- Beat the Winter Bugs:
How to Hold Your Own Against Colds and Flus
- By: Michelle Meadows
This time of year presents plenty
of opportunities for viruses to spread. Chilly weather keeps
more of us indoors at the same time, and the holiday season brings
together family members of all ages. Colds and flu (influenza)
can occur anytime, but appear mostly in the fall and winter.
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For most people, viral respiratory
illnesses are usually self-limited and last only a few days.
But along with making millions of us feel lousy every year, colds
and flu can cause serious problems and can even be deadly. The
flu leads to more than 100,000 hospitalizations each year and
about 20,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC). Death rates are highest for people aged
65 and up and for those with medical conditions that put them
at increased risk for flu complications. (Also see "Keeping
Up with Flu Shots".)
Here are tips to ward off colds
and flu and to ease the misery if they strike:
Lowering the Chance of Infection |
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Get a flu shot
A vaccine against colds hasn't
been developed because colds can be caused by many types of viruses.
But the flu vaccine remains the best way to prevent and control
the flu.
Influenza viruses are classified
as types A, B, or C. Type A and B viruses are the most serious
because they are the ones most often responsible for cases of
the flu and all of its complications. Type C viruses are mostly
associated with cold symptoms.
Flu season in the United States
runs from November to April. October to November is the usual
vaccination time for most people. "But you can also get
good results when the vaccine is used in December and January,
even if influenza is already starting to spread through a community,"
says Roland A. Levandowski, M.D., a medical officer and virologist
in the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Biologics Evaluation
and Research. We need a new flu shot every year because the predominant
flu viruses change every year.
The protective effect of the
vaccine starts working rapidly in people who have been previously
infected with flu viruses or have received a flu shot in the
past. Infection-fighting antibodies in the blood reach a peak
about three weeks after these people get the shot. But for some,
such as children younger than 9 who haven't been previously vaccinated,
two doses of the influenza vaccine about a month apart are recommended
for the first vaccination. In older people and in those with
chronic illnesses, the shot may not necessarily prevent the flu,
but can reduce the symptoms and risk of complications if you
do get sick.
The flu vaccine is made of killed
virus and can't cause the flu. The most common side effect is
soreness at the injection site. The flu shot is not recommended
for certain people, including those allergic to eggs. The viruses
for flu vaccines are grown in eggs.
Researchers continue to hold
out hope for a nasal spray flu vaccine, which is still being
tested. The nasal spray vaccine may boost immunization rates,
especially for children, who are most likely to spread the flu
virus. (For more on the flu vaccine, see "Keeping Up with
Flu Shots".)
Wash your hands.
Both colds and flu can be passed
through coughing, sneezing, and touching surfaces such as doorknobs
and telephones. So it's wise to make a habit of washing your
hands and teach children to do the same. This helps you prevent
spreading respiratory infections and picking them up from someone
else.
According to the American Society
for Microbiology, a national survey found that Americans were
most likely to say they wash their hands after changing a diaper
and before handling food. Most, however, said they don't wash
their hands after coughing and sneezing.
The CDC recommends regular scrubbing
of your hands with warm, soapy water for about 15 seconds. Touching
your nose, mouth, and eyes with contaminated hands makes it easy
for cold and flu viruses to enter the body. Others can become
ill by just coming in contact with someone who has become infected
with a cold or flu virus or who has come in contact with a contaminated
area.
Limit exposure to infected
people.
Sometimes people are infected
with a virus and they don't know it because they haven't experienced
symptoms yet. If possible, avoid people who you know have colds
and flu. Keep infants away from crowds for the first few months
of life. "This is especially important for premature babies
who may have underlying abnormalities like lung disease and heart
disease," says Larry Pickering, M.D., a fellow of the American
Academy of Pediatrics and a pediatrician in Atlanta.
If keeping your distance is too
difficult--say in the case of parents who can't help but hold
and kiss their sick kids--then, in addition to washing your hands
frequently, you can keep surfaces clean with a virus-killing
disinfectant available at the grocery store. A solution of 1
part bleach mixed with 10 parts water also is effective in killing
viruses. |
