Move over, COVID-19—in comes a wave of colds, flus, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which have flooded Minnesota’s hospitals and urgent care centers in what experts are calling a “tridemic.”
There have been over 3,000 hospitalizations due to influenza this year, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, which is almost three-and-a-half times the number of cases reported last year.
At the center of it all are the medical experts—especially pediatricians; family doctors; and ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists—that treat patients who report a range of symptoms from a low-grade fever, sore throat, and headaches, to stuffy noses, coughing, and fatigue.
“I have two kids in daycare, and it seems like I get mild cases of everything they bring home,” says Meghan McCoy, an ear, nose, and throat physician assistant at Hennepin Healthcare. “I like to think that working with sick patients for years has built up my immunity, but it doesn’t always feel that way.”
Just like everyone, local docs have their go-to remedies when sick. From Mom’s classic chicken noodle soup to old wives’ tales that really work, here’s what local docs have to say about what they do when they’re sick.
Prevention is key
The first step to treating illness is avoiding it in the first place.
“It’s nearly impossible to completely avoid it,” says Dr. Shannon Neale, a family medicine physician at HealthPartners and Park Nicollet, “but I try my best to protect myself.”
Dr. Neale starts every day by taking elderberry gummies—which are packed with antioxidants and vitamins that help boost her body’s immune system—and Vitamin D to help her body absorb calcium and promote good immune health, muscle function, and brain cell activity.
When she goes out to the grocery store, she always brings a mask so she can prepare for the inevitable person down the aisle who coughs and sneezes without covering their mouth and nose. She washes down her cart with a disinfecting wipe before using it, and lathers on hand sanitizer when she gets back to her car. When she gets home, she thoroughly washes her hands.
“I am careful because I know how diseases spread,” Dr. Neale says. “I’m careful, not to the extent that I’m careful in the clinic—I’m more careful in the clinic—but I’m just conscious of it when I’m out and about.”
Booster club
“Respiratory viruses are very transmissible,” says Dr. Cameron Berg of North Memorial Health Hospital, “and I live in a busy house with three little children. We always prepare for the season by ensuring our immunizations are up to date.”
“It’s inevitable, though, that we contract some of the viral pathogens that are circulating,” he says.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone aged six months and older receive a flu vaccine every year to prevent illness, hospitalization, and even death.
There are a number of benefits to vaxxing up every year. For people with heart disease, the flu vaccine is associated with lower rates of cardiac events, according to the CDC. For pregnant women, it can help protect the baby from the flu for several months after birth. And though you can still catch the flu even after receiving a flu vaccine, studies show it reduces the severity of illness.
The same goes for COVID-19. Current CDC recommendations say those aged five years and older should make an appointment for an updated booster if it has been at least two months since your last dose.
Though there isn’t an RSV vaccine (yet), medical professionals encourage prevention just as you would for any other illness: washing your hands, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when you feel sick.
When chicken soup won’t cut it
So, you caught a case of the sniffles. Don’t we all, at some point in time? As you walk through the grocery store looking for some kind of relief, you realize there’s an overwhelming number of options when it comes to cold and flu relief: DayQuil, NyQuil, Sudafed, Tylenol Cold and Flu, Mucinex, Afrin.
Most folks rely on the weird tricks their mom taught them: swish salt water when you first feel a sore throat coming on, or drink lots of orange juice. Is chicken soup really the Holy Grail of cold relief?
Maybe. But it certainly won’t stop your sniffles.
Dr. Neale tends to stray away from cold medicines, simply because they cause her unwanted side effects. When she takes NyQuil, she describes feeling “zonked” the next day.
Multiple local docs report using medications specifically to address the symptoms they’re struggling with, rather than as an all-encompassing cure. “We rely on simple, single-ingredient, generic options,” Dr. Berg says. For a stuffy nose? Some use Oxymetazoline or a fluticasone nasal spray. Allergies? Cetirizine. Fever or pain? Acetaminophen or ibuprofen. “We stick with these safe and trusted options,” he says.
To nasal spray… or not?
Local docs are split on the use of nasal sprays, such as Afrin (oxymetazoline), for temporary nasal congestion relief.
“These nasal sprays often work well for a day or two, but over time can become addictive and cause rebound congestion,” Dr. Berg says.
“I cannot sleep with a stuffy nose, so I will use Afrin,” Dr. Neale says, “because I do not want to take cold medicine that will just be systemically absorbed. But you have to be careful with Afrin because you can get addicted to it. So I just use it at nighttime, and I’ll do it for three to four days, and then I’ll stop. And that’s what I recommend for patients as well.”
At the ready, neti pot!
When Dr. McCoy gets a stuffy nose, she uses a sinus rinse. While it sounds pretty gnarly, sinus irrigation (using a device such as a squeeze bottle or a neti pot) rinses out the nose and sinuses of dirt, debris, and mucus.
“It is so satisfying to do and feels great when you’re sick,” Dr. McCoy says. “I also love that it’s just salt water so there is no risk of side effects.”
The power of sleep
A key sign that you’re feeling under the weather is the exhaustion: feeling like your legs are lead and your brain is mud. Getting enough sleep is critical even when your body is at its peak performance, but it’s essential to generating enough antibodies to fight off infection when you’re sick. While normally Dr. Neale is a real go-getter and struggles to slow down, she’s sure to listen to her body when it needs a rest.
“Your body actually heals itself while you’re sleeping,” Dr. Neale says. “Sleep is so important for our bodies to regenerate. So listen to your body. If you’re tired, sleep! Don’t go to work and infect everybody else and be sick for longer.”
Food as medicine
Local docs think of food as nutrients for your body, similar to arming your battalion for a fight. Dr. Neale finds she isn’t attracted to junk food when she’s sick. Instead, she reaches for food including soup, toast, yogurt, and porridge.
“That kind of homey stuff is what I’m attracted to when I don’t feel well,” she says.
The BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) may help settle an upset tummy. Nutrient-rich foods including broth and soups, or leafy greens such as broccoli, can help you regain energy without much prep time.
Most importantly, remember to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Your body loses water as a result of fever and congestion, so it’s important to replace lost liquids to help your body fight infection, and for you to ultimately feel better.