As the old adage goes, health is wealth.
With rising cases of both infectious diseases and medical conditions, it’s all the more important to keep our family’s wellbeing in check this new year.
We sat down with Nazatul Amira Hamzah from Primabumi Sdn Bhd to learn more about parents can do to kick off 2025 with a strong start, health-wise.
Nazatul is a qualified pharmacist with 10 years of experience in pharmacy practice involving both hospital and community settings.
She currently holds the position of Pharmacist and Key Account Manager at a renowned pharmaceutical company in Kuala Lumpur.
Here are some general but essential health tips from a pharmacist for the new year.
Question 1: My family has just returned to work and school after the Christmas holiday. What steps should we take so we can begin our new year in good health?
Start by setting health goals for your family and yourself.
Ask yourself questions on some important aspects of your lifestyle that can be improved.
The first is eating habits. Important questions to ask are:
- Is your family practising a healthy and balanced diet?
- How much sugar, salt and fat do you consume daily? What can you do to cut down on them?
- How can you increase the intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your meals?
The second one is physical health. Here are some areas you can look at:
- Does everyone in your family practise good sleeping and hygiene habits?
- Do you monitor your health regularly?
- Do you keep your immunisations up-to-date?
- If you or your family member has recently started a new treatment, how well are you getting along with it and are there any issues that you may need to discuss with your healthcare professional?
The next is regarding fitness. Some good topics to broach include:
- How frequently does your family engage in physical activities per week?
- Is there any new activity or fun sport that everyone in your family will be interested in exploring?
Last but not least is mental health.
- How does your family cope with stress at home, work and/or school?
- Have you been practising an open and active communication among your family members?
- Do you have any plans for activities that can help your family rewind and spend quality time together?
Question 2: Is it too early to start planning for health screenings?
Having a basic health checkup is a great idea to kick off your new year on the right foot.
Seek medical advice if any of your family members fall ill after they return from traveling or attending social events.
Your doctor will be able to assess the symptoms of respiratory infections such as influenza (the flu) and COVID-19.
Additionally, it’s good for the adults in your family to check their blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol levels.
These all can be done at any community pharmacy.
Question 3: Can you explain further about influenza and COVID-19 infections?
Influenza and COVID-19 are both highly contagious viral infections of the respiratory tract.
They can pass from person to person through droplets from the nose or throat of an infected person. Typically, through coughing and sneezing.
As many of us know by now, COVID-19 is caused by a type of coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, first detected on December 31, 2019.
On the other hand, influenza is often caused by influenza A or influenza B.
Influenza is more serious than the common cold and may cause an outbreak.
Most cases of influenza are reported during the winter, which is between December and February each year.
Question 4: How do I tell whether someone is suffering from influenza, COVID-19 or a common cold?
Most of the symptoms of influenza, COVID-19 or a common cold are similar, with slight differences.
Fever, dry cough, tiredness, and loss of taste or smell are the most common symptoms of COVID-19.
In contrast, on top of fever and cough, a person who has influenza will often have a runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat, and headaches.
Question 5: Do we need to take antibiotic if we catch influenza or COVID-19?
Antibiotics are only needed for infections caused by bacteria.
They do not work for diseases brought on by viruses such as influenza and COVID-19.
Depending on the severity of influenza or COVID-19, and other factors, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medicine to help clear the infection.
Question 6: How long does influenza and COVID-19 last?
Influenza usually lasts between a few days to 2 weeks.
On the other hand, most people recover from COVID-19 within 1 to 2 weeks.
However, in severe cases, symptoms may persist for 6 weeks or even longer.
Question 7: What are the precautionary measures to protect my family from getting influenza and
COVID-19 infections?
As advised by the World Health Organisation (WHO), physical distancing is the most essential.
Avoid the 3Cs: closed rooms, crowded spaces or close contact.
If you can’t avoid being in those spaces, protect yourself and others by wearing face masks.
If any of your family members feel unwell, remind them to stay at home and not go to work or school.
Ask them to perform self-testing if they develop a fever and/or cough.
It’s also important to adopt a healthy lifestyle by having a balanced diet, drinking enough fluids, getting good quality sleep, and avoiding cigarettes and alcohol.
Keep your immunity in tiptop condition through regular exercise and taking immunity boosters such as vitamin C and zinc.
Practise good hygiene at all times. Wash your hands and use hand sanitisers regularly.
Vaccination is the best way to guard against these infections.
Therefore, you have to ensure every person in your family gets their COVID-19 vaccine and yearly flu shots.
Question 8: I know there are many self-test kits available for COVID-19. Do pharmacies sell self-test kits for influenza too, or is the test only available at clinics?
Yes, there are a number of self-test kits available to check for influenza.
However, they’re less common than those for COVID-19.
Some self-test kits can detect all three, i.e. COVID-19, influenza A and influenza B.
Product options and availability may vary across different pharmacies.
Bear in mind that self-test kits are designed to make early detection of an infection affordable and convenient.
A PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test may still be required to confirm the diagnosis.
Question 9: The school holiday season is coming soon. I plan to bring my family on a vacation. Can you suggest what kinds of item or medicine I should bring along?
It’s always great to be well prepared. Here are some useful tips:
- face masks and hand sanitisers
- disinfectant sprays or wipes for disinfecting surfaces
- sunblock (if you’re spending time outdoors)
- mosquito/insect repellent (for forest or beach)
- paracetamol for fever or pain (aspirin or ibuprofen for those with paracetamol allergy)
- antihistamines (for allergies and runny noses)
- decongestant (for allergies and runny noses)
- diarrhoea medication
- medicine for abdominal pain/discomfort
- other medicines or health aids that your family members or yourself might need.
Check with your pharmacist which brands and dosages are best.
In addition, make sure all medicines are labelled properly and are not close to expiring.
Source: Nazatul Amira Hamzah, Pharmacist at Primabumi Sdn Bhd
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner.
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