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Have you prepared your line of defense to brave the attack from viruses during the upcoming cold and flu season?
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, every year in the United States, on average:
- 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu;
- more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and;
- about 36,000 people die from flu.
Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.
Educate yourself on prevention, symptoms and treatments for the flu and the common cold by reviewing one of our Steps to Good Health Newsletters.
The onset of the holiday season also means the beginning of another season – the season
for colds and the flu. Most cases of these illnesses occur between December and March.
Although colds and the flu are both respiratory infections and seem similar in some ways,
it's important to be able to differentiate one from the other.
Usually, there's no problem if a cold is misdiagnosed as the flu. At worst, a cold can
sometimes lead to a secondary bacterial infection of the sinuses or middle ear, which can
be treated with antibiotics. If the flu is misdiagnosed as a cold, however, a potentially
life-threatening flu complication such as pneumonia could be overlooked.
Here's how to tell the difference:
| Fever |
Rare |
Usual; high; lasts 3 to 4 days
(100 F to 102 F occasionally higher,
especially in young children); |
| Headache |
Rare |
Common |
| General Aches, Pains |
Slight |
Usual; often severe |
| Fatigue, Weakness |
Sometimes |
Usual;
can last up to 2 or 3 weeks |
| Extreme Exhaustion |
Never |
Usual;
at the beginning of the illness |
| Stuffy Nose |
Common |
Sometimes |
| Sneezing |
Usual |
Sometimes |
| Sore Throat |
Common |
Sometimes |
| Chest Discomfort, Cough |
Mild to moderate; hacking cough |
Common;
can become severe |
Source: National Institutes of Health
Avoidance is Best
The best way to deal with colds or the flu is to
avoid them in the first place. By taking steps
including the following, all of us can
dramatically decrease our chances of picking up
one of the viruses responsible for making us
miserable.
- Always remember that washing your hands
often may be the single most effective thing you
can do to avoid colds and the flu. Wash your
hands before you touch your face or eat, after
using the bathroom and after touching shared
items including doorknobs and telephones.
- Don't share towels, eating utensils or
toothbrushes.
- Eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet including
fruits and vegetables.
- Get regular exercise.
- Don't smoke.
- Get adequate rest.
- Use a humidifier during the colds and flu
season because dry nasal passages are less
resistant to viruses.
- When possible, avoid close contact with sick
people.
- Consider staying home during the first few days
of a cold – when you're most contagious.
- Consider getting a flu shot.
- Use disposable tissues – and dispose of them
properly.
- Know if you are in a high-risk group, causing
you to be more prone to suffer harm or death
from the flu. Risk groups include chronic
diseases including diabetes, asthma and heart
disease.
Finally, know whether you or a member of your
family are in a risk group, making you
particularly sensitive to potentially serious
complications such as pneumonia. Individuals in
these groups include the elderly, people with
asthma, diabetes or heart disease.
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