Cold and flu season is here. Just last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that the U.S. may be in for a rough flu season. Apparently, our flu season often mirrors that of Australia, and that country is engulfed in its worst flu season in five years, according to health officials.
Why the uptick now? Because those masks that kept our noses and mouths covered, and the stay-at-home orders that so many of us balked at, have largely disappeared. Cold and influenza (flu) viruses are exploiting this opportunity and are roaring back with a vengeance.
To counter what could be an onslaught of illness, the CDC is once again recommending getting a flu shot, ideally before the beginning of the flu season, but even later in the season is not too late. Speak to your doctor, especially if you are an older adult—there are some forms of the flu shot that may provide extra protection for people 65 and older.
And then there’s those pesky colds. If you have school-age kids or grandkids, you may have already experienced a cold in your household. Stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, congestion, cough, mild headache, and fatigue are the most common symptoms. Maybe you even got tested for Covid, just to be sure, since symptoms can be similar for both.
The best ways to prevent a cold? Wash your hands. And even though no one wants to hear it, wearing a mask can help protect you from breathing in airborne viruses, and also shield others from exposure to your potential germs.
However, if you do get saddled with a cold this year, the best remedies, according to the Mayo Clinic, are the old-fashioned ones: rest, hydration, and saline spray for nasal stuffiness. Also recommended are saltwater gargles for sore throats, a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier to add moisture to the air, and over-the-counter pain relievers if necessary (such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen). Some of the old favorites, like chicken soup and hot tea with honey and lemon, have also shown to help ease symptoms in some folks, and often they soothe the soul. And if you’re like us at The Babbling Brook, soul-soothing is a good thing. Tea, please!
