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‘Tis the season to be sick - Tis The Season To Be Sick |
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Written by MCT
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Wednesday, 11 October 2006 |
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Page 1 of 2 Pass the tissues: Cold and flu season is here.
Respiratory viruses thrive from late fall to early spring. And with kids bringing home all sorts of crud from school, falling temperatures driving us indoors and holiday gatherings around the corner, it may seem like there’s no escape from those nasty bugs. But there are things you can do to help ward off illness and steps you can take to ease your suffering if you do fall ill. Here’s a guide to cold and flu season 2006.
Washing your hands regularly is one of the best ways to stop the spread of germs.
“I think, unfortunately, people hear it so much they don’t actually hear it anymore,” says Charlotte Waters, director of Memorial Health System’s HealthLink.
A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it rinse won’t do. Wash for about 15 seconds, about the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice.
Be sure to wash or use a hand sanitizer after handling equipment in the office that’s used by more than one person, such as phones.
Other common-sense steps to prevent getting sick: Rest, eat right, exercise, keep your stress levels down and avoid crowds— all things that can be more challenging during the holiday season.
“And if you’re sick,” Waters says, “really do everybody a favor and stay home.”
People swear by various natural cold remedies, though there’s little science backing them.
Echinacea, used to prevent or treat colds and other infections, is overrated, says Dr. Joel Klein, of the Klein Center for Holistic Medicine in Colorado Springs. “There’s some evidence it may work as a prevention kind of thing to boost the immune system, but once the cold is there, it doesn’t seem to make that much of a difference.”
Studies conflict over whether another popular remedy, vitamin C, helps.
Research concerning zinc also varies. “Zinc will help if you’re zinc-deficient, and many people are,” Klein says. Zinc is an essential ingredient in Zicam Cold Remedy, a homeopathic remedy advertised as reducing the duration and severity of the common cold.
Another popular remedy, Airborne cold tablets, also promises to shorten a cold through a combination of herbs and nutrients.
One old-fashioned answer, Grandma’s chicken soup, has been shown to help cold sufferers. Scientists say it eases congestion by increasing “nasal mucous velocity” and also contains an anti-inflammatory agent.
Drinking lots of water and fluids also helps loosen congestion.
Americans spend $3.5 billion annually on over-the-counter cough remedies, the Harvard Health Letter reported last year, but much of that money may be wasted.
Guidelines released in 2005 by the American College of Chest Physicians found little reason to reach for a bottle of cough medicine. The ACCP “cough committee” didn’t endorse expectorants; studies of their effectiveness vary. Cough suppressants were found to provide short-term relief for chronic bronchitis symptoms but weren’t as effective on coughs caused by colds.
An allergy medicine combining a decongestant with an older antihistamine, such as diphenhydramine or chlorpheniramine, may be the most helpful in curbing a cough, the guidelines found.
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