Yearly flu vaccination is the best tool currently available to protect against influenza (flu).

While how well the flu vaccine works can vary, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccination as the first and most important step in protecting against flu and its potentially serious complications. Millions of people have safely received flu vaccines for decades. Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors' visits, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations.

A flu vaccination does not guarantee protection against the flu. Some people who get vaccinated might still get sick. However, people who get a flu vaccine are less likely to get sick with flu or hospitalized from flu than someone who does not get vaccinated.

Why do I need to get vaccinated every year?

New flu vaccines are released every year to keep up with rapidly adapting flu viruses. Because flu viruses evolve so quickly, last year's vaccine may not protect you from this year's viruses.

After vaccination, your immune system produces antibodies that will protect you from the vaccine viruses. In general, though, antibody levels start to decline over time   another reason to get a flu shot every year.

Flu vaccines bring down the risks of suffering from flu. However, its effectiveness is based on different factors.

Age: Usually, the flu vaccine happens to work the best for healthy adults. However, these vaccines cannot work as well with children, especially infants (below the age of 2-3 years). Nevertheless, the efficacy improves with age. Since older people are more prone to contracting the flu virus, it is essential that they get themselves vaccinated. Even if the vaccine is not able to ward off the flu entirely, it can still help reduce the risks to some extent.

General Health: Vaccine spurs immunity into action. It helps your body in identifying and fighting the virus. The efficacy of the flu vaccine solely depends on the capability of your body s immunity system and how well it responds to the virus. Chronic illnesses weaken your body s defense mechanism and with a poor immunity system, the vaccine may not work properly.

The time of the vaccination: For optimal protection, it is advised to go for the vaccination every year right before the  flu  season starts. This is because after the flu season gets done with, old vaccines may not work as effectively.

The flu vaccine needs to be updated every season to guard you against the kind of flu dominant in that particular year. Getting yourself vaccinated is also not a guaranteed foolproof protection, however, it does render partial immunity and helps reduce the severity of the symptoms. However, it should be noted that flu vaccine cannot shield one from cold viruses.

Flu Vaccine Effectiveness: How Well Does It Work?

Things to do when your child gets flu

Although cold and flu are very common issue it is usually not a very serious condition. However when it affects your child, it is essential to take good care since a child’s immune system is not fully developed. Children tend to get flu very easily and if immediate care is not taken it has the potential to develop into serious conditions. Running nose, headache, nausea, body aches, fever, feeling cold, coughing etc. are some symptoms of common flu.

When to call the doctor?
Flu sometimes comes and goes away all by itself. However, when it is about younger ones, take professional advice if you see the following symptoms

- Difficulty in breathing
- Dehydration
- Extreme loss of appetite
- Difficulty in breathing
- Continuous coughing
- Get a rattling sound while breathing
- Sudden loss of energy, dullness
- High temperatures even after intake of appropriate medicine

How to quickly rid your child of Flu 
Apart from the prescribed medication here are few points you must always take care of, when affected by flu-

1. Good Rest - Complete rest till symptoms vanish
2. Nasal Drops - Use nasal drops to support easy breathing
3. Warm Water - Warm fluids, honey-lemon potion, cough syrup for chest congestion
4. Administer Paracetamol - Fever medicines that are available specially for infants
5. Increase fluids - Abundant intake of fluids in the form of soups, fruit juices or electrolytes in water.
6. Body Sponging - Warm water sponge bath for relieving muscle or body fatigue

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Things To Do When Your Child Gets Flu

Cut down flu risk through regular exercise

Cold and flu are common problems which spans across all seasons and affects all age groups, kids and elders alike. However a flu or a viral infection leaves you very weak and vulnerable. A good routine of exercise is the easiest way to keep such infections at bay.

Regular exercise plays an important role in building your immunity against a flu infection. If you exercise for a minimum of 2.5 hours every week, your chances of contracting a flu infection are drastically reduced by almost 10 percent. However it is important that you exercise moderately and on a regular basis to protect your body against the flu.

An effective exercise schedule would involve 150 minutes of moderate exercise such as brisk walking, gardening etc every week. This can also be substituted by 75 minutes/week of vigorous exercise which includes running, playing a sport, aerobics etc. And 2 days for muscle strengthening exercises. Incorporate any one of these regimes in your daily schedule and follow them without fail, as they are the most fool-proof method to prepare your body for the fight against the flu virus.

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Can You Cut Down FLU Risk With Mere Exercising?

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by Hyperglycemia (elevated blood glucose level) due to either reduced production of insulin or the inability of the body to utilize the insulin produced. Today management of diabetes has become a prime concern. Over the winter months, diabetic patients are likely to suffer from higher blood glucose levels than during the warmer months. As the temperature drops and the sugar levels up, thus, diabetic patients should be extra careful about the temperature fluctuations or seasonal changes.The cold weather makes diabetics experience many health problems, besides creating a major change in their sugar levels.

