Prep for Flu Season NOW! Flu vaccines are created before flu season actually begins in the United States, based on flu activity in Australia and South America, where the season starts six months earlier. Any flu strain can mutate and as a result, the vaccine may not be the best match. That is part of the reason the vaccine is not 100% effective but still important to get.
The flu is no joke, but there are plenty of things you can do to ward off the virus and stay healthy. Learn to prep for flu season!
Prepping for Flu Season Tips
- Get your flu shot sometime between late September – February
For PPMA patients, the vaccine is free – your insurance is billed, and payment accepted. - Get regular exercise – this promotes good circulation which helps illness-thwarting immune cells travel through your body to do their job.
- Eat healthy – this plays an important part of keeping your immune system strong.
- Relax – studies show that a massage, practicing yoga or relaxing with friends decreases stress and increases white blood cells to help fight off infections.
- Warm up in a sauna – one study showed adults who went into a sauna twice a week caught half as many colds as those who didn’t.
- Go to bed early – research shows that getting less than 7 hours of sleep impairs your body’s ability to make and circulate immune cells.
How to dodge germs during flu season
- Steer-clear of close talkers: sneezing and coughing aren’t the only ways to transmit flu germs. Recently, researchers found that people with the flu could indeed spread germs by exhaling. You’ll want to be sure to have plenty of personal space during peak season. People can be contagious even before their first symptoms strike.
- Stock up on wipes: alcohol-based hand sanitizer is great for keeping your hands clean but don’t stop there. Use antibacterial wipes on door handles, handrails, buttons on your phone or copy machine and anything else that other people are touching.
- Quit rubbing your eyes: You probably reach up to your face more often than you realize. Your eyes, nose and mouth are mucous membranes that allow germs on your fingers to slip into your body.
If you do get the flu, the best thing to do is to stay home! The only cure for the flu is rest and plenty of fluids. Call us at (949) 566-8179 should you begin to feel fluish!
You can follow the CDC’s Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report to stay up to date on the latest flu data.
Learn more about PPMA and how we can help you improve your health!