How to Avoid the Flu and Common Colds This Winter

It seems like more people get sick during the fall and winter months. This is also the holiday season so getting sick just seems even more inconvenient as you want to spend time with family and friends.

So how do you avoid getting sick? The most important thing is a healthy body and immune system. Eating well balanced meals and making sure you are getting adequate amounts of vitamins and other essential nutrients is vital. If you are someone who doesn't have time to prepare nutritional meals consider taking a complete multi-vitamin each day to assure you are getting what your body needs to stay healthy. Extra amounts of vitamin C are also important, especially if you are under stress or feel sickness coming on. Getting enough rest each night also contributes to your body's overall health and is necessary to keep your immune system functioning at the highest level. Regular exercise is also helpful and will keep you feeling better. Avoid stress when possible, don't drink a lot of alcohol or smoke, and stay away from dangerous situations. If you are able to get outside and breathe in some fresh air daily, this will contribute to your body's health and make you feel better overall.

Even the healthiest people end up exposed to sickness. Germs are everywhere and cannot be avoided. Good hand washing is essential to keeping yourself healthy. Wash your hands as much as possible, before eating, after eating, before and after using the bathroom, after contact with pets, messes, and even more often when you are around someone who is sick.

Try to avoid contact with people when you are sick, and of course if you know someone else is sick it's better to keep your distance. Staying home is not always possible but try to think of other's when you are out and about and have a contagious illness. Cough far away from others, into your own hands and wash up afterwards. Also teach your children proper "cough etiquette" as well.

Most people still end up with colds and possibly the flu each year so listen to your body when you start to feel sick. Rest is the most important aspect of feeling better. Many adults tend to pop cold-medicine pills and continue on with their life, going to work and pushing themselves almost as much as they normally do. This is not a good idea as you will likely find the sickness lingers on longer and you are just masking any symptoms. It's better to allow yourself to heal, drink plenty of fluids and sleep or lay in bed relaxing. It may be a day or two but you will feel much better afterwards instead of keeping the cold for a week or so because you couldn't take one day off to rest up. Humidifiers may be helpful as well as saline drops (especially in young children who are unable to blow their own nose). Over the counter pain relievers should be used only as a last resort, if you are so uncomfortable that getting rest is impossible. When you do have a fever it's doing something good for your body - killing bad germs. Keeping hydrated and sleeping a lot are probably the most efficient ways to let your body heal itself.

What's the difference in a common cold and the flu? In most cases it doesn't matter as the treatment is the same, both are viruses that cannot be magically made to disappear. Colds tend to come on 2-3 days after being exposed to someone else who is sick. Symptoms may include a fever, runny or stuffed up nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough, headache and muscle aches. A runny nose may start out as clear but in a few days turn to more mucous looking, not always a sign of infection. Cold symptoms tend to be worse the first few days and may linger on not as strong for another week.

Flu symptoms are pretty similar to common colds but tend to be more severe. A fever may onset quickly and body aches make you feel miserable. Severe headache and chills are also common, it can be impossible to feel well and get anything done when you have the flu. Again, it's best to listen to your body and get as much rest as possible. Do not go to work or school or send your child to daycare when they have the flu as its highly contagious and symptoms will hang around much longer if you are pushing your body. As with a cold, the flu is caused by a virus so antibiotics will not be helpful, in fact they can do much harm so do not take them or give them to your child when an infection is not present. There are now several medications available targeted specifically for people who do have the flu however the effectiveness and safety is questionable and they should only be used as a last resort, and not for young children. Talk to your health care provider if you suspect you have the flu and you are not able to find any relief with conventional methods.

Getting the flu and common colds are most definitely an inconvenience but you will feel much better if you take care of yourself instead of trying to medicate your body thus making the symptoms stick around longer. It's important to stay healthy by eating well and getting enough rest. Avoid sickness by washing your hands often and stay away from those who are ill. If you do get sick, listen to your body and slow down, call-in, and go to sleep.