If we look around, we can easily see an abundant amount of fiery red and orange leaves scattered in no particular order. What we can’t really see are all the germs that surround us. Despite the beautiful scenery that comes with the fall season, there’s also the not-so-beautiful fact that flu viruses are most common during the fall and winter months.
In the U.S, about 80,000 people died of the flu last winter, making it the highest death toll in 40 years. Every flu season is different, so influenza infection can affect people differently, but millions of people get the flu every year, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized and tens of thousands of people die from flu-related causes. Although shutting off from the world and hiding in our homes for the next few months sounds like a good idea, it’s impossible to completely avoid the flu. Thankfully with some preventative steps, you can give yourself the best shot at making it through this flu season unscathed.
Here are some tips to avoid the flu and what to do if you end up catching this unpleasant virus.
Get a vaccine
The flu vaccine has been shown to reduce flu related illnesses and the risk of serious flu complications that can result in hospitalization or even death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), when you get a flu vaccination your body releases antibodies that can protect you from the most common virus strains in any given season. When you get a flu vaccine, you don’t just protect yourself, you also protect everyone around you.
Keeping it clean
Help keep the flu at bay by keeping yourself and your surroundings clean. Wash your hands after handling any commonly-touched surfaces using soap and water. Lather up for at least 20 seconds, then rinse under water, and pat dry with a clean towel. The flu virus can remain viable without a host for about 24 hours, which means the virus can survive on its own. It's why you should also wipe down commonly-touched surfaces at least once a day using any standard household cleaner, regardless of whether you or anyone in your household is sick.
Stay away from people who are sick.
Stay at least three feet away from anyone who's coughing or sneezing. The flu virus is a parasite that hangs around in respiratory secretions and travels through the air in small droplets; when projected by a cough or sneeze, they can fly about three feet before gravity takes over. A flu patient who's actively projecting these droplets by coughing or sneezing can contaminate the air you breathe.
In the U.S, about 80,000 people died of the flu last winter, making it the highest death toll in 40 years. Every flu season is different, so influenza infection can affect people differently, but millions of people get the flu every year, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized and tens of thousands of people die from flu-related causes. Although shutting off from the world and hiding in our homes for the next few months sounds like a good idea, it’s impossible to completely avoid the flu. Thankfully with some preventative steps, you can give yourself the best shot at making it through this flu season unscathed.
Here are some tips to avoid the flu and what to do if you end up catching this unpleasant virus.
Get a vaccine
The flu vaccine has been shown to reduce flu related illnesses and the risk of serious flu complications that can result in hospitalization or even death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), when you get a flu vaccination your body releases antibodies that can protect you from the most common virus strains in any given season. When you get a flu vaccine, you don’t just protect yourself, you also protect everyone around you.
Keeping it clean
Help keep the flu at bay by keeping yourself and your surroundings clean. Wash your hands after handling any commonly-touched surfaces using soap and water. Lather up for at least 20 seconds, then rinse under water, and pat dry with a clean towel. The flu virus can remain viable without a host for about 24 hours, which means the virus can survive on its own. It's why you should also wipe down commonly-touched surfaces at least once a day using any standard household cleaner, regardless of whether you or anyone in your household is sick.
Stay away from people who are sick.
Stay at least three feet away from anyone who's coughing or sneezing. The flu virus is a parasite that hangs around in respiratory secretions and travels through the air in small droplets; when projected by a cough or sneeze, they can fly about three feet before gravity takes over. A flu patient who's actively projecting these droplets by coughing or sneezing can contaminate the air you breathe.
Try not to touch your nose, mouth, or eyes.
Simply touching a contaminated surface won't give you the flu, since the virus doesn't infect the skin — it has to make it to a mucosal membrane in your mouth or nose to cause an infection. But you risk getting sick when you touch an infected surface and transfer the virus to your face.
Stay at home
By attending work, you could exacerbate your health problems and later have to take a longer period of sick leave to recover. It’s important to stay home from work when sick with the flu in order to rest and give yourself the best chance of recovery. It is generally recommended that people stay home at least 24 hours after becoming free of fever without taking analgesics. Not only is it good for you, but for others as well because it prevents the spread of illnesses.
Get sufficient sleep
Having an adequate amount of sleep is a good habit for optimal immune system functioning and to prevent respiratory viruses like the flu. The average adult should clock between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Drink plenty of water
Sickness-fighting proteins transport via bodily fluids so dehydration creates a hurdle for these proteins as they attempt to move through the body to do their job. Staying properly hydrated helps the kidneys in balancing electrolytes and improve your oxygen flow, flushing out harmful toxins. It can also aid in lessening congestion and allowing mucus to be coughed out of the body. Instead of waiting to hydrate once you’re sick, you should develop a daily habit of proactively drinking plenty of fluids. This will help to strengthen the immune system, optimizing the body’s natural operations to prevent future illnesses.
Simply touching a contaminated surface won't give you the flu, since the virus doesn't infect the skin — it has to make it to a mucosal membrane in your mouth or nose to cause an infection. But you risk getting sick when you touch an infected surface and transfer the virus to your face.
Stay at home
By attending work, you could exacerbate your health problems and later have to take a longer period of sick leave to recover. It’s important to stay home from work when sick with the flu in order to rest and give yourself the best chance of recovery. It is generally recommended that people stay home at least 24 hours after becoming free of fever without taking analgesics. Not only is it good for you, but for others as well because it prevents the spread of illnesses.
Get sufficient sleep
Having an adequate amount of sleep is a good habit for optimal immune system functioning and to prevent respiratory viruses like the flu. The average adult should clock between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Drink plenty of water
Sickness-fighting proteins transport via bodily fluids so dehydration creates a hurdle for these proteins as they attempt to move through the body to do their job. Staying properly hydrated helps the kidneys in balancing electrolytes and improve your oxygen flow, flushing out harmful toxins. It can also aid in lessening congestion and allowing mucus to be coughed out of the body. Instead of waiting to hydrate once you’re sick, you should develop a daily habit of proactively drinking plenty of fluids. This will help to strengthen the immune system, optimizing the body’s natural operations to prevent future illnesses.