School starts in September, which brings lots of kids huddled together inside to share bugs and bring them home to siblings and parents. Then the sugar season also starts in September, as candy shows up on the store shelves for Halloween, which starts our sugar addiction cycle. which gains steam through the holiday season. All this combines to make a perfect storm of contagions+immune suppression, resulting in “flu season.”
How do you know which is which? The graphic on this page should help with that.
How do you prevent it? Keep reading and also reference this post.
What do you do to get over it? Keep reading and also reference this post.
Typically, “flu season” doesn’t really start until October, but it can start to gain some steam in September when school starts and lots of kids are around each other in close quarters.
The only thing that travels faster than the flu seems to be misinformation, so I’ve put together some research-based information that might be helpful for you.
Is it a cold or flu?
Both come from viruses, so antibiotics won’t touch them. But there are some things you should know about and some precautions to follow if you have the flu.
Symptoms of colds come on gradually, over 2 or more days. They include things like sneezing, coughing, a stuffy nose, and a sore throat.
The flu will hit you more suddenly, with symptoms appearing quickly, sometimes even within 1-2 hours. It’s similar symptoms to a cold, the more but more intense, with chills, fever, fatigue, coughing. chest pain, and often a headache too.
Colds usually last 2-5 days (depending on how strong your immune system is), but the flu lasts at least a week, if not longer.
How to reduce the chance of infecting others…
3.) Wash and disinfect your belongings. It’s a good idea to wash bedding, for instance, as well as to wipe down workstations, car steering wheels, and other surfaces you might touch.
How to prevent getting the flu…
Taking similar precautions to those listed above will help. Wash your hands often and avoid touching your face. Try to avoid time spent around those with the flu.
I also like to take vitamins C, D3, K2 and zinc during the winter to help fight off any colds or flu coming my way. If you have a favorite remedy, then use it! Different things work for different people and best of all, if you think it will work, it probably will because placebo is more effective than any drug. Yep, that’s how powerful your mind is!
Make sure you get plenty of quality sleep to keep your immune system charged up and working well so you can fight off any germs.
Keep up with your exercise. Regular exercise also helps keep your immune system strong. If you go to a gym, however, be sure to wipe down the equipment and wash your hands thoroughly before and after.
Don’t go too hard though. High-intensity exercise can take energy away from your immune system, so leave some in the tank! Training hard enough to get hot, but not to exhaustion, is perfect because viruses also hate heat. Speaking of heat, if you have a fever, let it ride unless it’s too high of course (over 102-ish, depending on age, health, etc.).
