Medically Speaking: Article 11

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Articles and Publications: Medically Speaking

Medically Speaking: Archives

Tips for Avoiding Infection During the Winter
By Margaret T. Hessen, MD

Winter is now fully upon us in terms of the weather, and almost official by the calendar. With winter comes cold and flu season, as well as other seasonal infections. We can’t change the season, but there are a few precautions that may help us get through the winter with less illness.

Get a flu shot if possible, particularly if you are over the age of 50 or have a chronic medical condition such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, kidney failure, liver disease, HIV, cancer, etc. Check with your doctor or review the CDC website (www.cdc.gov) for a detailed list of those at highest risk for complications of flu. There have been some local shortages of vaccine, but the CDC has not recommended limiting vaccination to those at highest risk, so that, in addition to those at high risk, anyone who wants to be vaccinated may do so. Having said that, individual practitioners or practices may legitimately choose to limit vaccine to high risk patients if their supply of vaccine is short.

Get the pneumococcal vaccine (“Pneumovax,” or the “pneumonia vaccine”) if you are over 65 or have any of the chronic conditions mentioned above. This vaccine does not protect against all forms of pneumonia, but does provide protection against one of the more common and lethal forms of the disease.

Wash hands frequently, or use an alcohol based hand sanitizing gel. Many winter viruses are spread by hand-to-mouth or hand-to-nose.

Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, preferably with a tissue rather than your bare hand. Wash your hands to remove the “germs” that may have been coughed or sneezed onto them, and discard the tissue. Don’t drag the same old tissue around in your pocket for future use—it’s a great disease spreader.

It sounds elementary, but dress for the weather. It is true that bacteria and viruses spread infection, not cold air. However prolonged cold or wet conditions may reduce your body’s resistance to those circulating bacteria and viruses.

Don’t let winter holiday feasts lure you into poor food storage practices. It may seem hospitable to leave food out for people to nibble, but a lukewarm stuffed turkey, for example, provides ideal conditions for the rapid multiplication of bacteria and the production of bacterial toxins that cause food poisoning. Once the meal is over, refrigerate leftovers promptly!

Enjoy the holidays, and if you can’t escape to a warmer climate, do the best you can to stay well during the rest of the Pennsylvania winter!

Note: this article is presented through the efforts of the Delaware County Medical Society and is intended for informational purposes only, the contents should not be intended as medical advice. “You and Your Doctor – Preserve the Relationship”.

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