FLU facts + fiction
Chicken soup is an old wives’ remedy
Chicken soup, vitamin C, echinacea, zinc and fluffy slippers.
From saline solutions to herbal tea and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of overthe-counter syrups, lozenges and pills, our attempts to prevent and treat the coughing, sneezing and shivering otherwise known as the flu are pretty hit and miss.
This winter’s influenza outbreak has proven especially nasty, one of the worst in a decade. Three strains of the virus, including a particularly aggressive subtype of the H3N2 virus, hit fast and furious much earlier in the season than usual.
And, although public health officials say the flu reached its peak over the Christmas holiday period, it is still in wide circulation and probably will be until the end of March.
Everybody has a repertoire of home cures and “proven” preventatives. Cold and cough remedies are the second most commonly used medications in Canada. We spend an estimated $300 million a year on over-thecounter drugs and prescription antibiotics to fight colds and flus. Mostly, they don’t work. But what does?
We asked physician Renée Paré, a Montreal public health officer, to help sort flu fact from fiction. She’s a big believer in the flu shot — and a dose of common sense. Her track record is pretty solid: She has come down with the flu only once in the past 30 years (the one year she wasn’t vaccinated.)
Her simple advice for not getting sick: Get a flu shot, wash your hands often and stay away from sick people. And if you do come down with it?
Stay home, drink plenty of liquids and get lots of rest.
We have Paré’s rebuttals to 12 of the most prevalent flu myths that make the rounds.
The flu vaccine can make you sick
Nonsense. Apart from possibly giving you a sore arm, a flu shot is perfectly safe. The influenza viruses contained in a flu shot are dead, fragmented and inactive. They cannot cause infection. But it takes up to 14 days for the shot to become completely protective, so it is possible to contract flu in the two weeks after getting a shot. Paré says people who had the flu shot and then get sick blame it on the vaccine, but they are probably suffering from an unrelated cold or a virus other than the one contained in the flu shot.
Vitamin C helps prevent colds and flu
Despite decades of hype, the cold-fighting power of vitamin C remains unproven. Orange juice is good for you, it’s true. But it won’t, on its own, prevent sickness. Neither will high-dose supplements.
Feed a cold, starve a fever
Starving yourself is never a good idea. Even in the absence of an appetite, make sure to eat lightly and stay well hydrated. Soup, juice and herbal teas help replace fluids lost through coughing, fever and runny nose. Hot tea is especially beneficial. The steam you inhale while drinking it relieves congestion and the warm liquid soothes a scratchy, sore throat. As a plus, black and green teas are loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants.
Echinacea and zinc prevent the flu
Echinacea is an herbal supplement long believed to boost the immune system. But there is no scientific evidence to show that it prevents colds or flu, Paré says. Same for zinc, although there is anecdotal evidence that it might help to shorten the duration of cold and flu symptoms if taken within 24 hours of the appearance of the first symptoms. Pare warns, though, that symptoms are so variable from person to person that it is difficult to know whether the virus ran its course or was forestalled by the supplement. Actually, Bubbie was onto something. A hot bowl of chicken soup is just the thing. Inhaling the steam loosens secretions and eases congestion in the nose, throat and chest. The broth keeps you hydrated. The noodles provide carbohydrates to bolster energy levels. And that’s not all: According to research that appeared in the American Journal of Therapeutics, chicken soup contains carnosine, which boosts the immune system, and other compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties. It’s also good for the soul.
You catch the flu from going out in the cold
Grandma was wrong here. Going hatless does not lead to cold or flu. But there is a reason that flu outbreaks so often occur during winter, Paré says. Flu viruses thrive in the cold, dry climate of a northern winter. And they are more readily passed around in winter because we spend more time indoors in proximity to one another. Outdoor winter conditions and dry, heated houses also encourage the spread of flu viruses by making the mucous membranes in noses and throats dry and fragile.
It’s just the flu. No big deal.
Don’t underestimate your symptoms. The flu is a serious condition; it’s not just a bad cold. Stay home if you are coughing, sneezing and feverish. Go to bed to allow your body to direct its energy toward germfighting. And spare your colleagues and friends: The flu is highly contagious.
Get out the humidifier
Don’t bother. Breathing in steam helps loosen mucus in the chest and nasal passages. But there are simpler ways to increase moisture in the air. Paré says if humidifiers are not properly cleaned, they may harbour dangerous bacteria. Instead, she recommends a simple, environmentally friendly alternative: hang towels and other laundry to dry in the room where you are convalescing. Or, for a good dose of steam, turn the hot water on in the shower and sit there for a while.
Getting coughed/sneezed on is the surest way to catch the flu
Yes, but just as bad is touching your own eyes, nose and mouth. Coughing and sneezing spreads microscopic droplets containing flu and other microbes in the air, which is why hacking into the crook of your elbow or covering your mouth with
Myths abound: We set the record straight. First off, get that shot — it’s not too late. Then have some chicken soup.
your arm or sleeve is advised. But just as important, Pare says, is making sure to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with warm water and soap. Microbes live on inert surfaces for anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours. And avoid touching your face. Many microbes thrive in the moist, warm habitat inside your nose, and in other mucuscovered surfaces such as eyes and mouths.
Antibiotics are necessary for really bad cases of the flu
Antibiotics have absolutely no effect of any kind on the flu. Antibiotics fight bacterial infections; the flu isn’t caused by bacteria, but by a virus. Antibiotics are only warranted in cases where a person weakened by the flu virus develops a secondary bacterial infection such as bronchitis, sinusitis or pneumonia.
Over-the-counter nasal decongestants are the only way to relieve a stuffed-up nose
Actually, simple saline solutions are even better. Spraying a saltwater solution into the nose, one nostril at a time, makes breathing easier. For those especially prone to sinus infection, nasal irrigation with a Neti pot — a ceramic pot that looks like a miniature Aladdin’s lamp — is an all-natural and efficient way to clear a stuffed nose and blocked sinuses. It was used in ancient Indian Ayurvedic medicine and is now available at pharmacies and health food stores.
It’s too late to get the vaccine
No, it’s not. The flu typically strikes between November and April, hitting its peak toward the end of January. It would have been a better idea to get the shot in November, but it’s still not too late. The flu virus has a six- to eight-week life cycle and is known to come in waves. Because the first outbreaks hit so early, we could be in store for another round.