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don't get sick during holiday fun!Patricia Carroll, RN,BC, CEN, RRT, MS To see this interview click here Holiday time is also sick time for many of us. Colds and stomach bugs seem to go with the holidays like evergreens, candles and noisemakers. And January is usually when cases of influenza begin to increase rapidly nationwide. There are three basic reasons for this spike in nagging illness this time of year:
The good news is that you can plan a strategy for heading off the germs before they make you sick. I can’t guarantee you’ll make it through unscathed, but these simple tips are worth a try. Hands Off The first step on the road to
prevention starts with understanding that
viruses are most commonly transmitted by
hand-to-hand contact. Your hands can become
contaminated by I recently read that the best way to meet people and network at gatherings is to make sure you hold a drink in your left hand so you can shake hands with your right. That’s great for greeting, but it also increases the risk you’ll be sneezing a few days later. I spend the winter season with something in my right hand almost all the time when I’m meeting and greeting -- a (non-alcoholic) drink, a briefcase, or my pocketbook -- so that it is inconvenient to shake hands. Instead, I just nod, or touch someone’s arm and say how nice it is to meet or see them again. Not shaking hands limits my risk of getting a handful of viruses. Here are some more quick tips:
If you’re
not near a sink, use hand sanitizer. I keep
bottles of sanitizers from Purell, Lysol, and
Target in our car glove compartments, and a 2
ounce bottle in Boost Your Immunity It happens all the time -- many people are exposed to the same germs, but only some get sick. Usually, the ones who get sick either have repeated exposures (like parents whose kids bring the bugs home from day care or school) or they have a run-down immune system. Limiting your exposure (other than keeping your hands clean) may not be possible, but you can boost your immune system. First, the "easy" things: Limit alcoholic beverages. While rubbing alcohol does a good job at disinfecting surfaces, alcoholic beverages circulating in your bloodstream don’t have a similar beneficial effect. A glass of wine with dinner usually isn’t a problem, but drinking a lot will depress your immune system. Eat a sensible diet that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables. Should You Add Supplements to Your Plan? Three supplements have gotten a lot of attention for potentially preventing colds or shortening the duration of the illness: zinc, echinacea, and vitamin C. It is important that you learn about a supplement before you follow the advice you see or read in an advertisement. For example, the airwaves have recently been bombarded with advertisements for a zinc-based product that claims to get rid of a cold fast. On the company’s Web site, one medical research study is cited from the year 2000. However, the National Library of Medicine lists 70 English-language articles in the medical literature about the role of zinc in treating or preventing the common cold, and a number of them found zinc to be ineffective. Is zinc good or bad? My review of the research tells me the jury is still out. No matter what supplement you’re
considering, always check with your healthcare
provider or Echinacea (eck-in-ay-sha) extracts are used in many countries to prevent or treat common colds. Echinacea is particularly popular in Germany. A number of research studies have been published; they are summarized at the Cochrane Consumer Network (click on "Health Summaries") One of the greatest dilemmas in examining research on herbal supplements is that the plant material can be in a liquid extract, tablet, or capsule form. Thus it is difficult to compare studies that use different preparations of the same herb. The research shows that echinacea might be effective for preventing colds, but the evidence is not very strong. Fortunately, echinacea has few side effects -- a skin rash may occur from time to time. Echinacea should not be used for more than 8 weeks at a time. Avoid echinacea if you have an immune disease like HIV or an autoimmune disease like lupus. My husband and I have had good luck with echinacea. We take it twice a day when we are traveling (especially airplane travel and when we know we won’t be getting as much sleep as usual) or when we know will be exposed to viruses, such as going to a large holiday party. We’ve been taking it periodically for about five years during the winter season, and we’ve been cold-free so far. Vitamin C has been touted as a remedy for many ills. However, this vitamin is water-soluble, which means it cannot be stored in the body. Any excess vitamin will pass through the kidneys and out of the body in the urine. If you take megadoses of vitamin C, you will have very expensive urine, but you may not gain much health benefit. The recommended daily allowance is 60mg; Dr Andrew Weil, an expert in integrative medicine (which combines the best traditional medical practices with the best alternative medicine choices to optimize health), recommends a maximum of 200mg per day. A regular multivitamin should provide about 60mg, and eating an orange will give you about 90mg. Other good food sources are fresh grapefruit, avocados, and broccoli. The Cochrane Consumer Network examined the existing research on Vitamin C and colds. The reviewers found that taking vitamin C supplements long term does not prevent colds. High doses when symptoms start may reduce the length and severity of illness, but there is no definitive evidence. What To Do? In a nutshell, don’t use your hands unless you’re sure they’re clean, and do use your head before choosing a remedy based on an advertisement. Talk with your healthcare provider and check reliable Internet sites such as Ask Dr. Weil, the Cochrane Consumer Network and Healthfinder. Don’t rely on a simple Internet search -- you’re bound to land on sites that may tout a product or remedy because they’re selling it. If that virus does get you, stay home so you don’t share your germs with others, take it easy so your body can use its resources to fight the infection, sleep, give yourself permission to be sick, and see if you can get someone to make you some chicken soup (research shows it really does help!). You’ll keep from spreading your illness and you'll recover faster -- and then everyone around you can breathe easier.
Written: December 2002
Reviewed: May 2004
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touching
a surface where germs are present or by shaking
hands with people who have viruses on their
hands. Then you touch your face with your hands
-- without realizing it. That virus on
your hands can enter your body when you touch
your nose or mouth or rub your eyes. 
my purse. Choose a formula with moisturizers
because this type of product can be very drying.
While you’re out and about, be sure to clean
your hands (and your kids’ hands) with this
sanitizer before eating anything and after a
significant exposure, such as opening doors in
public places, holding on to handrails on stairs
or escalators, or handling young kids’ toys
that they have put in their mouth, or likely
wiped their nose on!
Sleep.
Enough. Every night. A lack of sleep not only
weakens your immune system but can also make
you drowsy during the day which can cause all
sorts of other problems. There is an epidemic
of sleeplessness in the US today. This is not
a movement you want to join.
a pharmacist who knows you, any health
conditions you have, and medicines you take to
see if it’s okay for you to try a particular
supplement. If you find zinc works for you when
you get a cold, great! But keep in mind that too
much zinc (above 100mg per day) may depress
immunity, and may also cause an upset stomach.