See if you really know how to stay healthy this season

By: K. Aleisha Fetters

Chicken soup helps relieve symptoms of colds and flu.

Fact

Mum’s chicken soup really does do the trick but (no offence to her) it’s not due to any medicinal genius. It’s simply that when you lean over a bowl of warm, steamy soup the humidified air helps break up nasal congestion, says GP Dr Vanessa Maier. Plus, downing liquids (chicken broth included) helps keep you hydrated, which is crucial in flushing mucus out of your system, she says. And of course it doesn’t hurt that the soup is packed with antioxidant and nutrient-rich ingredients like chicken, carrots and celery.

Going out in chilly weather with wet hair will give you a cold.

Fiction

Don’t consider this an invitation to run around in the cold rain with sopping locks (you could end up with symptoms of hypothermia) but cold weather and wet heads aren’t what cause cold, says Dr Maier. A virus is the only thing that can cause a cold. But in winter, when we all spend more time indoors in close quarters with other people, the chances of germs passing to someone else via a sneeze or cough are much higher.

The stomach flu is not a form of influenza

Fact

The flu has pretty much nothing to do with your tummy, says director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases in the US, Dr Susan Rehm. What’s been popularly dubbed the “stomach flu” is actually caused by gastrointestinal viruses such as rotavirus – not influenza. When it comes to seasonal flu, vomiting and diarrhoea are actually rare in adults. But because they can both occur with H1N1, make a beeline for your doc if your stomach goes into purge mode.

Antibiotics can treat colds and flu

Fiction

Although we wish three-day whammy of antibiotics would do the trick, cold and flus are caused by viruses, rather than bacterial infections, which is what these drugs fight off, says Dr Maier. Because antibiotics contain anti-inflammatories, the only good they can do when you’re suffering from a cold or flu is help a headache or muscle aches. But a dose of ibuprofen will get you the same results without the nasty consequences: the more often you use antibiotics, the less likely they are to work. So when you really need that antibiotic, it might not do the job. Even worse, using an antibiotic can give you a yeast infection, and the last thing you want on top of a fever is a nasty itch down below.

Sneezes travel at speeds up to 160km/hour

Fiction

There are so many myths about sneezes that the host of Mythbusters set out to see just how fast (and far) a sneeze can fly (and be flung!). The fastest they could get their sneezes to go? 62km/hour. Sneezes may not have lived up to the 160km/hour mark, but what they lacked in speed they make up for in distance, landing a whopping 5 metres away! Ew! Now, there’s a reason to cover your mouth if you ever needed one.

You can spread a cold or flu even if you don’t have any symptoms

Fact

Sneaky, sneaky: 20 to 30 per cent of people carrying that influenza virus have no symptoms, according to Harvard Health Publications in the US. That means they can transmit the virus without so much as a sniffle. And during the two to three days it takes for symptoms to appear in most people, the virus is more than happy to bound around ping-pong-style to anyone and everyone, says Dr Maier.

Recirculating air is to blame for the spread of colds and flu on planes.

Fiction

If the guy two rows over is hacking away, then you might end up hacking too, but chances are it will have nothing to do with recirculating air, says Dr Maier. The vast majority of cold and flu infections come from hand-to-hand contact – touching something covered in the virus then touching your eyes, nose or mouth (viruses can often live on your hand for up to two hours!). It is also possible, but incredibly rare, to catch a cold or flu from viral particles floating in the air. But because plane air is constantly filtered to remove germs and other dangerous debris, odds are you’ll be fine. So keep your hands clean and away from your face, and it’ll be blue skies ahead.

You should never exercise when you have a cold.

Fiction

“If you normally exercise on a regular basis, getting in a workout even if you have a cold is probably a good idea,” says epidemiologist Dr Robert Harrison. However, if you haven’t been to the gym in a while, he suggests you wait until you’re better to start up again. Exercising can help keep your immune system pumped to fight infections, so if you’re feeling up to it, a workout may be just the TLC your body needs to get on the road to recovery.

If you decide to hit the gym, be smart and don’t push it. Your body is already burning through a lot of energy, water and kilojoules to fight off your cold, so be sure to stay well-fuelled and well-hydrated. And remember: some cold medications such as decongestants can increase your heart rate. Combine that with a cardio routine, and you may wear out much faster than usual.