How to avoid and fight the common cold this year

A doctor in Lake Country said this year's cold and flu season was the worst he's ever seen.

Typically cold season starts in the fall and runs into the winter, but according to Dr. John Paleta, cold and flu season never left the Okanagan.

"I've never seen it so bad. I've seen lots of colds during summer which is also strange," said Dr. John Paleta, family physcian at the Turtle Bay Clinic in Lake Country.

Why the heightened cold and flu activity, nobody really has an answer, he said.

Here Dr. Paleta's suggestions on how to avoid the cold, what to do when you have it and what you should take to aid in recovery.

Know when it's cold season

While this year hasn't been the norm, typically cold season starts during autumn and runs into the winter.

"It's once people start congregating together more, avoiding the heat and tend to be more indoors packed together."

If you know it's in season, you'll likely take more precautions and will be better equipped to fight it.

Avoid human contact

"People living by themselves who never come in contact with anybody else will never get the cold and flu," said Dr. Paleta.

Since we're around people most of the time, and colds are spread mostly by direct contact, use common sense.

"Hand washing, making sure people cover their mouths, trying not to touch people, not to touch door handles, things like that will help," he said.

Wash your hands effectively

"You need to scrub," said Dr. Paleta. "People who just put their hands under a bit of running water, that's not really good hand washing."

It's not just about adding soap, but about the mechanical action.

"It's the mechanical action that does most of the removal of the bacteria and the soap is really there to facilitate as an agent to grab the bacteria after you've got it off through the friction and then to deposit it down the drain."

Know when you're most contagious

There is a point in time during a cold when you are most contagious and should avoid being around people as much as possible.

"It depends on the virus exactly when this is but usually within about two to three days after you start showing symptoms, that's when things are the worst," he said.

How long will it last?

Staying in bed and staring at the ceiling or watching an entire season on Netflix, can get old faster than you'd think.

But knowing when the worst is over is tough to determine.

"It's variable. It depends on your immune system and on the virus. So a cold might just last a few days. A severe flu, mine lasted seven weeks last year."

How to fight a cold

What if after all your best attempts, you still get a cold? How should you treat a cold?

"There really isn't anything you can do."

These may sound like Harsh words from Dr. Paleta, but what he means is that most medications don't work. Save yourself the time and money from rooting through shelves of medication at the drug store.

"There are different viruses that cause these cold-type symptoms. In essence, they're viruses most of the medications over the counter, I do not recommend. Some medications have caused deaths in kids and so they've been banned," he said.

Dr. Paleta suggested that children with colds should not be given any over the counter medications.

What you can do, he said is treat the symptoms of body aches with either Tylenol or some form of Ibuprofen. In general, cough suppressants aren't helpful.

When should you go to the doctor?

For the most part, the common cold just requires rest, fluids and time.

How can you tell if it's pneumonia and not just a cold?

"Things to watch out for with pneumonia is number one, fever. Those patients should see a doctor. If they have localized chest pain, if they cough up blood and of course people who have other lung problems, you never know," he said.

When does flu season start?

Flu season, usually starts around mid-October, but Dr. Paleta said it depends on where you are, the specific virus and other factors.

Hopefully these tips will help get you through cold season.

For any other questions or concerns, be sure to follow up with your health care practitioner.