TheReanuKeeves

Why is the human body so incredibly bad at responding to colds?

https://lemmy.world/post/36045333

Why is the human body so incredibly bad at responding to colds? - Lemmy.World

No cure so you gotta rest. Nose is stuffed so you gotta mouth breathe. Throat is dry from mouth breathing. Dry throat makes it painful to swallow. Pain keeps you from sleeping and recovering. Lack of sleep leads to worse symptoms like piercing headaches. Need to rest to get rid of the headaches. Headache and swallowing is too painful to rest properly. Lack of rest perpetuates headaches, nose congestion, dry throat, painful swallowing. What is this BS

Sep 17, 2025 at 9:15amWeb
Show threadpotoooooooo ✅️Sep 17, 2025
The Nyquil that helps you sleep is a Godsend when I feel like this.
Show threadTollana1234567Sep 18, 2025
especially the medicines with guafenisen, which loosens the mucus.
Show threadstarlingukSep 17, 2025
Piercing headaches sounds more like Covid.
Show threadTuukka RSep 17, 2025
Some people get them from common colds. Just be happy you do not.
Show threadTollana1234567Sep 18, 2025
i had covid 2 weeks ago and i did mild headaches, plus the painful sore throat.
Show threadremonSep 17, 2025

Sure it sucks. But you basically just have to rest for a day or two and your body just cures himself … I’d say that’s a pretty good response.

And thanks to our brains we also have medicine to combat most of these symptoms, making it really just a minor inconvenience.

Show threadLainTrainSep 17, 2025
Ikr I’m also suffering from this rn, but in my case throw on chills until I pop paracetamol and then I’m on a grill, bone aches like I got Raynaud’s in my legs… Yup it’s flu time!
Show threadbetterdeadthanredditSep 17, 2025
If it makes you feel any better, your microscopic attacker is not having a very good time with your body’s response either. You’re the undefeated champion in this arena so far, keep up the winning streak.
Show threadAmidFurorSep 17, 2025
I don't know about who is the champion. The virus eventually fails to multiply in the host, but it meanwhile spreads to others.
Show threadGutek8134Sep 17, 2025
How about we consider everyone a champion?
Show threadAmidFurorSep 17, 2025
Trophies all around!
Show threadkn33Sep 17, 2025
This woke-ass participation trophy shit is running my flu season!
Show threadArbitraryValueSep 17, 2025
Some of those symptoms are caused by the virus as part of its strategy for spreading. They make you likely to spread infectious fluid from your nose and mouth. Meanwhile your body has to learn how to recognize a virus that has evolved to be hard to recognize (and do that without also accidentally “recognizing” some of your own cells and killing you) and then track down every last virus. And there are billions of viruses, many of which are hiding inside your own cells.
Show threadAzzuSep 17, 2025
Dude, you are in a million years battle with other organisms trying to exploit and kill you, and you’re fucking winning. I would call that a blazing success. The other organisms are trying their literal best, their survival depends on it, and you just KEEP. ON. WINNING.
Show threadTyphoonigatorSep 17, 2025
Some might even call this million years battle a cold war
Show threadSenselessSep 17, 2025

deep sigh

Okay, here’s your upvote. Now leave.

Show threadDearOldGrandmaSep 17, 2025
Actually, please don’t. It’s Lemmy and we need all the users we can get
Show threadTuukka RSep 17, 2025
I'm not using Lemmy. Do I have to leave?
Show threadincompetentSep 19, 2025
No, it’s actually the opposite. Piefed users are required to stay forever. It’s in your terms of service.
Show threadxavier666Sep 17, 2025
Russia and US typing in the chat…
Show threadNatanaelSep 17, 2025
15 proxy states typing
Show threadagamemnonymousSep 17, 2025
The funny thing is, thanks to fever, this “cold war” is both literally and figuratively a hot war.
Show threadBurgerBaronSep 18, 2025
God dammit.
Show threadTeamAssimilationSep 17, 2025
These organisms are doing their best, okay? They’re just too smol.
Show threadTomMaszSep 17, 2025
Your immune system and the virus are at war, the symptoms are collateral damage.
Show thread🇦🇺𝕄𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕕𝕔𝕣𝕠𝕔𝕠𝕕𝕚𝕝𝕖Sep 17, 2025
Pump ur body with vitamins and lean protein it gives ur body all the components it needs to fight as effectively as possible. U will be on the mend in less than a day. Or maybe I’m just weird.
Show threadTrickedPrivacySep 17, 2025
Dunno why you’re getting downvoted, I’ve seen the nicotine/covid studies too.
Show threadAmidFurorSep 17, 2025
It's for the first half. There's no objective evidence this approach works. The OP may also recover from colds quickly without the vitamin / protein intervention, may judge
symptoms differently, or may not accurately track results (e.g. dismiss cases where the opposite was true).
Show threadbluGillSep 17, 2025
Every study I've seen says that vitamins make not difference in the majority of cases. Low vitamin levels can have cold like symptoms, and in that case vitamins will fix the problem.
Show threadSwedneckSep 21, 2025