Following are the most harmful effects that diabetic patients may suffer from during the cold weather

Change in hemoglobin level: There is a great change in their glycated hemoglobin levels. Whatever the type of diabetes an individual has, the freezing temperature can increase the level of HbA1c or glycated hemoglobin. This is most likely because of decreased physical activity. Cold weather makes it difficult for some people to go out. A little activity each day can help with insulin sensitivity (in all types of diabetes) which can help the body to regulate sugar level in a better way.
Prone to diseases: Since the immune system is also not at its best strength in winters, there are increased incidences of microbial infections like cold and flu or in some cases pneumonia. As a result, the body produces counterregulatory hormones (Cortisol, Adrenaline, and Glucagon) to counteract the situation. These hormones affect the utilization of insulin by the body thereby elevating the blood glucose level. Also, conditions like flu and cold tend to make them feel lethargic and stress and can prevent them from taking the diet, which is required, which eventually can lead to an increase in the blood sugar level.
Winter blues: It is often seen that people feel low during winters, as they tend to go out less and prefer to stay indoors. Less outdoor activity during winters can sometimes trigger mood swings or in some cases depression, which in turn can shoot up the level of blood sugar in their body. Thus it is advisable that one should spend more time with friends and family, in order to keep these blues at bay. 
Other problems: Most diabetic people are unaware of their nerve functions, and are unable to feel the difference between the cold and hot water, which can lead to burn injury. Also, during the winter season, most diabetic patients tend to lose feeling in their toes and feet due to vascular changes. Therefore, it is advisable that people should check their feet frequently, so as to ensure that there is no open wound or pressure area in their feet. One must take very good care of their feet, keep them moisturized, inner fingers clean and dry, prevent any type of fungal growth in toes, etc. By taking required preventive measures before the onset of winters diabetic patients can control their blood sugar level, which enables them to stay away from associated problems. 
In case the blood sugar level goes beyond 130, one should not take the medicine on their own but should get in touch with their endocrinologist (diabetologist).

Cold Weather - How It Can Affect Diabetic Patients?

Common cold, as the name suggests, is one of the most common diseases in the world. It is a communicable disease, mainly occurring during seasonal change, even though it is not chronic in nature. And homeopathy has the most effective medicines which treat common cold without the side effects offered by allopathic medicines, such as drowsiness.
Read on to know which are those:

1. Aconite
This homeopathic medicine is recommended when the most preliminary signs of common cold appear, such as getting thirsty frequently and being overly-anxious.

2. Belladonna
Belladonna is for more severe signs of cold, such as high fever and persistence of a throbbing headache.

3. Natrum mur
This medicine is effective for a runny nose, with initially clear snot thickening after a period of 24-48 hours.

4. Nux vomica
Nux vomica is effective for constant sensation of chill, with warmth not felt even in the comfort of the bed. It is also effective for headaches, blocked nose, body-aches, and nausea as results of the cold.

5. Gelsemium
Gelsemium is advisable for the known symptoms of common cold such as headache, fever, fatigue, drowsiness, shivers, etc.

6. Eupatorium perf
This medicine is effective in case of recurring thirst, sore muscles and bones, and immense headache that get worse on any kind of movement.

7. Arsenicum iod
If you are experiencing continuous sneezing with burning sensation and a nasal discharge, this is the medicine you should take.

8. Ferrum Phos
This medicine is also given at the preliminary stage, when the onset is slow, with mild fever, which gets worse especially with the approach of night.

9. Pulsatilla
When you have a nose with dense discharge and blocked ears, remember that these symptoms may worsen at night. This is the medicine best suited to your cold in such a situation.

10. Influenzinum
It is a homeopathic remedy for flu. The medicine, which is diluted and potentized, strengthens the immune system to fight against flu viruses. It does not suppress the symptoms but makes your immune system strong to not allow foreign viruses affect your health.

Homeopathy and Common Cold

One thing that a weather change brings about is lung infections - most commonly cough and cold. Most people dread the change of seasons from one temperature to another because of the fear of how their body will react to the weather change. Be it extreme hot or cold, most people end up with a cough and cold. The more affected age groups again are the children and the elderly. However, all it takes to prevent this is to plan a little so that the body can get used to the change and not react with a cough or cold.

Prevention: There are few things that can be done which can help avoid catching cold.
1. Avoid sudden exposure to cold, from a heated room to the cold outdoors, especially in the evening and morning. Those who are used to a morning and evening walk may have to change the routine.
2. Avoid cold food items such as cool drinks, milk shakes and ice-creams.
3. Having a warm bath, early morning and late evening is advisable.
4. Avoid foods such as sour stuffs, pickles and fried foods.
5. Eat small, frequent meals that are prepared fresh are nutritious and of moderate temperature.
6. If there are infected people in your neighborhood, avoid being in close contact with them as you might get infected as well.
7. Wash your hands enough to keep them free of germs
8. As much as cold weather does not make you thirsty, push enough fluids so that your body stays hydrated. If water is not appealing enough, drink warm water or tea or lime.
9. Ensure the house, especially kitchen and bathroom are clean and disinfected.
10. Avoid exposure to dust and pollen as they carry lot of germs.
11. Avoid staying in a poorly ventilated room, enough circulation ensures germs are not concentrated in one room
12. Timely vaccination against flu

Treatment: Despite these measures, once the cough and cold has set in, the following are some easy remedies:

1. Steam inhalation, preferably with eucalyptus oil added to it.
2. Having warm soup with ginger and garlic added to it to soothe the throat
3. Ginger and other spices like cardamom and cinnamon can also be added to tea.
4. Lemon and honey can be added to a glass of warm water. This will soothe the throat and help fight cold.
5. Chewing Tulsi leaves can be beneficial
6. Yoga exercises such as Pranayama and Jalneti can be done to cleanse the nasal cavity, prevent sinus congestion, and clear mucus

Cough and Cold Due to Weather Change - Prevention & Treatment Tips

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