November 2014 Health Bulletins

	Ask the Doc Dr. Pierre-Paul Tellier is Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Director of Student Health Services at McGill University in Quebec.

“How can I stop catching colds?”
— Name and university withheld

The common cold is on everyone’s mind!
This time of year, it’s on everyone’s mind (and in plenty of noses). Alas, there is no easy answer.

What is the common cold?
The common cold is the most frequent acute illness in Canada. It is a mild upper respiratory infection that lasts about a week and a half. If you smoke, it lasts about three days longer. (Don’t smoke.) The common cold is characterized by:

• Nasal congestion and discharge of assorted colour
• Sneezing
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Slight fever
• Headaches
• Aches and pains
• Generally feeling under the weather

What causes the common cold?
The cold can be caused by hundreds of different viruses. This is why there is no vaccine: Researchers can’t produce one that protects against all these viruses.

How is it caught and how can I avoid it?

• Cold viruses are often transmitted by hand contact. This can be direct (e.g., shaking hands) or indirect (e.g., touching a contaminated object).
• In addition, cold viruses are transmitted in droplets produced by sneezing or coughing. The droplets carry the virus and enter your body when you breathe them in.
• The best way to prevent the cold is washing your hands frequently with soap and water.

What won’t help me avoid a cold?

• Hand sanitizers don’t really work.
• Paper surgical masks don’t protect you. If worn by the sick person, they slightly decrease the number of droplets released in the air.

What can I do about my cold?
Because the common cold can’t be cured, you have to wait it out while managing the symptoms. 

• Decongestants, with or without antihistamines, help with the nasal congestion and runny nose. Take these as pills or syrup, not as nasal spray.
• Acetaminophen or ibuprofen, used regularly, can manage most of the other symptoms.
• Humidity helps loosen the mucous, so you cough less. Try a humidifier at night.
• Stay home. You might not be happy about this, but at least you aren’t infecting your friends and others.
• Seek medical advice if your symptoms aren’t improving after a week, or are getting worse, to check for possible complications.
• After a cold you might develop a dry cough that just won’t go away. This is post-viral bronchospasm. It isn’t asthma, but is treated in the same way.  Your doctor can prescribe medications.
• Again, don’t smoke. How many reasons do you need?

What doesn’t work?

• Antibiotics. They aren’t effective against the common cold and other viruses.
• Decongestant nasal sprays. These make the problem worse over time. 
• Vitamins—even Vitamin C!—and herbal products including echinacea. They do not cure or prevent a cold.
• Zinc might be effective, but it carries the risk of complications including loss of smell, so is best avoided.

As you can see, there’s nothing easy about the common cold. Go wash your hands.

Become the best hand-washer in the universe.

	Ask the Trainer Frankie Romeo is a certified personal trainer, small group training coach, and graduate student at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee

“How can I handle judgment and negativity?”
— Jessica S., University of Alaska, Anchorage

Sometimes it can seem like judgement is all around us—on Facebook, in class discussions, in the café, on online comment threads. Negativity from others (and ourselves) can undermine our confidence and motivation, and make it harder to be physically active. That’s particularly true if we’re not comfortable with our body or the activity itself. Whether you struggle with judging others or being judged, here’s how to handle it.

1 Find supportive, active peers

• Spend time with people who have a positive outlook and care about you.
• Friends who live healthily, prioritize fitness, and respect others are likely to help you get and stay active.
• Tell these friends your fitness goals or invite them to work out with you.
• Going to the same fitness class each week will help you meet supportive peers.
• Knowing you have moral support helps you reach your goals.

2 You gotta believe (in yourself)

• Confidence is essential for success.
• You have the ability to reach your goals. But if you don’t think you do, you’ll fall short.
• Everyone starts somewhere. Even the young woman who dominates five-minute miles once didn’t know how to start the treadmill.
• Stay focused on making steady progress toward your goals. Your workout is for you. It doesn’t matter whether it works for the guy two benches over. (Chances are he isn’t noticing you anyway.)
• Ignore negativity. If it’s coming from you, actively challenge your thought process.

