Managing Your Flu Symptoms In the Colder Months
With the last month of summer upon us and the nights quickly getting colder everywhere, we can officially start pulling out our jackets and sweaters and counting down the days to the colder months..and flu season. While the past two years have been terrific for influenza-related deaths in Australia, owing mostly to the stay-at-home orders in place across the country, with the borders now open across the country, this trend is unlikely to continue. The cases are likely to rise in Australia this year, although it should still be moderate compared to previous years.
If you’re experiencing flu-like symptoms and are unsure of your next course of action, book in a GP video consultation with Prime Medic for a safe and secure way to access quality healthcare when you need it. So what can you do to protect yourself from the flu this winter season?
Get a flu shot
All ‘vaxxed out’ after getting your COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses and getting swabs inserted in your nose for covid screening tests? While it can seem like you’ve been poked and prodded one too many times the past year, the fact of the matter is that flu shots give you the biggest and strongest defense against the virus.
It wouldn’t be amiss to say that most people learned more about vaccines in the past two years than they’ve ever known, and most of us are aware of how they work. The flu shot works much the same way as a COVID-19 vaccine. By introducing deactivated or weakened versions of the influenza virus into the body, the vaccine allows your body to fight the virus and build up the necessary antibodies required to successfully eliminate it from the body. Then, when your body comes face to face with the actual virus, it already knows how to fight it.
Like coronavirus, the influenza virus also mutates from year to year, and each year the vaccine is modified to fight off this new strain of the virus. This is why it is recommended to get the flu shot every year before flu season starts, regardless of when you last had one.
Practice Good Hygiene and Social Distancing
The pandemic has made us all experts on social distancing and maintaining good hygiene. Because this virus is also airborne and spreads when an infected person coughs, sneezes or touches surfaces after touching their mouth or nose, the same practices that help prevent the spread of covid also help slow the spread of colds and flu. Some good hygiene habits to practice before flu season are:
- Cover your mouth and nose. Especially when coughing or sneezing, it is best to do so in your elbow as opposed to in your palms. - Dispose of any tissues or napkins you use and immediately wash your hands after sneezing or coughing. - Wash your hands frequently, especially before and after eating, after using the toilet and when returning home from a public place. Use soap and water and thoroughly rub your hands when washing. - Avoid contact with people. Stay at least 1.5 meters away if you can, or wear a mask if you’re unable to physically socially distance yourself in public. - If you’re experiencing any flu-like symptoms, stay at home and get an online medical consultation with one of Prime Medic’s online doctors to help issue you a medical certificate for sick leave.Stay Hydrated
By drinking plenty of water and fluids, you help your body flush toxins from the body at a faster rate. Staying hydrated also keeps your mucus thin. When you are unwell with a cold or flu, mucus secretion in the body increases in order to help the body fight the infection and expel it from the body. Thin mucus is easier to expel by blowing your nose or gargling, whereas thick mucus can cause other problems like headaches, nasal congestion and sinus infections.
Get Plenty of Sleep
Poor sleep patterns and getting inadequate sleep can wreak havoc on your immune system. Your body takes the time when you’re asleep to rejuvenate itself, fight infections and release cytokines which further help boost your immune system. If you’re having trouble sleeping, or are waking up tired even after getting 8 hours of sleep, book a GP video consultation with Prime Medic. Our doctors can not only help you figure out why you are experiencing insomnia but can also suggest and prescribe laboratory tests to rule out the possibility of sleep apnoea, a sleep disorder highly prevalent in Australia.
Manage Stress Levels
Like sleep, your mental health plays an important part in your body’s ability to fight off diseases. Long-term stress has actually been proven to weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to common colds, viruses and bacterial infections. If you’ve been feeling anxious, depressed or have recently gone through a major life event and are struggling to cope, talk to our GPs in online medical consultation for a referral to a psychologist, therapist or counselor. Your brain is an important organ, and addressing your mental health will help boost overall health, also helping you protect yourself from viruses like the flu.
