Virus Related Tips & Reminders

Soap and water, still best defense.

Your best defense is washing your hands frequently, especially after shaking hands.

"Just as serious as people sneezing and sending droplets through the air, is shaking hands with someone who has just coughed or sneezed. When you rub your eyes, nose or mouth, you inoculate yourself with those germs. The eyes, nose and mouth are all mucous membranes and pathways into your body," Charles D. Ericsson, M.D., professor and clinical director of Infectious Diseases at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston and director of the UT Travel Medicine Clinic explains.
Love thy neighbor

Being courteous and staying healthy are synonymous this time of year and will go a long way in protection. Ericsson recommends that you cover your nose with a tissue when sneezing, cup your cough, wash your hands often and stay home if you are sick.
Someone old; someone new

"It is important to identify the groups who would be most at risk if they get the flu. Watch out for them in your family and friends: The very old, the very young, pregnant women, and people with chronic heart and lung diseases, such as asthma and emphysema.," says epidemiologist George L. Delclos, M.D., MPH, medical director of The University of Texas Health Services at Houston. These persons need protection because having the flu can predispose them to bacterial pneumonia.
Cover your own bases

"If you are caring for a flu patient, and you have not been vaccinated, there are prescription drugs (Tamiflu) that can decrease the likelihood of you getting it, and those same products can shorten the duration of the patient's illness," observes Delclos.
Comfort maybe, but no cure

After taking a health history and gathering information, he asks his patients what specific symptoms are bothering them. "With most viral respiratory infections, the treatment is usually directed at making people feel better because there is no specific treatment or cure," Delclos says.
Don't knock chicken soup

Drugstore shelves groan with the weight of over-the-counter products. Low-tech is safest. If you're congested, use a decongestant vaporizing ointment, a properly cleaned and maintained humidifier, or get in a hot steaming shower. And research backs up the decongestant properties of Mom's chicken soup-it really is nothing to sneeze at.

A bothersome cough may benefit from a cough suppressant, and many of today's products include an expectorant, which induces clearance of phlegm. If you do not understand what all the labels mean, ask the pharmacist.

Remember, you'll only be treating your symptoms, not your viral illness.
Unless your name is Doc, refrain from 'Heal Thyself'

Many over-the-counter cold preparations though increase blood pressure in hypertension patients or interact with other prescription drugs, such as certain antibiotics or anti-depressants. It is best to consult your physician before self-medicating, even if it does promise "fast relief in just minutes!"
No aspirin for the kids

Remember, never give aspirin to a child to lower fever or at any other time unless you give it under a doctor's orders. In kids under 18, aspirin or other salicylates (not to be confused with acetaminophen or ibuprofen) has been linked to Reye's Syndrome , http://www.reyessyndrome.org/ a deadly condition that usually strikes at the end of a viral illness.
Strep throat is different

Another prevalent winter condition that is often confused with the initial symptoms of a "bad cold" or the flu is strep throat (from the bacterial Group A streptococcus family). It's usually heralded by a fever and sore throat simultaneously. See your doctor if this occurs because this bacterial infection can develop into rheumatic fever-a complication that can affect the heart-if not treated with an antibiotic.

But at least, in most cases, it can be treated because it is not a virus.

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Last Updated: 2-02-2004

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About Dr. Ericsson:

Dr. Charles D. Ericsson is professor and clinical director of infectious diseases at the UT Medical School.

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Health Tip:

Eating healthy
reverses metabolic syndrome

Dr. Tasnime Akbaraly of University College London and her colleagues were interested if healthy eating could actually turn-the-tide and reverse metabolic syndrome, which is having 3 or more of the following risk factors: excess abdominal fat; high triglycerides, hypertension, low levels of HDL the “good” cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes. Having metabolic syndrome doubles a persons’ risk of heart disease and greatly increases the odds of developing type 2 diabetes.

The researchers studied 339 British civil servants with metabolic syndrome, and how closely the adhered to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) to see if it could help reverse metabolic syndrome. The AHEI is a set of published nutritional guidelines by the Harvard School of Public Health in 2002 that emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables and decreased red meat consumption.

Five years into the study, nearly 50% no longer had metabolic syndrome. People who followed the AHEI guidelines the closest were nearly twice as likely to have reversed their metabolic syndrome. The results of the study were published in Diabetes Care, online July 29, 2010.

Dr. Alice Lichtenstein, an expert on diet and heart health from Tufts University in Boston who was not involved in the study said, "It's not about focusing on individual components of the diet, it's really the whole package, and that becomes important because it means that if one of the components of a healthy diet is to eat more fruits and vegetables, just buying a pill saying that there's a concentrated extract of fruits and vegetables is probably not what's going to help you."

Call and make an appointment with Wellness Coach Sam Hester, CWC, CPT, LWMC, at 713-500-3327. It's confidential and free. For more information on the wellness services provided, visit UT Counseling and WorkLife Services.