Cellular power outage

October 27, 2017

Scientists are discovering pathways for proteins that lead defective proteins to the mitochondria for quality control

Quality control for defective proteins: Failure of ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) for the clearance of ribosome-blocked proteins destined for the mitochondria leads to accumulation of toxic aggregates and mitochondrial toxicity.

© MPI f. Biochemistry/ M. Krause

A common feature of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or Huntington's disease are deposits of aggregated proteins in the patient's cells that cause damage to cellular functions. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich report that, even in normal cells, aberrant aggregation-prone proteins are continually produced due to partial failure of the respiratory system. Unless they are removed by degradation, aggregates accumulate preferentially in the mitochondria, the cellular power plants, ultimately blocking energy production. In order to get rid of these toxic aggregates, cells have developed an elaborate protein quality control system.

Misfolded proteins made from defective blueprints are often sticky and clump together. Accumulation of such faulty proteins is known to contribute to the progression of several diseases. Therefore, cells have internal quality control mechanisms that detect and rapidly destroy faulty proteins. Proteins are produced by ribosomes, and misfolding can occur if they stall while decoding a damaged template. If the necessary ribosome-associated quality control machinery (RQC) does not function properly, defective proteins accumulate and form toxic aggregates in the cytoplasm of the cells. A previous study reported that this aggregation mechanism is mediated by so-called CAT-tails – C-terminal alanine-threonine sequences that are added to the defective proteins. So far, studies have focused on how the RQC recognizes and clears blocked ribosomes in the cytosol. The collaborating groups at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry and the university have now investigated the clearance of ribosome-blocked proteins destined for the mitochondria.

Mitochondria are the cell’s power plants, converting the energy from nutrients into ATP. ATP is the universal “energy carrier” and is essential for all processes in living cells. Damage to the mitochondria thus has fatal consequences for cells. Their dysfunction not only plays a role in the development of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, but also in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or Huntington's disease. "This is why the mitochondria are also referred to as the 'Achilles' heel' of the cell," says Walter Neupert from the Department of Cell Biology at the Biomedical Center of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität. Neupert and his team have been studying mitochondria for a long time. They discovered that even normal, unstressed cells continually produce faulty proteins under respiratory conditions. Apparently, a side reaction in the respiratory system in the mitochondria causes them to steadily release reactive oxygen species that can damage DNA, RNA and proteins. To determine how aggregates can arise in mitochondria and cause damage to cells, they cooperated with the team led by F.-Ulrich Hartl at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry. Hartl has been investigating protein aggregates, a cellular cause of neurodegenerative diseases, for many years.

Faulty proteins inside mitochondria

“CAT-tailed proteins have a particularly toxic effect on mitochondrial function. Once CAT-tailed proteins are imported into the mitochondria, they form aggregates that may act as a seed, and ultimately bind proteins free of defects that have vital roles for the cell” explains Toshiaki Izawa, first author of the study, together with Sae-Hun Park. Among the latter are the mitochondrial chaperones and proteases, which – once clumped – can no longer efficiently perform their normal function of repairing the damaged proteins and eliminating faulty proteins. A vicious cycle begins, and eventually such aggregates can damage the molecular power plants and shut down ATP production.

The mitoRQC pathway

“The elimination by the degradation machinery in the cytoplasm of mitochondrial proteins that have been marked as faulty by the attachment of CAT-tails is tricky. The synthesis of these proteins in the cytosol is tightly coupled to their import into the mitochondria. Therefore, cells have developed another strategy to get rid of faulty mitochondrial proteins and maintain cellular homeostasis”, says Park. “We identified the cytosolic protein Vms1 as a key component of a novel pathway termed mitoRQC that protects mitochondria from the toxic effects of such aberrant proteins”, explain the authors of the study.  Vms1 suppresses these toxic effects by reducing CAT-tailing of ribosome-stalled polypeptides, thereby preventing aggregation and directing aberrant polypeptides to intra-mitochondrial quality control systems. “Our results suggest a way in which mitochondrial toxicity may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. These findings provide important novel insights into the mechanisms of cellular protein quality control as well as disease progression” Hartl concludes. 

https://www.mpg.de/11681317/cellular-power-outage?filter_order=L&research_topic=

SaveSave

How does Parkinson's disease influence depression?

October 27, 2017  By Lana Burgess

Parkinson's disease is a condition affecting nerve cells in the brain, which then impacts the way a person moves. But how is Parkinson's disease linked to depression?

