Flu season is here and it’s time to avoid this nasty disease with common-sense actions. But before we get started, let’s define flu season.

Flu Season for most people in the US and Europe:

Common influenza, usually known as the flu, can happen any time of the year. It is, however, more rampant in the winter months, especially in colder weather, where people group in closed places. December through February are heavy flu months. Flu cases begin picking up in late October and slowing down in March and April. They will experience a sharp drop-off after the first of May.

So, keeping it simple, flu season begins in the fall and ends in the spring. You can see what’s happening with flu cases in your area here: Flu Stats. You might decide whether to get a flu shot based on this information.

The Weather Channel has excellent flu information on local levels. Here, for example, is one for Dallas, Texas. Anyway you look at it, these sources signal an action mode at some point – and you have several choices. Monitor these daily.

Pretty good so far:

Flu seasons can last up to six months, and flu shots usually last four to five months. These are not exact time periods but they give you something to work with. In my case, I’m going to get a flu shot this week, probably on Thursday, 10/19/23, when I have a doctor’s appointment in the afternoon anyway.

This shot will take me through flu season up to the middle of March.

Flu season for those at risk:

Ask your PHP about flu shot timing if you have potentially risky health conditions. They might suggest getting your flu shot in late August and another in early January. The flu season doesn’t change. You’re just getting extended coverage.

Better to be safe than sorry.

As for age, there is no clear picture here. Ask your PHCP. If you’re in good health, they might say get your flu shot in October (for the whole season) or get one in late August and another in January. Again, as an OMY, your PHCP knows you and will be able to make a reasoned recommendation.

Say you don’t want a shot…

Flu season or not, some of you will not get a shot. That’s OK, and it’s your business. You will still want to take action to avoid getting the flu. The rest of this post will talk about what everyone can do to prevent infection with the flu virus.

FLU SYMPTOMS:

Flu season has fallen upon this woman and she is miserable. Beat flu season with vaccines and probiotics.
  • Aching muscles
  • Chills and sweats
  • Headache
  • Dry, persistent cough
  • Tiredness and weakness
  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Sore throat
  • Vomiting and diarrhea.

Tracking flu season developments:

Throughout flu season, you should track flu statistics in your area. You can use the links I gave above to connect with the CDC. This link will allow you to click on your state for further information. The information closest to you and most up-to-date would be your county health department’s website.

Check these sites daily. It takes about five minutes. Usually, you will get a color-coded warning. If your warning is low, proceed with your life as usual. If the alert is high, then you should consider the following actions:

[Remember that the flu vaccine is not 100% protection – nothing is. So even if you’re vaccinated, the following behavior also applies to you.]

Playing self-defense in flu season:

Use common sense: if your community is on high alert for flu, do the following:

  • Wash your hands often, especially after contacting others and suspicious surfaces. If you can’t wash your hands use a hand sanitizer.
  • When shopping or at work, avoid close interactions with others – this is called “social distancing.”
  • Don’t eat or drink after others, even family members.
  • Wear a mask in public if this makes you feel comfortable – both disposable and cloth masks should be changed often. Cloth masks should be washed by hand in a detergent and bleach solution before re-using. Masks themselves can be breeding grounds for “bugs.”
  • Don’t go to low-value social gatherings, like picnics and parties.
  • Stay at home or in a “safe” area as much as you can.

More things to do in flu season:

  • Carry sanitizing wipers for shopping cart handles, door knobs, and your car’s steering wheel. These wipers are cheap and effective.
  • If a family member has the flu, segregate them as much as possible in your home. Have them use separate bedding, towels, and washcloths. Wash these items in a detergent bleach cycle as soon as you can. Put items in a plastic bag until they can be washed. Don’t eat at the same dinner table. Treat the infected family members respectfully, but use appropriate caution around them.
  • When attending worship services during flu season, go to “off-time” services. For example, instead of Sunday morning services, try Sunday afternoon, or mid-week services. There will be far fewer people attending off-time services.
  • Most people go to gyms Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Try going on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. You will encounter fewer people on these off days. Also, most people go during lunch hours and after work. Try going mid-morning, mid-afternoon, or after seven p.m. Again, fewer people.
  • When shopping for groceries during flu season, shop at off-hours. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon are examples. Eating at restaurants – same thing.
  • Pay attention to your oral health. You can keep a bottle of mouthwash handy if needed or get a sanitizing spray to spray into your throat a few times a day. (See my mouthwash caution below.) Simply rinsing your mouth out occasionally is also helpful and may work better than mouthwash.

At work:

  • Avoid groups and cliques at work. Take your lunch, and don’t go out to lunch with others. Use sanitizing wipes when needed – door knobs and changing workstations are examples.
  • Working outside is usually not a problem, but if you’re working with someone else in close proximity, ask them to agree on some contact rules that will keep both of you safe. Hand sanitizing and masking are examples.

Here are a few flu season cautions that aren’t so obvious:

  • In public places, when you are walking behind someone who sneezes, immediately hold your breath until you are several feet past the “sneeze –zone,” which can be several feet. When you’re safely through the sneeze cloud, pull out your hand sanitizer – when walking through the sneeze cloud, you might have picked up some mucous droplets on your hands.
  • Flu season or not, people handle things when they’re shopping. You probably do, too. Always use hand sanitizer after shopping, and wash anything you consume without cooking. This is especially applicable to produce.
  • Be double-safe. Use a capful of chlorine bleach in a gallon of warm water and completely submerge the produce in this solution. Do this for a minute or so, then rinse the produce off. (You can buy chlorine dip sticks at any drug store – they’re color-coded and easy to use). You’re looking for 100 parts per million of chlorine.) Do not re-use this solution; chlorine evaporates out of the solution quickly.

Fighting bad bugs with good bugs:

I have become a believer in probiotics. Most flu viruses enter your body through your nose, mouth, and eyes (eyes drain into your throat via tear ducts). Probiotics are used to keep these areas “infected” with friendly microbes.

Here is my flu season “bug defense” list, where I get the products, and where you can get them:

These come in a bottle of 30 lozenges, so seven bottles of each should get you through flu season. Since these are probiotics (friendly bacteria that kill bad bacteria), they will take about a week to establish themselves in your throat and nasal passages.

I take these starting in October and continue taking them through April. These three probiotics establish colonies of good bacteria in my nose, oral cavity, and throat. (Remember that your oral cavity, eyes, and nose drain directly into your throat – this makes your throat three times more likely for infection than your oral cavity, eyes, and nose.)

Note: I am not advising that you take these probiotics. I’m saying that these have been a staple for me for many years. You should follow the above link, read the materials, and decide what’s in your best interests.

OMY1

P.S. final word about mouthwash:

A healthy oral cavity harbors several “good” bacteria. Overusing mouthwash designed to kill bacteria will kill both good and bad bacteria. The three bugs I described above aim to establish good bacterial colonies in my oral, throat, and nasal cavities. Therefore, I do not use mouthwash unless I have a sore throat.

Always remember that rinsing your oral cavity and gargling with mouthwash has a downside in that it kills bacteria indiscriminately – consider this when using mouthwash. Find out more about oral health here: ORAL CAVITY HEALTH.

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