Numerous strategies have been advanced for preventing the common cold: echinacea, zinc, vitamin C and other antioxidants. The evidence for their effectiveness is slim.

The best proven way to protect yourself from colds, flu and other infectious illnesses is to wash your hands frequently, particularly after interacting with others or spending time in crowded public places.

[SOURCE: Joan Hamilton, “Combating Colds: Everyone Swears by a Different Remedy,” Town & Country, January, 2004]

 Don't Underestimate the Flu
                                                                                                           

It's easy to underestimate the flu...until it hits you hard. Far more serious than a "bad cold," the flu sends 114,000 Americans to the hospital each year, taking the lives of 36,000. Most likely to suffer life-threatening complications are persons over age 65 and younger adults with compromised immune systems, but vaccinations are recommended for all persons over age 50 or anyone who wants to be spared the illness and inconvenience. The vaccine will be in plentiful supply from early October this year. 
[SOURCE: "News about This Year's Flu Vaccines," Harvard Women's Health Watch, October, 2003]

Exercise Won’t Keep Colds Away
                                                                                               

Exercise may be good for nearly everything else, but it won’t protect you from getting a cold this winter. A six-year study of about 14,000 middle-aged and older males found that moderate physical activity did not lower their risk of contracting colds. In fact, excessive training may make an individual more vulnerable by suppressing the immune system.

The study also found that subjects taking antioxidant supplements vitamin E and beta carotene had a higher risk of colds when they engaged in “heavy exercise at leisure.”
[SOURCE: Diane Lofsjhult, “What Works for the Common Cold?” IDEA Health & Fitness Source, March, 2004]

Hand Washing Becomes Contagious
                                                                                               

When squatter settlements in Karachi, Pakistan were given soap and educational materials about hand washing, the incidence of diarrheal illness fell by 53 percent and the incidence of pneumonia by 50 percent. Regular soap was as effective as antibacterial soap, even though the water available for hand washing was contaminated with fecal organisms.

The researchers noted, however, that the reduction of disease did not come immediately but became apparent after several months. They theorized that the change in habits took several months to become established among family members.

[SOURCE: Stephen P. Luby, et al, “Effect of Handwashing on Child Health: A Randomised, Controlled Trial,” The Lancet, July, 2005]

 Interrupting the Hand/Mouth Path
                                                                                               

During the cold and flu season, infectious organisms may lurk on at least 60 percent of household surfaces. An organism may survive for several hours on a computer keyboard, for example, so the best way to protect yourself is to wash your hands frequently...before you inadvertently bring them in contact with your mouth, nose or eyes.

[SOURCE: “Clean Your Keyboard–and Wash Your Hands,” Indiana Business Journal, July, 2005]

 Isolation No Cure for the Flu
                                                                                                           

The flu is transmitted by social contact but the best protection is not isolating yourself but getting a flu shot.

In a study of 83 students just given flu shots, subjects who considered themselves “lonely” produced fewer antibodies than those who ranked themselves “socially connected.” Carnegie Mellon researchers theorized that loneliness and isolation produced stress that had a negative effect on the immune system.
[SOURCE: “Safety in Numbers,” Men’s Health, July-August, 2005]

Many Unaware of Need for Flu Shot                                                                                     


According to a recent Dutch study of 4,037 elderly and chronically ill patients, a large number who should be getting flu shots do not do so because of mistaken beliefs that the shots are not needed or are not recommended for them. 
[SOURCE: "Elderly Confused over Flu Vaccination," Pulse, May 31, 2004]

 New Test Identifies Type A or B Flu                                                                                    


Doctors can now make rapid diagnosis of flu type A or B through use of a nasal swab or aspirate sample. With the QuickVue Influenza A+B test, results can be delivered within 10 minutes. 
[SOURCE: "Rapid Influenza Test," Internal Medicine News, June 1, 2004]

 Pregnant Women Need Flu Shots 
                                                                                   

Influenza vaccination is recommended for all women who will be pregnant during the flu season, according to new guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control. In the recent past, only about 12 percent of women with uncomplicated pregnancies have gotten flu shots. A pregnant woman with the flu can experience a rapid heart beat (tachycardia) and premature contractions. In the past, guidelines recommended against vaccination in the first trimester, but doctors have found no evidence to support this practice. 
[SOURCE: Kate Johnson, "First-Trimester Vaccination OK: Obstetricians Urged To Recommend Flu Shot," OB GYN News, June 15, 2004]