50 percent of people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease may experience depression which is a mood disorder.

A person diagnosed with Parkinson's disease may have trouble moving. Parts of their body may start shaking, their body and muscles may feel stiff, and they may move more slowly than usual. 

In addition to the physical symptoms that characterize the condition, people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease may also experience depression.

Contents of this article:

1. How are Parkinson's and depression related?
2. Brain chemistry in Parkinson's disease
3. What the research says
4. What are the symptoms?
5. Diagnosis
6. How is it managed and treated?
7. Takeaway

Fast facts:

• Feeling depressed is more serious and long-term than just feeling sad.
• Experiencing depression could be an early indicator of Parkinson's disease.
• Depression is a symptom of Parkinson's disease, just like tremors are.
• Treatments include anti-depressants and counseling.

How are Parkinson's and depression related?

It is normal for a person to feel sad when they have been diagnosed with a serious condition such as Parkinson's disease. But feeling this way does not necessarily mean a person is depressed. 

Depression is a mood disorder that can affect a person's ability to carry out daily activities and about 50 percent of people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease experience depression. This is thought to be distinct from feeling sad about their diagnosis.

Depression is considered to be a symptom of Parkinson's disease in the same way as involuntary shaking. Both are caused by changes in the brain chemistry.

Research by the National Parkinson Foundation compared the impact of mood, depression, and anxiety with that of the physical symptoms of Parkinson's disease. 

It found psychological symptoms of the condition might have more of a negative impact on a person's overall health than physical ones. 

Brain chemistry in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is caused by a lack of dopamine production in the pars compacta region of the brain.

Dopamine helps to regulate the way a person moves. Reduced dopamine leads to the physical symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Reduced levels of serotonin can affect a person's mood and may cause them to experience depression.

What the research says

A person may experience depression before any of the physical symptoms of Parkinson's disease. 

A 2013 study found that people diagnosed with depression were 3.24 times more likely to go on to develop Parkinson's disease. 

A further study in 2015 determined that depression might be an early symptom of Parkinson's disease or a factor that increases the risk of developing the condition.

Scientists at The Michael J. Fox Foundation believe that decreased levels of serotonin in the brains of people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease cause depression. The research to prove this link is ongoing.

What are the symptoms?

The physical symptoms of Parkinson's disease include:

• uncontrollable shaking (tremors) in parts of the body
• stiffness in the body and muscles
• moving more slowly than usual
• trouble balancing

People diagnosed with Parkinson's disease may also experience depression and anxiety. 

Symptoms of depression include:

• ongoing sadness lasting for more than 2 weeks
• feeling hopeless or like everything is pointless
• feeling guilty, self-critical, or worthless
• not enjoying activities that were once pleasurable
• crying for no reason
• trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
• finding it very hard to get up in the morning
• eating too much or too little
• feeling very tired and lacking in energy
• thinking about death, disability, or self-harm
• feeling less able to do daily tasks, such as showering or doing housework

Symptoms of anxiety include:

• persistent worrying
• feeling restless
• feeling a sense of dread
• trouble concentrating

Diagnosis

As it is common for a person with Parkinson's disease to experience depression, their doctor will often ask questions about this when discussing their condition.

If a person with Parkinson's disease experiences symptoms of depression, and their doctor has not already asked about it, they should raise it themselves. A person might feel like signs of depression are a sign of weakness, but this is not the case. 

Even so, a person may find it difficult to talk about changes in mood with their doctor. If this is the case, they may find it helps to bring a close friend or family member to appointments to talk about it for them.

Discussing both the physical and psychological symptoms of Parkinson's disease with the doctor is essential so they can prescribe the right treatment.

How is it managed and treated?

The following treatments may help people with Parkinson's disease manage depression:

• antidepressant medication
• exercise
• counseling

A 2012 study found two types of antidepressants were effective in reducing the symptoms of depression in people with Parkinson's disease. These were:

• selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
• serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)

There are different brands of these antidepressant types available. A doctor can prescribe these. Also, the following strategies can help a person manage depression:

• planning small goals that can be achieved each day
• seeing friends and family, or speaking on the phone
• trying to keep up leisure activities
• reading about depression and trying to talk to close friends or family about it

Takeaway

It is common for a person diagnosed with Parkinson's disease to experience symptoms of depression. 

Depression can have just as much of an impact on a person's life as the physical symptoms of Parkinson's disease. It is a psychological symptom of the condition that doctors believe is caused by changes in the brain's chemistry.

