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We are now in the middle of flu season, and statistics from past years indicate that approximately 200,000 people will be hospitalized. As many as  49,000 people may die, depending on how virulent the year's flu strain is. What are the odds you will get the flu? And should you be concerned?

 

Well, even if you think you won't get the flu, you probably don't want to take the chance. Especially if you are elderly, diabetic, or have asthma or heart disease, since the odds for these groups go up. The odds of catching the flu are also higher for young children.

 

No one really wants to take the chance of getting the flu, since it brings on the misery of running a temperature, breaking out in cold sweats and shivers, suffering headaches and aching joints, feeling limp with exhaustion, developing a sore throat and a bad cough, living with a stuffed-up nose and congestion, or even worse -- coping with diarrhea and vomiting.

 

Those are the symptoms. Just thinking about them should make us all want to take precautions. And one of the best things we can do in terms of prevention is get a flu shot. Your doctor can administer the flu vaccination, or for convenience, in many places you can walk into your nearest pharmacy and take care of it.

 

The flu shot is an inactivated vaccine that contains the killed viruses that cause the flu. It is usually given as a shot in the upper arm, and it generally protects against three influenza viruses. Because viruses adapt and change, the dead viruses in the vaccine are changed year to year, and each year's vaccine attempts to target the viruses expected for that year.

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "There are many different flu viruses and they are constantly changing. The composition of the U.S. flu vaccines is reviewed annually and updated as needed to match circulating flu viruses. The vaccines protect against the viruses that research suggests will be most common that year. For 2017-2018, vaccines are recommended to contain:

This complicated language means nothing to most readers, but it is worth noting as a reminder of how complex and varied flu viruses are and how much care and research goes into preparation for each flu season.

 

It is believed that flu spreads in tiny droplets cast into the air when someone with the flu coughs, sneezes, or talks. You can breathe these in if you are nearby, or they can land on a surface and be picked up by your hand and transferred by touching your mouth or nose. Flu is more common in the winter months and spreads more easily because you spend more time indoors close to one another. Once exposed, you can develop symptoms in one to four days; the average time is two days.

 

You can pass flu along before you know you have it, as well as when you are already sick. Generally, you are most contagious in the first three to four days after the flu begins, though you can be contagious longer. You can give others the flu as early as one day before coming down with symptoms and as late as five to seven days after becoming sick.

 

To avoid the flu, you should wash your hands often with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. If you get the flu, stay away from others, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Centers for Disease Control suggests coughing or sneezing into a Kleenex or your upper sleeve (the inside of your elbow) to avoid the spread of germs.

 

Let's say you fail to get your flu shot or you take precautions and get the vaccine but you still come down with the flu. How will you know you have it? You will have most of the symptoms noted above. The higher temperature, the cold sweats, the headache, the aching joints, and the extreme fatigue will tell you that you have more than a common cold.

 

So what should you do if you suspect you have the flu? Go home and stay home and get plenty of rest.

Pay attention to your body while you are sick. With the flu you can develop pneumonia, bronchitis, or sinus and ear infections, so you should immediately go to your physician if you suspect any of these things. Also, if you already have asthma or heart disease, you may become even sicker. You should get emergency help if you have trouble breathing or are short of breath, if you have bluish skin and lips, if you feel pressure or pain in your chest or stomach, if your fever and cough persist, if you are dehydrated, if you feel dizzy and confused, or if you are continually vomiting. Get help -- don't allow your flu to develop into something much worse.

 

You should pay especially close attention if you or a loved one is in a high-risk bracket for these complications - young children under 5 years old, and especially under 2; adults older than 65; residents of nursing homes; pregnant women and women who have given birth within the past two weeks; people whose immune system has been weakened; people with asthma, heart disease, kidney disease, and diabetes; and people who are obese.

 

If you pay attention and take the precaution of a flu shot, you can probably avoid this annoying condition. If you have the misfortune of coming down with it, prompt treatment will help you. Flu has been with us for many years, and, in consequence, many home remedies have been developed. Read further to see what some of these are.