4 • THE CAMBERWELL CITIZEN • ISSUE #14
IMMUNITY BOOST Stay healthy this cold and flu season with the help of Camberwell Junction’s health experts.
With cold and flu season well underway, and with the added threat of COVID-19, it’s important to look after your body’s natural defences. Common illnesses during the colder months include the common cold, the flu, bronchitis and now, COVID-19. Want to ward off winter bugs? There are several ways you can boost your immunity and stay healthy through winter and into spring.
GET A FLU SHOT One of the most effective things you can do is get a flu shot and if you’re over the age of 65, consider a winter COVID booster. The Australian Medical Association’s (AMA) advice is to keep current with all recommended vaccines, which prime your immune system to fight off infections before they take hold in your body. “Influenza remains a very serious illness, particularly for the vulnerable members of our community,” said AMA president Dr Omar Khorshid. “There were significant social distancing measures in place last year that not only helped keep COVID-19 at bay, they also meant that cases of influenza were down significantly from previous years. “A year with very little flu can often mean a reduced immunity in the community resulting in a big flu season the following year. “It’s, of course, critical too that Australians get out and do the right thing for their own health and for the health of the community, and strongly consider a flu vaccine in addition to their already excellent efforts in preparing and protecting themselves against COVID.”
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Early signs of the flu can include a cough, sore throat, sinusitis or fever. These symptoms can be very similar to those of COVID-19, so even if your symptoms are mild, it’s important to get tested to know what you’re dealing with. MyClinic Camberwell and Camberwell Junction Medical Centre offer flu vaccinations and COVID-19 boosters.
GIVE YOUR BODY TIME TO REST A healthy lifestyle including plenty of exercise and sleep and minimal stress is another form of defence against disease. While acute stress is part of life, chronic stress exposes your body to sustained higher levels of cortisol which can lead to inflammation. Prolonged stress can also decrease your levels of lymphocytes, the white blood cells that are like your immune system’s frontline soldiers. Research has also shown that sleep and immunity are bidirectionally linked, which means illness can affect the quality of your sleep and, in turn, your sleep can affect your immune function. Sleep also gives our body time to recover from and get all of the adaptive benefits from exercise. Too much exercise and not enough sleep can lead to exhaustion and an over-tired immune system.
LOOK AFTER YOUR GUT Just like a healthy lifestyle, diet can contribute to general health and therefore to a healthy immune system. “The role of our immune system is to protect our body from bacteria and viruses. Whilst there are many factors that can affect the functioning of our immune system, diet does
TOP: Dr Omar Khorshid, Australian Medical Association president BOTTOM: Nicole Rodda, accredited practising dietitian and nutritionist
