What to Do About the Flu

How to Prevent or Deal with the Flu (Influenza)
It’s winter, and the cold and flu season has definitely hit! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), up to 20% of people get the flu each season and 36,000 people will die from it. The best way to deal with the flu is to prevent it. Once you have it though, there are several ways you can try to get over it more comfortably.

Is it a cold or is it the flu?
With both the common cold and influenza, you may get a runny nose, cough and fever. With flu, however, the symptoms typically last longer than a week and the fever may run higher (above 102 F, for instance). People also often get body aches with the flu and may be bedridden. Sometimes, having the flu can lead to a more serious illness such as pneumonia.

What to do about the flu?
Talk to your doctor to see if you (or your child) need to get tested for the flu. Knowing whether you have the flu can help you decide how long you might need to stay out of school or work. Over-the-counter pain relievers/fever reducers such as Tylenol, Motrin, or Advil may help with fever, chills and aches. Cold medicines may be helpful in older children and adults; however, they are not recommended for kids under 2 and should be used with caution in kids under 12. Tried-and-true remedies include drinking lots of fluids, eating chicken soup, running a vaporizer or humidifier, and getting plenty of rest. If you’ve been diagnosed with the flu but don’t seem to be getting any better (or are getting worse), be sure contact your doctor right away in case there’s something else going on such as pneumonia.

CDC Says “Take 3” this Flu Season!
According to the CDC’s web site http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm, here are the 3 best things you can do during flu season:

1. Get the flu vaccine. The flu vaccine is recommended for children ages 6 months to 5 years, adults over 65 years, health care workers, people with certain medical conditions (including asthma, heart disease, diabetes and pregnancy), and anyone in contact with young children or the elderly or who would just like some protection against the flu. If you or your child are needle-shy, ask your doctor if you may be able to get the nasal spray instead of a shot. Flu season lasts till May, so it’s not too late to get the vaccine if you haven’t yet.

2. Keep clean. Wash your hands well and cover your cough. Avoid sick people when possible, and stay home if you’re sick so you don’t infect others.

3. Consider an antiviral medicine. If you have the flu or know that you have been exposed to the influenza virus, your doctor may recommend a prescription medicine. Keep in mind that these drugs may have serious side effects in kids, so children who are otherwise healthy may be better off riding out the flu illness.

What are you doing about the flu? Do you have any home remedies that really work for cold symptoms? How does your family stay healthy in the winter?