Are you ready for the flu and cold season?  It seems like no matter where I go, conversation eventually drifts to this topic. Do you know what to do to prevent contraction of something like the flu?  How about not spreading if you get it?  Today, I want to answer some of those questions.

First of all, some facts:
Every year in the United States, on average:

• Anywhere from 5-20% of the population gets the flu
• more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related complications
• about 36,000 people die from flu-related causes.

In most cases, seasonal and H1N1 flu viruses will resolve on their own over time without medical treatment. Individual recovery time varies depending on an individual’s health status.

How do we prevent the flu?
There are some basic and simple steps to take to help decrease your risk for catching a bug.  Here are special precautions you can take at home and work.

Wash your hands. Mom was right, it’s that simple. More organisms are passed through hand contact than sneezes, says Dr. Sutker, medical director of infectious diseases at Baylor University Medical Center.

Sanitize. If you cannot run to the bathroom or sink frequently, try to avoid touching your face with unwashed hands. You may also want to consider keeping a bottle of hand sanitizer at your desk. If you have time, clean your mouse, keyboard, and phone receiver as they can also carry viruses.

Maintain a healthy routine. Don’t bother buying all those vitamin C, echinacea, or zinc products that claim to prevent colds and the flu.  Pop a daily multivitamin, get regular exercise, eat nutritious foods and get enough sleep – these are proven methods to keep you healthy.

What happens if you get the flu?
Stay home to help reduce the spread of the illness since it is spread from person to person.  It’s best to:

• Cough or sneeze into your sleeve above the elbow.  Covering your mouth is no longer the way to do it!  Most people don’t wash their hands enough and easily spread germs from one place to another. 
• Speaking of hand washing, be sure to wash your hands often with soap and water. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Stay home if you are sick until at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (100°F or 37.8°C). 

For more information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention about the amount of time persons with influenza-like illness should be away from others, visit http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/exclusion.htm.

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