Cold and flu season is in full swing right now. It is super easy to get sick with all of these ailments, but if students are mindful about themselves and take proper measures when sick, they can help to reduce risk.
The rise of cold and flu
The months of Oct. through Feb. are what is considered cold and flu season .This is the time of year that most diseases thrive in. According to Dr. Burt Wheeler, a general physician, there is a reason for this.
“The prevalence of cold and flu during certain times of the year is largely attributed to forced proximity. As temperatures drop, individuals tend to spend more time indoors, resulting in closer interactions,” Wheeler explained. “This increased closeness facilitates the spread of germs, creating an environment conducive to the transmission of illnesses common during this period."
Currently, there are several different sicknesses going around. Most are the usual ones, like cold and influenza; but some others that are going around that may raise some concern are Coronavirus (COVID-19), the bird flu and norovirus, a stomach bug. All of these illnesses are tricky as they all can be contracted in the same way and have very similar symptoms.
“Cold, flu, COVID-19 and bird flu share many similar symptoms, making them difficult to distinguish based on signs alone. However, the methods of transmission vary. For instance, bird flu typically requires close contact with poultry or individuals who work in poultry-related environments, whereas the other illnesses may spread through respiratory droplets or surface contact,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler recommended that students who do not want to catch these illnesses practice personal hygiene and be conscious of their surroundings.
“The most effective way to prevent illness is by maintaining proper hygiene. Many viruses spread through bacteria, so staying clean helps reduce the risk of transmission,” Wheeler explained. "If you do become sick, it's crucial to consult a doctor promptly for proper treatment. Since these illnesses can be highly contagious, timely medical attention helps to slow their spread and protect others."
While Wheeler recommends that you go see a doctor when you are sick, that is not entirely feasible for some Americans. Many Americans turned to home remedies to alleviate their symptoms to dubious effectiveness.
Home remedies
While it is typical to potentially get prescribed regimens or medicines if you are going to the doctor with something like cold and flu, it is also very common for people to have their own home remedies. There are certain cultural home remedies that are considered tried and true methods to getting away from your ailments. Wittenberg student Cathryn Barron discussed this.
“We were a medicine household growing up. We didn’t really have any holistic remedies as far as colds go. The only thing I think that would be considered in that ballpark is whenever we have upset stomachs our mom forces us to drink ginger ale. It was just something my mom always said would make our stomach feel better. I don't live with my mom anymore, but it's stuck with me. I will still go out and buy ginger ale if I have a stomach bug," Barron said.
Barron‘s family is not the only family to do this with stomach flu. Drinking ginger ale to soothe the stomach is considered a tried and true home remedy, and it actually has a little bit more scientific merit than one would think.
Ginger is known to have properties that soothe nausea. Ginger ale and ginger beer are drinks that have ginger in it, and many assume that this fact means the drinks will help with nausea symptoms. The only scientific caveat to that is that fizzy drinks in general are not great for your stomach when you have a stomach bug. According to the Cleveland clinic, the carbonation and sugar content of pop can not only irritate but worsen potential nausea.
Despite this, Barron was not the only person that mentioned ginger ale or ginger beer as a home remedy.
“We didn’t drink ginger ale because we weren’t allowed to drink pop growing up, but we drank ginger beer. And what's crazy is [that] it would actually work,"
Springfield Resident James Gate said.
Gate stated that his family had all kinds of remedies as they were a more holistic family.
“My mom used to do all kinds of stuff," Gate explained. “When we had a cold, she'd make us drink tea and put potatoes on our feet to suck the sickness away. If we had a headache, she’d tell us to go outside and yell. My mom had her own remedies for everything, she was not a medicine mom."
While drinking warm beverages like tea can help alleviate certain symptoms like sore throat, there is no scientific evidence for a curing illness.
Regardless of how you do it, one of the best ways to get through an illness is to relax and make sure you stay hydrated.
