Heart Healthy Tips
for
Cold and Flu Season
(ARA) - According to the National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in the
course of a year, Americans suffer one
billion colds. With statistics like that,
one might assume that most Americans know
how to treat their cold and flu symptoms.
However, a new national survey commissioned
by the makers of Coricidin (R) HBP, a line
of cold and flu medications specifically
formulated for people with high blood
pressure, shows that almost half (45
percent) of Americans complain that the cold
and flu aisle is by far the hardest place in
a store to find the products they need. This
confusion may lead to health trouble for
some of the 72 million Americans who suffer
from hypertension, since the use of
decongestants may raise blood pressure.
Over-the-counter remedies can help relieve
the symptoms of the common cold, but it’s
important to read labels carefully. On
average, most people (56 percent) say that
they spend more than five minutes looking at
the options in the cold and flu aisle before
deciding which medication to buy. This might
have something to do with the fact that many
don’t know about the ingredients in their
medications. Only one in eight (12 percent)
Americans say they can easily explain the
difference between an antihistamine and a
decongestant, compared to the 52 percent who
say they can articulate the difference
between regular and diet soda.
While many people may be likely to ask a
doctor or pharmacist for advice about
over-the-counter cold or flu medications,
they need to ask the right questions and
make it known if they have high blood
pressure.
The American Heart Association reminds
people with hypertension to be aware that
the use of decongestants may raise blood
pressure. Unlike many other cold and flu
medications, Coricidin HBP is the only cold
brand specially made so it won’t raise your
blood pressure because it does not contain a
decongestant.
As we prepare for the upcoming cold and flu
season, it’s important to equip your home
and your family with tools for boosting your
immune system. Lifestyle and diet decisions
have an impact on a person’s overall health
and their ability to fight off the cold and
flu.
“Anyone preparing for or living through cold
and flu season -- especially those with high
blood pressure -- needs to make healthy
lifestyle choices, including smart nutrition
and physical activity routines,” says
Rovenia Brock, Ph.D., nutritionist and
author of the national best-seller, “Dr.
Ro’s Ten Secrets To Livin’ Healthy”.
Dr. Ro recommends establishing a daily
physical activity routine to help maintain a
healthy heart. However, it’s critical to
ease into an exercise program and consult a
physician first. If you haven’t been
physically active in a while, you can start
off slow and work your way up to meeting
physical activity recommendations. Intense
physical activity, like shoveling snow,
should be avoided if you have not been
physically active lately.
Dr. Ro also counsels her patients to know
their numbers. Having regular doctor’s
appointments to monitor blood pressure will
help you and your doctor monitor your
hypertension program and make the necessary
adjustments to keep it under control.
For more information, visit
www.americanheart.org/hbp or the Coricidin
HBP Web site at www.CoricidinHBP.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Information from this article was taken from
the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (National Institutes of
Health) – Overview, Common Cold, Health &
Science Topics (last updated Sept. 27, 2006)
http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/healthscience/healthtopics/colds/overview.htm;
(last accessed on 9/12/07)
Coricidin is a registered trademark of
Schering Corporation.