Tips for preventing H1N1 infection

Green Smoothie Girl, aka my awesome MCOMM teacher Sister Openshaw, posted a few tips on her blog on how to prevent H1N1 infection. I thought they were helpful, straightforward, and easy. Here they are:

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official
communications)

2. Hands-off-the-face approach. Resist all temptations to touch any
part of face

3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t
trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal
cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents
proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a
healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate this
simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with
warm salt water. Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good
Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the nose hard once a day and
swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very
effective in bringing down viral population. [Robyn’s note: we have a neti pot
that you can get at health food stores, and my kids use it for occasional head
congestion without my telling them to, because it is so effective: use warm salt
water.)

5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C
(Amla and other citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C
tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. Drink as much of warm liquids (herbal tea, etc.) as you can.
Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse
direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach
where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

These are taken from Dr. Vinay Goyal, who has 20 years of clinical
experience in hospitals.

I hope this helps keep you all healthy this Fall!