Stress management, exercise help fight off flu

Everyone else there, it seemed, had the same thing her husband did: flu. She even overheard one nurse say to another, "Well, I guess I should get the swabs ready for everybody," meaning the flu test.

O'Dell's daughter was sick, too, and missed the last week of school before the holidays.

"I'm not out of the woods. But, for now, everybody at home is recovered," said O'Dell, a dietitian at Akin's Natural Foods.

With the flu season having started early, and flu activity high throughout the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it seems likely the flu will continue for some time. But O'Dell and a local physician offered basic reminders that could mean the difference between staying well and coming down with a really bad bug.

"This season has been almost off the charts," said Dr. Mark Callery, a physician with Utica Park Clinic in Owasso. Despite the number of people his office is seeing because of flu, his family has blissfully steered clear.

One simple but important reason why is hygiene.

"I probably wash my hands 40 times a day between every patient," Callery said.

When he's home, he'll use alcohol swabs on his smartphone - not that your mobile phone service provider might approve of that, mind you - to kill germs, as his kids might answer his cell and hand it to him. "It seems to be very safe," he said.

After all, kids are the ones who usually bring home the infections to their parents, Callery said. So wash your hands frequently, especially after touching door knobs or other surfaces people may have touched. And keep your hands away from your mouth, nose and eyes.

Many of us work indoors, where air is recirculated - air that you're breathing in now that's also being coughed or sneezed in by your co-worker a couple of desks away.

"Whatever they're sneezing, we're breathing in," O'Dell said.

To help keep from contracting influenza, you need to maintain a strong immune system, she said. Lots of things contribute to a weakened immune system, such as stress, lack of sleep and a poor diet.

As for diet, consider eating yogurt, which contains probiotics, O'Dell said. Probiotics are living organisms that act on body functions, including immunity.

Eat foods that are high in antioxidants, she continued, like fruits and veggies, as well as natural fruit juices.

Exercise helps keep your immune system running, Callery said. It can also reduce stress, which can weaken your immunity.

Help at the store

Beyond lifestyle maintenance, products in grocery and health stores may help.

It's not a bad idea to take a little extra vitamin C from October to April, which is flu season, Callery said. It won't hurt, and it could help. Or take a multi-vitamin geared toward your sex to pick up the vitamins and minerals you might otherwise be missing in your diet.

At Akin's, O'Dell suggested items like caffeine-free Cough-Off herbal tea - a 100 percent natural expectorant.

Also on the store's shelves is Ginger Cough by Paragon, an alcohol-free dietary supplement (ginger's said to boost the immune system); Paragon's All-Well Formula tablets for immune system support; and the store's brand Juicy C Chewable tablets with vitamin C.

You can also consider flu-specific products, O'Dell said, like Source Naturals' Flu Guard, a comprehensive homeopathic flu remedy formulated by a physician. It claims to reduce the severity and duration of flu symptoms.

She also recommended Oscillococcinum, another homeopathic remedy consisting of quick-dissolving pellets that reduce duration and severity of flu symptoms: body aches, headaches, fever, chills and fatigue.

"We sell a ton of that," O'Dell said.

Although she's not a "huge fan" of Lysol, it can help to spray it around places with which sick folks have been in contact, O'Dell said.

She also suggested hand-sanitizing wipes - even though, again, she's not crazy about them, as viruses could build a resistance to such things over time.

Be prepared, and stock up now, even if you don't have symptoms, O'Dell said. Buy some herbal teas and soups. Chicken soup, by the way, contains certain compounds that can help your immune system. Plus, it's hot and comforting.

"That's part of what it is - part nurture and part fight," she said.

Finally, it's never too late to have the flu shot, Callery said.

---

5 tips to prevent the flu

The flu virus is active in Oklahoma this season and has recently become more widespread.

On Jan. 10, The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported 345 flu-related hospitalizations and eight deaths since the flu season began Sept. 30, 2012. Of those hospitalizations, 27 percent occurred during the week of Jan. 2.

With more than 40 states reporting widespread flu outbreaks, many of the nation's leading health officials are calling it an epidemic. So what can you do to help prevent the flu? Utica Park Clinic providers suggest the following tips:

1. Take time to get a flu vaccine. It is recommended that everyone six months of age and older receive a flu vaccine. Flu season can extend into April so it is not too late to receive a vaccine.

2. Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.

3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread this way.

4. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

5. Practice good health habits. Make certain to get plenty of sleep and exercise, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat healthy food.

Original Print Headline: Squash Flu Bug

---

Jason Ashley Wright 918-581-8483
jason.wright@tulsaworld.com

Source: http://www.tulsaworld.com/site/articlepath.aspx?articleid=20130117_4_D1_CUTLIN725596

kim richards robert hegyes mary louise parker mary louise parker cher morgellons nhl all star draft