Dodge those winter - health
woes!
Simple steps can stave off a season of
cold and flu
(CNN)
-- Winter doesn't have
to
mean sniffling and sneezing. With a little prevention and effort,
winter-time health won't be left out in the cold.
More than 150 million cases of respiratory illnesses -- flu, colds and
the like -- are reported each year in the United States, according to
the National Center for Health Statistics.
The
most effective way of
preventing sickness is also the most simple, and is no farther away
than the kitchen or bathroom sink.
"The
single most important
thing you can do in the winter time and all year long is probably
hand-washing," said Paul Lyons, a family physician with the Temple
University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "Because
that's one of the most common ways for spreading germs from one
individual to another: skin-to-skin contact."
A
healthy diet, including the
recommended doses of vitamin C, will also battle the season's
sicknesses. Lyons advises getting the daily requirements through foods
such as citrus fruits and through dietary supplements.
Echinacea
and zinc lozenges,
which studies show have had mixed results, work for some people,.
And
just when you thought you
could breathe a little easier, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention warns that indoor heating can dry out sinuses, making them
more vulnerable to cold viruses that love low humidity. But there are
solutions.
"You
can buy commercial
humidifiers which can be helpful as long as you're careful about
changing the water regularly," Lyons said. "Or as a low-tech
alternative, it's possible to place open bowl of water over a radiator
or in front of the intake vet of your heater/ac unit inside your home.
(make sure you change the water regularly)"
Keeping
an exercise routine,
even when the weather is uncooperative, is also key to warding off
winter woes because exercise boosts the immune system. But if you have
a chest cold, stay away from the weights and exercise machinery until
it passes.
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