Cold and flu season is seriously getting underway, and a local doctor has advice on how to protect yourself.
Dr. Ashlee Williams, a board-certified internal medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente, says that the cold weather only indirectly brings about more colds and flu. They’re caused by viruses, which don’t care about the weather, but Williams says it’s about our tendency to stay inside.
“When it’s cold, we’re more likely to be indoors and gathering, and so there are more opportunities for close contact,” Williams says. “Usually these upper respiratory infections are spread by respiratory particles, and so when you’re in close contact with people, it’s easier to spread the illnesses.”
There are ways to help stop the spread of viruses, and we know most of them from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic: Wash your hands frequently, and keep them away from your face. Stay home if you’re feeling poorly.
You can bolster your immunity in a few ways, Williams says, including getting enough rest, exercising, eating right — “a high-protein diet and making sure you’re eating lots of fruits and vegetables” — and cutting back on smoking and alcohol usage, both of which can also leave you vulnerable to viruses.
And it’s also extremely important to keep ahead of not only colds but flu, COVID, and RSV by staying up to date on your vaccinations. “There is some hesitance, I think, sometimes, to get the vaccine,” Williams says. “So, you can go to websites such as kp.org, cdc.gov, and nih.gov, to get more information so that you can be well informed.”
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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