Flu season is here again. Some women choose to have a flu vaccine, but others for many reasons, including allergies, religious beliefs or personal preference, may have chosen not to get the shot. The best thing you can do is take steps to prevent the flu. The tips in this blog are good for other winter bugs too.
Eat a healthy diet to keep your immune system strong to fight off viruses. Include foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus and kiwi fruits. Foods rich in vitamins D and E, such as leafy green vegetables and almonds are good immune boosting foods.
Getting enough rest is another important step in strengthening your immune system. If you are run down, it is harder to fight off a virus. Get to bed a little earlier at night when the flu and other viruses are going around.
This one will sound obvious, but avoid sick people. Despite what grandma told you, being out in the cold doesn’t make you sick, other sick people do. At the height of the flu season, you may want to avoid crowds, where germs are easily spread.
Cleaning and good hygiene can help prevent the spread of germs. If anyone is sick at home, wash bed linens and clean door knobs and bathroom surfaces to kill germs and prevent the rest of the family, including pregnant mommy, getting sick. Wash hands frequently throughout the day to prevent a host of winter sickness.
If you do get sick, make sure to stay well hydrated, get plenty of rest and talk to your doctor about taking fever reducing medicines, such as Tylenol. In most cases, there is little you can do, other than resting and staying hydrated and nourished. Call your doctor if your fever won’t go down or gets very high, since there can be complications related to high fever and overheating.
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