OP is definitely hilariously exaggerating it, but it certainly can’t hurt to make sure your body has all the nutrients it needs, and placebo shouldn’t be discounted.

In my experience and from my good but not professional knowledge, the most objectively beneficial thing is just to stay well hydrated and eat something. You need that to feel good even if you’re not sick, and when you’re fighting an infection your body is going to be diverting energy to things like fever rather than the stomach, so easy to digest is very important.

And what’s something that has lots of vitamins and minerals and easy to digest calories while also being filled with water? Fruit! (noodles are also a good option, easy to digest plus there’s broth so you get more water)
Then add on the fact that e.g. citrus just viscerally feels fresh and like it should help with illness, and you have a very convincing reason to get a bag of mandarins to snack on while you’re sick.

It won’t cure a cold overnight, but it might well bring enough relief that it’s not a full week of wanting to die, and if it has absolutely no effect then oh no you ate a bunch of healthy stuff how terrible.

Show threadbluGillSep 21, 2025

There is a difference between vitamins and food. Food has nutrition: not just vitamins but calories, fiber, and such. Vitamins mostly make your pee expensive as your body has to work to get rid of the excess to keep the right balance.

sometimes vitamins are needed - see your doctor for advice not internet comments. without medical advice vitamens are wasting money

Show threadSwedneckSep 21, 2025
you seem to be talking about supplements, not vitamins. Fruit is decidedly not expensive unless you live on the mcmurdo antarctic research station.
Show threadbluGillSep 21, 2025
People talking about vitamins universially mean suppliments. Whole foods are better, but people talk about eating healty then (also meaningless but potentially better)
Show threadTuukka RSep 17, 2025

I do the same. Whenever I'm ill, I eat a lot of canned fish (no cooking required, and it's not nice cooking in a horrible headache).

I tend to get well very soon even if the illness has felt very bad. And sometimes when I don't do the same, for whatever reason, I remain ill much longer.

Show threadlemmylommySep 17, 2025
Luckily part of our body is the brain and some brains are very good at finding solutions to our body’s problems. Break the cycle by getting a decongestant spray, ibuprofen and a neti pot.
Show threadNikls94Sep 17, 2025

With these symptoms you can’t run, you can’t hunt, you can’t burn too many calories. Your body does everything in its power to prevent you from using resources your body needs to defeat the sickness.

That’s the reason why placebo meds work: the fact that the doctor gave you medicine means that you are really sick, and therefore you have to rest. In reality you’re behaving differently and therefore you’ll get healthy faster.

Oh: and you’re slightly dehydrated so you don’t have that much risk of infecting others.

We are tribal animals. Apes together strong. We care for the sick ones because that means they can focus on recovery.

Show threaddarkdemizeSep 17, 2025
Is that why placebos work? I could swear they had done studies that show that placebos can be as effective as medication under certain conditions, all other things being equal. Maybe not as effective as medication, but more effective than non-treatment.
Show threadNikls94Sep 17, 2025
I found a study some time ago about pets and placebos, where the subscription of meds for the pet resulted in different behavior by the pet owner, I couldn’t find it but here’s an article about it: veterinaryprescriber.org/…/the-caregiver-placebo-…
A placebo effect of veterinary treatments — Veterinary Prescriber

This article explains how a placebo effect can be part of veterinary treatments.It discusses the consequences of this for evaluating treatments and what should be done to take account of the caregiver placebo effect.

