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It's Flu Season, Let's Talk Prevention and Remedies

Before we talk about how to prevent the cold and flu, we should discuss the similarities and differences of the cold and flu. Both the cold and flu are viral infections meaning, you cannot simply take an antibiotic to get rid of them. They have to take their course, and wreak havoc on your body while doing so. A cold will knock you down for a few days before you being to see improvement. However, a case of the flu could knock you down for weeks and could lead to more serious complications such as pneumonia, especially in those very young or very old patients. Both the cold and flu will have symptoms such as sore throat, congestion, cough and headaches. With the flu, a very high temperature can occur for many days and be accompanied by body aches, fatigue and weakness. The flu will hit you hard and quick so if you think you may have the flu, please see a healthcare professional as soon as possible to be tested for the flu virus.

How can you prevent yourself and your family from getting the flu? Luckily, although the flu is very contagious, it is also very easily prevented. The first thing that comes to mind when talking flu prevention is getting a flu shot. Flu shots are very easily accessible to everyone nowadays as you no longer need to make a doctor's appointment to get one. Just head to your local pharmacy and your pharmacist can give you one! How easy is that?!?

You got your flu shot and are on your way to happier and healthier year. But there are other ways you can prevent yourself from getting the flu. What if there is another strain of the flu going around that he vaccine does not cover? What if you just want to give your immune system a boost? There are several ways you can do that:

1) Keep up with proper hand hygiene. Wash your hands regularly and keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in your purse or car.

2) Take some vitamins. Vitamin C, Zinc and Lemon Essential Oil taken daily can aide in helping to boost your immune system.

But what if you tried everything and you still find yourself sick? What should you do? First and foremost, if you think you may have the flu, see your healthcare provider as soon as possible. A test can be performed to confirm if you truly have the flu or just a cold. If the flu is confirmed, your doctor may want to prescribe Tami-flu or a similar anti-viral medication. You will need to drink plenty of fluids and can take other medications such as decongestants, cough suppressants, aceteminophen or ibuprofen for fever and pain. There are also homeopathic remedies you can turn to in an effort to shorten the duration of your symptoms or alleviate some symptoms.

1) Oscillococcinum - temporarily relieves flu like symptoms.

2) Sinusalia - temporarily relieves nasal congestion, sinus pain and headache.

3) Chestal - temporarily relieves symptoms of the common cold such as nasal and chest congestion, fitful cough, sneezing, minor sore throat, and runny or stuffy nose.

4) ColdCalm - temporarily relieves cold symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion and minor sore throat.

5) Roxalia - temporarily relieves minor sore throat and hoarseness.

After reading this, we hope that you all feel well informed of how to handle the upcoming flu season. There are many prevention options and our pharmacists encourage prevention as there is no real treatment for the common cold or flu. Please remember to see your doctor as soon as possible if you think you may have the flu. Do not hesitate to contact Sienna Compounding Pharmacy for more advice on how you can stay healthy this holiday season!

http://www.siennarx.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Lori_Markel,_PharmD/2194313

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