Hard to fathom that next week is Thanksgiving! This year just keeps flying by like it has a need for speed or something.
We all know that Thanksgiving truly kicks off the official Holiday Season (OK, some of you count the start at Halloween, but I’m a Thanksgiving girl). It’s also the ‘season’ for the inundation of cold and flu – hence the reason it’s called the ‘cold and flu season’. Which you already knew, of course.
I’m not a fan of the cold and flu season – I’ve already had to deal with a nasty sinus infection the kids brought home from school, aka germ factory. Not to mention when either of the kids get sick, it breaks my heart:
Here are some of the most common symptoms that will be felt throughout your entire body – things to look for if you’re trying to figure out whether or not your child has the flu:
- Fever: moderate to high, lasting several days
- Chills
- Warm, flushed skin
- Cough
- Sneezing
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Body aches: (joints and muscles)moderate to severe
- Headache: mild to severe
- Tiredness, weakness, or exhaustion
- mild: mild to severe
- Irritability
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Red or watery eyes
Any or all of the above does not make for a fun prospect. The kids are due for their flu shots, so we’ve established a new pediatrician out here that will hopefully be as awesome as the one we had out in PA.
It’s recommended to get your flu shot from your pediatrician, family doctor, health clinic, urgent care clinic, pharmacy, your child’s school or your employer’s health department. Most insurances are now covering the vaccine, so be sure to check that out.
The hubby and I were debating that, now that we have insurance through his new work – the one year I did get the flu shot, I ended up with the flu. All the subsequent years I didn’t get the flu shot, I never got the flu – but since I’ve been fighting a sinus infection off-and-on for weeks now, and have had more than the minimum symptomatic ailments, I might just suck it up and get the flu shot this year.
Tips to Stay Healthy During Flu Season
- Get the flu vaccine
- Wash your hands frequently — scrub, rub and lather for 20 seconds
- Teach your children to cough or sneeze into a tissue or crook of the elbow
- Clean and disinfect your home on a regular basis.
- Eat healthy foods
- Get adequate sleep
- Keep your distance from people who are sick
Click to Download the above Flu PreventionTips for Parents Infographic in PDF format.
For more helpful advice on how to prevent the flu, check out A Parent’s Guide to Flu Season (free) eBooklet by Elizabeth Pantley. There’s a really great chart that compares Cold Symptoms to Flu Symptoms – something I always get mixed up myself.
I always mistook some flu symptoms for just regular old cold symptoms – I don’t want to be a worrywart, but I also don’t want to downplay it if it could be more serious. The chart shows all the symptoms of both the Cold and Flu to help parents identify the flu early on so they can consult a healthcare professional.
Some additional facts that caught my attention in the eBooklet:
- A flu vaccine is the single best protection from the flu. Which makes my resistance to get one a moot point, really. I just need to do it!
- It is recommended that everyone ages 6 months and older get the flu vaccine, every year as soon as it is available. At least I always make sure the kids get the flu shot each year – after all, they’re the ones ensconced in the germ factory daily!
- You cannot get the flu from a flu vaccine. I still beg to differ on this point, but I’m certainly going to put that to the test this year. I’ll keep you posted.
What are some of the ways you stay healthy during flu season? Has anyone in your family had a cold or flu yet, or gotten the flu shot this year?
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Note: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for MedImmune Specialty Care. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating. As usual, all opinions are my own and not influenced by outside sources. See my disclosure policy here.
We get our flu shot every year since the boys were born, I’ve had the flu and it stinks. One year we all got it and it turned into pneumonia, poor Sammy was 2 and ridiculously sick; I’m sure my mom could tell you more about it. Anyways, here are a couple of fun facts =)
It takes about 2 weeks for your body to build up maximum immunity after you get your shot. The people who make the shot pretty much try and predict which 3-4 strains of flu will be most prevalent and that’s what goes into the flu shot. The shot itself is what they call an inactivated virus, which means it’s dead and can’t get you sick. Although I’ve heard some people say they feel yucky for a day or two after they get their shot. (Which is much more common if you get say the flu mist, which is a live virus.) Personally I get it because I’d rather have some protection than none and my doctor says I should. =) I hope all is well with everyone out there on the opposite coast!