|
||||
  
 
 |
How to survive the cold and flue season: a primer on avoiding germs By
Erika Doty As if driving conditions, freezing temperatures and Olympic pin trading aren't adding enough stress to our lives this winter, the cold and flu season is still lurking around. "We have identified seven viruses in Cache Valley this winter," said Dr. Thomas Price of the Utah State University Student Health Center. "[Doctors] can't prescribe anything. You just have to wait it out and let time do its job." Influenza, also known as the flu, is a respiratory infection caused by a variety of viruses, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The common cold is also a respiratory infection caused by viruses, but differs in several ways from flu, which usually gives you a higher fever, sore throat and fatigue. So how do you keep you and your family safe from these little viruses? The February edition of Good Housekeeping gave some simple tips on how to prevent the flu or a cold from catching you this winter: Don't Touch Your Face The rhinovirusùwhich causes the common coldùusually enters your body through your eyes, nose or mouth. All of these areas contain mucous membranes, which are basically magnets for germs. If you rub your eyes without thinking, you could be letting the virus right into your body. Wash Your Hands Properly and Regularly To avoid germs, rub your hands vigorously together with soap under warm water for about 15 seconds, advises Jack Brown, Ph.D., author of Don't Touch That Doorknob and a professor in the department of molecular biosciences at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Be Careful In Public Restrooms These high-traffic areas are breeding grounds for germs. To limit the surfaces you touch, try this tactic from Deanie Lancaster, R.N., an epidemiologist and a risk-control officer for Saint Thomas Hospital, in Nashville: When you're ready to wash your hands, turn on the faucet, wet your hands, and then soap up. After rinsing, dry your hands with a paper towel, and use the towel to turn off the faucet. Drink Lots of Fluids When the mucous membranes in your mouth, nose and throat are dry, it is easier for the germs to latch on to them. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water and other fluids each day. (Limit caffeine and alcohol because it dehydrates you.) Get an Annual Flu Shot Not only does a flu shot protect you from the flu, it can also prevent any flu-related illnesses such as pneumonia, ear infections and sinusitis, notes Carolyn Bridges, M.D., a medical epidemiologist at the influenza branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. People who got a flu shot made 42 percent fewer visits to their doctors for flu-like illnesses over a two-month period during flu season than people who weren't inoculated, according to researcher at the CDC. Reduce Your Stress Stress can weaken your immune system. Research was done at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh by exposing the rhinovirus to 400 healthy adults with high stress levels. The most stressed individuals were twice as likely to end up with a cold. This means it is important to unwind. Meditation works for some people, but little treats for yourself can also help -- such as a long lunch or a midday movie. Surround Yourself With Friends Just as stress can undermine your immune system, having a strong social network can boost it. A 10-year Stanford University study found that women with breast cancer who joined a support group had better prognoses than women who did not belong to such a group. The benefits of having a social life extend to battling minor illnesses as well. When researchers at Carnegie Mellon University gave nearly 300 people nasal drops that contained the rhinovirus, they found that those with only one to three social relationships were four times more likely to come down with a cold than those who had six or more friends. Exercise Regularly "It may optimize your body's defenses against illness," says the Mayo Clinic's Dr. Hagen. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you exercise for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days of the week, to lower your risk for respiratory infections. If you happen to catch a cold, you may recover faster if you're fit. Researchers have found that cold symptoms lasted half as long in women who walked for 45 minutes per day, five days a week, as they did in women who were sedentary. Influenza can be diagnosed from a collection of symptoms including fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, dry cough and respiratory symptoms, however, there is no cure for this illness, according to WebMD Health. "Typically, the fever starts declining on the second or third day of the illness," said WebMD. "Then the respiratory symptoms become noticeableùnasal congestion and sore throat. Flu almost never causes gastrointestinal symptoms; the illness that people often call the stomach flu is not influenza." Young, healthy people usually don't need to be treated for the flu, it will just run its course in a few days, according to WebMD. Over-the-counter medication, including decongestants, antihistamines and pain medication, may help you get through the day, but can be harmful to some people. Antibiotics are not effective against flu viruses. The best way to protect yourself from getting the flu is to get an annual flu shot. Anyone over the age of 6 months is eligible for a flu shot, but it's especially important for the elderly, according to an article by Laurie Fronek. Getting a flu shot is not a guaranteed way to stay healthy all year, but it will help. "A flu shot can't guarantee you won't get the flu, but it will make your symptoms less severe," said Dr. Price. "That's why you wouldn't get a fever [when you get sick, for example]." However, the best way to treat the flu is by eating nourishing foods, resting and drinking plenty of fluids. If you can't eat solid foods, then eating soup will give you nourishment and fluids. Electrolyte solutions like Gatorade, or just plain water, will do the job, according to the Daily Apple web page. It used to be that we got the achy-coughing-headache-fever illnesses in December and January, but lately the flu season seems to peak in early February, according to the Utah Department of Health. Due to the influx of visitors for the Winter Olympic Games there is a greater chance for exposure to more viruses this season, according to the Deseret News. However, some say the reason for finding more cases of the flu is because they are looking harder for it. "We expected an increase because we have initiated a much-improved testing and monitoring process," Utah Health Department spokeswoman Jana Kettering told The Salt Lake Tribune in February. "When we ask them to look more, they do. And they find more." The No. 1 reason people visit their doctor is due to flu and cold symptoms. The Utah Department of Health has already confirmed close to 200 cases of the flu this season, according to the Deseret News. "[However] the general thinking is that most people don't seek medical attention unless they get really, really sick," said the Deseret News. "Even then, cultures may not be taken to confirm the diagnosis. So, the actual number of people with influenza is likely much higher." Other preventative measures recommended by WebMD include to quit smoking, avoid sleeping in the same room as someone with the flu and avoid large crowds.
|
Archived Months:
January
1999 January
2000 January
2001 |
||