As I go through yet another box of tissues, I thought I’d reach out to Dr. Lisa Del Giudice, family doctor at Sunnybrook, to check if I’m just unlucky on the germ front this year, or something else is wrong with me. (Learn about the difference between colds and the flu)

“First off, nothing is wrong with you,” she assured me. “Some years, there seem to be more viruses going around. Sometimes our exposure to these cold viruses go up due our environment — our kids bring them home from school or daycare, our jobs in healthcare or education put us in close proximity to lots of viruses, or we just need to be out and about in public places. Often times we get re-exposed just as we are getting over one cold when our immunity is down from trying to fight the first cold.”

That sounds familiar. And makes sense. But why do some people (ie. me) catch more colds than others (ie. my husband)? Dr. Del Giudice says there’s a number of factors.

“Some people just don’t have the same exposures – no visits with young kids, they don’t ride public transit, they avoid other people with colds,” she said. “Some people have built up a good immune system from previous colds. And, some people are very good at taking care of themselves when they feel a cold coming on: they stop and rest so things don’t escalate.”

Dr. Del Giudice says some people have a tendency to get longer or harsher colds, for example those who smoke or vape, and people with lung conditions like asthma, emphysema or chronic bronchitis.

To help avoid these nasty viruses, wash your hands. Wipe the grocery cart with the disinfectants at the entrance to the store. Open doors with your sleeve. Stay home. If you have to be around people, avoid physical contact (don’t shake hands, hug or kiss). Cough, sneeze and blow your nose away from people or objects people will touch. If you have to do these things around people, cough or sneeze into your sleeve. Wash your hands after.

“Try not to touch your face as your hands get dirty fast. Wash your face when you get home to get all those germs off,” Dr. Del Giudice said.

If possible, separate infected family members from the well family members – don’t share a bed if someone has a cold and you want to avoid it, Dr. Del Giudice added.

While most people don’t need to see their family doctor for a cold, you should see a doctor if you have a fever lasting more than five days, have trouble breathing, chest pain, or your symptoms worsen after seven to 10 day. Also, keep an eye on your snot.

“We expect to see discoloured mucous in the first five to seven days but if that worsens or changes from clear or white to dark yellow, orange, brown, green mucous on day six or seven, then you should see a doctor.”

Other reasons to see a doctor include coughing up blood or a post-viral cough lasting longer than four to six weeks.

“Older adults often don’t get measurable fevers so just checking their temperature may not be enough,” Dr. Del Giudice added. “Older adults with pneumonia might hallucinate, say or do odd things and get very weak. These patients should see a doctor.”

Dr. Del Giudice said while antibiotics won’t help the common cold, over-the-counter medications can help ease some of the symptoms that come with a cold, but they should be only used for a short time. Salt water nasal rinses can help get rid of mucous in the sinuses (always follow the instructions on the package).

And, don’t hesitate to put the kettle on.

“Warm water with lemon and honey is the safest and most natural thing to take to break down mucous that drips down from the sinuses and collects in the throat,” she said.

Dr. Del Giudice’s final pieces of advice:

“Rest and take care of yourself. We all have a tendency to push through our colds. Be patient, take it easy, and give it time. Get your flu shot to help avoid the respiratory flu. And if you smoke or vape, please consider quitting. I promise you will tolerate your colds better.”

The post How to avoid (and find relief from) the common cold appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Not so fast.

“If your cold has been caused by a virus, antibiotics aren’t going to do anything for you. Antibiotics only treat infections caused by bacteria, not viruses like colds and the flu,” says Dr. Jerome Leis, medical director, infection prevention and control at Sunnybrook.

“The best way to treat most colds, coughs or sore throats is with plenty of fluids and rest.”

So, while you’ll likely be prescribed antibiotics for a bacterial infection like pneumonia, you won’t get antibiotics if you’re suffering from the common cold, which is a viral illness.

It’s not just because the antibiotics won’t work for you. There’s another, larger-scale reason: antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria change and become resistant to the antibiotics used to treat the infections they cause. It’s making it more difficult to treat infectious diseases, and is undermining many advances in medicine.

Without effective antibiotics, infections can result in longer illnesses and more deaths. In fact, antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health today.

“Current worldwide estimates of deaths attributed to untreatable infections directly from antibiotic resistance are at about 700,000 a year,” says Dr. Leis.

“At our current rate of antibiotic overuse, and without the development of new drugs, by 2050 that number is expected to rise to 10 million deaths worldwide. This is more than what we see from cancer today.”

As a patient, there are four things you can do to help make sure antibiotics remain effective for those who need them:

1. Only use antibiotics as prescribed

You should only use antibiotics when prescribed to you by a certified health professional

2. Never use leftover antibiotics

Different antibiotics are used to treat different types of infections. Even if you believe your infection has recurred, seek medical attention to determine the cause and whether antibiotics are still right for you

3. Don’t share antibiotics with others

They can put your friends and family at risk. Antibiotics can cause side-effects like allergic reactions, development of C.difficile diarrhea and serious drug interactions. Plus, sharing antibiotics promotes the development of antibiotic-resistant organisms

4. Prevent infections

Regularly wash your hands, avoid close contact with sick people and keep your vaccinations up to date

The post Why no amount of antibiotics will help get rid of your cold appeared first on Your Health Matters.

