December marks the beginning of Flu season

Every year the onset of the cold weather is followed by flu season. Many people brush off the flu, thinking it is trivial, this viewpoint can be dangerous. In 2007 more than twice as many people in the US died from influenza and pneumonia  than died from homicide - 52,000+ vs 18,000+ (paper on mortality).

Picture of influenza virus
from  medical-definitions.com

Because of the severity of influenza many healthcare providers recommend flu shots for those most at risk, namely those over 65 and the children 6 months to 6 years old. While the flu shot is not a guarantee against getting the flu, it does offer some protection and it is a passive way to obtain immunity. Recent studies show that the flu shot helps prevent flu in 5-7 out of 10 people who had the injection (study 1 study 2).

Because the flu shot isn't 100% effective, and some people choose abstain from vaccinations, there are a number of things that one can do to avoid the flu. The following five rules of thumb, help to give you an active way to stay healthy during the flu season.

1- Avoid people who are sick, and if you are sick, stay out of public places.
2- Wash you hands before and after dealing with people.
3- Avoid touching your Eyes, Nose and Mouth when in public, especially when touching things that many others touch like subway seats, stairway handrails, doorknobs or door handles. Many people forget they are in public and inadvertently infect themselves this way.

4-  Cover you mouth when you cough and promote others to do so too.

proper cough/sneeze technique
from kevinmd.com

5- Lastly, and possibly most importantly, practice health promotion: Eat healthy foods, drink plenty of fluids, get enough sleep, avoid stress, and be physically active!

A great way to help reduce the stress on your body during the flu season is to see a manual medicine specialist, like a chiropractor. Taking care of your body is paramount if your want to stay healthy, especially during the stressful holidays. Often you will not notice the stress your body is under until it is too much, and you have symptoms of it. A chiropractor will help to prevent you from becoming run down to the point where your natural immune defenses become weak.