Cold & Flu Season is upon us
By Carla Slavey
Dr. Jaysie Smith, DO
Winter is the season for icy temperatures, and most people don’ t like to be outside when it’ s cold. But winter can also be the time for that other dreaded cold – the one that stuffs up your nose and keeps you coughing all night.
While cold weather may not actually cause a cold or the flu, it does seem to be the onset of the season that brings the bugs out force.
Dr. Jaysie Smith, a doctor of osteopathic medicine with Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital, said that it’ s an old wives’ tale that being out in the cold weather can cause the cold or the flu by itself.“ What we think may happen is your immune system may take a hit if you get too cold, and that may make you more susceptible. But really, it just happens to be the season that all of the viruses go around.”
That might be because cold weather drives people inside, placing them in more contact with other people and helping the viral diseases spread.
That also means cold and flu season coincides with the holidays, where families gather for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners to catch up with each other.
So what kind of measures can people take to try to prevent the spread of germs?
“ If you want to make sure you’ re able to get together with your family on the holidays, just make sure that you’ re washing your hands,” Dr. Smith said.
She also recommended staying away from people who are showing signs of being sick, such as coughing and sneezing.“ If for some reason someone is sick around the holidays, postpone your plans. That would be the safest thing, especially if you plan to be around someone who is elderly or any little kids, infants especially. You really don’ t want to put anyone at risk.”
Another step to avoid getting the flu, Smith said, is to simply get a flu vaccination.
“ We know that it prevents you from getting the flu, but also if you do get the flu it’ s going to shorten the duration of illness, and hopefully you don’ t get severe symptoms,” she said of the vaccination.
There may be a few symptoms after receiving a vaccination, she said.“ A lot of people will notice side effects from the vaccine, so you may have a low-grade fever, you may be achy, feel tired, just not yourself, but really that’ s your immune system ramping up. That means the vaccine’ s working.”
She added that there are misconceptions that the flu vaccine actually gives people the flu.“ It can’ t. One thing I think it’ s important for people to know is the flu vaccine takes about two weeks to be effective, because your immune system has to build up those antibodies. So people who have gotten the flu vaccine in the past and have maybe shortly afterward tested positive for the flu, they probably just weren’ t immune yet and they were exposed to it as more of a coincidence.”
Vaccines may help for the flu, but other illnesses such as a cold can’ t be waved away as easily.“ As far as all of the viruses going around, we don’ t have a vaccine for every single one. But just washing your hands in plain old soap and water is the best( prevention). You can use hand sanitizer if you have it, but nothing really replaces soap and water.”
Another way to stave off illness? Just taking care of oneself.
That means eating well and sleeping well, she said.
16 • SEKY- Southeast Kentucky Life December 2025