Cold Flu Season Remedies & Hydration with Dr. John Stutts
The holidays are coming soon and Dr. John Stutts joins the Mix to give advice during the cold, cough, and flu season. Dr. Stutts has been a practicing physician for three decades and is the pediatric medical director at Abbott, a global healthcare company. For more information visit pedialyte.com
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00 - Well, the holidays are coming up
00:01 and so is the cold and flu season.
00:04 - Yup, I know.
00:05 Dr. John Stutz, Pediatric Medical Director at Abbott
00:08 is here to give us advice to help us stay healthy
00:11 during the cold, cough and flu season.
00:13 - Hello everyone.
00:17 My name is Dr. John Stutz.
00:19 I'm a Pediatric Gastroenterologist
00:22 and the Pediatric Medical Director at Abbott.
00:25 And I'm here today to speak with you
00:28 about cold and flu season and what we can do to get ready
00:32 so we are as healthy as possible
00:35 during that time of the year.
00:38 One question that I'm commonly asked is,
00:41 does cold weather really make you sick?
00:44 Are you more prone to getting sick
00:46 during the cold weather months?
00:48 And really the answer is yes, for a couple of reasons.
00:53 One is our immune system is often really not
00:57 as effective at colder temperatures.
01:00 And the other is that in those colder temperatures,
01:03 family and friends gather inside together.
01:07 So that great time of togetherness
01:10 is really unfortunately an opportunity
01:12 for those germs to be shared and can lead to illness.
01:17 So with that, what can we do to prevent getting sick?
01:22 Well, I cannot stress enough the power of prevention.
01:27 And so I'll give you four tips for decreasing your chances
01:31 of getting sick and preventing illness.
01:34 Number one, washing your hands
01:36 with soap and water frequently.
01:39 Number two, keeping your hands away from your mouth,
01:44 your nose, your eyes, because those are ways
01:47 in which germs can enter our bodies.
01:49 Number three is sanitizing surfaces,
01:53 both within the home, maybe at work.
01:56 That can help decrease chances of getting sick.
01:58 And fourth, and maybe most importantly,
02:00 really talking with loved ones, like your kids,
02:03 about how to wash their hands properly
02:06 and help prevent them from getting sick.
02:08 Because if they get sick, who's next?
02:11 You and the entire household, right?
02:15 So how do we prepare?
02:16 How do we prepare for a cold and flu season?
02:19 Well, think back to when your kids last got sick
02:22 or a loved one got sick.
02:23 It's always at the most inopportune time.
02:26 It's the middle of the night, early morning hours,
02:28 or maybe the day before you leave on vacation.
02:32 So now is the time to get those sick day essentials.
02:36 So those hand sanitizers, fever reducers,
02:40 tissues, thermometers, COVID self-tests,
02:44 like BinaxNOW and electrolyte solution like Pedialyte.
02:49 So everyone knows hydration is important,
02:52 but hydration is vital when we are ill.
02:57 Well, fever, vomiting, diarrhea,
03:00 they not only deplete our bodies of fluids,
03:03 but they also deplete us of electrolytes
03:07 that are really important for getting better
03:10 from our illness and feeling better fast.
03:13 And what you hydrate, rehydrate with really matters.
03:17 Water's great, but it really is not enough.
03:21 What we rehydrate with, we want it to have electrolytes
03:24 like sodium, chloride, and potassium.
03:27 And that's why I recommend Pedialyte to my patients
03:31 because it's scientifically formulated
03:34 with not only the fluids,
03:36 but also those three main electrolytes
03:39 that we lose during times of illness.
03:41 My personal favorite is the Pedialyte Advanced Care Plus.
03:46 It comes in the ready to drink.
03:48 It also comes in the powder sticks.
03:51 And for children, we have the Pedialyte Freezer Pops.
03:56 And they're very soothing to a sore throat.
04:00 And kids think they're getting a treat,
04:02 but what you're really accomplishing
04:04 is getting those fluids and electrolytes in them
04:07 that they need when they are sick
04:09 and to help get them feeling better more quickly.
04:13 The other thing I'll say, let's face it,
04:15 they're not just for kids.
04:17 It's okay to have those on hand for yourself as an adult.
04:21 If they're soothing for a kid's throat,
04:23 I know that they're soothing for my throat as well.
04:28 What about signs of dehydration?
04:29 How do you know if a child is dehydrated or not?
04:32 That can be tough,
04:33 and that varies from one individual to the next.
04:37 But young kids that can't vocalize very well,
04:40 look for signs such as irritability, fatigue,
04:45 or ask about a headache.
04:47 And if those are present,
04:50 then it may be time to do a hydration check
04:53 and ask when's the last time there was something
04:56 that was had drinking-wise?
04:59 Or when's the last time that there was something to eat?
05:03 And when's the last time
05:04 that your child went to the bathroom?
05:06 Because decreased urination,
05:09 it's a telltale sign of dehydration.
05:12 So I hope that everyone has a very happy
05:16 and healthy holiday season.
05:19 And don't forget the power of prevention.
05:23 And for more information, visit Pedialyte.com.
05:27 (silence)
05:30 (silence)
05:32 (silence)
05:34 (silence)
05:36 (silence)
05:38 [BLANK_AUDIO]