There is a more effective way of preventing the flu from getting hold of you instead of isolating yourself from people for the whole flu season. In fact, there are several ways you can effectively shield yourself from the onslaught of this dreaded disease when it spreads its tentacles in your neighborhood.
Even if someone beside you is sneezing, or blowing out his nose to clear off his mucus, you need not be worried. If you will follow the strategies discussed in this article, you will be invincible to any kind of flu attack.
There are actually two primary ways you can approach the flu problem – the natural way, and through medication.
1. Keep eating fruits and green leafy vegetables.
If you will consume enough of these naturally grown products especially during the flu season, you will be able to build up your immune system.
A healthy immune system is your first line of defense against any kind of pathogens, including the flu virus. It is even better if you will consume naturally grown fruits and vegetables since they contain the vitamins and minerals that make your body strong and healthy.
2. Wash and clean your hands thoroughly.
It is mostly by your hands that you get infected. You cannot avoid touching things when you are in a public place. Therefore, the best way you can avoid catching the flu virus is to always wash your hands upon reaching home.
“The number one thing you can do to protect yourself from a cold or flu is to wash your hands thoroughly and frequently,” says Andrew Pekosz, a microbiologist and a Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University.
3. Don’t just rely on taking large vitamin C doses.
Yes, with a large amount of vitamin C circulating in your body, your body’s infection fighting abilities will increase. But don’t forget to observe other healthy habits such as avoiding places that are suspected to be harboring the flu virus, as well as people who are already infected.
4. Circulate the air in your home or office.
Stale and stagnant air is a perfect condition for the increase and spread of the flu virus. If you will let the air flow in and out freely in any confined space, you will be able to create a safe and clean environment where viruses and other pathogens can’t multiply.
5. Get the right amount of sleep.
Your body is designed to get its proper amount of rest. If you deprive your body of its needed rest, you will reap the reward– which is weakness, sluggishness and susceptibility to various forms of diseases.
Get at least 8 hours of straight sleep. Sleeping at night is dramatically beneficial than trying to remedy your lack of sleep, by trying to steal a nap here and there during the day.
Since we are all under the circadian rhythm, breaking it in a consistent manner will take its toll in your body.
6. Don’t drink too much alcohol.
According to a study conducted in BMC Immunology, alcohol can adversely affect the ability of your white blood cells to fight viruses for up to 24 hours after you have drank too much. Limit your alcohol intake to just one glass per day, especially during the flu season.
If you ever need to drink liquid, water is the best. In fact, you are advised to drink around 8 glasses a day, more so during the flu season.
7. Get a flu shot.
One of the best ways to fight the flu is by getting a flu shot. If you will effectively fight the flu, you need to be vaccinated at least a few weeks before the flu season starts.
You need to understand that the vaccine takes around two weeks before it fully kicks in. Therefore, during the intervening time, you are still susceptible to any flu attack. If you choose this form of defense, you need to act in advance, and not when the virus is already spreading all around you.
If you are looking for a convenient way of getting a flu shot, you can call on CVS Flu Shot Service. It is one of the service providers that offer this kind of medical assistance.
8. Ask your doctor’s help.
Another effective way of fighting the flu is by asking your doctor for an antiviral medication. Just be sure that you complete the doses that you doctor prescribes. This will ensure that the medication will gain enough foothold in your system to enable you to fight off the flu virus when it attacks.
You need this medication because it will reduce the severity and duration of the flu, if ever you catch it. It will also prevent other members of your family from catching the virus. Additionally, the medication will reduce other flu complications.
