Dear Dr. Peg,
It seems like everyone I know has a cold. Is there anything I can do so that I don’t get sick too? Signed, Stuffy.
Dear Stuffy,
Are you related to Sneezy, Coughy, Drippy, Hacky, Achey and Hoarse? Don’t tell me; brothers, right? Have you guys been sharing the apple that old lady brought to the cottage? No wonder you’re all sick.
Yes, there are things you can do.
First things first: basic body maintenance. Get enough sleep. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water. Exercise regularly. Don’t party too hard. Your body’s immune system can fight off most colds in a matter of days, but it needs basic TLC in order to function well.
Next, think about how colds happen.
A cold is caused by one of more than 200 different viruses. A virus is a kind of germ, and cold viruses are contagious. The virus is passed from person to person in droplets of respiratory secretions, aka spit and snot.
It gets to your nose, throat and lungs one of two ways: Either you breathe it in when someone sneezes or coughs on you, or you touch something that has the virus on it and touch your own face.
Cold viruses can live outside the body for a couple of days. They live longest on smooth surfaces like door knobs and phone receivers. Think about that.
This time of year the weather is chilly, so we close the windows, turn up the heat and stay indoors together, breathing each other’s air. We also pack into planes, trains and automobiles for holiday trips. All this togetherness makes contagion a cinch.
If you want to stay healthy, do what you can to avoid the dreaded germ.
Stay out of close, crowded spaces. If you know someone who is sick, don’t touch them or anything they have touched. Wash your hands a lot, especially before eating. The most common way to get sick is from your own hands touching your nose or mouth, so try to keep your hands away from your face.
Indoor heating dries the air out. When your nasal tract is dry, it gets a little irritated, which makes it easier for viruses to penetrate. You can use saline nasal spray and/or a humidifier in your bedroom to help keep your mucous membranes moist.
If, in spite of your best efforts, a cold does catch you, there are some things you can do to nip it in the bud.
Echinacea is an herb that has been shown to cut colds short. You can get it in pill or liquid form. Start taking it as soon as you get any cold symptoms, and use the maximum suggested dose. Some other herbs that are used to treat colds are astragalus and andrographis. Zinc is another favorite.
Vitamin C has gone in and out of favor as a treatment for colds, but I’ll tell you that I use it when I start to sniffle, along with echinacea, and it works for me.
If you’re looking for a dietary remedy, consider garlic. You can get it in pill form, although eating it raw has the added benefit of keeping other potential victims away from you. Yin Chiao is a Chinese herbal medicine touted for treating colds.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
All of these remedies are recommended for early intervention. In other words, take them as soon as you get any cold symptoms. You might stop the cold in its tracks, or you might make your cold shorter and less severe.
Sometimes the germ wins anyway, and you get sick. If this happens, get some rest, drink lots of liquids to keep the secretions thin, and dose yourself with plenty of patience. Protect others by keeping your hands off them, washing your hands frequently and coughing or sneezing into your elbow to keep germs away from your hands.
Colds often last a week to 10 days, so give your body a chance to heal itself. Come to the SHAC pharmacy for your favorite cold meds. If you have a bad sore throat, or if you think you have more than “just a cold,” come to SHAC to be seen by a health provider, or call 277-3136 for an appointment. And wipe the phone after you hang up! Thanks.
Peggy Spencer, MD, has been a UNM student health physician for 17 years. Drop your questions in her box in the lobby of Student Health and Counseling, or e-mail her directly at pspencer@unm.edu. All questions will be considered, and all questioners will remain anonymous. This column has general health information only and cannot replace a visit to a health care provider.
