head colds (Rhinotherm) used heat that is instant
and creates the type of temperature change that
may have caused the vulnerability to the
infection in the first place.
				Ideal heat treatment
	If the heat is slowly (a gradual buildup for
about 1 minute to peak temp) applied to the area
that is infected and inflamed, and the tissues
are subsequently not weakened, the
viral/bacterial infection could likely then be
slowed or killed by the heat under this theory. 
When the tissues are not weakened by the onset of
a quick temperature change, heat treatment could
have very positive effects in slowing and killing
these infections.  The heat the body generates to
swell and heat up its tissues is not nearly as
hot as the temperature that can be generated and
locally supplied by mechanical means.  This more
localized and intense heat may be more efficient
than the body's own defenses.  Even if all the
viruses are not killed immediately, the heat
treatment seems to signal to the body to stop
heating up the tissues itself.  The spot heat is
more localized and more intense than the body's
own efforts to heat up the tissues.  The
inflammation in the throat, nose, and lungs may
stop in part because the body realizes that it
doesn't need to heat up the tissues, and/or the
weakening/killing of the bacteria/viruses leaves
the temperature increase unnecessary.  Because
the swelling in the affected areas is immediately
lowered during and after the heat treatments
(congestion clears, inflammation almost stops
completely for a little while), it is likely the
body just realizes its own heat treatment isn't
needed.  The bacteria or viruses are subjected to
higher temperatures in an artificial heat
treatment than the body's own defenses can
produce.  So the heat treatment is treating the
symptoms at the same time it is treating the
infection.   It slows or kills viruses or
bacteria much more quickly than the body's own
heat response, and signals to the body to
discontinue it's own heat and subsequent
inflammation response for a while.
     The timing of this type of heat treatment
would be important.  It should not be too long,
too frequent or too hot, in order to avoid
stressing the tissues.  It should be done
frequently enough that it catches the
viruses/bacteria in all phases of their protected
(inactive) and vulnerable (active) cycles in the
body.  Using these criteria, the effectiveness of
localized heat and elevated temperatures, and the
need to avoid overstressing the infected and
vulnerable tissues, it is suggested that the
duration of this type of heat treatment should be
no longer than 5 minutes every 8 hours.  The
degree of heat should be modulatable by the
person to be the hottest s/he can comfortably
(and safely) endure for the period (perhaps as high 
or somewhat higher than in the above device 117 degrees Fahrenheit).  
The heat should start at room or
body temperature and slowly, over one minute, be
increased to the hottest comfortable temperature.
 The person may need to breathe and exhale
through the nose exclusively during the treatment
of head colds or the mouth for throat infections
to better stabilize temperature.  Exhaling
through the nose in treatment of head colds may
help keep the internal temperature of the nasal
passages from getting too hot (the exhaled air
will be closer to body temperature than the
inhaled air from the heat device).  Because
viruses can cycle into periods where they are
protected/dormant, the
heat treatment should be used every 8 hours for 4 cycles to
catch the infection in all phases of its
active-inactive cycle.  More frequent
applications might (and have seemed to) irritate
and weaken the tissues without aiding the
treatment.  
	The best device for delivery of the heat would
blow hot air in a directed stream (so it could be
applied to the nasal passages or the throat),
would have an easily adjusted temperature from at
least 98.6 degrees to the hottest comfortable
temperature (130 degrees?), and would have a
small amount of moisture/water vapor.  A small
amount of humidity would help keep the nasal
passages and throat from getting too dry from the
heat, while avoiding leaving the tissues wet and
susceptible to a quick temperature change when
the heat is taken away and the moisture
evaporates.
	The product mentioned above (Rhinotherm) that
shoots hot blasts of steam into the nostrils
would not be the ideal mechanism.  Its
temperature needs to be adjustable, the delivery
end may not be made to work to deliver the heat
stream both into the mouth (for sore throat and
strep throat infections) and on throat itself at
the same time, and the steam may contain too much
moisture.  On the other end of the spectrum, a
hot air hair dryer would not have even a small
amount of water vapor, so it wouldnnot be ideal. 
