November 2017

THE LAST WORD
Gesundheit
It’s that time of year again. No, not
holiday season… it’s cold and flu
season. The saying goes “An ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
On this I will have to agree. As I sit here
tapping out this month’s column, I have
a cold. It’s been a week and I’m still
miserable. I began to wonder if I had the
flu and not a cold. How can I tell?
Abacus Animal Hospital
Here are the differences between a cold
and the flu: A cold begins with a runny
nose and a mild fever may develop. The
flu starts with a dry throat and nose and
a high fever develops. OK, enough with
the medical aspects.
There are many measures that can be
taken to prevent or lessen colds. Some
of the more common ones are wash
your hands, drink plenty of liquids, get
enough rest, eat healthy, exercise, and
if possible, stay away from sick people.
One less known is to sneeze or cough
into the crook of
your arm. The
reasoning is that
if you sneeze
or cough into your hands the chances
of spreading your illness are higher.
Another one is to use a vinyl purse or
one that is easy to wipe down. When
you’re out shopping, you don’t think
about where you put your purse. Wiping
your purse down with an alcohol wipe
can help prevent bringing germs home.
One of my favorite remedies when I’m
sick is good old-fashioned chicken soup.
When I began to feel ill, I immediately
made a huge pot of soup. The reason
soup is good when you have a cold is
the steam opens the nasal passages,
soothes a sore throat, and the vitamins
in the broth help fight the sickness.
It is considered proper cold etiquette to
say God bless you or Gesundheit when
by Barbara Negron
someone sneezes. Ever wonder
why?
According to merriam-webster.-
com,” Gesundheit was borrowed
from German, where it literally means
“health”; it was formed by a combination
of gesund (“healthy”) and -heit (“-
hood”).”
So, to say Gesundheit is to wish good
health, since the belief is that a sneeze
precedes an illness.
The general belief behind saying God
bless you was that, when you sneeze,
your soul would escape through your
nose and the devil would either enter
the body or take over the soul. So by
saying God bless you, it would thwart
the devils plan.
For more information on this flu season
and what can be expected,
visit cdc.gov/flu P
Abacus Animal Hospital
Abacus Animal Hospital is a one doctor
practice offering PERSONALIZED attention
and care for your pets
at our Clinic, your Home, or
Place of Business!
954-755-0055
10872 Wiles Road
between Coral Springs Dr. & Coral Ridge Rd.
www.abacusanimalhospital.com
Visit our website for
more information
& coupons.
20
Over
years in our
community
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Abacus Animal Hospital
15% OFF 1ST
APPT.
At our clinic
or house call
Coupon expires November 30, 2017.
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NOVEMBER 2017