Fortunately, there are treatments available that may help people with Parkinson's disease manage depression. For this reason, it is crucial for a person with Parkinson's disease to discuss any symptoms of depression with their doctor.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319831.php?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-us

Allen Institute Shares First Open Database of Live Human Brain Cells

NEUROSCIENCE NEWS   OCTOBER 26, 2017

Summary: Researchers from Allen Institute have released a publicly available database of live human brain cells. The data is comprised of samples taken from neurosurgery patients and includes over 300 living cortical neurons of different types.

Source: Allen Institute for Brain Science.

The Allen Institute for Brain Science has added the first data from human nerve cells to the Allen Cell Types Database: a publicly available tool for researchers to explore and understand the building blocks of the human brain. NeuroscienceNews.com image is adapted from the Allen Institute for Brain Science video.

The Allen Institute for Brain Science has added the first data from human nerve cells to the Allen Cell Types Database: a publicly available tool for researchers to explore and understand the building blocks of the human brain. This first release includes electrical properties from approximately 300 living cortical neurons of different types derived from 36 patients, with accompanying 3D reconstructions of their shape or anatomy for 100 cells, and computer models simulating the electrical behavior of these neurons. The database will also contain gene expression profiles, based on measurements of all genes used by 16,000 individual cells, from three adult human brains. Data from these human cells provide an unparalleled window into the intricate components, circuitry and function of the human neocortex, including features that make our brains unique. The Allen Cell Types Database is freely available at http://celltypes.brain-map.org.

“Our goal is to truly understand how the human brain works, not just the brains of mice or other animals that most brain scientists study. There is no better way to do that than to directly examine live cells of the human cortex,” says Christof Koch, Ph.D., Chief Scientist and President of the Allen Institute for Brain Science. “The human brain is the most complex piece of highly organized and active matter in the universe, and it is critical to understand its building blocks if we ever hope to comprehend how it works as a whole.”

“For the first time, we’re taking a systematic and open access approach to understanding the human cortex by studying the anatomy and electrical activity of individual cells in living slices of human brain,” says Ed Lein, Ph.D., Investigator at the Allen Institute for Brain Science. “Our goal is to understand the detailed organization of the human cortex, the outer layer of neurons that mediates our perception, memory, thoughts and consciousness, by reducing its complexity to a smaller number of component cell types, which we can define based on their function, anatomy, connectivity and gene usage. These data also let us ask what is unique or specialized about human brain, and what goes wrong in human-specific diseases.”

“The addition of data from live human cells to the Allen Cell Types Database is a watershed moment in the development of this unique resource,” says David J. Anderson, Ph.D., Seymour Benzer Professor of Biology, and Director of the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience at the California Institute of Technology and Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. “The generation of such high-quality human neuronal data, at this large scale is unprecedented. It will have a major impact on researchers and labs all around the world seeking to understand the fundamental components of the human brain that endow it with its unique properties.”

Gathering this data is made possible through collaborations with Seattle-area neurosurgeons Jeffrey Ojemann, M.D., Andrew Ko, M.D., Ryder Gwinn, M.D. and Charles Cobbs, M.D. When patients require surgery for conditions like epilepsy or brain tumors, surgeons often need to remove a small piece of cortical tissue to reach the surgical target. This tissue is typically treated as medical waste and destroyed. Allen Institute scientists rapidly transport this tissue back to the lab, where they can study the shape and behavior of live human brain cells.

“Throughout the UW School of Medicine, we aim for a better understanding of the human body and human brain, and our collaboration with the Allen Institute has been a very natural one,” says Jeffrey G. Ojemann, M.D., Vice Chairman and Professor of Neurological Surgery at UW Medicine. “Their approach of thinking big and using high-throughput, large-scale methods has made them an exciting partner in our shared mission of understanding the brain. We will undoubtedly learn about many different diseases and disorders as we pursue this fundamental question of cell types in the brain.”

Working with human tissue has revealed its remarkable viability. Once transported to the lab, the tissue can be studied for a much longer time than tissue derived from the laboratory mouse, the most common animal model in the biomedical sciences.

