Peachtree – At least four times each day, a patient directly asks Dr. Jillian Irwin about what they can do to make their body better suited to fight off viruses like COVID-19, and it’s always in the background of her appointments.
“In order to prevent getting very sick from COVID,” said Irwin, a primary care physician for Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital, “there are certainly things you can do.”
And she said results can be seen within a week.
The answer is what she called the foundations of good health – managing what you’re putting in your body, getting enough physical exercise and staying socially connected.
However, having a healthier lifestyle doesn’t mean people should ignore the other preventative measures being taken to limit the spread of the virus, Irwin said. People should continue wearing masks and get the vaccine when it’s their turn, Irwin said.
Some common high-risk factors for COVID – obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes – can be affected by managing what’s being put in your body.
“These are the big things people are dying of in the community,” Irwin said.
People should eat healthy foods, take medicine as prescribed and avoid smoking, drinking alcohol and recreational drug use. In Cherokee County, Irwin said 34 percent of cancer deaths are due to lung cancer, and 80 percent of lung cancer is due to smoking.
She said there’s no “magic food” that will make people healthier, but advised eating primarily plant-based food.
“The key is really the combination of foods we eat and the quality of foods we eat,” Irwin said. “It’s about doing things in moderation.”
She said patients also ask about taking zinc or vitamin C, and she recommends taking vitamin D for immune function.
People should also get enough physical activity. The American Heart Association recommends adults get 150 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity and 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week. Irwin said this type of physical activity keeps the heart and lungs strong.
“What’s beautiful about our community is there’s lots of place to get outside,” Irwin said.
She said it’s important to stay socially connected to people, including your primary health-care professional. Lack of social connections can affect our minds, and in older people can increase rates of dementia.
Irwin added that when you have social support, it’s easier to keep with things, like taking medications.
“It takes a village – having a connection is really critical,” she said. “It is a part of being healthy.”
Where there’s a burden of disease, the outcome of COVID is worse. If globally everyone was perfectly healthy, she said COVID probably wouldn’t have had the effect it’s had.
“But that’s not the reality,” Irwin said.
No matter how healthy they are, she encouraged everyone to get a COVID vaccine when its their turn and to get the flu vaccine if they haven’t already. Her only exceptions for the COVID vaccine were pregnant women and children.
Irwin added that 95 percent of people in the trials did not contract COVID-19 after getting the vaccine, while 5 percent had less severe cases.