Cold and Flu Help

It’s that time of the year… everyone you talk to is either
sick, or knows someone who is sick. In my household, all five
members have been ill to some degree in the past 2 weeks.

Here are some of my personal cold/flu tips:

Cold/Flu PREVENTION Tips:

(*Please note: if you have small children in public school, it
is virtually impossible to prevent getting ill during cold/flu
season.)

1. Get the flu shot. You may still get a milder case of the flu,
or a completely different virus. 2. Wash your hands. Wash before
you eat, after you blow your nose, after handling your pet(or
some children!), etc. 3. Stay healthy, eat properly, and even
take a daily multi-vitamin. I personally take an extra daily
dose of vitamin C during cold/flu season. Vitamin C with give
your immune system a boost to help fight off the virus. 4. Avoid
sick people if possible.

Non-medical treatments:

1. Take vitamin C. If you haven’t been taking this supplements
before getting ill, take it now. There is some debate as to how
effective it is, but it will do no harm if it has no effect. 2.
Drink plenty of fluids. Especially clear fluids. 3. A cool mist
vaporizer is good for a cough. 4. At night to help your breathe,
try Breathe Right nasal strips. These can be quite effective.
See http://www.breatheright.com for more info! 5. For sinus
relief add 2 drops of tea tree oil to 2 cups of boiling water
and mix in a large bowl. Carefully drape a towel over your head
and inhale the steam. 6. Chicken soup … seriously! The
soothing warmth and steam is helpful in clearing congestion, and
the soup broth is said to have anti-inflammatory properties that
help sooth a sore throat. 7. Saline nasal spray. 8. Pay the
extra dollar and get tissues with lotion. Your nose with thank
you! 9. Contact your doctor if your temperature is greater than
103 F, or if your fever lasts for more than 3 days .

Medical Treatments:

1. Anti-viral (prescription) medications: a) Relenza (zanamivir)
- an anti-viral drug, for persons aged 7 years and older for the
treatment of “uncomplicated” influenza virus. It is approved to
treat type A and B influenza, the two types most responsible for
flu epidemics. Clinical studies showed that for the drug to be
effective, patients needed to start treatment within two days of
the onset of symptoms. The drug seemed to be less effective in
patients whose symptoms weren’t severe or didn’t include a
fever. More information on Relenza can be found at
http://www.fda.gov/cder/news/relenza/default.htm

b)Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) - an oral anti-viral drug for
the treatment of uncomplicated influenza in people one year and
older whose flu symptoms have not lasted more than two days.
Tamiflu is approved to treat both Type A and B influenza;
however, most people included in the studies were ill with
influenza type A, the most common. More information on Tamiflu
can be found at http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/tamiflu/

c) Symmetrel (Amantadine) - an older medication that is only
effective against Influenza type A and can be used to prevent
and treat the flu in children over 1 year old.

2. Over the counter or non-prescription medications: A large
variety! It is recommended you consult your doctor or pharmacist
before taking any new medications.

a)Over-the-counter cough suppressants offer temporary relief,
but suppressing cough is not always a good idea since it is the
body’s way of clearing the bad stuff out.

b) Decongestants are alright for temporary relief of a stuffy
nose, but should not be used for more than five days. (Consult a
doctor before taking a decongestant containing pseudoephedrine
if you have diabetes or heart, blood pressure, prostate or
thyroid problems)

* See a doctor if you were exposed to strep or have any of these
symptoms: high fever, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, swollen neck
glands, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or severe pain that
doesn’t improve in a few days.

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