Other than this, a hair dryer does blow air in a
stream that can be directed to be breathed in by
the nasal passages, and on the throat.  It can be
held away from the vulnerable area at first, then
slowly brought forward to incrementally increase
the temperature.  
	The best delivery device would have a flexible
delivery end that would blow hot air in a
directed stream but over a large enough area to
include the outside of the throat and the mouth
together (for throat infections), have a variable
temperature dial like on an oven, have a range of
70 degrees to 130? degrees, a mild amount of
water vapor, and a 5 minute timer.
	A head cold would be treated through the nasal
passages; chest cold/pneumonia through the nasal
passages or mouth with possible simultaneous dry
heat on the chest and/or back; a sore throat and
strep throat with heat on the throat and through
the nasal passages or the mouth at the same time
(to heat up the inner and outer portions of the
throat).  Only pneumonia or a chest cold would
require a separate heat source on the chest (like
a heating pad) in addition to the hot air stream
during treatment.  For sore and strep throat the
hot air can be angled to bathe the throat and be
breathed in through the mouth or nose
simultaneously to warm the internal portion of
the throat.   The heat source can be blown
directly into the outer ear for ear infections.
				Prevention of head colds
	Using this model of tissue vulnerability, the
key to relieving or avoiding head colds would be
to avoid breathing through the nose temporarily
when going from a colder place to a warmer place
or a warmer place to a colder place.  Breathing
in through the nose immediately during any
temperature change of 10 degrees or more could be
a main contributor toward developing a head cold.
 Under this theoryl, the cells that make up the
nasal passages (and other body sites that are
vulnerable to viral/bacterial infection of this
sort) may be very sensitive to a fast temperature
change.  They seem to become vulnerable to
viruses and bacteria when air that is different
by 10 degrees or more is breathed in without the
nasal passages first getting a chance to adjust
their internal temperature.  So when the air a
person is breathing goes through the temperature
change, the person would have to breathe through
his/her mouth for 30-45 seconds until the nasal
passages have adjusted it's internal temperature
closer to the temperature in the air.  When
someone breathes through his/her nose too
quickly, it will stuff up (the body will heat it
up and make the tissues swell).  If the person
stops breathing through his/her nose immediately,
the nose may unstuff, as the nasal passages have
a chance to recover/adjust.
	For some reason, breathing through the mouth
when the nose begins to stuff up seems to almost
always stop the nose from stuffing up completely
and developing into a cold, even when it becomes
congested for reasons other than a quick
temperature change.  When the legs or feet get
exposed to cold, the nose can temporarily become
congested (for an unknown reason), even if the
nasal passages are not breathing in during a
quick temperature change.  If a person avoids
breathing through the nose, the sniffles may
clear up around 45 seconds after s/he leaves the
cool draft or breeze.  This can also happen if
s/he has too much clothing on and is overheated
in a hot room, and his/her nose begins to stuff
up.  If s/he avoids breathing through his/her
nose while it is stuffed, the nose may unstuff
and s/he usually will not develop a head cold.
				Treatment of head colds
     If a stuffed nose does develop into a cold,
a treatment with heat can potentially end the
symptoms.  The person can use some kind of hot
air blower, like a hair dryer (for the nasal
passages, slightly moist heat is better to keep
from overdrying them).  The hot air blower would
be turned on to a low level, placed a comfortable
distance from the nose, beneath it.  The dittance
the hot air blower is held away can regulate the
heat delivered, so the blower should be held far
enough away at first that only a mild heat
reaches the nasal passages.  After turning it on
the person should avoid putting his/her sinuses
through too quick a temperature change.  The
person should breathe through the mouth for at
least 30 seconds to avoid further weakening the
tissues in the nasal passage.  After the person
tentatively starts breathing through the nose
after 30 seconds of the passages getting slowly
heated up (and stopping for a little while if
his/her nose starts to stuff up), the heat source
can be brought gradually closer.  The temperature
can be gradually raised (as the heat source gets
closer) until the naeal passages have adjusted to
the highest comfortable temperature.  Even a
comfortable temperature will be more than hot
enough for treatment.  Increasing thedtemperature
any higher than comfortable isn't safe for your
tissues, and will actuall  weaken the tissues and
keep them vulnerable to infection.   The hot air
blower dryer should be below the nose, blowing up
into it.  The time should be limited to 5 minutes
per treatment (1 minute gradual warming, 4
minutes full heat).  The heat level possibly
needed for effective treatment is too high to
breathe in longer than 5 minutes, and the
treatment may actually loses effectiveness when
continued any longer (as the tissues may weaken).
