Fighting off winter illness
Original Post: January 15, 2010
Volume 1, Issue 1
Fighting off winter illness
There are many things that can be done to fight off illnesses during the winter:
- Get a flu shot! Flu shots help to minimize the chance of catching influenza.
- Avoid people who are sick. Encourage others to stay home if they are sick and take precautions around those who are ill.
- Wash your hands frequently; especially after you cough, sneeze, blow your nose, or come in contact with a person who is sick.
- Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night. This is very important to help boost your body’s ability to fight diseases.
- Eat a healthy diet. Getting a mix of dark-green, red, and yellow vegetables and fruits will help provide vitamins A, C and E as well as antioxidants to help boost the immune system.
- Be physically active. This can also help boost immunity. In addition, breathing the outside air helps soothe nasal passages that can be dry from the indoor heat.
Common Cold Advice
Ever wondered which medication will help relieve the specific symptoms you have? Be sure to ask your pharmacist for help and use these helpful hints! Parents with children should keep these items on hand during the winter season: acetaminophen, ibuprofen, tissues, disinfectant spray, and liquids for hydration.
It is important to remember that the common cold is spread by hand-to-hand contact or contaminated surfaces and not by the cold weather. Symptoms of the common cold are sore throat, nasal stuffiness or drainage, coughing, sneezing, and low fever in children (100 to 102 degrees). These symptoms will usually last anywhere from 3-10 days.
Symptoms of the flu are more abrupt than the cold and include a higher fever (102 to 106 degrees), chills, achiness all over, and usually a severe headache. Some flu viruses are also accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea.
Honey Treatment for Kids
Have you ever had a child that just can’t get over a cough? Just a teaspoon of honey can help! Honey can be given by itself or with a non-caffeinated drink. It should be given ½ hour before bedtime to help soothe that irritating cough and allow for a more restful sleep. Use the following table for dosing.
| Ages 1 to 5 years | ½ teaspoonful |
| Ages 6 to 11 years | 1 teaspoonful |
| Ages 12 to 18 years | 2 teaspoonfuls |
Be sure not to give honey to children under 12 months of age because it can have harmful effects and could potentially cause botulism – a rare illness that can cause paralysis.
Humidifier Choices
Humidifiers come in two varieties: warm mist or cool mist. Both will help to relieve congestion from the common cold, flu, and sinus infections. They help to add moisture to the air which is good for the skin and helps to thin out mucus to make breathing easier! It is important to change the water daily and clean the humidifier every three days so that it does not harbor bacteria that could actually cause more harm.
- Warm mist humidifiers should be used with caution because the steam could cause burns and may potentially be a fire hazard. Certain medicated oils can be added to this type of humidifier (i.e. Echinacea oil) to help soothe cold symptoms.
- Cool mist humidifiers do not have a burn risk and are recommended in homes with children. Oils do not work as well with this type of humidifier.
or call Jana Ruediger at East End Drug: (573) 636-3733
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