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In the pharmacy, we come into contact with people suffering with influenzas and colds all the time, especially during the cold and flu season. We do everything we can to help patients just like you find practical solutions when they’re sick. Whether it’s an OTC medicine or just a recommendation to stay in bed and drink plenty of fluids, our job is to empower you with the right advice to stay or get well.
This year’s cold and flu season is shaping up to be the worst in decades. Patients who become sick are becoming sick more often and experiencing highly troubling symptoms. Because it’s also our duty to help you stay well in the first place, we put together a list of our favorite cold and flu season prevention tips.
Get a Flu Shot
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that all patients six months of age and older should get a flu shot. This is the best way to prevent contracting the most common flu strains. Hard evidence also tells us that getting vaccinated for one set of flu strains may help your body better respond to strains that aren’t covered. Patients recover faster with fewer side effects when they do get sick during cold and flu season.
Getting vaccinated also protects the people around you, especially patients who are somehow precluded from vaccination. Patients with allergies, very young infants, the elderly, patients with certain cancers, and many other vulnerable patient groups rely on the rest of the public to limit the spread of influenza for safety. By getting vaccinated, you’re doing your part!
Worried about getting a flu shot due to rumors that vaccination is dangerous or ineffective? Rest assured; the flu shot is remarkably safe for the average healthy patient without allergies, and it can’t make you sick, either. If you experience illness directly after the shot, you’re experiencing an immune reaction or you had already contracted the flu.
Wash Your Hands Often During Cold and Flu Season
Hand-washing is one of the most effective techniques for reducing the spread of diseases like influenza and the common cold. As humans, we have a subconscious habit of touching our faces, especially when we’re sick. Unfortunately, we often then touch the objects around us, transferring germs to surfaces all throughout our homes, our workplaces, and our schools.
Then, someone else comes along and touches the same surface. Suddenly, that virus or bacteria is now calling them home instead of us. Within a few days to a couple of weeks, the person finds themselves coming down the same illness, too.
When you wash your hands frequently, you reduce the amount of germs on your hands, which is crucial during cold and flu season. With fewer germs present, it’s less likely that you’ll pass an illness on or pick up someone else’s left-behind germs. But there’s a catch: water alone isn’t enough. You need to wash with soap and water for hand-washing to be effective. Wash in hot, clean water and don’t touch the taps with your bare hands after you’re done.
Struggling with dry skin on your hands from over-washing? A little bit of lanolin cream does wonders to soften dry cold-weather skin. Massage it in each time you wash and as-needed in between.
Eat Healthy
With spring comes more time spent outdoors, and for many patients, that means it’s time to once again focus on physical fitness and diet. The good news is that eating a healthy, well-rounded diet is one of the best ways to boost your immune system. By focusing on healthy eating, you give your body what it needs to fight off cold and flu viruses after incidental exposures.
Thinking of cutting calories to lose weight before beach season? This isn’t necessarily wise during cold and flu season. It forces the body to work harder to create energy, taking precious resources away from your immune system. Instead, you should focus on what you eat instead of the calories alone. Switching out sweets for fruit, french fries for fresh vegetables, and burgers for low-fat proteins like boneless, skinless baked chicken can make a big difference in your diet.
Curious just how many calories you should eat? Every patient is different, but the average healthy female should aim for between 1,500 and 2,000 calories a day depending on level of activity. The average male requires between 2,000 and 2,500 calories per day depending on activity levels.
That said, every patient is unique. If you have chronic illnesses, are overweight, or struggle with a condition like Diabetes, your requirements may be different. Confirm your caloric intake numbers with your doctor or pharmacist if you aren’t sure.
Stay Hydrated
Like eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids also provides your body with what it needs to operate at peak efficiency. But there’s a significant amount of confusion around exactly what qualifies as “enough.” Some health experts recommend drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day, while others recommend drinking only when you’re thirsty.
Research tells us that neither approach is really accurate for every person. Hydration is an incredibly individual factor; what works for one patient won’t always work for another. Ultimately, you should drink whenever you’re thirsty, but if you’re the type of person who doesn’t have a high thirst drive, it may be wiser to keep a bottle of water with you to sip on throughout the day.
A much better way to judge hydration is by glancing into the toilet after you urinate. When you’re hydrated, your urine will be clear or very pale yellow. Dark yellow urine is a sign of dehydration.
Take Vitamins D, E, and C
Vitamins D, E, and C all play an important role in immune system health. Unfortunately, most of us don’t get enough of these valuable vitamins in our diet, especially in the winter. This is especially true of vitamin D, which is only produced in the body after your skin is exposed to sunlight. Because of this, your health in the winter can suffer.
For most patients, taking a daily multivitamin is enough to supplement any vitamins missing from your diet. The better approach is to increase vitamin levels naturally by adding certain foods into your diet. Fatty fish, beef, egg yolks, almonds, sweet potato, and citrus fruits all contain high levels of D, E, or C vitamins.
Avoid Large Crowds
It might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s the most commonly overlooked cold and flu factor: large crowds mean more exposure and a higher risk for getting sick. If you know there’s an outbreak happening locally, or if you’re concerned about getting sick, it’s best to avoid large crowds until cold and flu season passes. This alone can reduce your risk of contracting a cold or flu dramatically.
For unavoidable situations such as attending school, going to work, or heading to the doctor’s office, take as many precautions as you can during cold and flu season. Avoid touching communal surfaces as often as possible, and wear a mask while sitting in your doctor’s office. These strategies won’t guarantee your wellness, but they will slightly decrease your risk for getting sick.