Hospital in British Columbia, suggests choosing plain old soap and
water, hands down. Here’s why:
“Antibacterial soap contains antibiotics, which don’t help to kill
viruses such as colds and flu, and
they can contribute to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.” She’s more forgiving
of antiseptic soap, “which kills both bacteria and
viruses; and alcohol gels [e.g., hand sanitizers] kill
everything but don’t give bugs time to become resistant.” Still, while soap and water don’t kill bugs, they
effectively remove them from your hands.
Clear out. Using a saline nasal wash daily can
help lessen congestion. It’s not fully clear why it
works, but experts suspect that squirting saline up
your nose flushes out viruses and
bacteria, thins mucus and makes
it easier to remove. “It’s a drug-
free decongestant that pro-
vides relief,” says Peter Ford, a
community pharmacist in
Moncton, New Brunswick,
specializing in natural prod-
ucts. Commercially available
oral decongestants can adversely
affect blood pressure, while locally applied sprays
can cause rebound congestion, so you can’t use
them for more than three or four days. You can
buy a saline nasal wash or make your own.
Ford suggests using sea salts instead of table
salt because they contain extra minerals.
The Costco Connection
Most Costco warehouses and Costco.com carry
a variety of items to help you fight seasonal
illnesses, including medications, tissues, soap,
healthy foods and exercise equipment. If you
have particular questions on products, please
speak with your Costco pharmacist.
Keep moving. The American Council on
Exercise (ACE) reports that regular exercise
doesn’t give bugs a chance to stick around
because it increases the number of killer cells
(macrophages) available to attack them when
they invade your body. It also makes immune
cells mobilize faster so they have a better reaction
time when a bug does try to strike. However, more
isn’t better: More than 90 minutes of high-intensity
endurance exercise can make
you susceptible to illness
for up to 72 hours after-
wards, reports ACE. If
you’re already sick,
light to moderate exer-
cise is OK if you feel
like it, but put off intense
training until symptoms
pass. If you have flu symptoms
(e.g., fever, swollen glands), it’s better to rest now
and move later.
Target symptoms. No one can blame you for
running to the shelter of over-the-counter relief
when you feel miserable. However, you should treat
only the symptoms you have, so tread carefully
when considering all-in-one cold products that
contain antihistamines, pain/fever
medication (e.g., acetaminophen),
decongestants and cough suppres-sants. You may overmedicate
yourself, increasing the risk of an
adverse reaction, especially if
you’re also taking other medication. Ask your pharmacist for help
choosing the right product—tell
him or her what you’re thinking of taking and any other medications you’re already taking
for your cold or other condition. C
Angela Pirisi is a Hamilton, Ontario–based writer
who covers health, fitness and nutrition.
Flu shot facts
SOMETHING IS IN the air:
the seasonal flu. If you’re
hemming and hawing about
rolling up your sleeve, here are
some facts about the seasonal
flu vaccine, your best shot
at prevention.
• The flu shot contains dead
(not live) pieces of the flu
virus, so it’s not as if you’re
infecting yourself.
• The flu season typically
starts in November and
stretches out to April, so
even getting vaccinated
late offers some protection.
• The best time to get your
shot is before the flu season
begins. It takes two weeks
for the vaccine to become fully
effective—and for your body
to develop flu antibodies.
• Seasonal flu is not the same
as bird or pandemic flu, so the
regular flu shot won’t protect
against them. A separate
vaccine will become available
for the H1N1 flu strain.
• The flu shot helps to prevent
infection, plus it reduces the
severity and chances of complications if you do get the flu.
• It’s not all about you. Even if
you only ever get a mild case
of the flu, you can still pass it
on to someone whose defenses
are weaker who may develop
more severe symptoms. So
getting the flu shot helps to
protect everyone.—AP
Cold or flu: Symptom checker
PEOPLE OFTEN CONFUSE colds and flu. They do have some similar symptoms,
but each is caused by a different virus. So what did you catch? Here’s how to tell.
Symptoms Cold
Sore throat Usually
Runny, stuffy nose Usually
Cough Sometimes
Fever, chills Rarely, maybe low-grade fever up to 102º F
Headache Rarely
Muscle aches Rarely
Fatigue and weakness Uncommon
Nausea No, but loss of appetite is possible
Disease severity Usually milder symptoms and few
complications, which may include sinus
or ear infection
74 The Costco Connection NOVEMBER 2009
Flu
Sometimes
Sometimes
Often, and can worsen
Usually, and high temperature over 102º F
Usually
Usually, and often severe
Usually, and persists for two to three weeks
Usually
Higher risk of complications (e.g., pneumonia,
hospitalization, death), especially in children, the elderly
and people with ear infections or chronic conditions
