Since the start of the semester, we’ve all seen — or have been — the person coughing and sneezing in class. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu season peaks between December and February and can last until May. Whether you’re already battling the flu or trying to avoid it, here are some tips to keep your immune system strong and healthy.
Preventing the flu
Get your flu shot
While some people are hesitant to get their flu shot, getting it can actually protect you from a variety of common virus strains during any season. The CDC states that “you might still get other strains of the flu despite vaccination, although it’s less likely to be severe… You’re [also] less likely to develop pneumonia, be put on a ventilator, visit the intensive-care unit or die from the flu after you’ve been vaccinated.”
Wash your hands
While touching a contaminated surface won’t give you the flu, as it is does not infect skin, you should still make it a habit to constantly wash your hands. When washing your hands with soap and water, the CDC advises to wash your hands for a minimum of 20 seconds — or the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice — to remove all germs. If soap and water are not at your disposal, using hand sanitizer is a great alternative.
Keep your distance
Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician, spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America and senior scholar at Johns Hopkins University for Health Security, stated in a study that the flu virus can travel through the air in small droplets because of our respiratory secretions even if we cannot see them. Therefore, it is recommended to stay at least three feet away from anyone who currently has the flu, a cold or any suspicious flu or cold-like symptoms.
Treating the flu
Rest up
When you’ve already gotten the flu, it’s important to remember your flu manners. Staying home and getting lots of rest not only helps you treat your flu symptoms, but also prevents those you interact with from also getting the virus. Vanessa Raabe, an assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics at NYU Langone’s Vaccine Center stresses the importance of listening to your body when you’re feeling the flu’s symptoms. If you have the flu, chances are you’re already feeling bad and have low energy. Instead of feeling miserable at work or school, take the day off and try to feel better.
Drink plenty of fluids
Staying hydrated is crucial in treating the flu. While water is perhaps the best option, drinking fruit juices, sports drinks, broth-based soups and teas — especially chamomile and ginger teas — can be good alternatives if water just isn’t your beverage of choice. If you’re already feeling dehydrated, Pedialyte is a great way to hydrate quickly. Staying hydrated can help turn thick mucus into a thinner liquid, making it easier to cough up and spit out. Lodged thick mucus can cause infection if it builds up in your lungs, so it’s best to drink plenty of fluids to get all that out.
Take your medications, supplements and vitamins
In order to feel better and get better, you really have to do your part. Taking over-the-counter medications, like Advil, Tylenol or Ibuprofen, not only help treat the flu, but also take care of coughs, aches and fevers. Natural supplements, like echinacea, vitamin C, zinc and elderberry, are also great ways to raise your immune system’s defenses and fight off the flu. WholeFoods also sells a supplement from the brand Rainbow Light called Counter Attack, which contains 120 mg of vitamin C and five mg of zinc along with three targeted herbal blends to attack seasonal cold and flu discomforts and support your immune health.
Whether you’re now getting over the flu or avoiding it at all costs, maintaining and supporting your immune health will not only keep you healthy during flu season, but will keep you healthy year round — and there’s really nothing worse than feeling bad and sick.
Photo: K. Sikkema
