European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 09, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                To your health a High Speed photograph of a sneeze. How to avoid catching a cold by Simeon Margolis special to the Baltimore Sun q. My Mother always said the Best Way to avoid a cold was to dress warmly keep my feet dry and so on now i hear thai these measures Don t help. Was she wrong a. Although allot the other advice your Mother gave you was undoubtedly Correct in this Case she was wrong. Colds Are caused when any of the 150 to 200 different types of cold viruses get into your nose experiments have shown that the application of cold viruses directly into the nose of volunteers almost always produces a cold and it does t matter whether they Are warm or cold or their feet Are wet or dry. How do cold viruses get into your nose you might think the greatest danger is when a person with a cold sneezes or coughs on you. In fact these Are not common ways to catch a cold because the virus is unlikely to get into your nose ii is now believed thai direct physical Contact is responsible for the spread of cold viruses. People with colds usually have cold viruses on their hands where they can survive for As Long As four hours viruses also Are found on objects touched by cold sufferers such As pencils telephones towels drinking glasses Etc. The Best ways to prevent a cold Are to avoid sharing objects with people who have a cold Wash your hands frequently and be careful not to touch your nose with your fingers. Using paper cups paper towels and a liquid soap at Home during cold season May Stop the spread of virus dispose of tissues used by those with colds carefully. Because of the great variety of cold viruses there Are no vaccines for colds and there probably never will be one that is effective against All colds. However each cold leaves the sufferer with an immunity at Leas to that particular Strain of virus. That Factor together with a decreased exposure to viruses brought Home by schoolchildren Are probably the reason people get fewer colds As they grow older. Q. What is the Best treatment for the Skull nose i get with each cold7 a. Nose drops or sprays swelling of the mucous membranes of the nose causes the stuffiness associated with most colds. Decongestants can open up the nasal passages by narrowing the dilated blood vessels and reducing the swelling of the mucous membranes. Decongestants Are either topical drops and sprays applied directly to the nose or Oral tablets and caplets. Topical decongestant products work faster and generally Are More effective than the Oral ones Saline nose drops which Are easily made by adding / Teaspoon of Salt to 8 ounces of water Are also useful decongestants when used too frequently topical decongestants can produce a rebound stuffiness that May be worse than Iho untreated congestion so these decongestants should be used Only a few limes each Day and Lor Only a Lew Days. Bedtime and first thing in the morning Are especially sensible limes Oral decongestants can be used along Wilh topical oms to Lessen the need for drops or Spray Oral decongestants can be taken for As Long As a week because rebound congestion is not a problem however Oral decongestants can cause dryness of the Mouth Jitter Ness and difficulty sleeping especially if taken late Al night. The worst potential Side effects of Oral decongestants which Are elevations in blood pressure and heart Rale occur most often with pills containing  or spa. You should be aware of the possibility of getting a double dose of spa because it is the major ingredient in several diet pills if you have hypertension or heart disease get your doctor s approval before using Oral decongestants particularly those containing spa. These medications May also cause problems in some people with glaucoma hyperthyroidism or diabetes and remember. While decongestants relieve stuffiness they Are not helpful for a Runny nose. Or Margolis is professor of Medicine and biological chemistry at the Johns Hopkins school of Medicine in Baltimore. Senior citizens have fun with fitness by Marilyn Hauk Essex associated press Rieda Anderson strides into her exercise class warmed from a brisk bicycle ride and puts away her helmet. She s ready Lor her three times a week class of stretching floor exercises and physical activity to music ranging from 1950s Doo Wop to classical to the grateful dead s touch of  most in the class have their own touches of Gray. This is the Walnut Creek Iowa Myca s older adults fitness program some of the older americans walking biking and swimming their Way to better health. Anderson 73, logged 1,886 Miles last year just completed her ninth rag brai an annual bicycle ride across Iowa and Rode her bicycle at least 10 Miles a Day this summer she posted the most Miles last year in a walking jogging program which credits three Miles of bicycling As one mile of walking. In cold weather i walk at Valley West mall she said. Tho Resl of Iho time i ride my Bike  others in the program arc just discovering the rewards of fitness by age. Alone there is no limit to when a person can begin an exercise program said i John Rachow of the University of Iowa s College of Medicine. It s As Lino if they re 89 As if they re 63 and about to  Norma Casserly 62, of Des Moines joined Iho senior fitness class in february. The first time i went i did t think i would be Able to get off the  seven months later she weighed 10 pounds less had Cut her blood pressure medication by a third and Felt bolter physically and  Becky Harkema director of the Walnut Creek older adults fitness program said it has grown from seven members in 1981 to about 100 it is one of 34 y s in Iowa with such programs which generally include 25 to 50 participants. Most people walk or Bike in addition to the organized class and keep logs of ground covered they also meet monthly for lunch and gel together frequently to tour Iowa talk about trips or discuss the restoration of the statehouse. The activity leaves participants with More Energy to do More both physically and mentally Harkema said. They can go to the grocery store and not be Short of breath they can stay up an hour later. The seniors who May have lost a spouse will regain new friendships. They realize they have strengths they never knew they  Arlene Lapcheske 70, attends the program with her Best Friend of 47 years. 72-year-old Maxine do an and describes it As our own special  both have been in the senior fitness program for six years. I m Able to get up the stairs when other people my age Are out of breath she said. Rachow advises patients to Start an exercise program slowly by walking Riding a stationary bicycle or swimming. Someone who wants to gain strength can Start by lifting Tho weight of your own limb he said. It does t have to be a fancy Nautilus  regular exercise tends to decrease anxiety and depression and the severity of muscle shrinkage Brittle Bones and High blood pressure he said. There s already a tendency As you age to lose muscle mass. Once you get weak you end up going Down into a chair and not being Able to get Back up  exercise also Burns calories and avoiding obesity can help prevent High blood pressure High blood cholesterol and diabetes. One reason 75-year-old Nate Bernstein attends the class is so he can eat a Little More but the main reason he said is for the  Page 16 the stars and stripes tuesday january 9,1990