Winter has started in Hyderabad, and it will last till February. Winter time means many of us may get affected by cold or flu.

You can see a lot of people coughing, sneezing - being affected by the cold. It is a common sight during this season, so I am presenting below some information in order to prevent from catching the flu.

Flu:

Influenza, commonly called as flu is a viral disease which affects the respiratory system.


Difference between flu and common cold:

1. The common cold develops gradually over several days and can start with a scratchy throat, sneezing, which can further lead to
congestion. Whereas, flu generally starts abruptly with headache and other body aches. There may also be feeling of being exhausted and fatigued.

2. The fever accompanying common cold may be mild, while in flu the fever is usually high.

3. The cough in common cold is generally hacking and can be moist because of congestion in the chest. The cough during flu is usually dry and hacking, and can last till all other symptoms of flu have
gone.

4. Flu affects the whole body, while common cold may generally affect only the upper body.

Typical Symptoms of flu:

Rapid and intense fever, headache, dry
cough, sore throat, chills, eye pain, sneezing, running nose, tiredness, depression, weakness, muscle aches fatigues etc. The symptoms generally last for a few days, but sometimes can stretch upto even weeks.

Flu Risks:

Some people have a higher risk of flu complications, like pneumonia. For most people the flu goes away in a week or two, but some can get very sick because of it. Those groups include:

>> babies and kids under age 5
>> people older than 65
>> adults and kids who have health problems, such as diabetes and asthma
>> women who are or will be pregnant during the flu season

Prevention tips:

To prevent flu, we need to keep our immune system strong by eating vegetables, fruits, whole food, drinking plenty of
water, avoid smoking, alcohol and stress.

If you catch flu, then try the following suggestions:
a. keep warm,
b. lots of bed rest in a well ventilated room,
c. consume warm fluids like chicken soup, or other soups etc.
d. drink plenty of water,
e. take foods that boost your immune system like Vitamin C,vitamin E, grape extracts,echinacea etc.
f. Gargle with salt water to temporarily relieve a sore or scratchy throat. (1/2 teaspoon of saltwater with an 8-ounce glass of warm water).

>>The best way is to keep yourself healthy so that it is easy to avoid colds and the flu in the first place.
>> Make a serious effort to manage stress because stress lowers your immunity making you more prone to diseases and illness.

 

Hope the above information will be useful to you. Although the above suggestions may not guarentee that you will be protected from flu, but they should be helpful in making you prepared to deal with them and avoid them.

 

Pass on this useful information to others too. Pls give me your valuable comments so that I can keep improving this blog for your benefit. All the best.



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