Tips To Stay Healthy This Cold Season

Cold and flu season is a yearly enemy of many, with the peak season being in the winter months. Why is this? Because the weather gets colder and the heating gets turned up, creating a perfect environment for germs to spread. The average individual catches one to two colds a year from one of over 200 different cold and flu viruses in existence. At Sherwood Urgent Care, we are committed to making sure the Detroit community is the healthiest it can be through our 27 years of experience providing superior medical services. In this blog, we will outline our top tips for staying healthy during cold and flu season so that you can stay protected.

Wash Your Hands

This is one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy, especially as viruses become more easily spread. Cold and flu viruses are most often spread through contact with the hands, so it’s important to make sure that you keep your hands out of your mouth, avoid rubbing your eyes, and wash your hands thoroughly. This is especially important before meals. In addition to washing your hands regularly, a great way to make sure the spread of cold and flu germs is stopped is to avoid sharing objects, especially food and drinks.

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is an incredibly important part of overall health and fighting illness. Lack of sleep profoundly inhibits your immune system from effectively fighting off viruses. Keep your immune system at it’s best with a consistent, good night’s sleep.

Eat A Healthy Diet And Exercise Regularly

In addition to getting adequate sleep, a major key to overall health and illness prevention is eating a well-balanced diet and getting regular exercise. Foods with vitamins rich in C and E are helpful in supporting the immune system. Vitamin E is found in sunflower and corn oils, sunflower seeds, and nuts. Citrus fruits, broccoli, and green peppers are great sources of vitamin C. In addition, reducing your sugar intake helps you keep your immune system in top shape.

Stay Hydrated

Drinking water will help you stay healthy during cold and flu season, and decrease your chance of catching a virus. Extra fluids in your system prevents dehydration caused by fever, loosens mucus, and keeps your throat from drying out. If you are already feeling under the weather, warm liquids are preferable.

Listen To Your Body

If you feel sick, listen to that. Do not spend excessive energy, or try to continue normal life. Doing this steals resources from the immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to get worse. Especially if you’re coming down with the flu, it’s best to stay home and take it easy so that you can get the rest you need, while also protecting your friends and family from being exposed to the virus.

Seek A Doctor’s Help

If your symptoms become worse after three to five days of being sick, see a doctor. Especially if your fever subsides and then returns, it’s important to seek help from a medical professional. This could be scheduling an appointment with your primary care doctor, or for more urgent cases, going to the nearest urgent care clinic. Viruses like the cold and flu are dangerous because they can render your body vulnerable to other illnesses like pneumonia.

At Sherwood Urgent Care, we understand that life doesn’t always go as planned. You never plan to get sick, but we are prepared to help you get back to normal as quickly as possible, and help you prevent future illness along the way. Come and see us at our Detroit clinic today.