	The person should then gradually lower the heat
source over 1 minute back to room temperature to
avoid a quick temperature change.  After the
temperature of the air going into the nose is
back down to normal, the person should breathe
through his/her mouth for a couple of minutes. 
This is a very important step.  The tissues of
his/her nasal passages (or throat, or lungs
depending upon the location of the treatment) are
very sensitive right after a heat treatment. 
After a couple of minutes, the person can then
breathe through his/her nose or his/her mouth, as
long as the air temperature is warm.  The person
needs to stay in a warm place, the warmer the
better and not go outside (into cold air, or into
a large temperature change) for at least 30
minutes whill the tissues are still sensitive
from the heat treatment.  The person should also
avoid eating or drinking anything cold for 30
minutes, as this could irritate the tissues.  
	The real benefit of the treatment is that many
of the symptoms associated with the
virus/bacterial infection will be immediately
relieved.  In the case of a head cold, the
throbbing, sensitivity, and stuffiness will leave
the person's nose and nasal passages and it will
feel close to normal for a couple hours, as long
as she remembers to breathe through his/her mouth
when s/he next encounters a temperature change of
10 degrees or more, or when s/he get the sniffles
(start to stuff up).  Staying in a warm area with
no cold drafts lengthens the immediate relief,
possibly until the second heat treatment.  The
person should repeat the heat treatment no more
often than every 8 hours as necessary.  It seems
to kill the next generation of viruses or
bacteria when done every 8 hours, but more
frequently than once every 8 hours seems to hurt
the tissues more than help.  It should work
equally well for all types of cold viruses, as
they all seem to have the same effects and modes
of operation, differing only by incubation
period- the amount of time before full symptoms
are present (Tyrrell, D., Cohen, S., and Schlarb,
J. 1993. Signs and symptoms in common colds.
Epidemiology and Infection, 111(1), 143-156).
	After the second treatment, the person is often
nearly symptom free (the sooner treatment is
initiated after exposure to the temperature
change, the quicker the recovery).  Heat
treatments of this type seem to work for head
colds, sore throats, strep throats (a very
serious infection), cold sores and outer ear
infections (the techniques to treat these will be
explained later).  It is hypothesized to possibly
work in combating viral/bacterial infection with
chest colds, pneumonia, and other lower
respiratory infections.  Treatment of the early
symptoms of these infections (when the nose
starts to stuff for an hour; the throat starts to
feel sore or scratchy; or the outer ear first
begins to feel sensitive to touch) can reduce
recovery time from the need for 6 treatments over
2 days to just one treatment.  Cutting the
infection symptoms off just as they get started
can help prevent even moderate symptoms, as well
as the fatigue and energy drain that accompanies
a full infection.
	The reason for almost immediate results from the
heat treatment may be that many of the symptoms
of bacterial/viral infections may be brought on
by the body to help fight the infection.  When
using a mechanical heat source, in a manner that
is many times more efficient (higher
temperatures, more localized) than a fever or
tissue inflammation, it may signal to the body to
immediately stop its own attempts to heat the
infected/affected area.  This effect is more
pronounced when used in the early stages of the
infection, as the heat treatment may both signal
the body to stop the inflammation and it may kill
and slow down the viruses/bacteria before the body
has been weakened and fatigued.
			Prevention of sore and strep throat
	Some types of sore and strep throat (streptococcus
bacteria) may be preventable to some degree by
having the throat protected from a large
temperature change.  Going outside into cold with
a coat that doesn't cover the throat might leave
a person vulnerable to infection.  Overwrapping
the throat with scarfs can backfire by causing
the skin over the throat to sweat.  If the person
then takes off the scarf and goes out into the
cold with a sweaty throat for just a brief
period, the evaporation of the sweat could chill
the throat, leaving it vulnerable.  The best
course could then be to have the throat covered
adequately by a coat with a high collar or with
one scarf, but not so hot that it sweats.
