Interesting Facts About Flu.....

A Warm Hello to All of You on this Chilly Sunday Evening....

Since it is winter and there are a few Flu Bugs doing the rounds I thought I would share some interesting Flu Facts that I found in my Momentum Health Magazine....

Did you know that you can catch flu from someone who is NOT sneezing or coughing.

According to this article, adults are contagious one day before symptoms appear and up to seven days after getting sick. So with it being the season for flu, it is a good idea to ensure that you are washing your hands regularly, especially after using shared items. It is also advisable to avoid touching your hands and nose after using shared items.

Going out when it is cold and wet does not cause you to come down with the flu. One reason why people suffer more with colds and flu in winter is because people tend to spend more time indoors within close contact with others, making it a wonderful environment for the viruses to pass from one person to another.

 Over the course of a year a child may get up to eight colds, while an adult may only get three of four. This is because of two things, a child's immune system is not as advanced as ours and they are also more likely to come into contact with a variety of viruses at school.

Many people think that the Flu Vaccine may give you a mild version of the Flu, but according to this article the flu injection is made up of inactive viruses which cannot make you sick. A small percentage of people may get a mild fever for eight hours to a day after the vaccination, but this is due to the immune system's response to the vaccine. It takes about two weeks for the vaccine to take effect and you could catch the flu during this window period.

Lastly, antibiotics work only against infections caused by bacteria & since both colds and flu are caused by viruses, antibiotics will have no effect.
Flu can lower your resistance to infections such as bronchitis and sinusitis, when this occurs you will find that your doctor will prescribe a antibiotic.

So on that note, I am off to take my vitamins and get my flu jab!

Have a terrific week and keep warm!

Mandy

Source:

Momentum Health - JUMP Magazine (Issue 2/ 2012)