The Record Special Sections Health Quarterly 04-26-2020 | Page 14
14 ❚ SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 ❚ THE RECORD
Being Well
HEALTH QUARTERLY / ADVERTISING SECTION
Keep Immune System Strong to Fight Viral Infection
F
or years, Dr. Ahmad Garrett-Price
has been counseling patients about
the need to keep their immune sys-
tems strong, emphasizing exercise,
nutrition and sleep.
As the COVID-19 pandemic toll continues
to grow, the advice is even more relevant.
“We don’t have a proven vaccine, and
we don’t have proven treatments,” said
Garrett-Price, a family practice physician
with Baylor Scott & White Health System in
Dallas. “So, our immune system is our first
line of defense.”
Although a strong immune system is
helpful, he and other health experts stress
the guidelines in place to battle the coro-
navirus’s spread remain crucial: social dis-
tancing, frequent hand-washing, avoiding
touching your face with unwashed hands,
and staying at home as much as possible
to avoid getting COVID-19 in the first place.
“But this is a viral infection, a much
stronger viral infection than many other
viruses,” said Marie-Pierre St-Onge, associ-
ate professor of nutritional medicine and
director of the Sleep Center of Excellence
at Columbia University Irving Medical Center
in New York City. “If your immune system
is strong, you’re better equipped to fight
those infections, and the likelihood of hav-
ing a milder case and recovering is better.”
Dr. Garrett-Price calls his approach “life-
style-centered medicine that really keeps
you in the preventive mode.” It starts with
exercise, which in addition to cardiovascu-
lar benefits can contribute to good mental
health and reduce stress — all important
during this time of COVID-19.
“Exercise has anti-inflammatory benefits
and promotes cellular repair, cell produc-
tion and producing immune cells that help
you fight off disease,” he said.
In a study of 1,002 adults published in
the British Journal of Sports Medicine in
2011, people who exercised at least five
times a week cut their risk of colds by
nearly half compared to people who were
largely sedentary. Many of those who did
get sick had less severe symptoms.
“You may need to exercise in a more
socially responsible manner, in your home
or garage or backyard,” Dr. Garrett-Price
said. “But it’s great to get that heart rate up.”
Eating right is no less important given
that about 70 percent of the immune sys-
tem is housed in the gut. “We want to drive
home the concept of food as medicine,”
Dr. Garrett-Price said.
The healthy foods on his list may
sound familiar but are worth repeating:
green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, nuts,
berries, fish, whole grains, foods rich
in vitamins A, C and E — and don’t forget
the garlic.
“Putting good food in your body bene-
fits your overall immune system,” he said.
So does giving your body enough rest.
St-Onge, who has conducted extensive
research into the links between sleep
and health, said studies show “people who
have adequate sleep have a much stron-
ger immune system than those who have
poorer sleep.”
She pointed to a 2015 study in the
journal Sleep in which 164 healthy volun-
teers were given nasal drops containing
rhinovirus, or the common cold, and
sequestered in a hotel. Those who slept
less than five hours per night had 4.5 times
the odds of developing a cold than those
who slept more than seven hours.
St-Onge said the current swirl of stress-
ful news about the pandemic might make
it harder to get a good night’s sleep. She
suggests relaxing activities before bed to
ease the stress, with one particular recom-
mendation.
Asthma Is a Serious, But
Manageable Lung Disease
M
ore than 25 million Americans
suffer from asthma, according to
the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention’s National Health
Interview Survey. This chronic condition
is so common that even if you don’t have
it yourself, you probably know someone
— a friend, colleague or child — who does.
Health care providers and patients have
many tools for managing asthma, but keep-
ing the disease under control can still be
challenging.
Asthma symptoms result from inflam-
mation, or swelling, that narrows the air-
ways and makes them more sensitive than
usual. The most common symptoms are
coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and
shortness of breath. These symptoms can
be brought on by triggers such as tobacco
smoke, dust, chemicals and pollen, which
may worsen the inflammation of the airways.
Consider these three things to know about
the condition from the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute’s Learn More
Breathe Better program, which provides
information and resources on asthma,
COPD and other lung diseases and condi-
tions to people living with the diseases, their
caregivers and the health care providers
who help treat them.
Asthma is a serious lung disease.
While symptoms can range from mild to
severe, a person can die during an asthma
attack. It’s important for someone with
the condition, as well as his or her family
members, to know how to manage particu-
lar symptoms and when to get emergency
medical help.
Asthma doesn’t go away, and it can’t
be cured. Once a person develops asthma,
he or she is likely to have it for a lifetime.
In other words, children rarely outgrow
asthma. Even when symptoms aren’t
present, the condition is still there and can
“Shut the TV off a couple hours early
and don’t listen to the latest statistics,” she
said. “Enjoy your loved ones … and go to
bed with a sound mind.”
One silver lining in the current crisis
might be that people staying at home don’t
have to commute to work. “So maybe take
that time to wake up a little later,” she said.
Dr. Garrett-Price sees another possible
health benefit down the road.
“We’ve always known we were supposed
to wash our hands to prevent the spread of
germs,” he said. “But now we really know
it can prevent a potentially fatal disease.
I think that whenever we get on the other
side of this, we’ll have a more health-con-
scious society.”
Editor’s note: Because of the rapidly
evolving events surrounding the coronavi-
rus, the facts and advice presented in this
story may have changed since publication.
Visit Heart.org for the latest coverage, and
check with the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and local health officials for
the most recent guidance.
If you have questions or comments
about this story, email [email protected].
— Provided by the American
Heart Association News
PHOTO COURTESY
OF GETTY IMAGES
Managing
asthma means
working closely
with a health care
provider, taking
medications
as prescribed
and avoiding
asthma triggers.
flare up at any time.
Asthma can be managed. Like diabe-
tes and high blood pressure, asthma takes
ongoing monitoring and management to
keep it under control. Managing the disease
effectively means working closely with
a health care provider, taking medications
as prescribed, avoiding asthma triggers –
like exposure to allergens, poor air quality
or tobacco smoke – and watching for any
changes in symptoms. These steps can
help anyone with
asthma gain – and
keep – control of
his or her health.
Currently, it is unknown if people with
asthma are at higher risk of getting infect-
ed with COVID-19, but if you do get infected
you may be at higher risk of getting very
sick. COVID-19 can affect your respiratory
tract (nose, throat, lungs), cause an asthma
attack and possibly lead to pneumonia and
acute respiratory disease.
For more information and resources on
asthma, visit nhlbi.nih.gov/BreatheBetter.
— Provided by Family Features