It’s that time of the year again. The time of year when it seems everyone is hacking, wheezing and sneezing uncontrollably. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) warns that they expect flu season, which normally peaks around February, to start unpleasantly early this winter.
We’re significantly busier than last November and December,” said Dr. Jeff Hopkins of Northside Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
Like many health practitioners, Dr. Hopkins estimates his patient load has risen between 15 percent and 20 percent over the same time a year ago. Tom Skinner, a CDC spokesman reports that this is the earliest the CDC has seen such levels of flu activity in over a decade with exceptions to 2009 during the rise of the h1N1 pandemic, better known as the swine flu.
Flu Impact, December 2012
Who’s most at risk?
The people at the most risk for experiencing serious complications from the flu are infants over 6+ months, the elderly, young children, pregnant women and others with underlying health conditions that may weaken the immune system. People with diabetes, severe asthma, or cerebral palsy are also at extreme risk for experiencing extremely serious complications from influenza.
Prevention is the best way to avoid the flu
The flu vaccine only protects against a few strains of the influenza virus that pharmaceutical companies expect to take hold later in the year, but it’s important to remember that those strains may not be the specific virus you are exposed to this season. Keeping your immune system strong during flu season is vital. Here are some of our expert tips to help you stay flu-free this holiday season:
The average sneeze sends a cloud of germs out of the
body at a speed of 80mi per hour
- Fighting of damage with antioxidants can make you less susceptible to the cold or flu. Remember to eat foods and take supplements rich in antioxidants. Beta-carotene is one of the richest sources of nutritional antioxidants, but Cranberry, Blueberry, Grape, and Raspberry extract are also potent sources for ORAC-rich antioxidants
- Vitamin E is one of the most powerful fat-soluble antioxidants in the body. In turn, vitamin E protects cell membranes from free radicals, making it essential for staving off bacterial or viral infections. Safflower oil is very rich in vitamin E. The combination of vitamins C and E helps form the antioxidant network, allowing the vitamins to engage (synergistically) in each others’ regeneration from the spent state back to the active antioxidant state so that they can continue neutralizing free radicals.
- If you are one of the unlucky victims of the flu this season, remember to take vitamin C daily. Studies show that taking vitamin C while you are sick can help your immune system recover twice as quickly as letting the illness run its course.
No comments:
Post a Comment