Tips for this Cold/Flu season

Health Tip:

Besides immunization against the flu, the best things you can do to protect your family against colds/flu virus is to : encourage handwashing ( this has been shown to reduce disease transmission by 80%!), stay hydrated with drinks like: gatorade, orange juice, apple juice, and change a toothbrush when someone's had a flu/cold/strep. 

As flu season approaches, I always brace myself for the worst. Over the past 4 years of living in the US, I have come to realize that the symptoms of the flu are truly as bad as malaria. In the clinic where I work, our volume of sick visits triples between October- March. Almost every other person that walks in the door has a fever of over 102.

I want to use this blog to educate you on the value of being prepared for this public health threat in the US- and internationally. As the weather changes, remember to protect your family against the viruses that come as we all stay in more closed in spaces. The value of keeping that hand sanitizer close to you cannot be underestimated!

Last year I took care of a family that developed the flu so violently 2 out of the 5 members of the family had to be hospitalized. This year, they were the first to come in and get their flu shots. So much of healthcare is being proactive, and not reactive about our health. Do what you can to PROTECT your health- this is truly the focus of healthcare today and has the best long term effects.

I end with the story of a ten year old boy named Aaron ( name changed for privacy). Aaron accompanied his sister and brother for their flu shots last year. As his sister cried with fear of the shot, Aaron teased her. He teased his sister for being frightened of one little needle.Oddly, his teasing didn't seem to annoy his brother or sister. As I finished up the shots and they walked out of the clinic, Aaron's mother whispered a thank you in my ear. She told me that Aaron had been diagnosed with a terminal brain cancer and had spent the past few months in the hospital. He had grown accustomed to needles. They had all come today to get their flu shot to protect Aaron from the flu. She proceeded to tell me that she had not seen Aaron smile so much as he did today, as he 'coached' his siblings through the process of shots. It was then that I noticed that Aaron had no hair ( a side effect from his chemotherapy), and wore a cap on his head. I thanked them for coming, and watched as they all walked towards their car- hand in hand.

Aaron's story reminded me of how wrong first impressions can be. I also thought about how when we protect our health we are protecting those around us as well.

So, here's to a healthy flu season- let's all be proactive to promote our health!