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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1989)
Smoke Signals October 1989 Page 4 WINNING THE COLD WARS The average adult gets one to three colds a year. And no cure appears in sight. The scientists are at a stand still in their efforts to defeat the all-too-common cold, but that doesn't mean we can't negotiate for less , discomfort from the pesky foe. Here's a round up of what modern science has determined to be the most , effective ways of dealing with the blasted bug: TAKE IT EASY. Particularly in the beginning. The effort required to fight cold germs, especially during the first few days, is the equivalent of hard physical labor, reports Michael Castleman in his book "Cold Cures" (Balentine Books, 1987). hat doesn't mean you have to hit the sack at the onset of a cold, but it does mean puttering instead of pushing yourself. Limiting activities during a cold's early stages can also reduce the chances that you'll spread your cold around (colds are most contagious shortly after they strike). DRINK PLENTY OF HOT LIQUIDS. Hot liquids -and notice we said HOT - combat colds in three ways: they help relieve congestion; they soothe throat irrita tion; and they replenish body fluids lost to feverish sweating. Cold liquids are better than no liquids at all, but they may stall the flow of mucous and contribute to r congestion. KEEP BUNDLED UP. To combat the "chills" that can accompany a cold, give your bodys' defenses the advan tage of keeping as comfortably toasty as possible. DO NOT SMOKE. Smoking can further irritate as already agonized respiratory tract as well as depress the bodys' level of vitamin C (important for combating a cold). What's more, it can paralyze mechanisms in the lungs (cilia) needed to keep breathing passages free as possible of mucous. TREAT SORE THROATS WITH SALT WATER AND HARD CANDY. Half a teaspoon of salt per eight ounces of warm water remains a state-of-the-art gargle, the experts agree. Sucking on hard candy or specially formulated throat lozenges also can bring sore throat relief. You should consult your doctor, however, if swallowing becomes a problem or if you find your sore throat is accompanied by a fever higher than 101 degrees with no other cold symptoms. That sort of tortured throat could be due to strep. FEEL FREE TO COUGH. Coughs are for a reason if they're producing phlegm. Consult you doctor, however, if what's being produced is brown or bloody. Dry coughs, however, should be soothed with a hot shower, . hard candy or throat lozenge. Also see your doctor for any cough that lasts for more than two weeks or is accompanied by severe fever, chest pain, chills, wheezing or shortness of breath. It could be pneumonia. TIPS FOR PREVENTION. So, there's how to negoti ate with an existing cold. Here's how to avoid having to sit down at the bargaining table with germs in the first place. WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY. Colds are often caught from viruses picked up by the hands - from door knobs, telephone receivers, handrails, and, of course, handshakes. You can prevent this sort of transferal simply by being fastidious about washing your hands. BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU KISS. Colds are especially contagious in their earliest stages so be ' patient with a romantic partner who comes down with a cold. Wait at least few days before getting cozy. GO EASY ON STRESS. Studies leave little doubt that immunity sags as stress soars, so do what you can to keep your stress levels on the ground floor. GET PLENTY OF VITAMINS A AND C. Research ers suggests these vitamins may are essential for a robust immune system. Vitamin A is most abundant in fresh vegetables and the sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits, tomatoes and potatoes. DONT SMOKE. Smoking drains the body of vitamin C (needed for reasons mentioned above). What's more, it stuns the tiny hairlike projections (known as cilia) in the respiratory tract and lungs, whose job it is to keep airborne invaders from entering the lungs. GROW A BEARD, GENDER PERMITTING. Yes, beards and heavy mustaches can help filter cold viruses from the air before they enter the respiratory system. AND WHEN IS THAT COLD THE FLU? The flu differs from a cold in three basic ways. It usually hits more quickly than a cold. It's usually accompanied by a fever of at least 100 degrees. AND OH, THOSE ACHES AND PAINS! Colds focus most of their misery on the respiratory tract, but the flu can clobber you all over! REMEMBER THE FLU SHOT CLINIC ON THURS DAY, OCTOBER 5, 1989. DIABETES CONTROL CLASSES TO BE HELD A series of three diabetes classes will be offered in November. These classes will focus on the coming holidays cooking, tempting, low fat, low sugar holiday foods and reducing the stress created by the holiday hustle and bustle. These classes are open to all inter ested persons whether they have diabetes or not. Plan to attend and learn how you can have a healthy and less stressful holiday season. Call the Tribal Health Pro gram for details. SPECIAL NOTICE TO CON TRACT HEALTH CARE FROM GRAND RONDE This letter is a reminder to those Contract Health Care patients who received medical services with payment provided through the Grand Ronde Contract Health Services. As you probably know, the Contract Health Services as a branch-of the US Government, ends by December 31, 1989. Because of this it is imperative that all billings for health care being paid for by the Contract Health Services be handled in a very timely manner at the end of the fiscal year. After October 30, bills submitted for health care services provided during fiscal year 1989, will be paid as long as funds from that fiscal year are available. Any bills submitted after December 31, 1989 will not be , considered for payment. Please submit your legitimate bills for fiscal year 1989 to us at the address below, as quickly as possible as we approach this end-of-year date. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Teri or Mary at 1-800-422-0232 or 879-5211. HALLOWEEN FUN! October is a very special month in the eyes of a child. The television begins showing the Halloween cartoons during prime time and every little one dreams of the ghost or goblin they are going to portray. As with the years past, we would like to remind you parents about safety. Remember the age of your child. We know how much fun it is to "Trick or Treat", and as parents we tend to get carried away. A young child will have fond memories of the day after three or four trick or treat stops, they will be tired and cranky after several dozen. Also the school carnival is geared to school age children, a four year old can become terrified during a trip through the Haunted House, where a five or six year old will think it is terrific. Costumes can be the most dangerous tradition of Hallow een. Most activities take place during the evening hours and visibility is at its worst. Little witches all dressed in black may seem cute in the light of day, but are almost impossible to see after dark. Put light colored, light reflecting material on the costume so the little witch can be seen by drivers. Use face paints instead of masks, this way a child can see what's ahead and can avoid a tumble. Long clinging skirts can trip a child or catch on the branches of a hedge and cause injury. ALWAYS HAVE THE CHILD CARRY A FLASHLIGHT. Even a small light will aide the child in seeing hazards and alert drivers to their presence. Halloween means candy, mountains of it. Never accept candy from someone unless you know them. If you are the designated person to hand out candy in your home, give the individually wrapped and sealed variety. Teenagers, if you are handing out candy remember that if you want to scare the older kids that is fine but take it easy on the younger ones, you can cause months of nightmares. Parents do not allow your child to easy any candy until you have checked it first. If a wrapper is loose or looks like it could have been tampered with throw the candy away. You may wish to take two bags along. Mark one for the people you are familiar with and one for the ones you are not. Keep the candy separate so that you can carefully check it before your child eats any of it. Some hospitals will X-Ray the candy for you as a public service, check your local medical facility and see if they offer this service. An X-Ray will only detect if there is metal in the candy, not if it has been injected or dipped in any substance. We do hope that you and your child will have a happy and safe Halloween. If you bear in mind these few safety tips we know that you will have pleasant memories to look back on for many Halloweens to come.
