Experts: Good Hygiene Can Ward Off Flu

Associated Press ^ | October 9, 2004 | LINDA A. JOHNSON

[The Loan Arranger]

The wisdom mothers have been dispensing for ages - wash your hands, eat your vegetables, go to bed earlier - turns out to be great advice for avoiding the flu.

Doctors and nutritionists say careful hygiene, a balanced diet and plenty of rest and fluids can go a long way toward keeping people healthy during the influenza season, especially considering this year's vaccine shortage.

"Taking care of yourself from a health standpoint is probably the best thing you can do," said Dr. R. Michael Gallagher, a family physician and dean of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey's School of Osteopathic Medicine.

"People who are run down, they're overworked, not getting proper rest or proper nutrition, these people increase their risk" of illness, he said.

[FITZ]

If you are waking up with your nostrils dry, you need to get a WARM mist humidifier for the bedroom.

Yes that and it's important not to overheat the house during the winter --- I've seen people with their thermostats set on 80 degrees --- and that is sure to dry the air out plus is just too much a shock on the lungs when they do have to go outside.

[festus]

Wonder if that would work for me ?

Guess I'll never know ;-)

[ElizabethTara]

Some friends of mine are overly clean, and they wash themselves in bleach! Yet they are sick all the time. They are always at the doctors.
I say as long as you just wash your hands, and eat healthy, you'll be fine.

[FITZ]

Exactly --- the worst thing you can do is destroy your normal flora --- the benign bacteria you have all over your skin. People who use antibiotics tend to get sick right away when they stop taking them because they disrupted their normal flora --- bleach would do that also. Nothing a pathogen likes better than to have zero competition.

[Revolting cat!]

Avoid breathing. It's worked for me.

[Revolting cat!]

Dead Men Don't Catch the Flu!