SORE THROATS -- Believe it or not says Dr Richard T. Glass, chairman of the Department of Oral Pathology at the Oklahoma College of Medicine and Dentistry, your toothbrush may be perpetuating - or even causing - your sore throat. Bacteria collect on the bristles, and any injury to the gums while brushing injects these germs into your system. "As soon as you start feeling ill throw away your toothbrush. Often that is enough to stop the illness in it's tracks," he says, "If you do get sick replace your brush when you start to feel better. That prevents you from reinfecting yourself." From a preventative standpoint, he recommends you storing it outside the moist, bacteria-prone bathroom.
FYI -- Avoiding caffeinated and alcoholic beverages when you have a sinus infection can speed your recovery. These drinks are diuretics and can thicken nasal congestion.
COLD SEASON IS HERE! -- Consuming 2 mg to 3 mg of copper daily can increase your resistance to colds and infections. Eating more legumes, fish, shellfish, whole grains, Swiss chard, kale and potatoes will boost your intake.
