[BC] BDR Flu Article

[Glen Kippel]

On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 11:43 AM, Stevan A. White <w5saw at pathwayz.com>wrote:

> Barry,
>
> <snip>

> Hand washing, or sanitizing, is probably the single most important thing we
> can do to
> help reduce the spread of germs.  Airborne germs are inhaled by unwitting
> recipients and they incubate in our mouths, throats, and nasal passages.
>  All warm, damp environments highly conducive to germ growth and
> "retransmission."  Drinking a lot of hot tea or coffee
> will wash those germs and viruses into the stomach where they cannot grow
> because there is no oxygen present to feed them.  This and frequent gargling
> with an antiseptic mouthwash will go a long way to keep a person healthy.
>  Rinsing the nasal passages will also help but
> not too many folks know how to do this the right way.

<snip>

--------------------------

A couple of minor points:  Just as the instructions on the bottle of
Listerine or other mouthwash say to rinse for 30 seconds (needs that long to
kill germs), you should wash your hands for 30 seconds, too.  Five seconds
just isn't enough.  And, try to keep your hands away from your face,
specifically your eyes, nose and mouth.  Antiseptic mouthwash won't kill
viruses, but the act of flushing the mouth will eliminate most of them.
Warm salt water works, also.  Hot chicken soup actually works quite well,
too.  Don't spit it out -- swallow it!  That helped me before, when I had
laryngitis so bad I could hardly swallow.  I prefer Campbell's Cream of
Chicken Soup.  Works great.  Also, about 5 grams daily of vitamins C and D,
plus zinc, will help boost your immune system.  I have some vitamin C & zinc
lozenges that I suck on whenever I get a tickle in my throat.  Those usually
stop a cold in its tracks.  If you can't afford to be off work for a week,
you have to take care of yourself.