Biohazard Cleanup Company Debunks Old Wives Tales About Cold and Flu

Biohazard cleanup companies handle a lot of complicated situations. From crime scenes to unattended deaths, our concern remains the same: to protect your family’s heath. From time to time, our blog also focuses on addressing matters of wellness. Our thoughts on health-related topics come from nearly 20 years of experience in preventing some of the biggest causes of sickness. Not every cleaning company has that kind of background.

We also recognize that everyone has their own thoughts about how to avoid getting sick. When you have a cold, a relative, friend, or co-worker may offer unsolicited advice on how to fix the ailment. While well meaning, many of their tips and tricks have no basis in medicine. Unfortunately, many long-believed remedies are nothing more than old wives tales. Some can even make you worse.

Today, we look at three at three of the most common tales, and examine whether or not these well-intentioned methods are helpful or harmful. Here are our top three:

Feed a cold, starve a fever.
The Truth: HALF RIGHT

If you’re stuffed up, you can get an immunity boost from healthy foods to help you battle your cold. But when your body temperature is elevated, your metabolism speeds up; you need energy to fight off the infection, but you burn through it all heating your body unnecessarily. It’s a catch-22 – and starving won’t help you shake what you have. Doctors advise eating well and, most importantly, hydrating, no matter what illness you’re suffering. To learn more about what foods help, check out this article by Prevention Magazine.

Cover your mouth when you sneeze or coffee
The Truth: FALSE

When you sneeze or cough, your first instinct may be to keep from spreading the germs. But think about it: we use our hands for everything, from opening doors to shaking hands. If you sneeze or cough into your hand, you can easily pass the cold on to another. To avoid transmitting viruses, sneeze into a tissue when possible, or cough into the inside of your elbow. It may not look as polite, but it’s safer for everyone.

The flu virus gives you a mild case of the flu
The Truth: False

People can develop side effects from the vaccine; symptoms can include muscle soreness, body aches, and low grade fevers. Similar side effects are seen with other types of vaccines as well. However, the vaccine itself uses a non-viable strain of the flu, which is biologically incapable of causing illness (recombinant versions of the vaccine also exist).

Aftermath Helps with the Hard Cases

No matter how healthy you are, from time to time, you will catch a cold. However, if your needs include decontaminating your home following the outbreak of something more serious, Aftermath is ready to help. Our offices are conveniently located nationwide, and teams of trained technicians are available 24/7 to see to your needs. If you have any questions, or would like to schedule a communicable disease cleanup or another form of biohazard cleaning, call us at 877-872-4339.