Flu vs winter cold: Experts explain symptoms you need to be most concerned about

Join Carolyn Taylor for the latest episode of The House of Wellness with Chemist Warehouse on the Breeze, where she’s joined by Nutritionist Gina Urlich, Debra from the Breast Cancer Foundation, plus our resident pharmacist, Piyara Perera and resident GP Dr John Cameron.

Resident GP: Dr John Cameron

With winter officially here, Dr John Cameron joined Carolyn to chat about the bugs doing the rounds and how to give yourself the best chance of staying well.

While most of us spend winter trying to avoid getting sick, Dr John reckons it's actually worth embracing the season. He explained that getting a few respiratory bugs each year helps keep our immune systems "charged up" and ready to fight off future illnesses.

He also busted one of the biggest myths around the flu. "If you are standing upright and talking to someone, you don't have influenza," he said.

According to Dr John, a real flu feels like "being hit by a truck", with sudden body aches, fever and exhaustion.

When it comes to recovery, Dr John’s advice is to “listen to what your body’s saying.” He said people can take anywhere from two to six weeks to get back to full health, so it’s important to rest, hydrate and not rush back into exercise.

Featured Guest: Gina Urlich

Nutritionist Gina Urlich chats with Caro about baby and toddler nutrition, including what parents should actually be looking for in the supermarket aisle to make healthier choices.

Gina says parents should ignore the flashy marketing and focus on what's actually in the product. She recommends checking ingredients, particularly iron content and sugar levels, because some baby foods labelled "no added sugar" can still contain "four to five teaspoons of sugar per serve" from fruit purees.

She also explained that introducing a wide range of flavours early on - including savoury, sour and even spicy foods - can help prevent picky eating later in life.

And her number one piece of advice for families is to eat together whenever possible, because kids learn their eating habits by watching the people around them.

Featured Guest: Debra from the Breast Cancer Foundation

Debra from the Breast Cancer Foundation joins Caro to discuss breast cancer awareness, including why there may be more to look out for than just finding a lump.

While lumps are the most well-known symptom, Deborah said people should also look out for nipple changes, discharge, dry or flaky skin around the nipple, dents or puckering in the breast, and redness or swelling. 

Most often we have no pain at all with symptoms from breast cancer.

She encouraged anyone who notices a change not to put off seeing a doctor, stressing that "nine out of 10 lumps are not going to be breast cancer", but early detection can make a huge difference.

Resident Pharmacist: Piyara Perera

Our resident pharmacist Piyara chatted to Caro to break down those annoying winter coughs and what to do about them.

She explained that while most winter coughs are linked to common viral infections, they can also be caused by asthma, allergies, postnasal drip and, in some cases, bacterial infections.

Piyara said one of the most helpful things you can do is understand what kind of cough you have before heading to the pharmacy.

Knowing how to describe it and going into a pharmacy and describing it really well is really helpful.

She also explained the difference between dry coughs, which tend to be caused by viruses or allergies, and chesty coughs, which help clear mucus from the lungs.

Catch the full episode up top and tune in next Sunday from 8 am for The House of Wellness on the Breeze.