We are now knee-deep in winter. We hope that you are not knee-deep in tissues, a hot water bottle, and meds fighting off a cold, the flu, or worse—a bout of COVID. To help you stay healthy here are few defensive steps from health experts that you can follow to stay well not only for the rest of the winter season but all year-long.
1. Get recommended vaccines.
AARP Magazine reports that, “the research is clear: Vaccines are safe, well-studied and “the best protection we have” against illness, says Dr. David Weber, a distinguished professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an epidemiologist who oversees infection prevention at UNC Medical Center”. Talk to your primary health care provider about what vaccines he or she would recommend for you. (Don’t have a primary health care provider? It’s time to get one.) To stay healthy this winter, consider the flu vaccine and a COVID booster. RSV is a leading cause of pneumonia and hospitalization in older adults, but it can also affect younger people, so ask your doctor about this vaccination, also.
2. Make a habit of washing your hands often.
”One of the simplest ways to protect yourself against most illnesses is a common sense one: Wash your hands,” USA Today advises. “But how frequently should you wash them?”
“There’s no set number but paying attention to routine times and washing for the right length of time will stop germs from spreading and help keep you healthy. For example: Wash before and after you eat, after using the bathroom, after coughing or sneezing, after touching garbage or petting the dog or cat,” the Mayo Clinic recommends.
3. Ditch the air hand dryer. Use a paper towel to dry your paws.
Okay, so you followed the previous advice from the experts, and you wash your hands frequently. “The last thing you want to do is re-expose yourself to germs. But that’s what can happen when you use a hand dryer,” Dr. Weber says. A 2024 study published in the journal Aerosol Science and Technology showed what we all have suspected, dryers can blow airborne bacteria right back onto your hands and face. And by the way, shared hand towels aren’t any better. You may be reintroducing germs without knowing it.
4. Scrub-a-dub-dub. Wipe down surfaces.
In addition to sanitizing your hands, also be proactive about wiping out germs that are lurking elsewhere in your home. Emory University Healthcare recommends that “when someone starts coughing or sneezing in your home or workplace, cleaning (to remove dirt and germs) and disinfecting (to kill the germs on surfaces or objects) common areas will help you stay healthy.” Be sure to follow the instructions on your cleansers and disinfectants for full effectiveness and maintain a regular cleaning schedule to keep germs at bay.”
Some of the most commonly touched areas include:
- Computer keyboards
- Countertops
- Desks
- Doorknobs
- Faucets
- Phones
- Remotes
5. Drink up. (Water that is.)
“People tend to drink more in the summer, when it’s hot, but staying hydrated is just as important in the winter, when the air is dry and viruses are circulating,” says Dr. Michelle Barron, senior medical director of infection prevention at UC Health in Colorado (quoted in AARP Magazine). The mucus in your nose and respiratory tract is a protective barrier that traps the germs you breathe in before they can infect you, and hydration protects your mucus. “If your nose gets really dry, think of it almost as like having cracks in your skin, but inside your nose, and then viruses can more easily enter, because they have a gap,” she explains.
“How much water should you drink each day? It's a simple question with no easy answer,” the Mayo Clinic points out. As a general guideline “the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is:
- About 15.5 cups (124 ounces) of fluids a day for men
- About 11.5 cups (92 ounces) of fluids a day for women.”
6. If you snooze, you win.
Sleep is essential because your body does a lot of its repair and immune-boosting work while you rest. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center found that people who sleep six hours a night or less are four times more likely to catch a cold when exposed to the virus, compared to those who spend more than seven hours a night snoozing. Additionally other research has shown that sleep deprivation can reduce the effectiveness of vaccines. “It goes beyond feeling groggy or irritable,” the authors of the study said. “Not getting sleep fundamentally affects your physical health.” In addition, other research has shown that sleep deprivation can reduce the effectiveness of vaccines.
7. Work it. Work it.
According to a 2023 review in the journal Sports Medicine, regular physical activity flushes viruses and bacteria out of your airways and lowers the stress hormones that weaken immunity. To get the sickness fighting benefits of exercise, you don’t have to be jock. In fact, studies have demonstrated that low to moderate exercise is the better for your immune system than all out intensive exercise.
8. Run a humidifier.
Higher humidity levels have been proven to kill off viruses. Since it is likely that the flu virus will make its way into your home sooner or later, a good humidifier can help destroy the virus that may be in the air. A 2022 study in Clinical Infectious Diseases found that keeping indoor humidity around 40 to 60 percent cut virus levels in the air by half. By keeping your throat and nasal passages hydrated, humidifiers can help improve your sleep environment, too.
9. Keep zinc lozenges in your medicine cabinet.
“Zinc is essential for a healthy immune system,” according to Victoria Maizes, founding executive director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona and author of Heal Faster, “It interferes with the ability of a virus to reproduce and spread,” she explains. Zinc supplements haven’t been proven to prevent colds; however, research studies indicate they can reduce the length of your cold by about two days if taken within 24 hours of when the warning signs of an impending cold begin. Maizes suggests “Take one at the first hint of symptoms. Lozenges are useful because they put zinc right on your throat when you feel the first tickle or scratch.”
