Avoiding getting sick in winter: real advice or preconceived ideas ? We sorted it out with a doctor

Comment ne pas tomber malade en hiver ? ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH. – Kelly Sikkema

Face aux maladies de l’hiver, nous sommes nombreux à partager nos astuces. Parfois bonnes, d’autres fois très mauvaises. On fait le point avec un médecin.

Winter is coming and so are epidemics: flu, bronchiolitis, colds, covid, gastroenteritis… the season of viruses and bacteria is here and the indicators are starting to rise again. Like every year, an obsession returns: how to get through infections ?

Julien Astaing is a general practitioner at the Clémentville clinic in Montpellier. We presented him with “tips” to avoid getting sick. It helps us discern the true from the false.

“You're going to catch a cold”

“It's not the cold that we catch when we get sick, it's viruses”, explains the GP. But then why do we get sicker when it's cold? ?

“The cold will make our mucous membranes less effective, and the immune system will drop a little”, combined, these two factors make us more fragile. But with the right actions, it is still possible to avoid winter ailments.

“Take vitamins”

Yes for vitamins, but beware of marketing. “You should think about taking vitamin D supplements, especially for the elderly.”

As for other vitamins, it is better to consult your doctor to assess their relevance: “In general, we will recommend food supplements based on magnesium, vitamin C, but that is not what will prevent infections, it simply boosts the system a little immune.”

What you really need to be vigilant about are deficiencies. Because in winter, we tend to eat more fat, Julien Astaing explains, you have to think about continuing to eat fruits and vegetables several times a day.

“On se fait une raclette ?”

About food, beware of the trap of winter comfort foods. If raclettes, fondues and other tartiflettes have the good taste to fill us up, we must not lose good habits.

“Eating fat, in fact, simply allows us to produce calories. These calories are either used up or stored”, but they have no interest for our defenses.

“Do sports”

“Sports make us stronger. It's something that stimulates the immune system and will really allow us to protect ourselves”, assures Julien Astaing. “Athletes have far fewer infections than non-athletes”.

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But here again, nuance: doing sport is excellent for our defenses, but overdoing it can have the opposite effect. By tiring ourselves out too much, we become weaker. The recommendations are thirty minutes of daily physical activity, such as walking. This is the bare minimum. To this can be added other sports activities at a rate of thirty minutes to an hour and a half per day. Remember to rest one day a week, to allow your muscles to rebuild.

“Turn down the heating”

For economic and ecological reasons, homes should not be overheated. But it is especially in the bedroom that this is of interest for our health.

“You have to sleep at temperatures of around 19°C, 21°C maximum. If you put it too hot, your sleep will be affected, and your immune defenses may also be affected”, the doctor explains.

“Do a nose wash”

“It's always beneficial to wash your nose, it allows the sinuses to be better aerated, and to avoid all the infections that are linked to them.” We breathe in more than 20,000 times a day through our noses, a gateway for viruses and bacteria, which is why we have every interest in keeping it clean!

“Close the window, I'm cold”

Bad idea. Of course, the cold weakens us, but a room that lacks ventilation is a hotbed for viruses. “Many people get sick because they don't air out enough. In winter, we stay inside, and we generally avoid opening the door because we put the heating on.”

About ten minutes twice a day is enough to renew the air and make the interior healthier.

“I have an essential oil that could help you…”

Yes and no. Essential oils are plant concentrates that are more or less powerful. Be careful when using them, they must always follow the recommendations of specialists. Also be careful with marketing, which boasts about the prowess of these extracts.

Some are beneficial for clearing our sinuses or boosting our immune system. “Eucalyptus, for example, is well-known for clearing the bronchi. But you should always ask for advice, it can't be used just anyhow. Sometimes there are contraindications based on history, allergies, or treatments.”

“I'm not kissing you, I'm sick”

“When you talk to someone, you project spittle that can be infectious. It's better to respect social distancing to avoid viral particles”, the doctor reminds us. We talked about it a lot during the Covid 19 pandemic: keeping your distance protects.

But it all depends on the viruses we are trying to avoid. Kissing, talking too closely… exposes us to colds, Covid, “ENT-tropic viruses”. But a handshake is not always better. Because in this case, the viruses “hand-carried” are king, with gastroenteritis at the top of the list.

“The air is too dry”

It's all a question of nuance. Air that is too hot and dry indoors is bad because it dries out the mucous membranes. But air that is too humid encourages the development of germs and fungi.

“You have to be careful not to heat too much so as not to dry out the air. Because that weakens the mucous membranes. But humidity, from a certain level, is dangerous, this is the case in unsanitary housing.” A happy medium to be found by ensuring good insulation of the home, and reasonable consumption of heating.

“Get some sun”

“Light therapy has a real benefit in preventing illness. It plays a big role in depression. And we know that anything psychological can influence the immune system”, the doctor adds.

Getting plenty of light at a time when the days are getting shorter helps combat winter depression. By doing so, we allow ourselves to stay active and motivated. And combating inactivity is key to good overall health.