Want To Stay Cold And Flu Free This Winter?

Here are a few facts and tips to help you stay well this winter:

#1: It takes 48 hours for germs to make you sick. So if you’re wondering where you caught a bug, think back a couple of days. Ron Eccles is the director of the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University. He says if you’re not sure whether it’s a cold or the flu, take your temperature. Cold viruses don’t usually cause fever in adults. So, if you’re above-normal, you probably have the flu.
Also: The average person gets 200 colds in their lifetime. So, by your 75th birthday, you’ll have spent about two years of your life sniffling and sneezing. Now let’s look at what you can do to cut down on the number of colds you catch:
Go to bed before you get sick. According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, averaging less than seven hours of sleep a night raises your risk of getting sick by 300%.
Next: Your best cold-fighting weapon isn’t in your medicine cabinet. It’s the sneakers in your closet. According to research done at Appalachian State University, taking a 30-minute walk five days a week makes your immune system virtually cold-proof.
Finally: A lot of people think getting a flu shot after November is a waste of time and won’t do much good since cold & flu season is already in full swing. Not true! In fact, it’d still do you some good to get a shot now. Since influenza peaks in February or later – and it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to become effective.