As South Africa braces itself for another onslaught of cold and flu infections this winter season, the biggest risk factor for catching the common cold is having children under the age 12.<\/p>\n
So said leading colds and flu generic medicine provider, Pharma Dynamics.<\/p>
According to Mariska van Aswegen, spokesman for Pharma Dynamics, parents fall ill almost twice as much as anyone else.<\/p>\n
\u201cYoung children are a reservoir of germs and if they\u2019re at cr\u00e8che, school or anyplace else where they are around other children, they\u2019re in a super-virus environment, which makes them the perfect vectors for illness and for passing viruses around. Kids hug, touch and cough all over each other.<\/p>
\u201cThey chew on toys and as a result share their saliva, and then parents hug, kiss and cuddle them.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s no wonder that the average parent catches a cold more compared to those without children,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
A recent study conducted by the University of Utah\u2019s School of Medicine confirms this notion.<\/p>\n
They found that families with two, three or four children have some type of virus present in their household just under 60 per cent of the time, whereas childless households were only infected with viruses three to four weeks of the year.<\/p>\n
Each additional child in a household increased a family member\u2019s risk of falling ill.<\/p>\n
Households with one child tested positive about 18 weeks of the year, while families with more than four children tested positive about 45 weeks of the year \u2013 that\u2019s a whopping 87 per cent of the time.<\/p>\n
Van Aswegen added that parents who live with small children are 1.5 times more likely to be sick since children under the age of five tend to have at least one virus present in their mucus 50 per cent of the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we enter another cold and flu season it is imperative that those at risk, especially parents of younger children, give their immune systems a boost, whilst adequately protecting themselves from sources of cross-infection.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut for a parent with little ones, it\u2019s difficult to take care of yourself when you\u2019re ill, since you have to take care of everyone else.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis makes the recovery process so much harder (and unpleasant).<\/p>\n
\u201cI often get asked whether there is any sense in trying to stop the spread of infection by wearing a mask for example, but the best and most practical way of protecting yourself (and your family), is to practise proper hand washing techniques and to do so often.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis could reduce the chances of catching your child\u2019s cold by 30 to 50 per cent.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother way is to stay out of waiting rooms in doctor\u2019s offices, emergency rooms and the shops, and to avoid public transport as much as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are pregnant and have had several bouts of flu or have a newborn, you may actually want to wear a mask,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBesides eating your greens, getting enough sleep is another critical factor in fighting off colds and flu.<\/p>\n
\u201cResearch tells us that people who sleep six hours or less a night are four times more likely to catch a cold when exposed to a virus, compared to those who get in more than seven hours a night.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost parents probably don\u2019t get enough sleep, but it\u2019s vital to our wellbeing, so try to carefully plan your day to ensure enough time is spent in slumber land,\u201d she advised.<\/p>\n
Van Aswegen said keeping a clean and dust-free house is equally important.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt might also be worth getting an air filter to clean and purify the air in your home, especially if you\u2019ve experienced wave after wave of illness in your household.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn truth, there is no cure for the common cold or flu, but time-deprived parents may benefit from supplements that can boost their immune system.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook for one\u2019s that contain Vitamin C, zinc and Echinacea, which when used in combination are excellent at combating colds and flu, such as Efferflu C Immune Booster,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She added that if you do catch your child\u2019s cold, there is an upside to all of this shared illness business.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce a child starts to develop a functioning immune system, at about six months, then the exposure to general viruses and germs isn\u2019t necessarily a bad thing since it helps build and stimulate the immune system.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important to remember that a child\u2019s immune system will only be fully developed between 12 to 14 years of age, when they finally reach adult levels of antibody formation, so you may be in for a tough few years, but as the children grow up it will help them fight other infections and stay healthier in the long-run,\u201d said van Aswegen.<\/p>\n