“In the four years we have been conducting these experiments, we have found it is possible to work with the human brain tissue far longer than previously reported in the literature,” says Jonathan Ting, Ph.D., Assistant Investigator at the Allen Institute for Brain Science. “One of our hopes is that by pursuing work on living human brain cell types at a large scale, and by sharing our data publicly, we can inspire others in the scientific community to shift their own work toward human surgical tissue, in order to more directly address many of the scientific questions in the neuroscience field.”

https://youtu.be/wQ9EIow7STI

By examining human brain cells in parallel to those of the mouse, the most common model organism in biomedical research, this resource also allows comparison between species. While many general features of cellular structure and function are similar, the details can differ. For example, the shapes of human neurons are much larger and more complex, while the usage of many genes changes across species. 

“We are beginning to find that certain types of neuronal and non-neuronal cells have very different properties in mouse and human,” says Lein. “If we want to understand the specifics of human brain function in health and disease it is essential to study the human brain itself.”

ABOUT THIS NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH ARTICLE

This data release also includes additional updates to existing resources, including updated reference atlases and annotations, new data sets in the Allen Mouse Brain Connectivity Atlas, and a prototype software package for building and simulating computational models of neurons and neural circuits, including the human neurons described here. Community feedback is welcome on this initial test release, which can be viewed at https://github.com/AllenInstitute/bmtk.

Funding: The Allen Institute recently received nearly $100 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, including nearly $34 million to lead a collaboration to further this work in studying and characterizing cell types in human tissue, and create a community resource for sharing the data.

Source: Allen Institute for Brain Science

Publisher: Organized by NeuroscienceNews.com.

Video Source: Video credited to Allen Institute.

Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is adapted from the Allen Institute for Brain Science video.

http://neurosciencenews.com/live-brain-cell-database-7821/

5 Tips in Caregiving: When a Loved One Refuses Care

By Maria.Deleon—October 26, 2017 

These are some of the biggest challenges I have faced as a doctor and caregiver, so I thought perhaps these pearls would help with the frustration many of us struggle with on a daily basis. It can be exhausting caring for someone, especially long-term. It can be even worse if the person you are trying to help refuses any type of care from medical treatment to assistance in the home despite obvious challenges.

What is the answer?

Keep your wits about you

This is hard to do especially when you’re emotionally exhausted; especially for those of us who try to juggle family, work, and even own illness. Getting mad, blaming others, or making the patient feel guilty will not ameliorate the situation. Don’t take things personally! If you feel like emotions are running rampant – walk away to cool down. Then discuss the problem calmly.

Ask the reason

I have learned that most times there is a very logical explanation for the irrational behavior and refusal of care. These typically arise from fear of illness, losing independence, financial trepidation, or uncertainty of future. At first glance, the patient’s fears may seem unfounded. But, unless deemed incompetent to make their own decisions by a judge, each person has a right to refuse care. The key is to listen carefully to patient’s wishes. Our job is to put align their decisions with their expectation. Do they mesh? For instance, they want to remain independent, but are falling all the time and refuse therapy and/or medications. The first is incompatible with the second. 

Give options

Ask them to help come up with a solution. In a patient who is falling, ask what they think can be done to prevent falling? Do they want to learn to walk safely, be in a wheelchair, or end up in the hospital with a broken hip? But, highlight the positives; if you can walk without falling you can continue living alone rather than a nursing home. 

In making safe decisions focus on their strengths

We not only want to provide care but we want to keep them safe and allow them dignity and choice in their life journey. Focus on things they are good at or love doing. Stress that by accepting care or treatment they might live pain-free, enjoy their life more, and be able to do those things which they love. For instance, if a patient loves to bake but is unable to do so because of tremors, then say that medications will help them bake again. (Rather than focusing on possible side effects). 

Don’t go at it alone

This is the fastest way to getting burned out. Feel free to delegate duties to other siblings, family members, and nurse aids to help ease the burden as a caregiver but also for the patient. Get social workers, financial planners, and counselors as well so that you and your loved one can enjoy quality time. Despite the fact that it was very stressful caring for my grandmother and dad, the outside support allowed me time to enjoy the little things that really mattered.

https://parkinsonsdisease.net/caregiver/tips-caregiving-refuses-care/

Are you in a patient-style ‘rut’? How to talk so your doctor listens

PD IN PRACTICE  Author: Kathleen Kelley Reardon   26 October 2017

Kathleen Kelley Reardon, a preventive medicine expert – who also lives with Parkinson’s – explains why it’s important to know your individual patient style and assess whether you’re helping or hindering positive outcomes

Most of us can recall a time when we didn’t ask a doctor an important question, or when we rambled during an appointment instead of focusing on what mattered most to us. We may have failed to listen to a medical professional, or been anxious to get out of the office and put the whole thing behind us.