3 The golden rule
“Do to others what you would have them do to you.” Judge as you would like to be judged.

• Don’t stare, sneer, or say mean stuff.
• Find the good in everyone and keep an open mind.
• Remember: Everyone has a story; don’t assume you know the plot.
• Smile—your friendliness might surprise you!

	Ask the Relationship Educator Dr. Rick Hanson is a licensed psychologist and the director of the counseling center at Rockhurst University in Missouri.

“What are the basic elements of attraction? What makes two people fall in love? ”
— Sandy A., University of California, Los Angeles

Attraction happens all the time, and yet is hard to understand. Why are you attracted to one person though your friends are not? Why are some attracted to a wide range of people, while others are very particular? Attraction is equal parts science and mystery, so the answers aren’t clear. There are many elements to attractiveness, and we each prioritize them differently. But in general, we are attracted to people who make us feel good physically, socially, relationally, and/or emotionally.

Attraction in action
Depending on the situation, your attraction to someone—or their attraction to you—probably includes several elements. Depending on your preferences and experiences, some of these will be quite important while others will not:

• Physical experience How the body looks, sounds, smells, or feels.
• Internal chemistry The interaction of any number of hormones.
• Social status A person’s standing in society, including their clothes, career, and friends.
• Excitement/fun/stimulation How much you enjoy someone’s company.
• Companionship/friendship How much you value someone’s loyalty and support.
• Stability/security How well a person can
  help provide for your needs and comfort.

Lust? Love? Live-in BFF?
What we are looking for also affects the type of people we find attractive.
So what do you want?

• Friendship
• Romance
• A hook up
• A soul mate
• A life partner
• Some peace and quiet at long last

Let’s be honest
If you want to be attractive to others, consider the old saying: “You catch more flies with honey than wth vinegar.”

• Be the best version of you. Authenticity is compelling—so long as you’re not authentically mean.
• If you’re trying to be what someone else wants, and it doesn’t come naturally, what happens after you have their attention?
• Being attractive is about finding someone you’re truly compatible with. So let the real you shine through.

FIND OUT MORE
Is that musk ox-scented deodorant really a good idea? Answers from the Science of Attraction web series.

	Ask the Nutritionist Karen Moses, director of wellness and health promotion at Arizona State University in Phoenix.

“What’s the best way to ease into a healthy diet?”
— Julie,* Binghamton University, The State University of New York
* Name changed for privacy

The path to healthy eating is different for each person. Here’s how to get started:

• From the list below, choose a step you can take now.
• In a week, add another.
  Mark the date on your calendar.
• The week after, another. And so on.

When you practice a habit for about eight weeks, it becomes easier to maintain and build on.

• Make water and unsweetened tea your friends Yes, these can be the main beverages of your day. Cut the sugary drinks, which can lead to a quick spike of energy and then a crash (among other problems).
  
  
• Bump up your veggies Aim for 2–4 cups of vegetables each day. Eat them raw, steamed, stir-fried, or as juice. Fresh or frozen vegetables offer the best nutritional value. Find new recipes and new seasonings—oregano! garlic! cumin!—to liven up your plate.
• A visual guide to that tricky veggie-to-cup-size ration.

• Find a new sweet spot How often do you drink soft drinks, or eat candy, ice cream, or other sweets? Think about how to cut your sugar consumption by half. For example:
• Limit desserts to weekends.
• Buy cookies on every other trip to the store, rather than every time.
• Identify alternative snacks and treats, and keep them available.
• Once you’re not missing it, cut back again.
  
  
• Eat “in” more often Fast food and restaurant food tends to be higher in fat, sugar, and salt than foods prepared at home. If you have a place to prepare your food, choose this option most of the time. Set a realistic limit on how many times you will eat out each week, and stick with it.

