Full Circle Center for Integrative Medicine

Staying Healthy:

To keep from Catching a cold or flu:

Wash your hands carefully and frequently during cold and flu season. Sch Nurs. 2001 Oct;17(5):258-65
Manage your stress – a study showed that job stress was one of the biggest risk factors predicting severity of illness in volunteers exposed to equal amounts of cold virus, and epidemiology shows that those with more stress have a 3-4x higher chance of catching cold. Behav Med 1992 Fall;18(3):115-20, N Engl J Med 1991 Aug 9;325(9):606-12, Epidemiology 2001 May;12(3):345-9
Eat garlic regularly or consider a garlic capsule with allicin. Adv Ther 2001 Jul-Aug. 18(4):189-93 Those taking garlic had fewer colds (24 vs. 65), and shorter symptoms with colds (1.52 vs. 5.01 days)
Use Panax Ginseng extract(Korean or Chinese) for prevention. Drugs Exp Clin Res 1996;22(2):65-72 Daily Ginseng cut the frequency of upper respiratory infections by 2/3.
Eat well, including at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies every day, and eat fermented foods (Yogurt, Kefir) or take a probiotic supplement. If you cannot, consider taking a multivitamin with minerals, or, preferably, a fruit/vegetable extract if you are not able to eat right. Public Health Nutr. 2010; 13(2): 276–282. British J Nutr 2010 104(7):998-1006; Archives of Internal Medicine 1999 159(7):748-54, Children’s research study, 2002, www.childrensresearch.org.
Regular Vitamin D may decrease the frequency and severity of respiratory infections. 1200 IU per day in schoolkids, 800 – 2000 IU per day in adults. Cannell JJ et al Epidemic Influenza and vitamin D Epidemiol. Infect. (2006), 134, 1129–1140 Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 May;91(5):1255-60
Regular zinc also can be preventive (15 – 40 mg per day) Cochrane 2011 Feb 16;2:CD001364 as can Vitamin C (2 grams/day) though mostly in people under physical stress, such as runners or soldiers. Cochrane 2007,3: CD000980
Probiotics (acidophilus, bifidus) decrease the frequency and severity of respiratory infections in children. and adults. Pediatrics. 2009 Aug;124(2):e172-9. Clin Nutr 24:481–491
Get a flu vaccine. This is especially important if you are in a high risk group:

o Age over 50, or definitely over 65

o People with chronic disease, including asthma and COPD, as well as diabetes

o People living with HIV

o Women who will be in second and third trimester of pregnancy during flu season

o People who live with someone who is high risk (infant, immunocompromised, etc.)

Ask about a Capvaxive (Vaccine to prevent pneumonia) as well
Consider the RSV vaccine if you are over age 75 or if you are over 60 and high risk for respiratory infections.

Is it a cold or the flu?

Common Cold

Gradual onset of symptoms

Low-grade fever

Less achiness

Sore, itchy throat, stuffy and/or runny nose

Sneezing

Very Annoying

Influenza

Common Cold

Abrupt onset –“hits you like a truck”

Significant fever, usually >100 degrees F

Chills sweats, fatigue

Muscle aches

Sore, itchy throat, runny nose

Photophobia (pain with bright light)

Potentially Life-threatening

Call us!

Avoid early antibiotics

If you have the flu, and are at high risk because of age or your other conditions, there are some antiviral medications that can shorten the course and decrease the severity of the flu, but they must be started on the 1st or 2nd day you are sick, so call us immediately!!

Elderberry Extract also improves recovery from the flu.

Avoid early antibiotics

Antibiotics do not affect the course of influenza, but some people may develop pneumonia as influenza is resolving. If you start to get better but then develop high fevers, chest pain, or shortness of breath, come back to see us, since you may need antibiotics if you develop this complication.

Giving antibiotics during the initial course of the flu does not prevent this, but may cause you to develop secondary infection with more resistant germs.

Things that help with a COLD

Shorten the Course

Pelargonium (Umcka or V-clear) 30-60 drops three times daily reduced the duration of colds and decreased the severity of symptoms. Explore (NY). 2007 Nov-Dec;3(6):573-84.

Andrographis 400 mg three times daily reduced symptoms at 2 days, even more dramatic difference by 4 days. Phytomedicine 1999 Oct 6(4):217-23 Also effective in sore throat. J Med Assoc Thai 1991 74(10):824-9

Zinc acetate lozenges can shorten the course (dissolve in your mouth every couple hours for the first few days) – watch for nausea as a side effect Ann Intern Med 2000 Aug 15;133(4):245

Vitamin C 2 -5 grams/day: 9% -37% decrease in symptom days in studies with 1 gram per day or more; works better if you start in the first 24 hours or are already taking it before catching cold. Cochrane 2000; 2:CD000980

Olive Leaf Extract may also shorten the course and decrease severity but studies are sparse.

Symptom Relief

Steam inhalations – run the shower hot and steam up your bathroom, or heat a pot of water and drop in a drop or two of essential oils (we particularly recommend eucalyptus/thyme and orange oil) and breath the steam. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2001;(4):CD001728

A vaporizer at night can make it easier to sleep. It is a great thing to have around for babies with colds and it helps adults as well.

Nasal saline: mix ½ tsp salt with 2 C distilled or boiled water and a pinch of baking soda. Use 1 mL (one dropperful) of this in each nostril three times a day and up to every hour or two if needed. J Fam Pract 2002; 51:1049–1055

For cough: Dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and honey all may be effective. Avoid the first in children. Cochrane 2008:CD001831, Pediatrics 2012 130(3):465-71

Bromelain: 500 – 1000 mg 3-4 times per day on an empty stomach can help with symptoms of sinusitis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg October 2006 vol. 135 no. 4 496-506

Hot drinks and Chicken Soup may actually be helpful as well. Rhinology. 2008 Dec;46(4):271-5. Chest. 1978 Oct;74(4):408-10

What doesn’t work: Antibiotics won’t help your cold (they are effective against bacteria, not viruses), and taking them for colds may cause resistance to develop so they won’t work when you actually need them.

Over-the counter cold medicines are not particularly useful. Antihistamines make no difference in the course of a cold compared to placebo(sugar pill.) Decongestants can help some symptoms but can also elevate blood pressure and cause circulatory problems. Nasal zinc can cause some people to lose their sense of smell – use the lozenges instead.

When to call the doctor: We need to see you if you develop chest pain or shortness of breath, if fevers persist more than 3-4 days, or if you are not improving after 2 weeks of illness.