How to Prevent Colds and Flus: A Practical Guide

10/16/2014

Every year when school starts up again and the seasons start to change I get asked about colds and flus and how to prevent them. During this time I also get a lot of enquiries about what patients can do to protect themselves and their families from colds and flus. While for many of us colds and flus present an inconvenience with missed school, using up sick days at work or falling behind on errands, there others who are at greater risk for serious complications with colds and flus such as the very young, the elderly and anyone who is immunocompromised such as people who are on chemotherapy or taking certain medications. The best place to start is by looking at what we can do to prevent catching colds and flus, and then how we can reduce the severity or length of time they effect us. For most of us, the best places to start are to maintain the strength of the immune system, minimize our exposure to viruses and to reduce the effects of an infection once it happens. Anyone with special health needs will benefit from these suggestions, although they will likely require further interventions or advice.

So what are some good ways to prevent a cold or flu? Well first of all, avoiding contact with any virus laden respiratory droplets is a great start. These are essentially tiny droplets of an infected person’s saliva or nasal discharge that can leave a person’s mouth or nose when they speak, cough, sneeze or blow their noses. These droplets then get into contact with your mucous membranes (the warm, soft, moist tissue inside your nose, mouth, and on the eyes) and multiply. The average person is said to touch their face 3.6 times an hour. So anytime that you contact a contaminated surface or an infected fluid directly and then touch your face you are essentially inoculating yourself. Other times the droplets and viral particles will make direct contact such as when you share beverages, share a kiss or when you are in close proximity to someone as they cough or sneeze (think less than an arm length away).  Once the virus is introduced to your mucous membranes it will often quickly multiply and that’s when you start to feel the aches, chills, headaches, tummy aches, runny nose and other symptoms that come along with colds and flus. What is a good way to avoid this? Make sure to wash your hands often and properly. Soap and other cleaners may both inactivate the virus as well as physically wash it off of your hands. Another great way to prevent transmission is to avoid close contact with others who are sick. Not always possible, especially for parents or caregivers, in which case proper hand washing technique and being aware of touching your mouth, nose and eyes is even more important. Likewise when you are sick, do your best to avoid close contact with others. Hand washing is again important as you can pass the viruses along to others, and this time touching your face causes transmission of fluids that can carry the viral particles.

Another great prevention strategy is to reduce stress levels. Your body’s response to physical or mental/emotional stress causes biochemical and hormonal changes that can weaken the immune system. Stress hormones such as cortisol can have a direct negative impact on the ability of your immune system to fight a virus, similar to how those who get cold sores or shingles can get outbreaks when under a lot of stress.

Ensuring you have adequate amounts of sleep and rest is also vital. Sleep deprivation, or poor quality sleep, can lower the immune system’s resilience in fighting off colds and flus. A great rule of thumb is that if your body is telling you to rest, especially if someone around you has a cold or flu, it is best to give in. If lower energy or fatigue lasts for more than a few days, then it might be time to determine if the cause is really your body fighting something off, or if there is something else going on. Similar to ensuring adequate rest, ensuring that you are getting as much fresh air and exercise as possible will help to ensure that your body is functioning ideally.
There are many OTC and natural health products that claim to boost immunity and fight of colds and flus. Most either do not contain the active ingredients required, or they don’t have them in the right dosages or forms to be truly effective at preventing or combating a cold or flu. Other very effective formulations are often not given enough attention or are not used properly. Especially for children, pregnant or breastfeeding mommies, or those on prescription medications, I encourage you to seek the advice of a licensed health care provider before using most herbal products.

A very safe and effective vitamin that is especially important in the winter months is Vitamin D. When our skin is exposed to the sun it sets off a cascade that produces Vitamin D in our bodies. In the winter months, and in Canada quite often during much of the rest of the year as well, there is not enough exposure to sunlight to produce enough vitamin D.  One of the keys to proper vitamin D supplementation is to ensure that it is taken with a source of fat since Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and so requires fat for proper absorption. This means either taking it with food or with and supplemented oils (ie omega 3 oils) if you take them.

Herbal products can be very tricky since the key to having them work well is in the proper combinations of herbs, proper timing of when you take them and the proper dose. Again I encourage those of you who would like to use herbal medicine to contact a licensed health care professional, such as an ND, to help you in your choices. There are many herbs that are great for colds and flus that might not be a good fit for you specifically.  In children, doses often need to be adjusted for size. For example, Licorice, a great anti-viral, would be contra-indicated in those with high blood pressure, those on certain medications, and pregnant or breastfeeding mommy’s. Another lovely anti-viral herb is Echinacea, which is a member of the ragweed family. If you have allergies to this family of plants (very common) and then take Echinacea, your body will now have to deal with an allergic reaction as well as the cold or flu. For those mommy’s who are pregnant or breast feeding, not only do we need to make sure the herbs and nutrients are safe and effective for mom, but also for the developing or breastfeeding baby. A common herb that we use in colds and flus in pregnant or breastfeeding moms, garlic, may also cause colic-like symptoms in breastfeeding babies even though it is safe and often effective.

Curious about some safe, easy and effective treatments if you catch a cold or flu? Interested in some common myths regarding colds and flus? Check out part two and three of this blog on my website (http://www.pinewoodnaturopathic.com/drrebeccas-blog)

Of course this is just an overview of easy and effective ways to prevent colds or flus. If you’re concerned that you may have the flu, or you’re not sure when a fever is too high, when a cough has lasted too long, or if something else is going on, always seek medical advice from a licensed professional such as your MD or ND, or give a call to Health Link (1 866 408 5465 toll-free in AB).

If you have any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to contact me. You can either give me a call, an email or contact me via my website (587 984 9660, rebeccahausernd@gmail.com, www.pinewoodnaturopathic.com)

Dr. Rebecca Hauser is a Naturopathic Doctor at Pinewood Naturopathic located in south side of Edmonton.