		 Treatment of (some types of) sore throat
	With a sore throat (actual feelings of soreness
at the front of the throat), have the person hold
the hot air source (dry heat is best for the
outside of the throat, as moist heat will make
the throat cold from evaporation after the heat
is taken away) away from the throat to give the
tissues a chance to adjust to the temperature
change and increased heat.  After 30-45 seconds,
the person can bring the hot air source as close
to the throat as comfortable.  Then the hot air
can blow it on the throat for another 4 minutes. 
After the 5 minutes are up, the heat source
should be slowly withdrawn to allow the tissues
to adjust to the temperature change.  A scarf or
high-neck clothing can be put over the throat
now.  After ending the heat treatment, the person
should avoid going outside or through a large
temperature change for the next 20-30 minutes
(including avoiding cold drafts or drinking cold
beverages).  When s/he does, s/he should cover
his/her throat with a high-necked coat or a scarf
to keep its temperature at an even leve..  S/he
should repeat this treatment no more than once
every 8 hours.
				Treatment of strep throat
	With strep (streptococcus bacteria) throat (it
often begins with a deep scratchiness in the back
of the throat), have the person turn on the hot
air source and hold it far enough away from the
throat to give the tissues a chance to adjust to
the temperature change.  The hot air source can
then slowly be brought toward the throat until it
is at the highest comfortable temperature.  Have
the hot air source angled upward to blow up the
nose or mouth while heating the throat.  It may
be more important than with a sore throat to have
the treatment be breathed in as well as having it
on the outside of the neck, because the heat may
not get to the back of the throat as well if it
is not breathed in.  A moist heat is best to
breathe in here, because the throat often feels
very dry and scratchy.  If a dry heat is used, the
person should swallow often, or have a warm/hot
beverage available to sip on.  After 30-45
seconds (the person should breath through his/her
mouth at first) the person can bring the hot air
source as close to the throat and nose as
comfortable.  Then it can be blown on the throat
and up the nose (with breathing) for another 4
minutes, before being slowly taken away.  If a
person uses a moist heat, the throat should be
dried off immediately after the treatment, and if
possible, a scarf should be put around the neck
for 30 minutes.
	After the heat treatment is done, the person
should avoid going outside or through a large
temperature change (stay in a very warm place
with no cold drafts) for the next 20-30 minutes
(and avoid drinking anything cold for the same
amount of time).  When s/he does, s/he should
cover his/her throat with a high-necked coat or a
scarf to keep its temperature at an even level,
and have another scarf double-layered over
his/her mouth and nose to warm the air coming in.
 At this time (and anytime during the infection,
treated or not) the throat is sensitive to cold
drafts, to cold breathed in, and to cold
beverages and food.  The person should repeat
this treatment only once every 8 hours.
			Treatment of outer ear infections and
		 prevention of middle ear infections (otitis
media)
	
	Heat treatment can help relieve and prevent the
pain and inflammation of outer ear infections (it
may also help with middle ear infections).  The
procedure for administering the heat treatment
is: gradual warming up of the ear canal (the hot
air blower should be angled to blow into the ear
canal) with the hot air blower until the maximum
comfortable heat is reached; treatment for 5
minutes only; only one treatment every 8 hours;
and avoidance of cold air or a large temperature
change for (at least) thirty minutes after the
treatment.
	The person should tip his/her head so it is
angled with the infected ear pointing down to the
ground (or at an angle to the ground) during the
treatment.  This keeps any fluid in the outer ear
canal from pushing back up into the middle ear
during the treatment.  Then the person can turn
on the hot air (dry heat is best for the ear, to
dry up any fluids contributing to the infection),
blowing it up in the ear and keeping it far
enough away from the ear at first to make the
temperature change of the ear canal slow.  After
30-45 seconds the hot air source can be brought
as close to the ear as is comfortable.  The
tissue of the ear canal during an outer ear
infection is very sensitive, so the temperature
should be comfortable, and not feel overl hot. 
