All morning at Source Towers, we’ve been complaining. It’s cold. It’s wet. It’s getting dark earlier and earlier. Strictly is back on the telly. At least three of us are coughing and sneezing – yep, autumn is here!
As we’ve been reminded, autumn often brings something with it a succession of coughs, sneezes and sniffles. And it’s pretty miserable.
Cold and flu season is almost unavoidable. Whether it’s fresher’s flu or that back-to-school cold, October is almost always plagued with a never-ending stream of snot, phlegm and the preference to curl up and have a kip.
Whether you’re already choked with the cold or you’re keen to avoid it, check out our tips to help you get through the worst of the bugsy season ahead.
Wash your hands
We’re pretty sure we don’t need to tell you this one, but washing your hands helps stop the spread of disease – and prevents you from picking up any germs that could provoke an outbreak of the sniffles. Someone coughing then putting their hand on a handrail could be the start of something snotty.
Get the flu jab
It’s recommended that people in certain groups get immunised against the flu every winter. Influenza is a whole lot more serious than your common cold – while the coughs and sneezes are the same, it’s also accompanied by soaring and plummeting temperatures, aches and pains and can sometimes be so serious that people actually die. Elderly and chronically ill (people with long-term conditions like asthma or who are on meds which suppress their immune system) are often recommended to get the vaccine, as they are more vulnerable to falling victim to the bug.
Ride it out
Most of the time, there’s not a lot you can do for a cold other than wait it out – if you go to your doctor in search of a course of antibiotics, you’re likely to get shown the door. Unless you have an infection, antibiotics simply won’t help – and over-prescribing them means our immune systems are getting too used to them, making them less effective when we do get a proper infection.
Stock up on cold remedies
That’s not to say you can’t get some meds to make your symptoms more bearable. Chemists are rammed with specialist (often expensive) cold and flu remedies, but honestly? The old ones are the best. Stick to the stuff your mum would recommend – paracetamol to lower your temperature, hot Ribena or honey and lemon to sooth your throat and plenty of tissues. Go for balsam-coated ones to avoid the Rudolph effect.
Up your fluids
Drink lots of water to stop yourself from getting dehydrated if you have a high temperature – between six and eight glasses a day is recommended. Switch between hot and cold drinks to sooth sore throats too.
Watch what you eat
Some thing the changing of the seasons means it’s all right to exist solely on stodgy comfort food, but it’s important to keep your intake of fresh fruit and veg and healthy goodies up – it boosts your immune system, helping you shift bugs more quickly and avoid picking up nasty infections in future.
Take it easy
If you’ve got a nasty cold, carrying on as normal means it’s only going to take you longer to recover. So take it easy. Take some time off from lessons if you’re really struggling (and to avoid infecting your classmates) and get plenty of reset. Being kind to yourself is an important part in recovering fully.
If you’re really concerned and your symptoms don’t seem to want to pass? Contact your GP or call NHS 24 on 111 for advice.
