With coughs typically peaking the week after Christmas, Dr Sarah Jarvis offers her top tips to avoid spreading bugs and to limit your chance of catching a cough this festive season. Dr Sarah Jarvis says “Most people tend to think that the cold weather increases your chance of getting sick during the winter, however there are plenty of germs around at all times of year. Though temperatures may not have dropped to below freezing just yet, it’s certainly cold enough for us to have the central heating on – and the dry environment this creates can increase the spread of viruses. Add that to all the close contact we get from socialising over the Christmas period, and the fact that 23% of people confess to leaving snotty tissues everywhere when they’re ill, we can’t afford to ignore the simple measures that will protect us.”

 “DO remember the importance of good hygiene!” It’s not only snotty tissues that risk spreading germs; 27% of people also confess to not showering all day, despite being riddled with germs! Dr Sarah Jarvis comments, “It’s very easy to become lazy and unhygienic when you feel ill, but it’s important to try and stay clean to reduce the spread of germs and the risk of infecting others. If you’re feeling bunged up, then a hot shower will not only relax you, but it can actually help to unblock your sinuses and clear your airways” So there really is no excuse!

  • “DON’T use a handkerchief. Opt for a tissue, then throw it away and wash your hands again. Sneezing and coughing into a tissue isn’t only polite, it reduces the droplets surrounding the air and landing on surfaces, minimising the risk of infecting others.”
  • “DO remember to keep up hand-washing. Viruses spread via coughs, sneezes and hand contact. They can travel up to speeds of 90 miles an hour and can reach up to 30 feet away, so one cough can spread much further and quicker than you think! Make sure you wash hands frequently to reduce your risk of spreading germs. Wash hands especially before eating, during office hours and before you touch your face.”
  • “DON’T share things like food and cutlery if a family member has a cough or cold. If a child is sick, make sure you show them how to practice hand-washing. Viruses are most easily spread at home.”
  • “DO choose a tailored cough solution that targets the specific symptoms of your cough.” As Dr Sarah Jarvis explains, you should choose the right cough mixture to relieve the specific symptoms of your cough: “A dry cough, which tickles the throat, does not produce mucus and is usually as a result from an irritation in the throat, can be treated with a demulcent which helps by coating the throat.”

“A chesty cough is caused by an excessive amount of mucus in the chest - an expectorant cough mixture can be used to help loosen the phlegm and make it easier to cough up from the airways.”