After the heat is stabilized, the treatment
should go on for 4 more minutes.  Then the heat
source should be slowly removed, allowing time
for the tissues to adjust to the temperature
change.  This should be repeated at need only
once every 8 hours.  The person should avoid
going out into the cold for at least a half hour
after treatment, and should wear earmuffs until
the infection and all signs of it are gone if it
is winter outside.  The tissues of the ear are
very sensitive to cold right after treatment, and
exposure to cold in a sensitive stage of healing
can be as painful and last as long as the
original infection.  
	This heat treatment should relieve the
inflammation of an outer ear infection and dry up
any liquid that is contributing to the infection
in the ear canal.  If done with a slow
temperature change, the heat treatment often
immediately relieves most of the painful symptoms
of an outer ear infection.  If done early, when
the ear canal first starts to itch and the ear
itself becomes sensitive to touch, it may help
prevent an outer ear infection from spreading to
the middle ear.
	A good preventative measure for preventing
middle and outer ear infection is to repeat the
same hot air treatment- blowing hot air into the
ear canal with the side of the head tilted down
for only 30 seconds immediately after taking a
shower, a swim, or after immersing the ears in
water.  A 30-second treatment should dry up any
liquid in the ear that contributes to chronic ear
infections in people who have recurrent problems.
 A person should be able to dry both ears with a
30-second mild burst of heat every time s/he
immerses them in water without hardening the wax
in the ears, or without the ear canals becoming
too sensitive.  When using this treatment for
prevention, a person should always be careful to
keep the temperature comfortable, the side of the
head tilted down (to keep from blowing the water
up further into the ear canal) and the times
conservative (no more than one minute if no
infection symptoms are present, only once every 8
hours as necessary).  This should prevent any
outer or middle ear infections that come from
water in the outer ear canal getting into the
middle ear.  The treatment dries some of the
water in the ear canal, likely slows or kills
(damages) any bacteria in the water in the ear,
and seems to prevent inflammation.
	It is extremely important in these treatments to
gradually warm up the tissues before application
of full heat.  The sensitive and weakened tissues
become weaker when put through a fast temperature
change.  People also cannot handle treatment more
often than once every 8 hours, and a maximum of 5
minutes per (because of the moderately high heat
levels used).  The heat should only be increased
to the degree comfortable, and lessened when
uncomfortable.  The tissues should also be
protected from a large temperature change or
exposure to any cold for at least 30 minutes
after treatment.  Tissue exposed to cold too
quickly after a treatment can feel as bad as if
the cold or infection had been allowed to run its
course untreated.  The longer the vulnerable
tissue is sheltered from the cold, the longer the
symptoms will decrease and the formerly inflamed
area will feel almost like normal (especially if
kept in a warmer than normal area until the next
treatment).
     Scarfs and hats help to keep the temperature
level more stable and warm.  When the throat
infection, ear infection, chest cold or sinus
cold has already happened, these keep the throat,
head (nasal passages), and chest more comfortable
and keep irritation of these tissues down.  But
if a person sweats in them, s/he needs to dry off
his/her throat or head when s/he takes them off,
or only take them off in a hot place.  Otherwise
the sweat will evaporate and chill his/her head
and throat.  A pair of earmuffs will help the ear
maintain a stable temperature during recovery
from an ear infection.  After a treatment, it is
immensely helpful to use a hat or scarf to keep
the temperature consistent and warm (still
protecting against sweat evaporation) on/in the
treated area.  The tissues are very sensitive
after treatment and during recovery.  Without
protection, the temperature change occurring when
going out into the cold (or into the air
conditioning) has a damaging effect, and recovery
from the symptoms of a cold or infection is
slower.
Treatment of cold sores (herpes blisters)
	The heat treatment can be applied to different
infections or inflammations on the skin that are
caused by the body's reaction to an infection. 
Cold sores, cuts, and any other conditions where
the body causes swelling in an attempt to heat up
the tissue to kill an infection can benefit
(except where heat will damage the skin, like
infections from burns).  Skin tissue is also
quite amenable to heat treatment, as it is
tougher and less sensitive to temperature change
or drying out than internal tissue like the nasal
passages, throat, or the outer ear (heat
treatment could be used in areas where
sensitivity is not important but resistance to
infection is).
