Health Alert: Flu & cold season

Kristin Filer from Providence discusses how to stay healthy during cold and flu season amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Flu and cold season is here, so i'll talk about if we actually can boost our immune system and the top ways to do that.

Well, you know, some say you can't boost your immune system, but many say on the research does show that you can help protect your immune system and you can support your immune system.

So the basics during this, this, you know, flu season, cold season covid season.

Okay.

The basics, washing your hands, not touching your face and taking social distancing seriously.

And i don't say that necessarily because of covid, but because the flu virus, so the reason why we see the slew and we see the cold during these winter months is not because we went outside with wet hair or no jacket, like, you know, um, sometimes we, mom would always tell us.

The reason why we catch a cold if we are outside is because the cold air, the flu virus tends to hang out and stay airborne longer in those cold, less humid months.

So for someone who stays inside all the time, and let's say you are susceptible for colds, making sure your filters are changed, maybe investing in a humidifier.

Cause like i said, it's tends to stay in those less humid environments also.

We tend to be inside a lot more during these winter months.

So we are in close contact with people.

So not necessarily because of covid, but because when we're inside, watch your social distancing with other people.

So, um, and you know, the top things that you can do so we can boost.

We, we can help support our immune system.

And the ways that you can do that are first of all, getting enough sleep.

So when we sleep, our body tends to produce and release these, these proteins called cytokines.

There there's many different kinds of them, but the ones that we need are produced and released during sleep.

So when you have an infection, um, inflammation, stress of a certain kind, they will flood your body and help fight that infection.

So they have found a sleep deprivation.

Those types of cytokines are not produced and they're not released along with other antibodies and other cells.

So we want to get a good amount of sleep.

Um, the other thing too is exercise.

They have found that moderate exercise with older adults has helped boost their immune system.

Um, and then of course with exercise, we get good circulation.

So that contributes pretty directly because that allows the cells