Achoo! Cold and Flu Facts

Headache, scratchy throat, clogged sinuses- cold and flu season is here! Aren't you thrilled? Below find some cold and flu facts offered to you from The Maids:

a.} One sneeze sprays tens of thousands of wet germs into the air at speeds of 80 to 100 mph-as forceful as a hurricane, nearly four times faster than a cruise ship but not as fast as the Space Shuttle, which can do 0 to 17,000 mph in 8 minutes.

b.} Germs may survive 10 hours or longer on hard surfaces such as cell phones, keyboards and TV remotes, and an hour or more on porous surfaces such as fabric. On your hands germs stick around for about 30 minutes- less if you wash your hands with soap and water.

c.} Even tap water works better than ammonia for killing rhinovirus, the most common cause of colds. But your best choices are liquid bleach diluted with water or a disinfectant spray containing o-phenylphenol and alcohol.

d.} To keep colds away, aim for 8 hours of sleep per night- anything less and your chances of getting sick increase. There's nothing to the feed-a-cold-starve-a-fever thing, but warm liquids can help soothe the symptons.

e.} Antibiotic medications do nothing to fight the viral infections that cause the cold and flu. They only work on infections caused by bacteria, such as strep throat.

f.} Flu shots take about 2 weeks to kick in and typically protect you for 6 months to a year. Each vaccine protects against 3 strains of flu most prevalent in a particular year.

g.} Evidence suggests that moderate excercise helps fight off colds and flu. Staying indoors won't protect you- and besides, fresh air is good for you. Ignoring symptoms is a bad idea. Rest, and be patient-you'll feel better soon!