Marion County Medical Center

Health Shorts

October 2006

Exercise Won’t Keep Colds Away
Exercise may be good for nearly everything else, but it won’t protect you from getting a cold this winter. A six-year study of about 14,000 middle-aged and older males found that moderate physical activity did not lower their risk of contracting colds. In fact, excessive training may make an individual more vulnerable by suppressing the immune system.

The study also found that subjects taking antioxidant supplements vitamin E and beta carotene had a higher risk of colds when they engaged in “heavy exercise at leisure.”
[SOURCE: Diane Lofsjhult, “What Works for the Common Cold?” IDEA Health & Fitness Source, March, 2004]

Too Many Sore Throats Get Antibiotics
Most sore throats are caused by viral infections that do not respond to antibiotic treatment. In fact, the only common cause of sore throats requiring antibiotics is strep throat.

Although strep is cultured in only 5 to 17 percent of adult patients, one 10-year study found that 73 percent of patients seeing a doctor for a sore throat left with a prescription for antibiotics.
[SOURCE: Leslie Boyd and Jeff Bauer, “For Sore Throats, Antibiotics Are Overused,” RN, November, 2001; J.A. Linder and R.S. Stafford, “Antibiotic Treatment of Adults with Sore Throat by Community Primary Care Physicians,” JAMA, 286(10), 1181]

Slippery Elm May Ease Sore Throat
If you’re battling a sore throat–from a cold, the flu or other causes–you might try slippery elm. Available as a tea or in lozenges at health food stores, slippery elm is classified by the FDA as an effective demulcent–meaning it stimulates the mucus membranes, such as those lining the throat, to produce mucus.

Another demulcent, although not classified by the FDA, is licorice. Licorice, however, should be avoided by anyone with high blood pressure, hepatitis or liver or kidney disease.
[SOURCE: William Collinge, “Can I Take a Herbal Remedy for My Sore Throat?” WebMD, May 15, 2000]

Seniors May Need Stronger Vaccine
Annual flu shots are highly recommended for persons age 65 and over since they are at high risk of life-threatening complications such as pneumonia. A recent study found that older individuals may also benefit from higher doses of the vaccine.

The standard flu shot is 15 micrograms, but 200 subjects age 65 and over were randomly assigned to groups given placebo, 15, 30 or 60 micrograms of the flu vaccine. Those given 60 micrograms had antibody levels 44 to 79 percent higher than those getting the 15 microgram dose. Those getting the higher dose had more soreness at the injection site but no other serious side effects.
[SOURCE: Jeff Bauer, “Elderly Patients May Benefit from Flu Vaccine Dosage Change,” RN, July, 2006]

Throat Culture Cost-Effective Option
Parents bringing a child with a sore throat to the doctor are often frustrated by a doctor’s decision to take a throat culture. This option, however, is the best way of detecting strep throat and determining whether antibiotics are needed.

Prescribing antibiotics when they are not needed can promote the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and put the child at risk of later infections that could be difficult to treat. Fewer than 30 percent of children with sore throats severe enough to see a doctor have a strep infection. And from a cost perspective, one study found that throat cultures were only slightly more expensive than doing nothing.
[SOURCE: Throat Cultures May Be Worth the Wait,” Clinician Reviews 9.10, p44; M. Pichichero, “Cost-Effective Management of Sore Throat: It Depends on the Perspective,” Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 1999:153:672-674]

Eat Turkey and Take a Nap
When you’ve eaten your fill of roast turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie, you may find yourself nodding off in the afternoon. That’s because you’re relaxed and well fed.

Turkey is also a good source of L-tryptophan, an amino acid that’s helps trigger the release of serotonin–a depression-chasing hormone that prompts a feeling of calmness and sleepiness.
[SOURCE: Deanna Couras Goodson, “Turkey–A Healthy Thanksgiving Treat,” Suite101.com]

Cranberries–Antioxidant Powerhouse
Studies involving more than 20 commonly used fruits concluded that cranberries contain the highest level of antioxidant phenolic compounds. Other studies found that cranberry proanthocyanidins inhibited the growth of human lung, colon and leukemia cells without affecting healthy cells.

Other fruits with protective antioxidant compounds ranking behind cranberries in descending order were apple, red grape, strawberry, pineapple, banana, peach, lemon, orange, pear and grapefruit. To get fullest protective benefits, researchers recommend eating whole fruit rather than juice.
[SOURCE: “World’s Healthiest Foods–Cranberries,” whfoods.org]