It's colds and flu season again. In the past, in my long-enduring stoic manner, I had accepted this as being a terrifying period - faced with these infections which my family could not avoid. This winter, however, I am determined to at least try to combat these / diminish their effects as far as possible.
Sitting in the doctor's waiting rooms on Saturday morning, while flipping through the O Magazine, I came upon an article on colds and flu prevention written by Dr Mehmet Oz. Given that information, it was not surprising that I have two sick children so early in the season.
Filled with hope, I did some further reading on the topic and learned the following:
- Replace echinachea with Vitamin D
This took me completely by surprise. In the O Magazine article, Dr Oz states that there is no conclusive research proving the effectiveness of echinachea against common colds. He suggested that one should take Vitamin D instead.
'' Studies have found that D can stimulate the production of a virus-killing protein, and taking D supplements (aim for 2,000 IU a day) can lead to fewer viral infections''.
Upon doing further reading, I came across an article in the Huffington Post which states that having higher than normal levels of Vitamin D could make one less vulnerable to colds and flu.
This study attributed the increasing rates of "acute respiratory tract infections" in the autumn and winter to the seasonal drop in blood levels of vitamin D (since this nutrient is produced most abundantly in the body when the skin is exposed to the strong, direct sunlight of summer).
Get plenty of exercise
According to Dr Oz, exercise boosts the circulation of immune cells throughout the body. Walking 30 to 45 minutes a day, five days a week in winter can cut your sick days in half.
- Drink Tea
The antioxidant quercetin (abundant in black and green teas) may protect against infection by preventing viruses from replicating.
- Avoid Antibiotics
Antibiotics are ineffective against viral infections (like flu).
In addition they can lead to stomach upsets, diarrhoea, and even yeast infections. I can attest to this fact - in 2009 Aisha (who was less than a year old at the time) was hospitalised for dehydration after suffering from acute diarrhoea (which resulted from taking the antibiotic Augmentin for an ear infection).
Dr Oz recommends that a person suffering from flu could use an antiviral drug such as Tamiflu instead. Note: these drugs work best within 48 hours of the first symptoms.
- Avoid Germs
Research shows that - in the home - refrigerator handles, remote controls, and doorknobs are the most likely to harbour large quantities of germs. Flu viruses can survive on surfaces for over two hours.
The website health.com recommends the use of a sanitizing gel or keeping alcohol-based hand wipes on you at all times. It identifies other potential sources of germs, which we may be exposed to each day. These include handbags, under one's nails, shaking other people's hands, touching one's own eyes and nose. When sneezing it is better to do so into the crook of one's elbow and not into one's hands, which will prevent germs from spreading.
In addition, it is best to stay away from people who are displaying symptoms of colds or flu. (This one is more easily said than done)
New York University Student Health Centre website adds that one should throw away used tissues in a waste basket. Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing, using either soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
- Chicken soup
According to Dr Oz, chicken soup really can treat a cold. The hot vapour expands your airways, which helps to clear mucus from the nasal cavity. Research has also shown that chicken soup has an anti-inflammatory effect that may soothe a sore throat.
- Smile and be happy
The website health.com
states that new research has found that happiness (in the form of sex, positive thinking, playing with a pet, and other pleasurable behaviors, for example) will boost your immune system.
(With two sick children, smiling has been a bit more difficult to do for the past few days. I shall have to make more effort).
- Get sufficient sleep
- Get your flu shot
- Eat healthily on a regular basis
- Take probiotics
According to the website natural news.com, studies have shown that probiotics also help the immune response by both preventing colds and flu and speeding recovery time.
Although I am not medically qualified at all, many of these points were quite commonsensical (like avoiding germs). I have already started to make changes by insisting that the kids wash their hands after using the equipment at the gym or playing in the gym childcare area. No more succumbing to exhaustion and pretending not to see Aisha wiping her snot away using her sleeve.
I shall however run the point about echinacea not being effective against flu, past our paediatrician. Other than that, I think the other tips are quite easy to implement.
Here's to a healthy 'flu-free' winter ahead!
Showing posts with label flu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flu. Show all posts
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Monday, 23 April 2012
A cold, flu and a severe case of googlitis
What a challenging few days these have been.
On Wednesday afternoon we took Aisha (2) to the doctor, who diagnosed a viral flu. Since the cause of her illness was not bacterial, we were not to treat it with antibiotics, but had to focus, instead, on treating the symptoms (fever, nasal congestion and slight phlegmy cough).
The doctor also noted, while doing a routine exam of her abdomen (pressing down with her fingers), that Aisha's liver was still quite prominent, i.e. it could still be felt with the hands when pressing down. According to her, this was unusual for a child older than 2, since the liver moves upward behind the ribcage at that age.
She said that we should come back in two weeks to see if it had reduced in size, as the enlarged liver could be a result of the viral infection. If it is still enlarged by then, we would be referred to a paediatrician who would do scans and the necessary tests for liver disease. She pointed out that Aisha was, in fact showing no obvious signs of liver problems, like yellow eyes, vomiting; which did very little to appease the panicked voices screaming in my head while I tried to maintain a semblance of calm.
