The flu is a respiratory viral infection that produces symptoms such as fever, coughing, congestion, aching, chills and fatigue. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the flu affects five to 20 percent of the U.S. population each year and results in an average of 23,600 deaths. Influenza type A, including 25 subtypes, along with multiple strains of Influenza type B are the main flu-causing viruses, all of which spread easily from person-to-person contact. Preventing the flu requires lifestyle actions that improve your general health and increase resistance to infection.
Get a Flu Shot
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an annual vaccination is the best way for most people to avoid coming down with the flu. The most common form of flu vaccine is an inactive virus injected into your muscle. Within two weeks, the inactive virus causes the development of antibodies that protect you from the forms of influenza virus estimated to be most common that year. For example, the flu vaccine developed for the 2010-2011 flu season protects against the Influenza type A, subtypes H1N1 and H3N2, as well as an Influenza type B virus.
Keep Your Hands Clean
Remove germs and bacteria from your hands by washing frequently with warm water and soap. If soap and water are not available, the CDC recommends using an alcohol-based hand-sanitizing product. Keep germs off your hands by covering your mouth with a tissue, rather than your hand, when coughing or sneezing.
Keep Your Hands Off Your Face
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth as much as possible. According to the University of Pennsylvania Office of Health Education, these areas are the common point of entry for both influenza and cold viruses.
Support Your Immune System
Support your immune system with foods such as green tea, garlic, hot peppers and chicken soup. According to Marcelle Pick, nurse practitioner and co-founder of the Women-to-Women clinic in Yarmouth, Maine, each of these contains substances such as catechins and vitamin C that support your immune system and help protect you from infection.
Stay Hydrated
Make sure you keep your body well hydrated by drinking at least 64 oz. of water each day. As the UP-OHE notes, this provides an opportunity for your body to flush out unwanted toxins, germs and bacteria.
Cut Out Alcohol
Alcohol affects how well your liver can filter impurities from body systems. Inefficient or slow filtering means germs stay in your body longer and increase your risk of infection.
Exercise
According to the Mayo Clinic, a good way to stimulate your immune system is through aerobic exercise. Walking, bicycling or swimming for 30 minutes each day also increases blood oxygen levels and helps remove waste from your body.
Stop Smoking
In addition to damaging your respiratory system, cigarette smoke paralyzes cilia in your nose and lungs, preventing these delicate hairs from removing viruses that enter through nasal passageways.
Keep Surfaces Clean
You can kill the influenza virus with a solution consisting of one part bleach to 10 parts water. Carnegie Mellon University Health and Wellness recommends wiping hard surfaces, such as counters, doorknobs and telephones to prevent virus transmission.
Avoid Dry Air
Use a humidifier to add moisture to dry winter air. According to the National Institutes of Health, low humidity may affect influenza virus lifespan and transmission rates. As evidence, the NIH notes a study published in the Public Library of Science Journal in February 2010, in which dry air was a factor in 55 to 60 percent of the flu outbreaks studied.
References
- Flu: About the Flu
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Seasonal Influenza: Types of Influenza Viruses
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Seasonal Influenza: CDC Says 3 Actions to Take to Fight the Flu
- University of Pennsylvania: 12 Important Tips to Prevent Cold and Flu Infection
- Women-to-Women: Foods and Herbs for Boosting Immunity and Respiratory Health