 Preventing Spread of Strep Throat
                                                                                   

Children typically pick up strep throat, as they do colds, through close personal contact with other children at school or day care centers. Bacteria from saliva or nasal secretions spread readily through touching or contact with food. To prevent the spread of infectious organisms, wash your hands frequently and see that your child does the same during winter season; don't share food or drinks; wash dishes and eating utensils with hot, soapy water, and cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing. Contrary to belief, your risk cannot be reduced by having your tonsils out or having had previous strep infections. 
[SOURCE: Holly Vance, "Throttle Your Next Sore Throat," Pediatrics for Parents, January, 2001]

Preventing the Flu: What To Do                                                                                                 


In addition to vaccination, you can help prevent the spread of the flu this winter by:

·      washing your hands frequently

·      covering your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough,

·      avoiding close contact with people who are sick and

·      staying home when you're sick yourself so you don't infect others.

[SOURCE: Michelle Meadows, "A Look at the 2003-2004 Flu Season," FDA Consumer, March-April, 2004]

Seniors May Need Stronger Vaccine
                                                                                               

Annual flu shots are highly recommended for persons age 65 and over since they are at high risk of life-threatening complications such as pneumonia. A recent study found that older individuals may also benefit from higher doses of the vaccine.

The standard flu shot is 15 micrograms, but 200 subjects age 65 and over were randomly assigned to groups given placebo, 15, 30 or 60 micrograms of the flu vaccine. Those given 60 micrograms had antibody levels 44 to 79 percent higher than those getting the 15 microgram dose. Those getting the higher dose had more soreness at the injection site but no other serious side effects.
[SOURCE: Jeff Bauer, “Elderly Patients May Benefit from Flu Vaccine Dosage Change,” RN, July, 2006]

Slippery Elm May Ease Sore Throat
                                                                                               

If you’re battling a sore throat–from a cold, the flu or other causes–you might try slippery elm. Available as a tea or in lozenges at health food stores, slippery elm is classified by the FDA as an effective demulcent–meaning it stimulates the mucus membranes, such as those lining the throat, to produce mucus.

Another demulcent, although not classified by the FDA, is licorice. Licorice, however, should be avoided by anyone with high blood pressure, hepatitis or liver or kidney disease.
[SOURCE: William Collinge, “Can I Take a Herbal Remedy for My Sore Throat?” WebMD, May 15, 2000]

 Sore Throat: Do You Need Medicine? 
                                                                                               

More than 90 percent of sore throats are caused by a virus, an allergy, voice strain or other problems-none of which will respond to antibiotic treatment. Only 5 to 10 percent are strep throat, an infection with streptococcus bacteria. These bacterial infections can and should be treated with antibiotics to head off more serious complications such as rheumatic fever. Strep throat, most common in children age 5 to 15, is characterized by a painful, red, swollen throat often accompanied by fever, headache and stomach ache. Strep is not likely if symptoms include a cough, runny nose and stuffed nasal passages. A throat culture is required, however, to determine the presence of strep bacteria. 
[SOURCE: "Strep Throat," American Family Physician, April 15, 2001]

Taking Care of Your Voice
                                                                                               

Whether caused by voice strain or a nasty cold, hoarseness usually passes in a few days. To treat hoarseness or prevent recurrence:

·      Drink plenty of water.

·      Don't smoke and stay out of smoke-filled rooms.

·      Avoid yelling, screaming and talking loudly for long periods. When addressing a large group, use a megaphone or a microphone.

·      Don't whisper; it's just as hard on your voice as talking loudly.

·      Avoid clearing your throat.

·      Keep your home humidified.

·      To keep your throat moist, suck on lozenges, chew gum or gargle with salt water.

• Seek voice training if you're a singer or speak regularly before the public. [SOURCE: "Taming a Hoarse Voice," Mayo Clinic Health Letter, January, 1998]

Throat Culture Cost-Effective Option
                                                                                               

Parents bringing a child with a sore throat to the doctor are often frustrated by a doctor’s decision to take a throat culture. This option, however, is the best way of detecting strep throat and determining whether antibiotics are needed.

Prescribing antibiotics when they are not needed can promote the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and put the child at risk of later infections that could be difficult to treat. Fewer than 30 percent of children with sore throats severe enough to see a doctor have a strep infection. And from a cost perspective, one study found that throat cultures were only slightly more expensive than doing nothing.
[SOURCE: Throat Cultures May Be Worth the Wait,” Clinician Reviews 9.10, p44; M. Pichichero, “Cost-Effective Management of Sore Throat: It Depends on the Perspective,” Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 1999:153:672-674]

Too Many Sore Throats Get Antibiotics
                                                                                   

Most sore throats are caused by viral infections that do not respond to antibiotic treatment. In fact, the only common cause of sore throats requiring antibiotics is strep throat.

