My concern for my own health, as well as the health of those around me, is why I get a flu shot every year. I combine other preventative methods along with a yearly flu shot. During flu season, I wash my hands with warm water and soap more frequently. I also drink warm beverages such as hot water, tea and broth to prevent bacteria from cultivating in the back of my throat. A bacterial infection can weaken your immune system significantly and make you an easy host for the flu virus. I also try to get plenty of sleep and avoid stressful situations that I know will weaken my immune system. If I feel illness coming on, I am sure to drink lots of fluids, rest and take vitamins to try to avoid becoming sick.

The preventative costs of avoiding the flu, or any other illness, are always less than the treatment. Flu shots are quick and affordable. Many public pharmacies now offer flu shots on a walk-in basis, with little or even no waiting. Compare the cost and convenience of such a flu shot to a week or more of missed work, doctors visits and misery. Additionally, imagine if the flu virus spreads to your partner, children or other family members who live with you. When you weigh the costs in time, money and health, getting a flu shot is the right thing to do for you and the ones you love.

Believe it or not, garlic is something that has been around for quite a while and it is a wonderful natural remedy for the cold and the flu and it definitely works!  You can actually ingest garlic many different ways too – in chicken soup for example.

You can even make garlic tea which will really help you.  While you might smell like garlic a bit after your cold, it will make you feel better.

It is a common knowledge, and everybody believes that exposure to cold and cold water can make a person catch cold. The truth is that exposure to cold temperature is not accountable for someone who catch a cold or a flu. The reason behind it is that when a person experiences either of the two, he or she feels cold or chilled, so the misconception may be derived from that. Aside from that, cold air at times may cause runny noses, and not necessarily only during a cold. Some of the known causes of cold are having a slightly depressed immune system, malnutrition and not having enough sleep.

People who get sick on vacation are actually experiencing “leisure sickness”. In a research, it found out that when a person is busy, the body is likewise active. When at rest, the body’s defenses are also at rest. A research conducted at Netherlands arrived at the conclusion that workaholics are most likely to catch cold during vacation.

Another question that has to be cleared is the difference between a cold and flu. One thing to remember is that flu comes with a high fever, muscle aches, and body weakness that will keep a person in bed.