You are not going to be very popular if you have cold and flu symptoms and still go to work. But is this your fault?
A flu and cold is a quite common illness that can be annoying and drain you of energy.
Often the symptoms from a cold and flu will last for only a few days. If these cold and flu symptoms last more than about a week, medical advice should be sought.
People more at risk of complications from colds and flu include those with some medical conditions or with a weak immune system.
You are more likely to get a cold or flu if you are feeling a little run down. This is a time when your immune system may be depressed and not adequately protecting you.
Are Cold and Flu The Same?
Colds and flu are often deemed the same, especially when it comes to treatment. They are, in fact, two different illnesses. The normal or common cold is an inflammation of the mucous membranes caused by a number of viruses. Flu is an acute viral infection of your respiratory tract.
Colds tend to begin slowly, with a sore throat, sneezing and runny nose. Temperature may be normal or slightly raised.
The flu may often come on quite quickly and in most cases we refer to this type of flu as Influenza.
Influenza is a contagious illness that can affect even the healthiest of people. Flu is a respiratory disease, but it can often affect the whole body. It can be life-threatening.
The ideal way to deal with any cold and flu is still prevention.
If you have recently had cold and flu symptoms you would agree that prevention is much better than suffering through episodes of illness. So even though the medical treatment of flu symptoms may be different from the treatment used for a common cold, prevention is still the goal.
Cold and Flu Prevention
Having a healthy immune system will help protect your body from being susceptible to the common cold plus flu. More importantly, a weak immune system will not protect your body from these colds and flu or any other infection.
We all want to improvet our immune system so that our body provides its own natural cold and flu prevention barriers. It is better to prevent any illness rather than just addressing the symptoms with medication.
There are many ways to boost your immune system and here we will address three of the most common which include healthy living, the flu shot or flu vaccine and supplements specifically designed to improve your immunity.
Healthy Living
The environment we live in is now not quite as pure as it once was and therefore it is harder lead a healthy lifestyle, but there are things that we can control.
Eat a diet of brightly coloured fruits and vegetables, including berries, citrus fruits, kiwi, apples, red grapes, kale, onions, spinach, sweet potatoes, and carrots will help build a healthier immune system. Other immune-boosting foods include fresh garlic (which has antiviral and antibacterial properties) and old-fashioned chicken soup.
Many of these food types are not produced and available when we need them most.
Exercise on a regular basis will also elevates the level of leukocytes, an Immune System cell that fights infection.
Exercise in moderation also increases release of endorphins, natural hormones that heighten your sense of well being and improve sleep quality, both of which have positive effects on your Immune System.
You may have noticed you’re more likely to catch a cold or any other infections when you’re not getting enough sleep. During deep sleep, your body produces blood cells and raises oxygen levels to strengthen immune function.
Flu Shot or Flu Vaccine
Having a flu shot is now a very common way to protect against the flu.
New vaccines are made each year, depending on the strains of virus that are around, so it is important to have one every year.
The vaccine or flu shot will improve your chances of not getting the flu, but it does not give 100% protection and some reports suggest it does not actually offer much protection at all.
Supplements to Support Your Immune System
There are many opinions on what vitamins, minerals and herbs will support the immune system.
Some of the more commonly known supplements used to improve immune system function are vitamins C, D and E, Zinc (in moderation), Selenium, Echinacea, Omega 3, grape seed extracts and green tea. There are also many other herbs used in healthcare such as basil, turmeric and cumin that have health benefits and should be combined in cooking and supplements.
To boost your immune system a combination of supplements will provide you the vitamins, minerals and herbs you need to achieve the best results.
This combination of supplements should include a quality multivitamin, a quality Omega 3 fish oil and Immunice herbal immunity boosting supplements. These can all be taken daily in tablet form.
Immunice is one of the top natural health supplements that combine a blend of potent herbal concentrates which helps the body strengthen the immune system.