Have you ever wished that you could swallow a magic pill that would stop you catching a cold or flu? Although such a pill will likely be developed one day, until then, there are many steps you can take to rally your body's internal forces against winter ills. And, if these don't work for you, a number of new and effective products will help alleviate your symptoms.
First, let's take a look at your immune system - your body's mechanism for combatting the tiny viruses that can make you feel miserable.
Every winter, many flu viruses and close to 100 cold viruses (rhinoviruses) circulate in the air around us and settle on things we touch. (They are more plentiful in the winter because people tend to crowd together indoors when the weather is cold and wet.) Whenever a cold or flu virus comes into contact with your mucous membranes, your immune system attempts to halt it. If it is successful, you will not 'catch' a cold or flu. If, however, the virus is able to penetrate further, your immune system will trigger a series of reactions within your body. These defensive processes produce the miserable symptoms we associate with winter wills: a headache, sore throat, runny nose and achiness.
Boosting your immune system will help keep cold and flu viruses at bay, and help reduce the severity and/or duration of symptoms should the virus take hold.
Natural Immune Boosters
When you are physically fit, consuming a healthy diet and getting enough sleep, your immune system works at peak efficiency.
A daily walk of half an hour or more will help keep you fit. Walking and other forms of moderate exercise have been linked to an increase in immune system components called Natural Killer (NK) cells. Exercise also helps reduce the stress that contributes to a depressed immune system and keeps your body strong.
Ensuring that your diet contains a variety of fresh, colourful fruits and vegetables will provide you with the vitamins, minerals and other natural elements you need to fight cold and flu viruses. Adequate protein is also essential to keep your immune system functioning properly.
Making sure you get enough sleep is also very important to the optimum function of your immune system. Ideally, you should aim for seven to nine hours a night.
An Immune-Boosting Supplement
White blood cells (WBC's) are an integral part of your immune system. WBC's include natural killer cells (NKs) and macrophages, which fight the viruses that cause colds and flu.
Recently, researchers have discovered that naturally occurring plant sugars, known as oligosaccharides and polysaccharides, can boost the action of the immune system's macrophages and NKs, and also increase the production of antibodies. (Antibodies are very specific proteins produced by immune cells in response to infection).
Cold-fX contains oligosaccharides and polysaccharides, and is available from London Drugs.
The Dangers of Flu
While most people who contract flu recover from its unpleasant symptoms within a week to ten days, flu can be dangerous for certain sectors of the populations. Flu lowers the body's ability to fight off other infections, which can lead to pneumonia or bronchitis. It may worsen an existing health condition such as diabetes, lung or heart disease, and kidney disease.
The following people are considered to be high risk - meaning they are more likely than the population at large to catch flu and/or develop complications from flu. For this reason, Health Canada strongly recommends that people who fall into these categories obtain an annual flu vaccination.
- Adults or children with chronic heart, lung or kidney disorders, or cystic fibrosis
- Adults or children with asthma, diabetes, severe chronic anaemia, cancer or another long-term illness, or who have received an organ transplant.
- Adults aged 65 and over or people of any age living in a long-term care facility.
- Healthy adults living in the same house as high risk people (to protect the person at risk as well as themselves).
- Children and adolescents (6 months to 18 years) who have been treated for long periods with ASA.
- Health care providers and other people who are in contact with high risk individuals (to protect those at risk as well as themselves).
People at high risk and their caregivers may obtain a flu vaccination free of charge through their family doctor or at a public health clinic.
If you do not fall into one of the above categories, you are still at risk for contracting flu. The best way to protect yourself and your family is to have an annual flu vaccination.
Preventive Measures
In addition to boosting your immune system, there are many other measures you can take to help prevent a cold or flu.
Cold and flu viruses become airborne when someone with the condition coughs or sneezes. If these viruses don't land on you, they will settle on hard objects, where they can remain active for a number of hours. Viruses can also be transferred to an infected person's hand and then to anything that person touches, such as a telephone, door handle, faucet or coins. If you pick up a virus from touching an 'infected' object, all you have to do is touch your mouth or nose, or rub your eyes, and the virus comes into close contact with your mucous membranes. You likely now have a cold or flu.
Here are some measures you can take to help protect yourself from infection.
- Wash your hands. Frequent hand-washing is the most effective way to prevent viruses from coming into contact with your mucous membranes. Use soap and warm water when available and wash all skin surfaces including the back of your hands, wrists, between your fingers, your fingertips and under the nails. Use a paper towel to dry your hands or an air dryer. When using a public washroom, use a paper towel or tissue to turn off the faucet, and to cover the door handle when exiting.
- Don't touch your face. Of course, touching your face is sometimes unavoidable. However, you should make the effort not to put your hands near your eyes, nose or mouth during cold or flu season unless you have recently washed them.
- Avoid crowded areas. During cold and flu season, avoid activities and functions where crowds gather. This is particularly important if the area is not well ventilated. If you find yourself in the vicinity of someone who is coughing, sneezing or blowing his/her nose, move as far away as possible.
- Teach your children 'cold etiquette'. Many viruses that cause winter ills find their way home via your little ones. Teach your children to wash their hands often, to dispose of tissues by putting them in a closed container or flushing them, and not to share eating/drinking utensils. Be especially sure that your children are vigilant about washing their hands after using the washroom and before eating.
- Never share glasses. Sharing drinking glasses, cups or straws is a sure-fire way to spread viruses. While adults tend to avoid this type of sharing, children and teens frequently share cups, glasses and utensils. Teach your children to use only their own.
- Don't shake hands. Whenever possible, avoid shaking hands. If you can't avoid a handshake, excuse yourself at your earliest opportunity and wash your hands.
- Clean your workspace. If you share a workspace with others, be extra careful to keep it clean. Phones, keyboards and other office equipment, pens and pencils, steering wheels, etc. should be cleaned/disinfected often during cold and flu season. You might also consider using an antibacterial no-wash hand cleaner, available from London Drugs.
- Wash drink cans. As obvious as this may be, very few people wash the tops of soda and beer cans before drinking from them. Cans are often handled by people who may be infected with a virus. Worse, someone may cough or sneeze in the vicinity of canned beverages. Be safe and wash your cans in warm, soapy water before putting them in the fridge.