Cold & Flu Season – Healthy Habits To Help Prevent Flu

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Is there anything worse than feeling your temperature raise, your nose begins running, and your throat starts to hurt? You know that you have caught a dreaded virus, either a cold or the flu! It's something that we all try to avoid year on year, and so when we end up suffering from it, it can be frustrating, especially if it takes you away from any plans that you had made for the coming week. 

Cold and flu season is upon us, and so it makes sense to adopt healthy habits so that we can protect our wellbeing and reduce the chances of falling ill at this time of year. There are a number of different things you can do to put yourself in a good position to fight off the flu! With that being said, read on to discover some of the healthy habits that we recommend adopting so that you can avoid the flu. 

• Adapt your diet to help you through the cold and flu season– There is only one place to begin when it comes to battling the cold and flu season, and this is by adapting your diet accordingly. Generally speaking, following a healthy and balanced diet is going to make a big difference. You may also want to consider consuming foods that take longer to digest, as they can help to increase the temperature of your body and make you feel warmer. Some of the best things to eat and drink during this period include butternut squash, sweet potatoes, red meat, coffee, oats, ginger tea, and bananas.
• Make sure you get the required 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night– Aside from following a healthy diet, it is important to make sure that you get the required hours of sleep every evening. Of course, this is something that is vital at all times of the year. However, it is arguably even more vital during the cold and flu season. If you do not get a full night of sleep, it can cause your immune system to weaken, and this can make it a lot easier to get the flu. In fact, there is research that has proven that if you sleep less than six hours per evening, it actually quadruples your chance of getting a cold, so this is an important tip!
• Use medicine if you start to notice symptoms– A reliable online pharmacy can point you in the direction of the best medicines and treatments for your symptoms. Most pharmacies will have a live chat feature so you can easily be connected with a reputable advisor who will help you understand what sort of medication is going to be best for you.
• Avoid touching your face– In addition to the tips that we have mentioned so far, it is also good to try and stop touching your face. For some people, this is more difficult than others, as it may be a habit that they have developed. However, avoiding touching your mouth, nose, and eyes specifically is important, as these are parts of the face where flu and cold viruses tend to gain access for infection. If you do touch these parts of your face, make sure you wash your hands with water and soap first so that you do not end up spreading the virus.
• Practice correct hand washing– How to wash our hands properly is something that we have learnt a lot about over the past two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, washing your hands properly is not only going to protect you from Covid but it will make a big difference in terms of protecting yourself from the flu and cold as well. This is because washing your hands is one of the most successful ways to stop an infection from spreading, especially if you have already begun to feel sick. This simple action is vital for adults and even more so for children. According to the CDC, if you clean your hands several times with water and soap, this is one of the most critical steps you can take to prevent yourself from falling sick and spreading germs to those around you. Washing your hands with soap and warm water for 60 seconds is recommended for avoiding germs.
• Go and get the flu shot– Aside from the advice that we have provided so far, getting a flu jab is one of the best things you can do, and convince all members of your family to get one as well. This is something that you are able to get from the age of six months old and above. The best time to get your yearly flu shot is before the peak of the flu season, i.e. between September and October. Of course, that boat has now sailed, but don't let this prevent you from getting your flu shot. Getting it now is better than not getting it at all.
• Stay home if you are feeling sick– Last but not least, we highly recommend that you stay at home if you are feeling sick. People with flu are most contagious within the first three and four days after the illness has started. If you have a weakened immune system or you are a child, the virus may take more than seven days to pass through the system. Because of this, we highly recommend that you isolate yourself if you do get sick with the flu so that you can prevent the virus from spreading. If you are sick with any sort of flu-like symptoms, stay at home until your fever has gone.

Final words on beating cold and flu season

So there you have it: some of the different habits that we recommend adopting during the cold and flu season so that you can get through this time of year without spending too many days confined to your bed! Of course, in some cases, no matter how hard you try, you end up being unlucky and contracting a virus. However, if you adopt healthy habits, you put yourself in the best position to beat the flu so that you are not impacted too badly.