Although strep is cultured in only 5 to 17 percent of adult patients, one 10-year study found that 73 percent of patients seeing a doctor for a sore throat left with a prescription for antibiotics.
[SOURCE: Leslie Boyd and Jeff Bauer, “For Sore Throats, Antibiotics Are Overused,” RN, November, 2001; J.A. Linder and R.S. Stafford, “Antibiotic Treatment of Adults with Sore Throat by Community Primary Care Physicians,” JAMA, 286(10), 1181]

Wash Your Hands and Stay Healthy                                                                                                            


If you want to protect yourself from colds and flu this winter, there's one very simple thing you can do: wash your hands. Research has shown that frequent hand washing can reduce by 30 to 80 percent your risk of getting an upper respiratory infection. Washing means wetting your hands under warm water, scrubbing with soap to a count of five, rinsing to a count of five and drying thoroughly. Frequently means at least before every meal, after using the toilet, after handling pets and after wiping your nose. 
[SOURCE: Richard Kent Zimmerman, et al, "Vaccines for Persons at High Risk Due to Medical Conditions, Occupation, Environment, or Lifestyle," Journal of Family Practice, January, 2003]

What To Do about the Flu?                                                                                                             


Flu shots are now available in most locations, but if you haven't been vaccinated yet, there are things you can do to protect yourself:

·      Wash your hands frequently.

·      Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. If you have touched an infected person or objects, the virus spreads from hands to nasal passages and back to your hands to infect other people and objects.

·      Avoid close contact with persons who are sick with colds or the flu.

 Either a cold or the flu can cause a stuffy nose and throat and chest symptoms. The flu is usually characterized by a fever of 102 degrees or more, a prominent headache, severe aches and pain and extreme exhaustion.  Like a cold, the flu will not respond to antibiotics, but if you are over age 65 or have a medical condition that puts you at risk, see a doctor right away if you suspect the flu. 
[SOURCE: "Fighting Flu without Vaccine," Johns Hopkins Medical Letter, January, 2005]

 What's Behind Your Sore Throat? 
                                                                                               

If you've got a sore throat, it's more than likely a symptom of a cold, which is caused by a virus and cannot be treated with antibiotic medication. Treatment involves rest, plenty of fluids, warm salt water gargles and pain medications. Other viral causes of a sore throat include the flu, mononucleosis, measles, chicken pox, whooping cough and croup. One of the most serious of these, mono, causes swollen glands and extreme fatigue that can last six weeks or longer. The most common bacterial cause of a sore throat is strep throat. While a throat culture will confirm strep, it may not detect other possible bacterial causes such as diphtheria or infections from oral sexual contacts. All require treatment with antibiotics. A sore throat can also be associated with

·      an allergy to pollens, molds, dust or animal dander;

·      irritation caused by dry air, tobacco smoke, pollutants or chemicals in the air;

·      voice strain from yelling at a sports event or public speaking; or regurgitation of stomach acids during sleep.

[SOURCE: American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, "Sore Throats: What Causes a Sore Throat?", 2002]

 What You Can Do for Colds and Flu

·      Get a flu shot, particularly if you are over age 60 or have medical conditions that increase your risk.

·      Once you get respiratory symptoms, drink plenty of fluids.

·      Chicken soup is highly recommended. But any soup will do.

·      Don't see your doctor unless your symptoms are prolonged or severe. Antibiotics won't treat a viral illness, and your best relief will come from over-the-counter medications.

·      Take aspirin or ibuprofen for aching muscles.

·      For a sore throat, gargle with soluble aspirin or suck throat lozenges.

 SOURCE: David Courtney, "There Is a Cure for the Wintertime Blues," Practice Nurse, November 17, 2000]

Who Is at Risk of Flu Complications? 
                                                                                   

About 10 to 20 percent of Americans can expect to get the flu this year, and all will experience at least a week of misery and downtime with fever, cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle aches and fatigue. Some persons will get severe, often life-threatening, complications such as pneumonia. The risk of severe complications is high if you:

·      are age 50 or over,

·      have kidney disease, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, emphysema or compromised immunity for any reason,

·      are a health care worker.

[SOURCE: "Influenza Vaccine," American Family Physician, February 15, 2003]