No I am not talking about cops calling out sick. If you haven't noticed by now, flu season is upon us. Schools, drug stores, and doctors offices are offering flu shots by the dozens. Some of you have already jumped at the opportunity to protect yourself while the rest of you are questioning whether you really need it. I, knock on wood, have never had the flu virus and have only been vaccinated maybe twice in my life. I don't plan on getting a flu vaccination this year either, but I must warn you this is a risk that I take with my health (because danger is my middle name!).
Did you know an estimated 20-50 million people in the U.S. will contract the flu this year? I'm not telling you these things to scare you into getting a shot or wearing a face mask outside, it's just good to know the facts.
Vaccines help 70-90% of healthy adults fight off the flu virus every year. Vaccines usually fight 3 of the most common varying strains of the flu in circulation. While this is good news for most of the vaccinated population, it does mean that getting vaccinated is not guaranteed protection from the flu. There are 3 types of flu (A,B, and C) and of those types there are different subtypes. If you come across a strain different from those in your vaccination you will more than likely catch the flu. You should still be careful once vaccinated because it can take up to two weeks for your body to build up an immunity.
If you happen to be one of the unlucky few this year, there are a few things you can do to get over it quicker. One thing to do is rest. Resting allows you to reduce the amount of stress placed on your already taxed immune system. Taking the recommended dose of Tylenol or it's equivalent will help to break your fever. Staying hydrated and eating nutritional foods will boost your immune systems ability to ward off the infection. Examples of in season immune boosting veggies are yams, cabbage, and carrots. They are high in vitamin A and antioxidants which are known for their immune boosting qualities.
Remember when I told you that vaccinations are mostly effective in healthy adults? My intended emphasis was on healthy adults. There are many people who fall into the high-risk category. This category includes those who are above the age of 65 and under the age of 5, anyone with chronic hear or lung disease (including asthma), diabetes, cancer, chronic kidney disease, or anemias (spell check is telling me that is not a word... but I like it) like sickle cell. If you or someone you know fall into this category, and feel you are coming down with flu like symptoms, you should contact your doctor immediately. Symptoms of a strain of flu could be mild for an otherwise healthy adult and devastating to someone of high-risk.
I would be remiss without telling you that like most communicable diseases the flu is mainly passed from person to person through close contact. This includes physical contact if we sneeze into our hands or wipe our nose with them and then touch other people. The flu virus is located in our nose and throats so close contact also includes breathing recently expelled air from someone who suffers from the flu whether it was sneezed, coughed, or just exhaled. A simple yet effective method of prevention is to cover your mouth, wash you hands, and suggest others around you to do the same.
In conclusion, if you find yourself coming down with flu like symptoms, go see you doctor, feel better, and stay away from me until you do!~
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