talking point
FLUFREE WINTER
5 TIPS TO BEAT THE WINTER BUG
BY MELANY BENDIX B
atten down the hatches; winter is here, which means you need to be extra careful to avoid catching the flu. Just by being pregnant you are at
a higher risk of catching the winter bug. That’s because your immunity (which fights infection) is under greater pressure when pregnant, according to Dr Peter Vincent, a GP based at the Medicross Tokai Family Medical and Dental Centre in Cape Town. And what’s the big deal with flu? Dr Vincent says it is possible for very severe cases of flu to harm your unborn baby. “It can cause intrauterine growth retardation, depending on the stage of pregnancy. This
36 YOUR PREGNANCY
can occur if it’s early on in the pregnancy. Later in the pregnancy, it’s less likely to cause a problem.”
However Dr Vincent says not to panic.
It’s rare for ordinary flu to cause any serious problems. But, as the old saying goes, prevention is always better than cure. Follow these five tips and you’re likely to have a flu free winter:
1
BE AN OCD HANDWASHER You can get infected with
a flu virus through touch, so be careful what you touch and wash your hands more frequently than usual. Cold and
flu germs are fairly tenacious and can survive on surfaces for up to eight hours. If your spouse or colleague is sneezy, use antibacterial wipes to clean surfaces that they might have touched or coughed into.
“Good hand hygiene – especially frequent hand washing – is very important,” says Dr Vincent. “In public places, be careful what you touch and try not to touch things like elevator handles,” suggests Dr Vincent. Also use the hygiene wipes that are offered at supermarkets. After washing your hands, you can also use a waterless alcohol gel to decrease your chances of picking up a bug.
HERE’S TO A
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