We are all creatures of habit, and that’s no less the case when we’re communicating as patients. Our styles or routines can hinder or help us get the medical care needed for ourselves, or someone else, especially if doctors are feeling pressured about time spent with each patient.

Most of us can recall a time when we didn’t ask a doctor an important question, or when we rambled during an appointment instead of focusing on what mattered most to us. We may have failed to listen to a medical professional, or been anxious to get out of the office and put the whole thing behind us.

We are all creatures of habit, and that’s no less the case when we’re communicating as patients. Our styles or routines can hinder or help us get the medical care needed for ourselves, or someone else, especially if doctors are feeling pressured about time spent with each patient.

What kind of patient are you?

As a researcher of doctor-patient communication, I’ve observed multiple patient styles over the years. Most of us employ a combination of the styles listed below.

Use your recollections to assess if your style inclinations are helping positive outcomes. If not, you may need to stretch your style, and experiment.

Doers act quickly. They’re results oriented. They detest what they perceive as wasting time with indecision. As with all patient styles, there are pros and cons to a tendency toward quick action. A lot of important information can be missed. On the positive side, this kind of patient is unlikely to let a warning sign go unexamined.

Detectives, by contrast, are data collectors. They use the internet to learn, talk with other patients who’ve been through the same illness, visit more than one doctor, and often decide upon a course of action only after their research is complete. They may come to an appointment with a list of questions.

Consenters place their health totally in the hands of doctors. They do what they’re told. They are “good patients”. They make overworked doctors smile. But they often suffer for it. Doctor-patient relationships are just that, relationships. They require the input of two people.

Loyal patients stay with doctors who might not be right for them, or their illness, because they don’t want to cause offense. I recently had a conversation with this type of patient. He told me his doctor doesn’t listen, seems not to know what medications he’s taking, doesn’t like questions, and has little time to make anything clear. “So why do you stick with him?” I asked. “That’s what I’m wondering,” he replied. “But I keep doing it.”

Deniers prefer to function as if the diagnosis never happened. Denial can be functional to a degree and at certain times. The Parkinson’s patient who visited me derived some benefit from early denial. She explained that right after diagnosis, believing she’d been misdiagnosed helped her sleep better. In time, however, she sought help and support.

Resistors fight their doctors about nearly everything or simply don’t follow their instructions. One of my doctors recently told me, “You’re the worst patient ever!” Then he smiled and added, “But I’d be just like you.” There are, however, degrees of resistance. Some are healthy. If you have questions before beginning a medication or have a history that might shed light on why you hesitate to take it, resistance can be productive until you get the answers needed.

Alarmists think every symptom means a fatal brain tumour or something equally horrific. They overreact and panic easily. They cry ‘wolf’ so often that even doctors tune them out. If you’ve been like this on occasion, don’t feel bad about it. Especially after having a serious illness, it’s not unusual to think a symptom might be a recurrence or sign of progression. A little alarm can get a denier to the doctor.

Troopers want to fight the good fight. They’re more inclined to underestimate their medical needs – to be strong in the face of adversity. This is admirable. When taken too far, though, these people don’t get good care. It’s great to be tough, just be sure you’re informed.

Thespians handle their illness as if living on stage. To them it is an unfolding drama in which they play the lead role. Everyone is part of the audience. Here, again, a little drama never hurt anyone. Just don’t let illness define you or be the subject of too many conversations. And be aware of the manner in which you describe symptoms to those who can help.

Procrastinators put off seeing doctors or having check-ups. It’s not that they’re being strong like troopers or engaged in denial, they just can’t seem to get around to taking care of their health. They think their lives are busier than those of other people or they can’t be bothered making mountains out of molehills when there are so many pressing issues in life.

Styles aren’t inherently good or bad. Stylistic ‘ruts’ should be avoided. If you’re stuck in one, try wiggling out. And, remember, it can be useful to discuss your style with your doctor. For example, “I tend to be alarmed easily. If you’d take a moment to explain why I shouldn’t be, that would help” or “I come from a long line of troopers. We underestimate medical issues. Am I doing that now?”.

Styles are learned. That means they can be unlearned or at least managed. If one isn’t working for you, do some tweaking. It can make a world of difference to your health.

This article is an edited version of a post that originally appeared on ‘Thrive Global’ and is published here with the permission of Kathleen Kelley Reardon.