	Oral herpes (usually herpes simplex 1) lesions
may be treated by localized heat directed on the
blister.  The blister must not be directly on an
area too sensitive for the heat treatment. 	The
procedure for administering the heat treatment
consists of a gradual warming up of the lesion
with the hot air blower until the maximum
comfortable heat is reached; treatment for 5
minutes only; only one treatment every 8 hours;
avoidance of cold air or a large temperature
change for (at least) thirty minutes after the
treatment.
	To keep the skin from drying out during the
treatment, moisturizing ointment or lotion can be
liberally applied on the lesion or blister.  A
large amount of ointment should be used, and it
should be layered on instead of rubbed in, so a
layer of ointment completely covers the lesion
during the treatment.  The heat treatment should
be applied before the ointment is fully absorbed,
to keep the skin cells from drying out during the
treatment.  This should keep the skin cells from
being irritated or damaged.  Drying the cells out
by not using moisturizer during treatment would
make them susceptible to further infection, and
to exacerbation of the current infection.  This
treatment has been used on cold sores (usually
herpes simplex 1).
	Treatment during the initial stages of the
infection may reduce what would have been a full
scale blowup over the course of a couple weeks
with much pain and inflammation to 4 to 7 days of
mild symptoms and little discomfort.  The herpes
simplex #1 blisters will develop and leave
quicker, and be less painful and sensitive to
cold and touch.  The full course of infection may
last only 4-7 days instead of weeks if the
treatment is used when the first signs of a
blister appear (itchiness, irritation, a red bump
on the skin where past blisters have appeared). 
The heat treatment likely both slows down the
herpes virus, and halts the inflammation response
of the body.  The treatment only needs to be used
once or twice, until the pain from the sore
leaves.  If the lesion is caught early, the later
pain from the sore may only be minimal. Moderate
to strong heat only should be used.  Too much
heat will only make the tissue vulnerable to the
recurrent viral infection, not speed up healing. 
This treatment seems to best shorten the flareup
and stop the pain and sensitivity.  It does not
keep the lesions from forming, just stops
debilitating effects of the full infection and
the pain and sensitivity.
	During the heat treatment, the area of infection
should be kept moisturized.  This might speed
healing, and retard symptoms of pain and
inflammation.  Any touching (or scratching) of
the area or application of ointment to the area
should be done with tissue or cloth.  Touching
the area of infection with hands can spread the
infection to other parts of the body and to other
people, as well as exacerbate symptoms, as
fingers are often full of opportunistic germs
that can make the area more susceptible to the
virus flareup.  Also, when prodromal symptoms of
dryness and itching are present, moisturizing
with any liquid handy and a brief heat
application, along with avoiding touching the
area with fingers, may prevent lesions from
forming at all.
			Chest colds, pneumonia (proposed)
Heat treatment may also work for chest colds and
pneumonia. If used for chest colds or pneumonia,
the heat used could be steam to keep the air
moist (steam will help loosen mucus in the chest
if that's needed, and avoid exacerbating a dry
cough), or hot air.  The person should prepare
the lungs for the temperature change by breathing
through the nose for 45 seconds.  Then the person
can start breathing a little bit of steam or hot
air through the mouth, gradually increasing the
temperature for at least 1 minute (after 30
seconds the person can breath the heat through
their nasal passages).  After a 5 minute
treatment with steam or hot air, the person can
gradually decrease the temperature (amount)
breathed in.  As soon as possible, the person
should breath throught the nose for at least 3 to
5 minutes, even during coughing.  This will keep
the air going into his/her lungs warm for a
period of time that the lungs are vulnerable
after treatment.  The temperature of the room
should be elevated, and drafts soould be avoided.
 The hotter and more stable the temperature in
the room is, the better.  A heating pad can be
kept on the chest and/or back for as long as is
comfortable (making sure to wipe off any sweat
immediately when it is taken off).
