SmartChoiceMD » flu http://blog.smartchoicemd.com The Smarter Blog Fri, 22 Apr 2016 13:41:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.38 Top Cold and Flu Myths http://blog.smartchoicemd.com/top-cold-and-flu-myths/ http://blog.smartchoicemd.com/top-cold-and-flu-myths/#comments Fri, 18 Dec 2015 14:53:41 +0000 http://blog.smartchoicemd.com/?p=424 Now that winter is upon us, it’s the time of the year when people start coming down with colds and the flu. Although there are steps that you can take to protect yourself from getting sick, there are a lot of myths floating around about these annoying ailments. Below are four things that people sometimes wrongly believe about how to protect yourself from coming down with a cold or the flu:

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]]> Now that winter is upon us, it’s the time of the year when people start coming down with colds and the flu. Although there are steps that you can take to protect yourself from getting sick, there are a lot of myths floating around about these annoying ailments. Below are four things that people sometimes wrongly believe about how to protect yourself from coming down with a cold or the flu:

Sanitizing Hand Gels Will Protect You

Nowadays, it seems that everywhere you turn, people are using hand sanitizing gels to protect themselves from bacteria and diseases. While these anti-microbial agents are good at stopping a lot of microscopic infectious agents, they don’t do very much at preventing someone getting a cold or the flu.

The CDC guidelines, as well as World Health Organization’s regulations for cold and flu protection emphasize that sanitizing gels are not nearly as effective as thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water. Sanitizing gels must be at least 60% alcohol to be properly effective, and running water and soap is far more effective at both cleaning your hands as well as removing microscopic traces of the cold and flu viruses.

You’ll Catch a Cold if Someone Sneezes on You

It’s certainly true that both the cold and flu viruses are transmitted via airborne particles, so someone sneezing on you carries a higher risk of transmission. But these viruses can also be transmitted by ordinary activities like talking, coughing, and normal breathing.

Furthermore, direct physical contact with a sick person can transmit these illnesses. That is why colds and the flu tend to infect entire families. Your best protection against getting a cold or the flu from a loved one or colleague is to regularly wash your hands with soap and water.

Flying on a Plane Increases Your Chance of Getting Sick

No one is quite sure where this myth started, but it sounds logical at face value. After all, the air on an airplane is being recirculated, meaning that a single infected passenger is transmitting airborne particles throughout the cabin. Combined with low cabin pressure, and being in close proximity to coughing and sneezing people, it’s no wonder that many people suspect that air travel makes them particularly susceptible to coming down with a cold or the flu.

Nonetheless, careful scientific research has shown that air travel is no more or no less risky than other forms of transportation when it comes to contracting one of these sicknesses. You are just as likely to catch a cold from your work colleagues, fellow students, family members, or other holiday shoppers at the mall.

Chicken Soup Doesn’t Work

Everyone seems to know that a hot bowl of homemade chicken soup is a wonderful remedy for the common cold. Other people believe in different home remedies, ranging from consuming lots of Vitamin C, ginseng, echinacea, or zinc supplements. For every “guaranteed” home remedy that works for one person, it seems not to have much success for another person.

Nonetheless, a scientific study undertaken at the University of Nebraska conclusively proved that homemade chicken soup DOES have measurable benefits in treating the common cold. While researchers aren’t quite sure which component is critical, it has been shown that the ingredients themselves have anti-inflammatory properties, critical to helping the immune system fight off colds and other infections.

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]]> http://blog.smartchoicemd.com/top-cold-and-flu-myths/feed/ 0 The Pros and Cons of Flu Shots http://blog.smartchoicemd.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-flu-shots/ http://blog.smartchoicemd.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-flu-shots/#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2015 14:16:35 +0000 http://blog.smartchoicemd.com/?p=292 As the weather starts to get colder, so too begins the great debate about whether it’s a good idea to get a preventative flu shot. Health authorities and many doctors recommend that certain groups of people get the flu shot at this time of the year, while others argue strenuously against it.Below is a brief guide to the pros and cons of flu shots:

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]]> As the weather starts to get colder, so too begins the great debate about whether it’s a good idea to get a preventative flu shot. Health authorities and many doctors recommend that certain groups of people get the flu shot at this time of the year, while others argue strenuously against it.Below is a brief guide to the pros and cons of flu shots:

Why you should get the flu shot

Officially known as the flu vaccine, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) recommend that everyone over the age of 6 months should get the flu shot. Every year, medical experts calibrate a new vaccine to combat the latest variants of the flu virus. It is important, however, to realize that not all flu shots are created the same. Your doctor or healthcare professional will choose the right one for you, if you elect to get the shot. There are different formulas for pregnant and nursing women, as well as individuals who suffer from certain chronic illnesses. Some medical professionals believe that only certain groups of people who are particularly susceptible to the flu should get the vaccine. These include:

  • Pregnant women, and women who recently delivered a child
  • Residents of long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and group homes
  • Adults aged 65 or older
  • Native Americans
  • Alaskan Natives
  • Children younger than 5 (children under 2 are particularly high risk)
  • Anyone living in an institutional setting (hospital, prison, barracks, etc)
  • People suffering from asthma, COPD, or other respiratory ailments
  • People who have sickle cell disease
  • People with metabolic disorders
  • Extremely obese people (BMI 40 or higher)
  • Anyone suffering from a kidney, liver, metabolic, or endocrine disorder

If you fall into one of the above categories, it may be a good idea to get a flu shot.

Why you shouldn’t get the flu shot

Some people strongly advocate against getting the flu shot, particularly for individuals who aren’t at a high risk of developing serious flu-related illnesses. Here are some of the arguments commonly used against getting the vaccine:

  • Even with the shot, there’s still a 20% chance you could get the flu
  • The flu shot doesn’t protect against H1N1, which will require a second shot
  • Many people experience soreness, swelling, and discomfort in the arm after receiving a shot
  • Some people develop a low-grade fever after being vaccinated
  • People who are allergic to eggs are ineligible to receive the flu shot
  • The flu vaccine contains thimerosal, which has a small amount of mercury
  • There is some evidence that people who receive the shot have a slightly elevated risk of developing Guillain-Barre syndrome

As with all serious medical issues, you should discuss the matter of whether or not to get the flu vaccine this year with your doctor before deciding what is best for you.

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