Volume 3, No. 41 October 24, 2003
Fall brings colder weather and head colds By Rou Jarvis The seasons have changed. The heat and humidity — the dog days — of summer are gone. The fall colors show in the beauty of the leaves as they begin their journey to the ground. The greens have begun their annual slow turns to reds, yellows and browns. As nature moves toward winter’s cold, so do humans but in a slightly different way. The leaves, which rustle on the ground, have a unique scratchy quality. The scratchiness that you hear on the ground has been transformed to a scratchiness of the throat. Itchiness touches the eyes and nose. The powerful sneeze, the hard cough, the runny nose all symbolize the official start of the cold season. Some practices can help prevent a cold. For example, avoid close contact with people who have a cold, especially during the first few days when they are most likely to spread the infection. Wash your hands regularly, particularly after touching someone who has a cold, after touching an object they have touched and after blowing your own nose. If your child has a cold, wash his or her toys after play. Keep your fingers away from your nose and your eyes to avoid infecting yourself with cold virus particles that you may have picked up. Put up a second hand towel in the bathroom for healthy people to use. Keep an eye on the humidity of your environment so that your sinuses do not dry out. Drink plenty of fluids. If you do contract a cold, make sure to drink plenty of liquids. Water and juice is the most appropriate. This will help you stay hydrated. Avoid caffeine and alcohol as they dehydrate the body. Over the counter medications may help relieve some of the symptoms. You may want to go to the holistic natural food store and invest in some herbs and minerals that may help you through the cold as well. If you smoke, stop. This is an excellent time to look into permanently stopping smoking. Call the Savannah College of Art and Design health and wellness department to register for the smoking cessation programs. Bed rest is very important as well. There is no “treatment” for the cold and so conserving energy to fight the illness is important. For more information about programs to maintain good health, visit the health and wellness department in American Hall or call 525-6971. For flu shots and treatment of minor illness and injury, call the SCAD Student Health Clinic, 305 W. Harris St., at 231-9956. The American Lung Association Web site (www.lungusa.org/diseases) contributed to this article. Jarvis is an interpreter for deaf services in the health and wellness department.
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