Ways To Avoid The Cold And Flu
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A person receiving a flu vaccination. (Flickr Creative Commons)
There’s no doubt about it: the cold and flu season is here. The number of people with coughs and other cold symptoms seems to be everywhere. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a FluView report, a weekly report on that surveys the flu. The report shows that there are increasing cases of the flu, which are spreading rapidly throughout the nation.
The question for many now is how to help prevent getting a cold or the flu this season? There are a plethora of sites that offer advice on ways to help prevent getting a cold or flu, but they all share common tips on how to avoid getting a cold or the flu.
During the cold and flu season, the CDC advises that individuals get flu shots, as the flu can hospitalize people or even be fatal in some cases. This year’s flu vaccination is 62 percent effective, according to the CDC.
Among the most popular tips to help prevent getting a cold or the flu is to simply wash your hands often. If it is not convenient to wash your hands frequently, it is good to at least have an alcohol based hand sanitizer at hand.
Another common tip for preventing a cold or the flu is to exercise regularly. Studies have shown that exercise helps to work the body and in turn works to increase the body’s cell killing viruses.
Reducing your consumption of alcohol will also help to prevent a cold or flu. Drinking alcohol suppresses your immune system, which allows for easier initial infection. Alcohol also causes dehydration, which lowers your immune system as well. In addition to not consuming alcohol, it’s advised that you don’t smoke. Statistics have shown that smokers get more severe colds more frequently than non-smokers.
Getting enough rest is also crucial to prevent getting a cold or flu. Your body needs enough rest such that it can work to fight any germs that may cause sickness. Studies have shown that people who sleep less than seven hours a night are three times more likely to catch a cold.
Finding the time to relax and not stress is also important to prevent a cold or flu. Studies have shown that those individuals who have stress, especially chronic stress, are more prone to catching a cold or flu.
What you eat can also help to prevent a cold or flu. Foods with phytochemicals give the vitamins in foods an extra boost. Some foods containing phytochemicals are dark green, red and yellow vegetables and fruit.
No matter the method, there are a number of ways to protect oneself against a cold or flu this season. The importance becomes taking the time to help protect oneself from the flu by taking a few simple precautionary steps.
