Healthbeat by Deirdre Cox Baker

This information came to me this week via e-mail, and I believe folks thinking about influenza might find it helpful. Basically, it’s some common-sense advice about how to avoid viruses such as those posed by the H1N1 flu.

The source is Dr. Vinay Goyal, who practices in places such as Bombay Hospital and Hinduja Hospital, both in India. His original column was published here, the Web site for the Huntington (W. Va.) Arcade newspaper .

Goyal says viruses enter the body through the mouth and nose. Instead of using face masks or other devices, some very simple steps could be the best way to protect yourself. These include:

1. Frequent hand-washing (well-highlighted in all public communications).

2. “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine  if you don’t trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation.

In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected person. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventive method.

4. Similar to No. 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Not everybody may be good with Neti pots (used to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective at bringing down a viral population.

5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C. If you have to supplement with Vitamin C, make sure to also take zinc to boost absorption.

6. Drink as many warm liquids as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash proliferating viruses off the throat and into the stomach, where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.