The Wellness of You - # 208 - Flu Season Is Here!
posted in Nutrition and Weight Loss |The flu season is here. One of the things that I’ve done for many years is get a flu shot. I can still vividly remember when I caught the Asian flu many years ago. What an awful thing that was to go through. I can’t count the number of times when I wanted to die during that event.
I read about and hear about people all the time who say, “I’m not going to get that flu shot — it gives you the flu!” All I can say is that if you ever do get the flu - the real thing — not just a bad cold, you’ll change your thinking. I’ve never had the flu shot give me the flu — and I’m someone who would easily get it if that was the case. I’m not saying that everyone should get the flu vaccine, but there are certainly many people who should, but who won’t or just don’t. I’ll talk more about that in today’s article.
The 2006 – 2007 flu season was relatively mild, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it’s impossible to predict how a future season will play out, so it pays to be prepared.
Keep in mind that influenza is not just a bad cold. It means a few days of misery with nausea, aching, chills and fever. Worse still, the flu can lead to pneumonia, which can be deadly. Each year, more than 100,000 people are hospitalized and 20,000 die as a result of the flu and its complications. Yes, 20,000 people die each year from the flu!
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that everyone over age 65 get a yearly flu shot and a one-time dose of pneumococcal (pneumonia) vaccine as part of their adult vaccination schedule.
Those with compromised immunity, anyone with a weakened immune or respiratory system, nursing home residents, and health-care workers who have regular contact with patients are particularly vulnerable to complications from influenza and should also receive annual flu shots.
The pneumococcal vaccine will not prevent the flu, but protects 70 to 90 percent of healthy adults from common pneumonias, and is 50 to 60 percent effective in preventing pneumonia in the elderly and the immune-compromised.
As far as children are concerned, parents should discuss the flu shot with their pediatricians. Children aged six months to two years are hospitalized with the flu just as often as the elderly. However, the safety and efficacy of the flu vaccine has not been proved for this group, and young children require two shots, not one.
In addition, pregnant women whose last two trimesters fall during flu season might also consider getting the flu vaccine. Expectant mothers are just as likely to suffer complications from the flu as other high-risk groups.
Here are a few things that can help to reduce your chances of getting the flu:
* Wash your hands frequently with hot water and soap especially if you are out in public places. It may be a good idea to carry alcohol towelettes with you as well. (Don’t bite your nails, either — that’s where most of the germs and bacteria are hiding even after hand washing.)
* Avoid people who have the flu.
* Discuss a flu shot with your physician, especially if you’re in one of the vulnerable groups mentioned above.
* Ask your pediatrician about flu shots for young children.
Nutrition and Supplements
* Take astragalus. This immune-enhancing herb can help to build up resistance to both the flu and the common cold.
* Take a daily multivitamin and antioxidants. Berries, tea (especially green tea) and dark chocolate all provide natural antioxidants.
If you have the flu:
* Stay hydrated, which keeps nasal passages moist, making them better defenders against viruses.
* Try elderberry extract. This can help to lessen the symptoms and speed up recovery.
* Eat garlic. Raw garlic is best; try at least two cloves per day, chopped up in a sandwich or soup.
* Get rest and stay home. Lack of sleep and too much stress can make the body weak; if you get the flu, rest as much as possible while your symptoms are resolving.
* Take astragalus.
* Take a prescription anti-influenza drug promptly.
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Have a healthy and nutritious day!
Shanti … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)
Ron
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