But for the next few days Aisha's persistent fever and new symptoms (lethargy, diminished appetite, crabbiness, worsening phlemy cough) kept me from dwelling on that scary bit of information for too long. When we noticed that, despite receiving her regular dose of paracetamol (in the form of Stopayne), alternated with mefenamic acid ( in the form of Ponstel), her fever failed to break even momentarily by Saturday morning, we took her back to the doctor.
The doctor, upon doing another check-up, noted that she had now developed an ear infection (in both ears) and bronchitis. At this point she was satisfied that an antibiotic would be appropriate. (I appreciate her reluctance to prescribe antibiotics because I have heard of doctors who prescribe antibiotics at the drop of a hat)
Trying to appear calm and not as if I was about to burst into tears, I asked for more information on the enlarged liver. She said that it was already less prominent than it had been a few days earlier. I wanted more detail on what her concerns were - what was the worst case scenario? I informed her that I had googled 'enlarged liver in two year olds' and had burst into tears at the results.
She warned against using the internet to diagnose diseases. A few years ago people had been joking that the internet would be putting many doctors out of business, since people could diagnose and treat their own diseases using the net. Ironically, she said, doctors' businesses have boomed as a result of the internet, as people are terrified into thinking they have dangerous life-threatening diseases when they enter their symptoms into the search engines. Harmless heartburn often is escalated to become terrifying heart-attacks to the poor patient. 'Googlitis' can be harmful, as one's state of mind (believing one is sick) can end up influencing one's reality (one's physical state).
For now though, I'm setting those fears aside to focus on dealing with Aisha's flu /bronchitis /ear infections and their accompanying tantrums. And the fact that Shakeel too seems to have a bug, but I have absolutely no time or energy to deal with him. My response to his painful pitiful groaning is to point him to the medicine cabinet with the instruction to take 1 panado and 1 lactovita probiotic capsule. My poor poor darling. I wish I was a bit better at this balancing act.
Thankfully Aisha's fever has broken; I'm praying that her chest and nose will clear - hopefully the ear infection will clear soon too. My passionate prayer is that her liver is normal and that she is restored to health completely. I pray that that her terrifying tantrums will vanish and that my delightful darling will re-emerge. Insha-Allah.
On Wednesday afternoon we took Aisha (2) to the doctor, who diagnosed a viral flu. Since the cause of her illness was not bacterial, we were not to treat it with antibiotics, but had to focus, instead, on treating the symptoms (fever, nasal congestion and slight phlegmy cough).
The doctor also noted, while doing a routine exam of her abdomen (pressing down with her fingers), that Aisha's liver was still quite prominent, i.e. it could still be felt with the hands when pressing down. According to her, this was unusual for a child older than 2, since the liver moves upward behind the ribcage at that age.
She said that we should come back in two weeks to see if it had reduced in size, as the enlarged liver could be a result of the viral infection. If it is still enlarged by then, we would be referred to a paediatrician who would do scans and the necessary tests for liver disease. She pointed out that Aisha was, in fact showing no obvious signs of liver problems, like yellow eyes, vomiting; which did very little to appease the panicked voices screaming in my head while I tried to maintain a semblance of calm.
But for the next few days Aisha's persistent fever and new symptoms (lethargy, diminished appetite, crabbiness, worsening phlemy cough) kept me from dwelling on that scary bit of information for too long. When we noticed that, despite receiving her regular dose of paracetamol (in the form of Stopayne), alternated with mefenamic acid ( in the form of Ponstel), her fever failed to break even momentarily by Saturday morning, we took her back to the doctor.
The doctor, upon doing another check-up, noted that she had now developed an ear infection (in both ears) and bronchitis. At this point she was satisfied that an antibiotic would be appropriate. (I appreciate her reluctance to prescribe antibiotics because I have heard of doctors who prescribe antibiotics at the drop of a hat)
Trying to appear calm and not as if I was about to burst into tears, I asked for more information on the enlarged liver. She said that it was already less prominent than it had been a few days earlier. I wanted more detail on what her concerns were - what was the worst case scenario? I informed her that I had googled 'enlarged liver in two year olds' and had burst into tears at the results.
She warned against using the internet to diagnose diseases. A few years ago people had been joking that the internet would be putting many doctors out of business, since people could diagnose and treat their own diseases using the net. Ironically, she said, doctors' businesses have boomed as a result of the internet, as people are terrified into thinking they have dangerous life-threatening diseases when they enter their symptoms into the search engines. Harmless heartburn often is escalated to become terrifying heart-attacks to the poor patient. 'Googlitis' can be harmful, as one's state of mind (believing one is sick) can end up influencing one's reality (one's physical state).
For now though, I'm setting those fears aside to focus on dealing with Aisha's flu /bronchitis /ear infections and their accompanying tantrums. And the fact that Shakeel too seems to have a bug, but I have absolutely no time or energy to deal with him. My response to his painful pitiful groaning is to point him to the medicine cabinet with the instruction to take 1 panado and 1 lactovita probiotic capsule. My poor poor darling. I wish I was a bit better at this balancing act.
Thankfully Aisha's fever has broken; I'm praying that her chest and nose will clear - hopefully the ear infection will clear soon too. My passionate prayer is that her liver is normal and that she is restored to health completely. I pray that that her terrifying tantrums will vanish and that my delightful darling will re-emerge. Insha-Allah.
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