Veterinary Prescriber
Show threadAmidFurorSep 17, 2025

Good find. Key paragraph:

When measured objectively over the 42-day evaluation period, limb function improved in 12.1% and worsened in 8.6%, but did not change in most dogs. By contrast, caregivers (both owners and vets) reported improvements in lameness from the start, with the reported improvements increasing with time. The caregiver placebo effect appeared to be around 57% for owners and 40–45% for vets and was statistically significant at all assessment time points.

Objective measurements are one way to detect this effect. Another would be a true double-blind trial where neither owner nor vet knows which medicine was given.

Show threadGeneral_EffortSep 17, 2025

Only if the medication doesn’t work. The evidence is that placebos don’t work. Mostly, the placebo effect is a statistical illusion.

It is plausible that the body will expend more energy to combat a disease if you are (sub-)consciously convinced that you are cared for and don’t need to stress. Stress hormones down-regulate the immune response. Cortisol, used for treatment of autoimmune disorders like asthma and allergies, is a stress hormone.

But a sham treatment could also have the opposite effect. If your subconscious understands that as a signal that you must get back into action, you may end up releasing stress hormones. These psychological effects are just too idiosyncratic and fickle to be used reliably.

Stuff like broken bones or cancer doesn’t respond to psychology at all. The body is already doing all it can.

Show threadFriendOfDeSotoSep 17, 2025
It is there to give men an idea of what childbirth is like. (Tongue very much in cheek)
Show threadethaverSep 17, 2025
it's funny because I'm AFAB but NB with a husband and I'm the one who gets the man-flu.
Show threaddragon-donkey3374Sep 17, 2025
You know symptoms is the tangible evidence of your body fighting the fucker? I’m no scientist but I remember hearing that apparently a raised body temp is one method of killing the cunt that’s trying to attack you.
Show threadGeneral_EffortSep 17, 2025
It’s more like colds are incredibly good at responding to the human body. Following the evolution of corona was quite amazing, no?
Show threadTimewornTravelerSep 17, 2025
bad at it? you literally rest for a week then recover, as opposed to dying. your pretty fucking good at it. you just don’t know how bad it could be
Show threadBakerBagelSep 17, 2025
Look at this guy with his sick leave and ability to stay home and rest when he’s sick!
Show threadTuukka RSep 17, 2025
What about him?
Show threadincompetentSep 19, 2025
He looks well rested.
Show threaddecended_beingSep 17, 2025

The real question should be:

Why is our society built around disposable labor and assuming we will be at 100% functionality all the time?

Show threadremonSep 17, 2025
It isn’t? That’s why you get paid sick leave.
Show threadKeefChief13Sep 17, 2025
Lol good one.
Show threadTheDoctorDonnaSep 17, 2025
That really depends on what country you live in. The US doesn’t require sick leave AFAIK and Canada only requires 5. So that’s like 300 days where you have to choose between getting better or paying rent. More socially progressive countries get paid sick leave, not everyone.
Show threadTheFoganSep 17, 2025
Trying to figure out if you are joking, or you are from a nicer country that getting paid sick leave is something everyone gets. Good chunk of the american work force, has to negotiate with their boss, go to a doctor that’s going to charge them between $50-$200 so they can tell you “yep you have a cold, here’s a note so you can prove it to your boss”, so you can give that note to your boss and not get fired for taking some UNPAID days off.
Show threadremonSep 17, 2025
It’s the nicer country.
Show threadproleSep 17, 2025
Capitalism
Show threadTheFoganSep 17, 2025

Yeah I think the real thing is just not understanding how bad a cold without an immune system would be. IE only real way to put it in context is, read up on what an immune-comprimised individual goes through when they get a cold.

It’s a bit like saying

“why is my countries missile defense so crappy, whenever we’re attacked there’s chunks of metal all over the ground, so much smoke and noise it makes it hard to sleep, why are we so bad at defending from missiles”.

Show threadprotistSep 17, 2025
The common cold is a family of coronaviruses, our bodies have been fighting off their mutations for millennia. An mRNA vaccines for colds, if I remember correctly, was in the works, but, well, we’ve all seen what’s happening there
Show threadPipsterSep 17, 2025
Its more often rhinoviruses rather than coronaviruses or other families
Show threadprotistSep 17, 2025
I disagree, there’s a no way a rhino could fit in there
Show threadcowfodderSep 17, 2025
Everything’s a dildo if you’re brave enough!