Falling temperatures, crisp mornings and changing leaves signal the start of fall but also remind us that the dreaded flu season is right around the corner.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every year in the United States up to twenty percent of the population gets the flu, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized as a result of flu complications, and about 36,000 die.
“The flu should not be taken lightly,” said Dr. Robert Graham, Medical Director for the Mid-Michigan District Health Department (MMDHD). “One person infected with the flu virus can potentially infect up to fifteen others. The best way to prevent this potentially deadly disease is for everyone age six months and older, especially those at high risk for developing serious flu complications, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, to get vaccinated.”
The main way the flu is spread is from person to person through coughs and sneezes. This can happen when droplets from the cough or sneeze of an infected person travel through the air and reach the mouth or nose of people nearby. Sometimes flu can be spread when a person touches droplets from an infected person and then touches their own (or someone else’s) nose or mouth before washing their hands.
Symptoms of the flu generally include high fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and muscle aches. While most people who get influenza recover in a few days to less than two weeks, some develop life-threatening complications, such as bacterial pneumonia, dehydration and worsening of chronic medical conditions like congestive heart failure, asthma or diabetes.
Getting your seasonal flu shot is just one of many things you can do to stay healthy this winter. MMDHD also offers these additional tips:
· Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
· Clean your hands often, especially after sneezing, coughing, using the bathroom, before eating, and before touching your eyes, mouth or nose.
· Wash with soap and water for at least twenty seconds. Hand sanitizers are a good option if no soap and water are available.
If you still haven’t received your flu shot, don’t worry, it’s not too late. Contact MMDHD for flu clinic information by visiting www.mmdhd.org or by calling:
Clinton County: 989-224-2195