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The Wellness Wire - Prepare for Cold and Flu Season
Prepare for Cold and Flu Season
Yumei Lin, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, Nutrilite Health Institute
Every year, it happens. People start sneezing, coughing, and complaining about sore throats. It's not just your imagination – colds happen more often during the winter, and flu season is usually from November to March, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
What Causes Colds and the Flu?
Colds and the flu are caused by viruses. These viruses are spread from person to person, usually because of coughing or sneezing. These viruses are very contagious and spread quickly.
The good news is that most people recover from a cold and the flu in a week or two. The bad news is that these viruses wear down your body’s immune system, making you more susceptible to bacterial infections and other diseases. In some cases, severe flu complications can lead to death – especially in older people, young children, and people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes, or heart disease.
Cold and Flu Symptoms
Everyone will have different cold and flu symptoms. Common symptoms include:
Research Scientist, Nutrilite Health Institute
Every year, it happens. People start sneezing, coughing, and complaining about sore throats. It's not just your imagination – colds happen more often during the winter, and flu season is usually from November to March, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
What Causes Colds and the Flu?
Colds and the flu are caused by viruses. These viruses are spread from person to person, usually because of coughing or sneezing. These viruses are very contagious and spread quickly.
The good news is that most people recover from a cold and the flu in a week or two. The bad news is that these viruses wear down your body’s immune system, making you more susceptible to bacterial infections and other diseases. In some cases, severe flu complications can lead to death – especially in older people, young children, and people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes, or heart disease.
Cold and Flu Symptoms
Everyone will have different cold and flu symptoms. Common symptoms include:
- Fever (usually high).
- Headache.
- Tiredness (can be extreme).
- Cough.
- Sore throat.
- Runny or stuffy nose.
- Body aches.
- Diarrhea and vomiting (more common among children than adults).
How Can I Prevent Colds and the Flu?
Get a flu shot. A flu shot is the best way to prevent the flu. Get a shot every year in September or as soon as the vaccine is available. There are a few exceptions to this rule. If you fit into one of the following categories, consult with your doctor before getting a flu shot:
Get a flu shot. A flu shot is the best way to prevent the flu. Get a shot every year in September or as soon as the vaccine is available. There are a few exceptions to this rule. If you fit into one of the following categories, consult with your doctor before getting a flu shot:
- Have a severe allergy to eggs.
- Have had a severe reaction to the vaccine in the past.
- Have Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS).
- Had a flu shot within the past six weeks.
- Are less than six months old.
- Have a moderate or severe illness with fever.
Eat right, exercise, and get plenty of rest. If you have a stronger immune system, you have a better chance of fighting off cold and flu viruses. Eating nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables, drinking plenty of fluids, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep will help boost your immune system.
Maintain good health habits. Cold and flu viruses spread through the air. Good health habits can help reduce your chances of getting a cold or the flu. These habits include:
- Avoid close contact with anyone who has a cold or the flu.
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing.
- Stay home when you are sick.
Improve your cold and flu knowledge. The more you know about colds and the flu, the better you can protect yourself. Learn more about these viruses on the CDC website, www.cdc.gov, and take the CDC “Flu IQ Test” at www.cdc.gov/widgets
Yumei Lin, Ph.D.Research Scientist, Nutrilite Health Institute
The Wellness Wire - Stay Healthy This Cold and Flu Season
Dr. Duke Johnson, M.D.
Medical Director, Nutrilite Health Institute
Believe it or not, fall is right around the corner. Before we know it, cold and flu season will return – and that means now is the time to begin thinking about cold and flu prevention. There are many factors that determine our chances for getting a cold or the flu, but all of them fall under two main prevention strategies. The first strategy is reducing our exposure to cold and flu viruses, and the second is helping our immune systems operate at maximum efficiency.
There are several ways to reduce your exposure to cold and flu viruses. The first is washing your hands. It seems simple, but many germs spread after we touch something germy with our hand, and then transfer those germs to our mouth or eyes. For example, someone may cough into their hand and touch a doorknob that we then use. Or, we may shake hands with a co-worker who has a cold and then eat a sandwich. There is no substitute for frequent hand washing, especially before preparing or eating food. I recommend washing with non-antibacterial soaps, because antibacterial soaps can cause rashes with frequent washing, breaking down the natural skin barriers.
Another way to reduce your exposure to cold and flu viruses is to avoid people who are coughing or asking them to “cover their cough.” Many people forget to cover their mouth when they cough, especially after they've been sick for a while.
The second strategy for avoiding the cold and flu is to help your immune system operate at maximum efficiency. One way to do this is to eat well and take a good multivitamin. Our immune systems are very complex and use many different enzymes to help battle viruses. Many of these enzymes need vitamins and minerals to help them perform at their best. When our bodies are missing these vitamins and minerals, our immune system is less able to fight off infections.
The second immune-boosting tactic is to get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can increase your risk of infection, so try to get between seven and eight hours of sleep per night.
Reducing stress can also improve your immune system's function. Many scientific studies have shown that when we are under stress, our immune system doesn't work as well.1 Some stress-reduction techniques are exercise, yoga, deep breathing, and journaling. My book, Optimal Health Revolution, has a chapter that will teach you the best ways to reduce your stress.
An echinacea supplement may also help boost your body's immune system. It is recommended that this herb be taken at the first sign of a sneeze or sniffle and for no longer than eight weeks at a time.2
Start getting into these habits now, and you'll be fully prepared to help reduce your risk of coming down with a cold or flu this season, and for many years to come.
Suggestions on Supplements
Multi-Vitamin - http://jwaller.qhealthbeauty.com/products/product.aspx?itemno=A4300
Echinacea Tablets - http://jwaller.qhealthbeauty.com/products/product.aspx?itemno=A5986
Echinacea Liquid - http://jwaller.qhealthbeauty.com/products/product.aspx?itemno=A8998
Echinacea Spray - http://jwaller.qhealthbeauty.com/products/product.aspx?itemno=AA0176
Dr. Duke Johnson, M.D.Medical Director, Nutrilite Health Institute
1Stress and the immune system. Robert A. Anderson. Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients. August–September 2005 i265-266 p106(1).
2“Echinacea.” Clare Hanrahan and Teresa G. Odle. The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 4 vols. Updated July 1, 2006.