• Eat slower Often we eat so fast we hardly experience the food. Slow down. Taste it. When we eat slowly, we enable our body to regulate our hunger and consumption.
• Use a smaller fork or spoon, or even chopsticks, to make yourself linger over dinner.
• Try the Eat Slower app. The adjustable timer helps regulate your bites.
• For iOS.
• For Android.
  


• Eat a healthy snack before you go to a social event If you’re hungry when you get there, you’re more likely to eat one of everything and go back for seconds…of everything. Eating a healthy snack before the party helps you pace yourself and make conscious food choices.
  
  
• Spend time with people who share your interest in healthy eating This will make it a lot easier for you to make and maintain new habits.
  

Motivation and information, including a recipe for spinach-almond pesto.

E-CIGARETTES Unhealth-E or OK?

By Brandy Wind with Chris Stuck-Girard, MPH

A few years ago, they were rarely seen in the wild. Now you can find them next to the Oh Henry! bars in gas stations. They’re E-cigarettes, and they got popular fast. Researchers are scrambling to determine the health impact of these gizmos, which emit vapor laced with chemicals—including nicotine in many cases—when users inhale.

Can E-cigarettes help you kick butts?
The pencil-sized machines are marketed as a convenient alternative to lighting up—and as a tool to help folks quit tobacco. If you’re a smoker, you might be eager to join the 88 percent of college and university students who have not smoked in the last month. Can E-cigarettes really help you kick the butts?

Mixed findings
Few studies have addressed the question, and findings are mixed. But we do know that nicotine—which many E-cigarettes deliver in varying doses—is bad. The drug can contribute to heart disease, cause complications during pregnancy, and act as a “tumor promoter,” the World Health Organization wrote in July.

Nicotine also has the potential to harm brain development among young people. That includes college and university students. Besides nicotine, many E-cigarettes contain propylene glycol, which is added to flavoured cartridges. Health Canada cautions users about the risks of inhalation.

Still, E-cigarettes are far less abrasive to your lungs than plumes of cigarette smoke, so they may be significantly less harmful. But we’re not sure.

In any event, “vapers” must be wary of nicotine overdose, which can result in bad things like vomiting, confusion, and seizures, according to Health Canada. (Users should keep E-cigs away from young children, who—being teeny-tiny—can overdose more easily.)

Bottom line
Bottom line, as we await more research: We should consider E-cigs a cousin of a pack of cigarettes. Stick to the Oh Henry! bars.

How to stop procrastinating tomorrow

By Brandy Wind with Chris Stuck-Girard, MPH

Hold on—I gotta check Facebook just one more time before I finish this sentence. Ok, I’m back. So! Procrastination: It can be counterproductive.

Most of us want to be efficient, but time after time we find the day melting away as we watch “just one more” TV episode or click on “just one more” video of baby animals.

Good news! Procrastination isn’t just in your head. Experts have found that making some tweaks to the way you work can make it easier to buckle down.

Breaking up is easy to do
A large task can seem easier if you break it into small segments, says Dr. Bruce Tefft, Clinical Psychologist and Professor at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. Try doing one bit a day, and start small.

“Create a work plan with clear priorities and a timeline [of] what needs to be done first and by when,” suggests Dr. Tefft. “Allocate a reasonable but finite amount of time for each task, so as not to get bogged down on any one component.”

Crack the door
Completing just a small part of a project creates momentum and helps dispel fears that a given task is too difficult or complex. Think of that quote from the ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” After you take a single step on that assignment, you’re moving, and you have the confidence you need to continue.

Buddy up
Working with others can hold you accountable for making steady progress, Gail McMeekin author of The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women, told WebMD. Be sure, though, to discuss with a professor what sort of teamwork is allowed. You don’t want to be accused of cheating or plagiarism.

Find a Hermione
Find someone who’s consistently proactive, and stick close to that person. You could soak up some of his or her good habits. “Surround yourself with people who are doers,” Joseph Ferrari, a DePaul University Psychology Professor, told US News & World Report.