It’s that time of year again. The temperatures drop, the leaves fall, and everyone starts sniffling. Cold and flu season has arrived. As you prepare to battle the inevitable bugs this year, it’s time to debunk some popular myths about the season of sickness. Understanding the facts will help you and your family stay happy and healthy.
Myth #1: You Should Starve a Fever
You wake up with a scratchy throat, exhaustion, and chills. After taking your temperature, you confirm your suspicion: you have a fever. In the past, you may have heard that denying your body food and drink can help break a fever. However, the best pediatricians explain that this old advice isn’t the best route. While you may not feel particularly hungry when running a temperature, nutrition provides the energy your immune system needs to fight back. Dehydration from lack of fluids also makes symptoms feel worse.
Myth #2: The Flu Vaccine Causes the Flu
With cold and flu viruses spreading rapidly every winter, the flu vaccine promises protection. However, you may feel hesitant about getting your annual flu shot, worried that the vaccine itself will make you sick. Thankfully, the country’s top pediatricians dispel this myth. The flu vaccine uses an inactivated virus that cannot transmit infection. You may experience brief side effects like soreness, a headache, or low-grade fever as your immune system activates. However, the vaccine does not cause true influenza illness.
Myth #3: Cold Weather Makes You Sick
As soon as the chill hits the air, everyone starts pointing fingers at the frigid conditions for making people ill. You may even blame your own sniffles and coughs on the frosty weather rather than contagious viruses. However, the top pediatricians set the record straight: cold temperatures themselves do not directly cause infection. Yes, more people seem to get sick when it’s cold out, but research shows that cold air dries out and irritates nasal passages and airways. This compromise allows colds, flu, and other viruses to take hold more easily. The cold facilitates infection but doesn’t cause it directly.
As cold and flu season ramps up, rumors and myths about these common illnesses spread almost as easily as the viruses themselves. Protect your family this winter by arming yourself with facts from the best pediatricians and health authorities. According to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, every year, an estimated average of 20,000 children under the age of 5 are hospitalized because of flu complications. If your child is sick and doesn’t seem to be getting better, schedule an appointment with us at Pediatrix, some of the best pediatricians around.
Posted 2/14/24