“Patients in the hospital are vulnerable and are at higher risk of developing more severe illness from the flu, or even a simple cold. If you have a contagious illness, it’s important you don’t visit people in the hospital until you’ve fully recovered,” says Dr. Jerome Leis, Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Sunnybrook.

Here are three reasons you shouldn’t visit patients in the hospital when you’re sick:

1. You can pass your illness on to others

There are posters around the hospital and a recording on the main phone line, asking visitors not to come to Sunnybrook if they’re sick.

Before you visit someone in the hospital, be honest with yourself about your own health: it’s easy to dismiss a minor cough or runny nose as an allergy, aspiration or unrelated non-infectious issue.

However, these can be signs of a contagious infection, which can spread quickly to other patients and staff. The resulting outbreak can have a huge impact not just on other patients, but also on the hospital’s ability to function efficiently.

2. It creates a domino effect

When patients get an infectious illness while in the hospital, it creates a domino effect.

Their hospital stay becomes longer and they need more care, leading to delays in care for other patients. For example, surgeries can be delayed or even cancelled, and patients can wait longer in the Emergency Department for a bed.

“This is one of the reasons we often see a spike in our occupancy rates in the winter months. Patients are getting illnesses like the flu, even when that isn’t the reason they were originally admitted to our hospital, causing them to stay longer,” says Dr. Leis.

3. Patients need more time and help to recover

When a patient catches the flu while in the hospital, it can cause additional complications and delays in their recovery.

“Sometimes, it can mean the difference between a patient being able to go home or needing rehabilitation and additional support, because the flu they caught in hospital caused them to become even weaker,” says Dr. Leis.

The post Don’t visit patients in the hospital when you’re sick appeared first on Your Health Matters.

With cold and flu season here, I spoke to Dr. Mary Vearncombe, former Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Sunnybrook, about how to best minimize the spread of germs and stay healthy.

First though, the difference between a cold and the flu: a cold is a viral infection that brings along a stuffy nose, sore throat, cough and general crummy feeling. In healthy people, it doesn’t usually lead to serious health complications.

The flu is an acute respiratory infection that brings along a fever, cough, chills, aches and pains, and can lead to serious complications like pneumonia. For the elderly, pregnant women, chronically ill or young children, influenza can be deadly. It kills around 3,500 people per year in Canada.

Both colds and flus can feel pretty yucky if you catch one. So here are Dr. Vearncombe’s tips for avoiding both this year:

Clean your hands.

Wash with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Both are effective at removing (washing) or killing (hand sanitizer) bacteria and viruses, including respiratory viruses.

Hand sanitizer should contain alcohol at a minimum concentration of 60 per cent to be effective. Many people find alcohol-based hand sanitizer to be a convenient way to clean hands, especially in public places where hand washing sinks with soap and water are not always available. Keep an alcohol-based hand sanitizer in your purse, pocket or backpack.

Get the flu shot.

We are all susceptible to influenza virus, even those of us who consider ourselves healthy.

“If we get influenza, it may be relatively mild for us and we think we have ‘just a bit of a cold’,” Dr. Vearncombe said. “But, we are still infectious to others who may be more susceptible to serious influenza virus infections.”

And we all have these vulnerable people in our lives: elderly parents or grandparents; pregnant relatives or friends; infants and young children; friends and relatives with chronic diseases such as heart or lung disease, diabetes or cancer. By getting the flu vaccine as healthy people, we protect ourselves and therefore help to protect our vulnerable friends and loved ones. (And remember, you can’t get the flu from the flu shot. You may get arm tenderness or mild aches afterwards.)

Get your kids the flu shot or nasal vaccine.

Kids should also get the flu shot or nasal vaccine. A recent US study questioned the effectiveness of the nasal version, but data from studies in Canada, Finland and the United Kingdom suggest it’s effective for use in children. View Health Canada information on the nasal flu vaccine here.

Stay home if you are sick.

Many of us have a strong work ethic and want to drag ourselves in to work even when we are feeling ill. Stay home if you have the flu or a bad cold with a fever.

“Respect your colleagues at work: nobody wants your viruses,” Dr. Vearncombe said. “If you go to work, you will compound the problem by making others in your office ill.”

And this doesn’t just mean staying home from work. Protect your vulnerable family, friends and neighbours. If you promised to go visit your elderly grandmother, call and reschedule; your trivial infection may result in life-threatening pneumonia for her. If you’ve got an acute respiratory infection, now is not the time to take the bus to the movie theatre.

Practice healthy habits.

“Keep your immune system healthy: eat properly, exercise, get enough sleep,” Dr. Vearncombe says. “If possible, keep your distance from people with obvious symptoms of respiratory infection, e.g., coughing, sneezing.”

If you are coughing/sneezing, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue (or “sneeze in the sleeve”), discard the tissue in the garbage immediately after use and clean your hands.

“Most of this is what your mom always told you to do,” Dr. Vearncombe says. “And, as always, mom was right!”

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the flu vaccine.

A version of this post appears in the Town Crier newspaper in Toronto, Ontario.
This post has been updated to reflect 2017/2018 flu information

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