I’m a doctor — 5 weird but proven ways to avoid colds and reduce the ‘yuck load’

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

I’m a doctor — 5 weird but proven ways to avoid colds and reduce the ‘yuck load’

Board-certified family doctor Jessica Kiss,

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

, took to TikTok to share

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

that can prevent sickness this season.

Why does sickness surge when temperatures drop?

A TikTok doc shares her odd tips for avoiding sickness this season. Syda Productions – stock.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

.com

Jessica Kiss, aka Dr. Mom, has shared some surprising health hacks on TikTok. TikTok / @askdrmom

A

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

found that cold air weakens the body’s immune response, especially in the nose, which is one of the first sites of contact for respiratory viruses and an important part of the immune response.

The research established that reducing the temperature inside the nose by just 9 degrees Fahrenheit ****** nearly 50% of the billions of virus and bacteria-fighting cells in the nostrils.

To ****** back and prevent sickness before it starts, Kiss offered her “five really weird ways to prevent illness this fall and winter,” noting: “I know they sound weird, but they all make medical sense and are all backed by science.”

Clean your *******

A ******* scraper reduces “yuck load.” Getty Images

At the top of Kiss’s list of health recommendations? A thorough ******* cleaning. She explained that every time you brush your teeth, “You should be cleaning your *******, and I mean cleaning your *******, like, scrape it off.”

Kiss maintains that cleaning and specifically scraping the ******* reduces bacteria, what she calls the “yuck load,” thereby decreasing your chances of getting *****.

Copper ******* scrapers, in particular, contain antimicrobial properties. In addition to reducing your risk of sickness, using one can cancel out bad breath and even heighten your sense of taste.

Sip green tea

Green tea contains high levels of L-theanine, an amino acid that amplifies immunity. Getty Images

Kiss recommends that those looking to stave off sickness sip two to three cups of green tea every day.

“Green tea has been proven to boost your immune system,” she explained.

She maintains that in addition to tasting better,

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

While the jury is out on that claim, green tea does contain polyphenols and flavonoids 

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

.

Green tea also contains high levels of L-theanine, an amino acid that amplifies immunity. The brew is also rich in antioxidants like catechins, which help protect cells from damage caused by free *********, potentially reducing the risk of chronic *********.

Previous research has shown the myriad benefits of green tea, including reducing the risk of 

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

, curbing stress, and boosting overall mood.

Wash your hands when you get home

Touching your face or cooking before washing your hands is a surefire way for sickness to spread. Getty Images

Kiss recommends washing your hands as soon as you get home, suggesting that suds are even better than a fresh set of clothes when it comes to preventing illness. “Research shows really thoroughly washing your hands is better than changing your clothes when you get home because that is how the bacteria, viruses, all that stuff is going to enter your body.”

She notes that touching your face or cooking before washing your hands is a surefire way for sickness to spread.

Research shows

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

 is more effective than hand sanitizers at 

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

— which bugs can cling to and potentially feed on — and at ******** certain pathogens. Lathering up will help you ward off infectious ********* like the flu, COVID-19, and diarrheal *********.

Put a lid on it

Close the lid to limit exposure to bacteria. Getty Images

Kiss encourages everyone who uses the bathroom to close the lid to the ******* before they flush it.

“This reduces the phenomenon known as ******* plume…the backsplash of things that get aerosolized into the air when you flush the *******,” she warned.

If you’re using a public bathroom, she recommends facing away from the ******* bowl when flushing, “this is going to reduce your exposure to bacteria and viruses.”

Laugh your way to better immunity

Laughter might truly be the best medicine. Getty Images/iStockphoto

Looking for another reason to trade true ****** for a sitcom this evening?

According to Kiss, laughter really might be the best medicine of all: “We know that laughter decreases stress hormones, which increases your immune system and improves your overall response to stress.”

Kiss’s claims are backed up, or laugh-tracked if you will, by serious science.

According to the

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

, “Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can affect your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. By contrast, positive thoughts can release neuropeptides that help ****** stress and potentially more serious illnesses.”

The doctor’s tips can help you ward off illness. Getty Images

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#doctor #weird #proven #ways #avoid #colds #reduce #yuck #load

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up