皮膚科医が解説！風邪の誤解についてお話しします

皆さんこんにちは、とも子です。 今、巷では風邪やインフルエンザがすごく流行っていますよね。うちの子どもたちも、誰かが鼻水を出したり咳をしたりしていて、この時期は風邪をひかないように私たちもしっかりケアしています。 皆さんの中には「風邪はすぐ治る」「そんなに怖くない」と誤解している方が多いのではないかと思います。そこで今回は、風邪についての誤解や治る仕組み、対処法についてお話ししていきます。ぜひ最後までご覧ください。 **風邪はどれくらいで治る？** 私は現在皮膚科だけで働いていますが、以前は内科の保険診療もしていました。この時期になると「風邪をひいたので、明日大事な仕事があるから早く治したい」という患者さんがよくいらっしゃいました。 皆さんは風邪は1週間程度で治ると思っている方が大半だと思いますが、実は統計があります。例えば咳に関する調査では、咳がなくなるまで平均で19日ほどかかると言われています。咳は薬を飲んですぐ止まるものではなく、徐々に減っていき、2週間から20日くらいでなくなっていくのが一般的です。ただし、体調を崩すとさらに長引くこともあり、1ヶ月経っても1割程度の人には咳が残っているというデータもあります。風邪は思っているより長引くことがあると覚えておいてください。 **風邪をひく回数の平均は？** 「しょっちゅう風邪をひく」と感じる方もいれば、「風邪なんてほとんどひかない」という方もいますが、成人の平均は年に2〜3回程度です。「今年もう2回目だから体がおかしいのでは」と心配される患者さんもいますが、これは平均的な範囲内なので安心してください。 ただし、就学前の子どもは別で、平均して年5〜6回ほど風邪をひきます。我が家でも上の2人は小学生になってから熱や咳が減りましたが、4歳の下の娘はまだ小学校に上がっていないので、しょっちゅう風邪をひいています。これも一つの試練だなと感じています。 **免疫力は上げればいいわけではない** 「免疫力を上げて風邪に打ち勝つぞ」と考える方も多いと思いますが、免疫力は上げても下げてもダメで、バランスが取れた状態が一番良いのです。免疫力が下がるとウイルスや菌に抵抗しにくくなりますが、逆に上がりすぎると些細な刺激にも過剰に反応してしまい、それがアレルギーや自己免疫疾患につながることもあります。 サプリなどで「免疫力アップ」と謳われているものもありますが、上げることにこだわる必要はありません。栄養をしっかり摂り、十分な睡眠をとり、規則正しい生活を送ることで、免疫は自然に調整されます。風邪をひきそうだと感じたら、体を温め、栄養のあるものを食べてゆっくり休むことが、一番の早道です。 また、「ビタミンCを摂ると早く治る」とよく言われますが、医学的にはっきりした効果は確認されておらず、症状が1〜2日早く改善する程度とされています。無理して摂取する必要はありませんが、摂っても摂らなくてもどちらでも問題ないと思います。 **予防と休養が一番大切** コロナ禍の2〜3年間は手洗い・マスク・うがいを徹底していましたが、最近気が緩んでそれらを怠ると、一気に風邪をひきやすくなります。やはり手洗いうがいをしっかり行い、しっかり休むことが基本です。 何度も繰り返しますが、風邪薬は症状を和らげるものであって、風邪を根本的に治す薬ではありません。「明日までに治したい」と言われても、そのような魔法の薬はありません。ゆっくり休むことを心がけ、そもそも風邪をひかないように予防することが大切です。 風邪をひく主な原因は、免疫力の低下だけでなく、疲労、睡眠不足、体の冷えなどです。この時期は体を冷やさないようにし、栄養をしっかり摂り、十分に休息をとり、手洗いうがいを心がけていただければと思います。 **まとめ** 今日の内容はいかがでしたでしょうか。「そうだったのか」と思っていただけたら嬉しいです。とはいえ、風邪はやはり嫌なものですよね。皆さんが実践している風邪対策があれば、ぜひコメント欄で教えてください。 それでは、また次の動画でお会いしましょう。さようなら。

Hello everyone, this is Tomoko. Right now, colds and the flu are spreading a lot around us, aren't they? In my own family, someone always seems to have a runny nose or a cough, so during this season we're all being extra careful not to catch a cold. I think many people have misconceptions about colds, thinking things like "a cold will heal quickly" or "it's not that scary." So today, I'd like to talk about common misconceptions about colds, how they actually heal, and what you should do about them. Please watch until the end. **How long does it actually take for a cold to heal?** I currently work only in dermatology, but I used to also work in internal medicine covered by insurance. Around this time of year, I would often see patients who said, "I have a cold, but I have an important meeting tomorrow, so please give me medicine to cure it quickly." I think most people believe a cold heals within about a week, but there are actually statistics on this. For example, one study on coughing found that it takes an average of about 19 days for a cough to go away completely. A cough doesn't stop suddenly just because you take medicine—it gradually decreases, typically disappearing within 2 to 20 days. However, if your condition worsens due to cold weather, it can drag on even longer, and studies show that even after a month, about 10% of people still have a lingering cough. So please keep in mind that colds can actually take longer to fully resolve than most people think. **How often do people normally catch colds?** Some people feel like they "catch colds all the time," while others say they "almost never get sick." But for adults, the average is about 2 to 3 times per year. Some patients worry, "This is already my second cold this year—something must be wrong with me," but this is actually within the normal range, so there's no need to worry. However, for children who haven't started elementary school yet, the average is different—they typically catch colds about 5 to 6 times a year. In my own family, my two older children rarely get fevers or coughs anymore since starting elementary school, but my 4-year-old daughter, who hasn't started school yet, still catches colds frequently. I see this as a kind of trial we're going through together. **Boosting immunity isn't always a good thing** Many people think, "I'll boost my immunity to fight off this cold!" But immunity shouldn't be raised too high or lowered too much—balance is what matters most. If your immunity is too low, you become more vulnerable to viruses and bacteria. But if it's too high, your body may overreact even to minor stimuli, which can lead to conditions like allergies or autoimmune diseases. There are supplements marketed as "immune boosters," but I don't think it's necessary to focus on raising your immunity. Instead, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a regular lifestyle will naturally help regulate your immune system. If you feel like you might be catching a cold, the best thing to do is keep your body warm, eat nutritious food, and rest well. Also, it's commonly believed that taking vitamin C helps you recover faster, but medically, this hasn't been clearly proven. Studies suggest it may only shorten symptoms by about 1 to 2 days. So there's no need to force yourself to take it, but it's fine either way—whether you take it or not. **Prevention and rest are the most important things** During the 2-3 years of the pandemic, we were all very strict about washing hands, wearing masks, and gargling. But now that people have become more relaxed about these habits, colds are spreading more easily again. The basics remain the same: wash your hands, gargle, and get proper rest. I'll say this again and again—cold medicine only relieves symptoms; it doesn't cure the cold itself. Even if someone asks me to cure their cold by tomorrow, there's no such magic medicine. The key is to rest properly, and more importantly, to prevent catching a cold in the first place. Colds are caused not just by weakened immunity, but also by fatigue, lack of sleep, and getting your body chilled. During this season, please try to keep your body warm, eat nutritious meals, get plenty of rest, and remember to wash your hands and gargle. **In closing** What did you think of today's topic? I hope some of this gave you an "oh, so that's how it is" moment. That said, colds are still unpleasant, aren't they? If you have any cold prevention tips of your own, please share them in the comments—I'd love to hear them. See you in the next video. Goodbye!