Immunity Tune-Up!
True or false: Over a period of time, too little sleep can increase your vulnerability to colds, flu, and other respiratory viruses.
True!
Scientific evidence is building that sleep loss can negatively affect different parts of the immune system. This can lead to the development of a wide variety of disorders.
Keeping your hands clean is a key way to reduce your risk of catching a cold, flu or other virus. Which works better?
A. Thorough hand-washing with soap and water.
B. Liberal use of hand sanitizer.
A.
According to the Centers for Disease control, In most situations, washing your hands with soap and water removes more germs than using hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer can be useful when soap and water are not available.
To do the job best, lather hands and scrub briskly for at least 20 seconds, then rinse under running water.
When you use hand sanitizer, make sure it's at least 60 percent alcohol.
Soap and water
Hand sanitizer
Effectiveness
Does cold weather make you sick?
A. Absolutely! Winter is called "cold and flu season" for a reason.
B. No, that's a myth.
C. Well, sort of.
B or C. Only viruses make you sick. But cold weather can increase your chances of catching a virus for the following reasons:
• Cold weather can cause people to spend more time indoors, where it's easier to spread germs.
Increasingly, research is supporting the idea that regular exercise helps us fight off viruses and reduces our risk of serious illness from viral infections. How do scientists think exercise helps?
A. By increasing the circulation of immune cells in your blood.
B. Muscle movement releases proteins called cytokines that help immune cells find and fight off infection.
C. Reducing chronic inflammation in the body, which can turn your own immune cells against your body, leaving them less available to fight off infection
D. All of the above.
D. Scientists don't know exactly how exercise helps, but they have reason to think that All of the above play a part.
Which of the following is NOT a recommended way to reduce your chances of catching a virus?
A. Avoid touching your mouth, nose or eyes.
B. Avoid people who are sick, or large groups where someone is likely to be sick
C. Stay outside or in well-ventilated areas
D. Wearing a properly fitting mask.
E. Hold your breath around other people
D. Of course!
Different masks offer different levels of protection. Wearing the most protective one you can comfortably wear for extended periods of time that fits well (completely covering the nose and mouth) is the most effective option.
"Feed a cold, starve a fever." Is it true?
This nugget of wisdom traces back to a dictionary compiled in 1574 by English lexicographer John Withals. His guidance — “fasting is a great remedy of fever” — has certainly stood the test of time as an oft-quoted rule.
But the belief doesn’t quite stand up to current medical guidelines.
if you spike a fever while trying to fight off an illness or infection, then eating nutritious food can actually help reinforce your immune system and help you battle whatever bug is in your body.
A fever also cranks up your internal temperature, speeding up your metabolism. That stoked furnace means that you burn more calories — which makes replenishing them more important.
Drinking fluids is especially critical in this situation, too, as your body heating up with a fever can leave you dehydrated. “The main thing during any illness is to drink plenty of fluids,” says Dr. Hodes.
Those general rules for a fever also hold true if you’re dealing with a cold. Make sure to get food and drinks in when the sniffles hit in order to maintain energy and hydration levels.
True or false: Consuming too much sugar disrupts your immune system.
True!
To support your immune system, you can try to limit your sugar intake to no more than 6 teaspoons per day, or 25 grams total. This includes sugar added to coffee, chocolate, and hidden sugars in foods like granola bars and smoothies. You can also try eating real foods, like vegetables, fruit, meat, and fish, which are free of added sugar.
The average healthy adult will catch how many colds per year?
A. None
B. 2 to 3
C. 5-6
B. 2-3
True or false: If you have a really bad cold, antibiotics will help it go away faster.
False: Colds are caused by viruses. Antibiotics only work on bacteria.
Colds get better within a few days to weeks, whether or not a person takes medication. However, a cold virus can pave the way for other infections to invade the body, including sinus or ear infections and acute bronchitis. A common complication is a sinus infection with a prolonged cough. If you have asthma, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema, the symptoms from those conditions may be worsened for many weeks even after the cold has gone away.
Name one way to help keep your immune system healthy:
Keep your immunizations up to date as recommended by your health care provider.
Get enough sleep.
Reduce stress, or find ways to manage it effectively.
Get regular moderate exercise.
Eat a nutritious diet high in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins and low in sugar and processed foods.
How many different viruses can cause the common cold?
A. Under 10
B. About 40
C. Over 200
C. Over 200. These include rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, and corona viruses (of which COVID is one). This is the main reason there's no vaccine for the everyday cold -- it would have to protect against so many different viruses.
True or false:
Allergies are caused by a weak immune response.
False!
Seasonal allergies are just the opposite! They're the result of an over-reactive immune response mistaking small particles in the air for harmful microorganisms. Consider allergies the hallmark of an over-vigilant immune system, rather than one slacking off.
How many kinds of immune systems do we have?
Two. One we're born with, called our innate or nonspecific immune system. Much of this system responds to bacteria and other germs that enter our bodies through the skin or digestive system.
The other, our adaptive immune system, makes antibodies in response to specific germs we come into contact with, either by getting sick, or receiving a vaccine. This is also known as an “acquired” or learned immune response.
True or false: If you haven't gotten your flu, COVID, pneumonia or RSV vaccines by now, it's too late for this season.
Not true! As long as the virus is still spreading, a vaccine will help protect you. For example, flu season typically doesn't peak until January.
True or false:
Loading up on vitamins and supplements will keep you from catching colds or other viral illnesses.
Not really!
Vitamins and minerals are important for a healthy immune system:
Vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K are all important for immune function.
Minerals including Folate, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, selenium, and zinc are important for immune function.
Other nutrients: Beta carotene, riboflavin, and probiotics can also help with immune function.
So if you're deficient in certain vitamins and minerals, you might be more likely to get infections and not recover as well. However, if you don't have a deficiency, taking supplements probably won't help prevent infections or help you recover faster. In fact, supplements can have side effects and interfere with regular medications.
Here are some foods that contain nutrients that support a healthy immune system: