Staying Healthy During the Flu Season

Getting a flu shot every year gives you your best chance to avoid the flu virus. But it can't guarantee you 100 percent protection. When you are under stress, your immune system weakens and that makes you a target for the latest viruses. For extra defense it makes sense to take a few added precautions during flu season, this will help keep you and those around you healthy.

A few tips to staying healthy:

• Take good care of your body
• Eat healthy
• Get plenty of sleep
• Stay active
• Wash your hands often with warm soapy water, especially after coughing and sneezing, before eating, and after using the washroom.

What to do if you get the flu

If you have been unlucky enough to get the flu, take steps to speed up your recovery and prevent sharing the "bug" with others.

• Get lots of rest
• Treat fever and cough if necessary
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Stay off work or school until you are feeling better
• Keep surfaces clean
• Sneeze or cough into a tissue or sleeve, not your hands
• Dispose of kleenex tissues immediately after use
• Wash your hands often
• Don't visit friends or relatives in the hospital or in a long-term care facility
• Avoid close contact with infants, people over the age of 65 and those with chronic health problems. Anyone in these groups can catch the flu easily.

To find out more about how to care for yourself or others with the flu click here.