     During chest colds and pneumonia it is
important to stay in for a full day or a number
of days out of the cold, and to avoid any large
temperature changes.  Chest colds and pneumonia
stay with people for a long period (weeks
sometimes) because a person going outside or into
a large temperature change must breathe through
his/her nose or his/her mouth.  If the person
immediately breathes through his/her nose
immediately, it could stuff up and s/he may get a
head cold (sinus infection).  If the person
breathes through his/her mouth, s/he may make
his/her lungs more vulnerable and prolong or
intensify the infection (chest cold) by exposing
the lungs to a fast temperature change, and to
cold air.  Staying inside a warm place with no
cold air pockets is best while symptoms still are
present.  This could partly explain (in addition
to a weakened immune system) why people often get
head colds that follow up chest colds.  People
unconsciously will breathe through their nose to
warm the air to the lungs immediately when going
outside.  If they don't, they exacerbate their
chest cold.  The best solution is to double layer
a scarf over the mouth and nose to warm the
breath, and especially to stay inside and avoid
the cold and large temperature changes until the
chest cold/pneumonia is completely over.  The
heat treatments should be able to speed the
process and lower the symptoms significantly.
	Bronchitis may or may not be helped by the heat
treatment.  The treatment may help if the
irritation from bronchitis causes a vulnerability
to getting a chest cold, or pneumonia.  If used
to treat a person with bronchitis and
pneumonia/chest cold, the heat used should have
enough water vapor, like steam, to avoid
exacerbating the dry coughing from bronchitis.
			Prevention and early treatment
	Prevention is the most effective use of the heat
treatment for these types of viral and bacterial
infection.  If the symptoms are full blown before
implementation, three to six treatments (1-2
days) of one treatment every 8 hours could be
necessary to fully relieve symptoms (exposure to
the cold during this time, even sometimes by
drinking cold liquids, may delay full recovery of
symptoms by a day).  If initiated when symptoms
of an infection first appear, one treatment is
often enough to stop the symptoms (and the
infection), even if the infection would
eventually have been severe without treatment
(like with strep throat).
	The key to prevention of viral and bacterial
infections, in this model, is to avoid exposing
sensitive areas like the nasal passages, throat,
or chest to quick temperature changes.  The key
to ending the infections is with heat treatment
to slow or kill viruses (or bacteria) and
counteract the symptoms stemming from the body's
reaction to it, and with introducing and
withdrawing that heat slowly.  Perhaps because of
the sensitivity of the tissues to temperature
change, heat treatments with this aim in the past
have not been successful.  Products that shoot
steam up the nostrils fail because the fast
temperature change (from intake of steam, and
from not delaying breathing through the nose for
1 minute after treatment ends) may have weakened
the tissues in the nasal passages, negating any
benefit from decreased viral activity.  Also,
exposure to cold was not likely delayed for a
half hour while the tissues were still sensitive
from the treatment.  The sensitivity to
temperature change is possibly the missing
element in the treatment of viruses and bacteria
by heat, as well as some of the vulnerability to
them in the first place.
     This sensitivity to a fast temperature
change and to cold for 1/2 hour after treatment
also explains anecdotal accounts of spas and
steamrooms curing symptoms from different viral
respiratory infections.  The temperature change
into spas and steamrooms would have to be slow,
and the temperature change coming out of them
would have to be slow, with much delayed exposure
to cold afterward (at least 1/2 hour) while the
tissues were sensitive after the high temperature
treatment.  If by chance these circumstances came
about, the person would likely have been relieved
of his/her symptoms, and recommended the therapy
to others. However, if the next person who tried
this unthinkingly experienced a very quick
temperature change when going in or coming out of
the spa or steamroom, or was exposed to cold too
soon after the heat treatment, s/he would not
have benefitted and would not have know why.
     Spas, steamrooms, and even the everyday
shower can be used as aides in treating the
infection by bathing the body in heat.  These can
be effective as long as the temperature change of
the infected part of the body into these places
is slow enough (about 1 minute); the temperature
change coming out of the shower, steamroom, or
whirlpool is slow; the person puts on clothes
quickly enough that s/he doesn't feel chilled and
doesn't encounter cold air pockets or drafts; the
person stays warm and indoors (if in winter) for
at least 1/2 hour afterward while the tissues are
sensitive (this includes not drinking or eating
anything cold if the person has a throat or upper
respiratory infection).  In these situations, a
steamroom could be the ideal heat treatment
(except for an ear infection) if it wasn't
inconvenient to go to every 8 hours.  When done
safely, all of these can feel good.
