Tips to Stay Safe and Healthy This Flu Season

07 Oct, 2020

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people get affected by influenza (commonly called as the flu) across the USA, which disturbs their daily life schedule; for instance, students have to skip their classes, and workers need to take leave from work, hampering their salary.

Moreover, flu viruses and the viruses that cause COVID-19 are likely to spread faster in the coming months, especially in the winter months. Therefore, here are some tips you can follow to keep yourself and your family protected against flu.

Take Essential Precautions to Prevent Germs’ Spread

You need to take all preventive measures commonly recommended to reduce or stop the spread of flu.

• Avoid engaging in close contact with people who are already unwell.
• In case you are sick, avoid physical meetings to prevent infecting others.
• Use tissue paper to cover your nose and mouth while coughing or sneezing.
• Throw the used tissues in the bin only.
• Wash your hands every now and then using a soap; however, in the unavailability of water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer/hand rub.
• Germs are most commonly spread through touch, thus, avoid touching your nose, lips, eyes, etc.
• Regularly disinfect objects and surfaces that may be contaminated with flu-causing viruses.

CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends people to stay for at least 24 hours at home after their fever is treated and gone (except for getting medical care and other essentials). Fever may be gone without the use of medicine.

However, in the case of COVID-19, the guidance to stay at home will be different; public healthcare departments and local governments may recommend additional precautionary measures that you must follow.

How to Keep Your Immune System Strong and Body Healthy during Flu Season?

Follow a Healthy Diet Plan – Mainly Include Vitamins C and E

• Foods that contain these two vitamins help support our immune system. Sunflower seeds, sunflower oil, corn oil, almonds, peanuts, etc. are rich in vitamin E. Fulfil your daily needs for vitamin C from broccoli, orange and other citrus fruits, green peppers, etc.
• As excessive sugar affects the immune response, it would be better to reduce your intake of concentrated sugar found in candies, sola, etc.
  

Keep Your Body Hydrated

• Increase your water intake (only if you drink less); it will help you stay strong internally, which lessens the chances of flu affecting you badly.
• During the time when weather changes, have extra fluids to prevent dehydration, and it is commonly advised to drink warm liquids.
• Besides, inhaling steam is preferable in the early stages of cold and flu; it can help prevent viruses from spreading in your upper respiratory tract.

Make a Habit of Exercising

• Once you make working out a daily habit, it will not only lower your stress levels but also stimulate the immune system, promoting healthy sleep and lifestyle.
• Modest exercise may help elderly in preventing colds and flu, according to a study reported in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

Get Enough Sleep at Night

• Not sleeping for enough hours can profoundly weaken your immune system.
• Always take the full night’s sleep in order to keep your body’s natural defensive system working efficiently, reducing the risk of cold and flu.
  

Get Medical Help If Things Become Worse

• In case you experience significantly worse symptoms after a couple of days of illness, for instance, if you feel the fever is subsiding and then returning, get medical help immediately.
• Flu is a dangerous infection as it makes the body more vulnerable to other infections, such as pneumonia.

When Flu is Sever, do not hesitate to Get a Flu Vaccine

• According to CDC recommendations, everyone 6 months of age and older should get an annual flu vaccine by the end of October. The vaccine is also considered an essential step in ensuring protection against flu viruses.
• Less than half of the American population got a flu vaccine, and at least 410,000 people were hospitalized due to flu.
• The vaccine is vital for high-risk persons to lower their risk of severe illness from flu; people who are at high risk include pregnant women, young children, adults with specific chronic health conditions such as, diabetes, heart/lung disease, asthma, and people aged 65 or older.
• Many people who are at high risk of flu may be at a higher risk of COVID-19.
• The vaccination that fights against flu is also essential for health care workers and people living with or caring for people that are at higher risk; this will ensure they reduce the spread of flu to them. This implies to people working in longer shifts in medical care facilities, where several people are vulnerable to flu and COVID-19.
• Children younger than 6 months are also at high risk of severe flu illness, but they are too young to be vaccinated; therefore, their patents and babysitters should be vaccinated each year once the flu season arrives.

A flu vaccine will be vital than ever during 2020-2021. Although the vaccine cannot prevent COVID-19, it will help reduce the burden of flu infections, hospitalizations, and deaths on the entire healthcare system and conserve medical resource for the care of people affected by the deadly COVID-19. The best times to get a flu vaccine are September and October.

After considering the tips and facts mentioned above, you might now know why it is essential to follow effective precautionary measures to fight against flu. Besides that, this piece of writing also recalls the utmost importance of flu vaccine for you and your loved ones this year. If you are concerned about the effects of flu season on yourself and your family members, follow the above-described tips to improve your and their health and immunity.

Are you looking to get yourself vaccinated and ensure protection against flu and other potentially dangerous viruses? If yes, get in touch with Central Valley Medical Providers/ MedPRO. If you are looking for quality care and medical services near you, please talk to one of our customer service representatives and get appropriate help. Call us at (877) 216-4215 or local: 559.450.6334.