Kathleen is professor emerita at the University of Southern California. After an young-onset Parkinson’s diagnosis, her interests turned from social science and non-fiction to painting, blogging at the ‘Huffington Post’ and writing fiction. She has developed a painting website for people with Parkinson’s at www.paintingdoc.com. Her first novel, ‘Shadow Campus’, is a mystery described by ‘Forbes’ as a “masterful” debut in which a main character deals with Parkinson’s – look out for the sequel next year. She also blogs at www.kathleenkelleyreardon.com.

‘Deniers’ prefer to function as if the diagnosis never happened 

Kathleen Kelley Reardon

http://parkinsonslife.eu/are-you-in-a-patient-style-rut-how-to-talk-parkinsons/

Free program for Parkinson's patients, caregivers

October 25, 2017

QUINCY, IL -- There is presently no cure for the estimated one million people in the United States with Parkinson's disease. There are, however, treatment options and those will be discussed during a free program hosted by Blessing Health System at two different times on Saturday, Nov. 18. 

Topics will include basic knowledge about Parkinson's disease and exercise therapy for treating Parkinson's disease, including LSVT BIG exercise program. 

The Parkinson's disease program will be offered from 9:30-10:30 a.m. and again from 11 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Nov. 18 at the Blessing Education Center, 5009 Oak St. The sessions are free but pre-registration for the session of your choice is requested by calling 877-411-2468 or going online to events.blessinghealth.org.

http://www.whig.com/20171025/free-program-for-parkinsons-patients-caregivers#

10 Tips on How to Stay Healthy Through Cold and Flu Season

OCTOBER 26, 2017 BY WENDY HENDERSON IN SOCIAL CLIPS.

It’s that time of year when everyone starts to get sick and pass around their cold and flu germs. Having a chronic illness means that your immune system is already compromised, which makes picking up other people’s winter illnesses harder to avoid.

However, you don’t have to lock yourself away until spring, just heed some basic advice on how to keep those nasty germs at bay.

1. Get a Flu Shot: This is the most important and one of the easiest things you can do to avoid getting the flu. (Source: WebMD)

2. Limit Your Alcohol Intake: Drinking alcohol interferes with your sleep, meaning you’ll sleep less and the sleep you get will be of a poorer quality. You are more likely to succumb to colds and flus if you’re tired. (Source: health.com)

3. Drink Tea with Lemon and Honey: Ditch the milk and sugar and add honey and lemon to your cup of tea instead. The steam from the tea stimulates the tiny hair follicles in the nose to flush out germs. Honey (particularly manuka honey) is antibacterial and lemons are high in vitamin C and help thin mucus. (Source: health.com)

4. Sanitize Your Workspace: Keeping your workspace as clean as possible will help keep germs at bay. Use disinfectant to deep clean anything that people handle a lot: elevator buttons, chair armrests, microwaves, fridges, remote controls, photocopier machine buttons, door handles, shared computer keyboards, etc. (Source: health.com)

5. Use Your Own Pens: Keep your own pens on you at all times. Then you won’t need to use shared pens at the bank, doctor’s office, or office reception. (Source: health.com)

6. Stop Biting Your Nails: Unless you  can guarantee that your nails are completely germ-free (which is unlikely no matter how often you wash your hands) then biting your nails is a sure-fire way for cold and flu germs to enter your body. (Source: prevention.com)

7. Wash Your Hands — A Lot!: The more you wash your hands, the less likely they are to harbor cold and flu germs. Aside from washing your hands after going to the bathroom, or before eating, you should also wash them after touching anything that lots of other people have touched. Carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer gel around with you if there are no washrooms. (Source: prevention.com)

8. Sweat More!: Work out at the gym, go for a run, or simply take a sauna — anything that makes you sweat. Sweating helps the body release toxins. (Source: health.com)

9. Look Out For Symptoms: Because you have a chronic disease, getting the flu is much more serious than the average person. Even a common cold or cough will affect you much worse than others. Be aware of early symptoms (sneezing, sore throat, aching muscles, headaches, slight fever) and act on them as soon as possible to minimize the effects. You can get more advice from your doctor. (Source: prevention.com)

10. Be as Healthy as Possible: Eat well, sleep well, avoid stress as much as possible and get plenty of exercise. Taking supplements such as vitamins C and D can help keep colds and flu at bay. The healthier you are in the first place, the less likely you are to catch winter colds and flu, or if you do catch them, you’ll be able to recover quicker. (Source: prevention.com)

###

Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2017/10/26/tips-how-stay-healthy-cold-flu-season/