Stay Healthy This Flu Season

If you want to avoid the fever, muscle aches and fatigue of the flu this winter, take a few easy steps to help keep yourself healthy.

Influenza is a virus that is easily transferred from one person to another through airborne secretions. For example, your co-worker sneezes into his or her hands and opens the door. As you leave the office, you touch the doorknob, and then rub your eyes. Presto! The flu virus just entered your system.

The flu is characterized by an abrupt onset of symptoms, especially a fever between 100 degrees and 103 degrees in adults (may be higher in children). Other symptoms may include muscle aches, fatigue, runny nose, headache, sore throat and cough.

Flu season peaks during late winter and early spring, and the virus changes from year to year. Although most adults recover from a bout of the flu in one to two weeks, the very young, very old and those with compromised immune systems can develop serious and potentially life-threatening complications. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, influenza causes more than 100,000 hospitalizations and more than 20,000 deaths nationwide each year.

There are several ways to help prevent the flu. The two most effective are getting vaccinated each year and boosting your immune system.

Vaccination Needed Each Year

The flu vaccine contains noninfectious, killed viruses that stimulate your body to make antibodies, but can't cause you to get sick. The vaccine is 60 percent to 90 percent effective in preventing the flu in healthy adults*, and it's best to get inoculated in October through mid-November each year. The vaccine is recommended especially for those who are at high risk of complications due to flu infection: the elderly, nursing home or other chronic-care facility residents, and those suffering from chronic pulmonary or cardiovascular disorders or weakened immune systems. Pregnant women in their second or third trimesters may want to consider immunization but should consult their physicians first. The vaccine is not for everyone, so consult your health care professional to determine if it's appropriate for you.

Healthy Ideas

Healthy bodies have an easier time fighting off infection. To rev up your immune system, get plenty of rest, eat a well-balanced diet, exercise regularly, decrease stress and cut back on unhealthful habits, such as smoking and drinking alcohol.

Other steps to protect against infection include washing your hands frequently; not sharing cups, silverware and telephones; and cleaning high-contact items, such as doorknobs, faucets and phones, with soap and water.

Speed Up Recovery

If you have the flu, anti-viral prescription drugs are available to help quicken recovery. The drugs must be taken within 48 hours of onset of symptoms and may shorten recovery by 24 to 48 hours. Several reputable studies have shown that these drugs help protect healthy people living in close-contact settings, such as households and nursing homes, from getting ill when someone else in the home has the flu. However, none of the four drugs available has been shown to be effective in preventing serious influenza-related complications. Over-the-counter medications will help alleviate symptoms, but will not hasten recovery.

For more information about the flu or to get vaccinated, contact your physician.

* Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov.

Courtesy of ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com, e-mail: info@ARAcontent.com