As winter consumes us it appears as if every second person is coming down with a cold, flu or covid. If you haven’t had it yet, then it may appear almost inevitable that it will strike you at some stage. So, the initial challenge is to avoid getting sick but if you do then the challenge is to minimise its impact.
Not getting sick is all about avoiding high risk situations, boosting your immune system (vaccines) and practicing good hygiene.
For those who have just completed the Gold Coast marathon the days after are a high-risk time. Your immune system is heavily depleted and the bugs that you usually fight off easily, get a chance to thrive. So, it is not uncommon for up to half of those who do a big race, especially during winter, to get knocked over with a cold post-race. Likewise, we are more vulnerable when we are stressed or experiencing poor sleep, to pick up something.
Colds are spread through droplets, in the air or on surfaces so prevention is all about avoiding beign around people, washing your hands, cleaning surfaces, binning tissues, wearing masks, practicing good hygiene (not sharing items like cups) and getting people to cough into their elbows. Shaking hands is always a tricky one as colds are easily spread from person-to-person contact, maybe go the fist-pump or use some hand sanitizer after interactions.
While we can pick up a cold anytime it is more prevalent in winter because people tend to be indoors more, and the risk of interaction increases, especially amongst kids at schools, who then bring it home. Nasal passages tend to be a little dryer which also makes it easier for a virus to enter the body.
A cold or flu is caused by a virus, so you can’t treat it with antibiotics, all you can do, if you do get sick, is treat the symptoms (cold and flu tablets, paracetamol, lozenges, steam inhalation) and let the body grow strong enough to fight it. There is a little bit of science that says Vit C, and D as well as zinc may reduce the length of time you are sick, so maybe give it a go.
A cold tends to be more about the runny nose, sneezing and a sore throat and may take a week to get over, while a flu has many of the same symptoms, but the flu stands out because of fever, fatigue and aches and pains. Flu’s can be a major issue as they may take a month or more to get over, so you really want to avoid these. Seriously look at a vaccine if you want to increase your protection.
As always, a healthy diet, exercise and plenty of sleep can always boost our immune system. During summer we are always too busy to get sick, but in winter when training drops away, we socialise more and live a life less conducive to immune health, so we tend to pick something up.
As far as training goes, I am not a doctor, so chat with one if you have doubts but my advice is always,
Typically, it is a week to get sick, a week when you are sick, a week to recover and a week to get back to where you were, so it is easy to wipe a month off with a basic cold.
Fingers crossed you can avoid colds and flus this season, but if you do then work to minimise how long you are affected for.