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This Is Why You Always Get Sick At Christmas

Photo credit: Getty
Photo credit: Getty

From ELLE UK

It's a question as old as the story of baby Jesus himself: why, as soon as the halls are decked, do we always end up getting ill?

Whether it's the sniffles at your office party or a full blown bug on the actual day, sickness always seems to arrive at the worst possible part of your festive season and, if you're particularly unlucky, leave you suffering well into the New Year and beyond.

'The problem around Christmas time is that the weather is cold and wet and the days are shorter,' says Dr Dan Robertson, Medical Officer at Push Doctor, the UK's largest online video consultation service. 'This forces people to congregate indoors, while they're also more likely to use public transport rather than walking.'

'This provides cold and flu viruses with much better opportunities to spread between people.'

As if spending an increasing number of hours sat inside absorbing other people's germs wasn't bad enough, it turns out that it's actually the stress of the festive season that can tip you over the edge.

'Stress can certainly reduce your immune response, as can too much alcohol,' he adds.

It's not all bah humbug when it comes to our favourite ways to celebrate, though - because while overdoing the alcohol can leave your body's defences down, overindulging in festive food, to our pleasant surprise, doesn't have an awful influence as long as you're only doing it short term.

'Overeating will only really begin to affect your immune system if it happens on a regular basis,' Robertson explains. 'If you lead a generally healthy lifestyle, helping yourself to an extra mince pie at Christmas isn't going to have much of an impact.'

To give yourself the best chance of avoiding the Christmas lurgy, Robertson emphasises the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle for the rest of the year. 'A healthy diet and plenty of exercise really is key to a good immune response,' he notes.

However, if you've left it too late (and haven't we all), he still has a couple of realistic suggestions.

'Rather than fighting the symptoms, you're best off protecting yourself against the causes of colds and flu,' he says.

'Getting your shopping done early, when it's less busy, or even heading online, will mean you're less likely to spend lots of time in a crowded space where viruses can spread. You might also want to be careful about who you kiss under the mistletoe...'

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