Just as we prepare our vehicles for winter exposure, there are things we need to do for preparing our bodies to fight colds and the flu this time of year.
According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, people in the United States suffer from more than 1 billion colds annually. That's about three per year for every American. They estimate 22 million school days are lost yearly to the common cold.
Most of us have heard the annual warning that there are certain things that reduce our susceptibility to the germs leading to catching a cold. We also hear which people are most vulnerable to colds and flu viruses.
The institute advises these simple ways to prevent catching or passing on a cold: Keep your germ-prone hands away from your eyes and nose; avoid being close to people who have colds; stay a distance from others if you have a cold; and cover your nose or mouth when you sneeze.
Washing your hands often and using alcohol-based products when water isn't available help.
Many of us get germs by touching items that have germs transferred to them by someone who already has a cold. Those items might be telephones, railings, door knobs and handles.
But what about items touched by people in grocery and department stores?
Just looking at people handling items in the checkout lines in stores, one sees people touching their hair, wiping their mouth, sneezing or couching without covering up, then touching the items, including food that you are purchasing.
And, of course, the handles on the shopping carts are a prime culprit as we enter this busy holiday buying season in about a week and extending through Christmas.
In one of my travels across the country recently, I saw a dispenser outside a grocery store in another state that allowed shoppers to get a disinfectant towel to wipe the handle of the shopping cart before they used it. I thought that was a great idea, but I haven't seen such a thing in Pittsburgh or outside any of our stores.
Although people get colds throughout the year, this time of the year may be when it is most present. So often, once the symptoms come, it may be too difficult for some to shake them.
The institute says these symptoms begin two or three days after infection: mucus buildup in the nose, difficulty breathing through your nose, swelling in the sinuses, sneezing, sore throat, cough and headache. Any number of these can be accompanied by a slight fever.
The must vulnerable groups to flu viruses are the young and the old.
Some of the churches in the New Kensington area have participated in offering free flu shots to the public through the Community Health Clinic in New Kensington. Representatives from the clinic will be at the Bibleway Church, 504 Eighth St., New Kensington, this Sunday.
Feel free to let the clinic know that you want a shot. They will be at the church this Sunday at 12:30 p.m. They can be reached at 724-335-3334. It is always wise to let your doctor's office know that you will be getting the shot since they know your medical history.
Let's all be prepared for the winter exposure to colds and the flu that is certain to come.
The Rev. Mitch Nickols, pastor of Bibleway Fellowship Church, New Kensington, is a community columnist for the Valley News Dispatch.
