From coughs and cold sores to snivels and dodgy tums, it is the season to feel ropey.
But an NHS campaign, Help Us, Help You, is encouraging us to manage our health better as temperatures drop.
Here are some tips from media pharmacist Abraham Khodadi on how to stay fighting fit.
BE CAUTIOUS
Pharmacists are here to help you stay well over the winter months.
If you start to feel unwell, even if it is just a cough or cold, speak to your pharmacist. You do not need an appointment. Do not wait until it gets more serious.
KEEP IT cosy
It is important to stay warm in winter, inside and outdoors, as it can help prevent colds, flu and more serious health problems.
Keep your home heated to at least 18C, if possible, and try wearing several layers of clothes, not just one.
The World Health Organisation’s standard for comfortable warmth is 18C for normal, healthy adults who are appropriately dressed.
For those with respiratory problems or allergies, it should be no less than 16C, and for the sick, disabled, the very old or the very young, at least 21C.
20 SECONDS TO AVOID GERMS
Washing your hands for 20 seconds – the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice – will make sure you get rid of viruses and bacteria. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society says this is the only sure way of getting shot of nasties that cause colds, flu, infections and bad tums.
Wash your hands with warm water and soap, particularly after contact with someone who has a cold, but also after being in public places, after going to the toilet and before eating.
BIN TISSUES
Carry some tissues with you when you are out and about. When you sneeze or cough, use one and immediately bin it.
Germs can live for several hours, so throwing your tissue away means they are less likely to spread.
CHRISTMAS RUSH
Not all pharmacies will be open over Christmas. If you have been prescribed medication, pick it up early.
DO YOU NEED ANTIBIOTICS?
If you have a sore throat, your pharmacist should be your first port of call.
Some 1.2 million people visit their GP with a sore throat each year – most could have received help from a pharmacist.
Up to nine out of ten sore throats may be viral, so cannot be treated by antibiotics.
Needlessly prescribing antibiotics is contributing to a rapid rise in antibiotic resistance, a global threat that means they can become ineffective.
BE WISE WITH MEDS
Only take antibiotics if they have been prescribed by a healthcare professional and never share them or save them for later use.
Stopping antibiotic treatment early encourages bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance.
So finish taking your course as recommended, even if you start to feel better.
SWAB FOR A SORE THROAT
Selected pharmacies provide a quick, free throat consultation service. You get an examination that may include a swab test to see if it is bacterial or viral and whether antibiotics are needed.
If not, pharmacists can still offer advice and over-the-counter medicines to help.
■For more advice, see youtube.com/c/abrahamthepharmacist. The makers of Strepsils and Strefen are encouraging people to visit a pharmacist for sore throat advice. See healthclinics.superdrug.com.
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