Halloween has come and gone, and now Thanksgiving and Christmas are on the horizon. According to Marla Ahlgrimm, this is a joyful time of year, but it is also when you must be the most diligent about your health. With cooler temperatures and festive holiday cheer brings an increase in the flu virus.
What is the flu?
According to Marla Ahlgrimm, the flu is a virus that causes a high fever and body aches, among other things. It typically lasts around a week, although healthy individuals may recover within just days while young children, the elderly, and those with a weakened immune system may take two weeks or more to feel better.
Are colds the same things as the flu?
Although both are viruses and can make you feel equally cruddy, a cold is not the same thing as the flu. Marla Ahlgrimm explains that cold symptoms tend to come on gradually. You might have a stuffy nose one day, a cough the next, and then the virus will culminate into a low fever coupled with all previous cold symptoms. The flu, by contrast, comes on swiftly. Your first indication may be a high fever that’s accompanied by a sore throat, cough, chills, and extreme aches and pains.
Does the flu shot work?
Absolutely, although it is not a 100% guarantee that you won’t get the flu. The flu shot is formulated each year, and Marla Ahlgrimm explains that scientists create a new vaccine based on the available data. They look at the potential strain expected to circulate before formulating a vaccine. Even after you get a flu shot, you still have the same risk of getting the flu is everyone else for about two weeks. This is how it takes for your body’s natural virus-fighting ability to kick in.
Marla Ahlgrimm explains that the best way to treat the flu is with rest. Over-the-counter medications to treat symptoms will help, and, if you see your doctor soon enough, you may be given an antiviral medication that can shorten the duration.
