Follow this simple checklist to help you stay healthier when influenza spreads.
Influenza isn’t strictly seasonal: Flu viruses can infect people year-round. “But when weather turns colder, we tend to see more respiratory illness— both because we spend more time indoors with other people and because cold air helps flu viruses spread faster,” says Jennifer Turkish, MD, a primary care provider with Primary & Specialty Care at Old Bridge and a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group.
Dr. Turkish says you can counter flu’s seasonal edge by preventing infection, reducing symptoms, or vanquishing the virus with vaccination, good hand hygiene and healthy habits.
Get Vaccinated
If you didn’t already receive your annual flu vaccine, it’s not too late for an inoculation that can prevent infection or shorten the duration of your illness if you get sick. “Flu typically causes symptoms such as mild fever and decreased appetite, but for some people, such as children and older adults, an influenza infection can become more severe and may even result in hospitalization,” Dr. Turkish says. “Vaccination reduces these risks.”
Wash Hands Regularly
Good hand hygiene means washing away germs you can easily pick up from surfaces. “Wash with soap and water before eating or after any activities where hands may have contacted viruses,” says Jessica Mathew, DO, a primary care provider with Clara Maass Medical Center and a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group. Also avoid touching your face—where mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, and mouth are highly susceptible to infection—and cough or sneeze into your elbow rather than your hand to help prevent spreading viruses you might carry.
Practice Healthy Habits
Maintaining a well-balanced diet, getting enough restful sleep, and drinking plenty of fluids help the immune system fight off challenges such as viral infections. Also, keeping physically active is especially important in winter, when remaining indoors tends to curtail movement. “Optimizing nutrition, sleep quality, and cardiopulmonary health can boost our immune, brain, and hormonal response, resulting in quicker and smoother recovery,” says Jean Verlus, MD, a primary care provider with Eatontown Primary Care and a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group.
Seek Treatment
Mild flu symptoms might resolve on their own with rest, hydration and over-the-counter remedies such as acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, along with cough and congestion relievers. But if symptoms like fever, lack of appetite, coughing, or body aches don’t respond to home treatment, or get worse, consult your primary care physician. Your doctor may prescribe antiviral medication that can help control the infection, especially when administered within 48 hours of the onset of your symptoms. “Left untreated, flu can not only get worse but also weaken the immune system so you’re more vulnerable to opportunistic bacterial infections,” says Nisha Kumar, MD, Division Director, General Internal Medicine, Newark Beth Israel Prime Care and Adult Health Center, and a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group.
Learn more about Primary Care or book an appointment now with one of RWJBarnabas Health’s Medical Group Primary Care doctors.