					Effectiveness
	This treatment has worked for the viral and
bacterial infections indicated.  This treatment
has had no effectiveness in treating nasal
congestion identical to head colds but caused by
allergies and hay fever, even in people who've
successfully used the treatment for viral and
bacterial infections.  It has done nothing for
the congestion and symptoms of hay fever and
allergies, which may provide evidence that the
effectiveness of the treatments may not be due to
the placebo effect.  The reasons given for the
effectiveness of these heat treatments are just
speculations, some having lead to the treatment's
development and some used in an attempt to
explain the seemingly successful applicability of
the treatment.  They do not necessarily fully or
accurately explain the process behind the
methods' success.
	This hot air treatment has been used for
treatment and prevention (when symptoms first
start) of head colds, sore throat, strep throat,
outer ear infections, minor cuts, and cold sores
(the mild form of herpes).  It is only
hypothesized for pneumonia, chest cold, and major
cuts.  The principle is the same, and the
implications for possible quick and effective
treatment of pneumonia, as works for head colds and
throat infections, may suggest further
exploration for this treatment.
	A hair dryer may be good enough to use with sore
throats, ear infections, and skin infections when
there is not much problem or need to prevent
against tissue drying out.  With head colds,
strep throat, and chest colds a machine should
ideally be used that generates mild water vapor
with the heat (or steam) that shoots gently up
the nostrils.  It would have to be room
temperature at first, gradually building up to
it's peak temperature at the end of 1 minute,
with temperature control in case someone needs a
slower buildup.  Then the machine should maintain
peak temperature for 4 minutes.  After 4 minutes,
the machine should, over 1 minute time, gradually
lower temperature back to room temperature.  A
dry heat has been ok for head colds.  If a dry
heat is used with sore/strep throat, hot liquid
could be drank intermittently during the 5
minutes to keep the tissues of the throat moist
(or frequent swallowing may be enough).  Steam
may be best for chest colds and congestion.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mdwickimd (talk • contribs) 00:05, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Food and herbs

message: I wonder if we could find more info on myalgia (muscular aches) and its treatment? Acetaminophen is mentioned, but I'm also wondering about how must rest is actually in order? I personally find that exercise is very helpful if I have blocked sinuses (especially if I also do Jala neti sinus cleansing). But when the sinusitis sufferer also has aches all over due to a viral infection, is it more important to rest? Or is very, very gentle exercise a good thing? --Singkong2005 talk 04:12, 24 September 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: "Plenty of rest" is recommended for flu. The best indicator of what "plenty of rest" means is your own body. Pay attention to signals from your body and take seriously the need to rest. WAS 4.250 12:40, 24 September 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Animal studies suggest that strenuous exercise leads to a worsened course of infection.  See , , .  However, there is some indication that moderate exercise might actually be beneficial in animals (See , ) and in the human response to vaccine (See , ).  None of this data gives us solid advice regarding human survival and recovery following swine flu infection.  In the absence of other data, we might generally assume that evolution should have endowed humans with some sense (including bodily aches and pains) for when exercise is good or bad - yet in everyday uninfected life some of us don't always act in our own best interest on this point.  Mike Serfas (talk) 14:11, 13 June 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  How much exercise is okay for an flu patient with muscular aches? 

message: Part of an effort to expand 'flu titles where appropriate.--ZayZayEM 03:35, 13 September 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Agree  I think that correct terminology rather than contractions are more appropriate in article titles, although 'flu' could be used where appropriate in the text.  BTW, you're doing a great job tackling the flu (whoops, I mean influenza) articles -- they are a mess. —G716 <T·C> 04:38, 13 September 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Proposed move → [[Influenza treatment]] 

message: I was easily able to locate Pubmed published studies that provide strong evidence of the efficacy of green tea in both reducing duration and severity of influenza infections. Due to it's well established reputation of enhancing immune function, I saw fit to add it to this article. LiamSP (talk) 04:53, 8 September 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Added Green Tea to Alternative Treatments