Sound Medicine -- January 25, 2003

Hosts Barbara Lewis and Dr. Kathy Miller talk to experts about:

Is it a cold? Or the flu?

Pharmacogenomics: customized drugs

Is it a cold? Or the flu?

The cold months are upon us, bringing the cold and flu season. You're likely to catch one or the other this winter, but will you know the difference? Both are caused by viruses and some of the symptoms are similar - sore throat, cough, headache and a general feeling of lousiness. But the flu is a much more serious illness. Dr. Richard Kiovsky, professor of clinical family medicine at the IU School of Medicine, helps us distinguish a common cold from the flu.

As well as providing tips to prevent becoming sick in the first place, Dr. Kiovsky discusses the symptoms of a cold and the flu. The flu, a gastrointestinal virus, causes severe headache, nausea, fever and an overall "hit by a truck feeling." A cold by itself effects mainly the upper respiratory tract and will not produce severe body aches or a fever in adults. If you think you've got the flu, get to the doctor early for antiviral medication, which may actually help shorten the duration of the illness.

For colds, the best treatments are rest and over-the-counter drugs to alleviate symptoms. Natural remedies like vitamin C and zinc may help you get better faster. Antibiotics are useless in fighting a cold, says Dr. Kiovsky.

He also cautions that certain symptoms, such as a spiking temperature or pain in your teeth or sinuses, signal something that's not a typical cold or flu virus and should be evaluated by a physician.

Resources:

The American Lung Association offers further information about the common cold vs. the flu.

The FDA provides tips for how to Beat the Winter Bugs.

CommonCold.org has updated information about medical treatment of the common cold.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases provides an informative fact sheet.
Check out the latest reports on the flu in the United States from the CDC.

Pharmacogenomics: customized drugs

Imagine going to the doctor and being prescribed a medicine that is tailor-made for you. This scenario may be only ten to fifteen years away thanks to the rapidly growing field of pharmacogenomics, the study of how an individual's genetic makeup affects the body's response to drugs. Matching drugs with specific genes, enzymes and proteins will lead to more powerful and better targeted medicines, the elimination of adverse drug reactions, and more accurate methods of determining dosages. Dr. David Flockhart, professor of medicine and director of clinical pharmacology at the IU School of Medicine, talks about this fascinating new area of research.

Dr. Flockhart describes pharmacogenetics as the study of how an individual's genes influence the way he responds to medicines. Researchers focus on the genetic reasons why we don't respond to drugs in the same way, and they exploit those differences to develop customized drugs. The studies look at how effective -- or dangerous -- a drug might be for someone, depending on his genetic makeup.

Dr. Flockhart says that in the future, people will undergo genetic testing to help doctors determine how their bodies will react to treatments, such as dosage amounts -- saving lives, time, and money. Genetic components will influence how drugs are developed and lead to better understanding of medications and their interactions with our bodies. Currently, genetic testing is in its research phases, but should be more widely available in the near future, leading to an enormous potential to improve overall health care.

Resources:

Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Web site has excellent background information on the Human Genome Project and pharmacogenomics.

A Visit to the Doctor, 2015, from National Institute of General Medical Sciences provides a glimpse into the future of medicine, including pharmacogenomics.

The journal Pharmacogenetics electronically publishes research articles of interest to professionals.

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Although many swear by their effectiveness, studies have shown mixed results for botanical cold remedies. A recent scientific study concluded that one popular botanical cold remedy worked no better than a placebo. Which substance was it?

a) Echinacea
b) Gingko biloba
c) Ginseng
d) Garlic

Medical mystery — What causes a runny nose?

You must have heard the joke: if your nose is running and your feet smell -- you must be upside down! Actually, being upside down might not seem like a bad idea when you have a runny nose. But standing on your head isn't a practical solution for this annoying cold symptom.

What causes it and how can you stop it?

Find out!

Although oxygen is essential for human survival, it can also pose a threat to the human body. Oxygen oxidizes food to provide the energy needed for our cells to function. Sometimes during this process, unstable oxygen molecules, known as free radicals, begin to attack the body's cells. The good news is that antioxidants in our food step in to intercept free radicals, preventing them from damaging tissues.

• Most antioxidants are supplied through a diet rich in vegetables, cereals and fruits.
• Vitamin E, beta-carotene and selenium are rich in antioxidants.
• Beta-carotene is found in cantaloupe, mango, papaya, spinach, kale, squash and sweet potatoes.
• Selenium is found in seafood, beef, pork, chicken, brown rice, and whole wheat bread.
• Citrus fruits, strawberries, cantaloupes, peppers and green leafy vegetables are sources of vitamin C. Vitamin C prevents free-radical damage that initiates cancer and tumor growth.
• Certain nuts, liver, olives, avocado and vegetable oils are sources of vitamin E.
• Most antioxidant foods are strongly colored especially with red or blue hues. Dark green vegetables offer the most protection.