It’s the most wonderful time of the year.  It’s full of spreading holiday cheer and welcoming in a new year.

It’s also everyone’s (least) favorite time: Flu Season.  

According to the website for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Most of the time flu activity peaks between December and February, although activity can last as late as May.”

Influenza, most commonly called the Flu, is a highly contagious illness of the respiratory system.  It affects the throat, lungs, and nose. Anybody can get the Flu, but most complications occur among the elderly.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, from September 30th to December 29th, 6435 cases of the Flu were reported throughout the state. In that number, 260 of those cases were reported in Montgomery County. Each year in the United States, there are between 9.3 and 49 million cases of the Flu. About 9% of those with the illness become hospitalized.

The most common symptoms of the Flu include a fever or chills, headache, dry cough, fatigue, aches, nasal congestion, decrease in appetite, runny nose, or a sore throat.  If you have any of these symptoms, it is best to visit your doctor as soon as possible to be given medicine.

The longer you wait, the worse the virus can become.

The most common way to prevent the Flu is by getting the Flu vaccine annually, unless you have an allergy to chicken eggs or have developed Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

“Avoid sick people,” Spring-Ford High School nurse Jill Yeager said. “If your friend is sick, FaceTime them rather than go visit them.

“If you are out in the community, wash your hands before you eat and wash them often. Avoid touching your face and mouth.”

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Medical News Today, and Healthline, you can also protect yourself by

• Using a tissue to cover your cough or sneeze
• Staying home for 24 hours if you experience an onset of any Flu symptoms
• Getting 8 hours of sleep every night
• Cleaning & disinfecting surfaces
• Trying antiviral drugs to reduce Flu severity & complications
• Maintaining your immune system by working out or eating healthy foods

The Flu is easily spread when someone who is infected talks, sneezes, or coughs. It is also spread by touching contaminated surfaces.

If you happen to get the Flu, it is best to stay home and avoid contact with others to prevent them from getting sick, too.  You should also drink lots of water, keep warm, avoid alcohol and tobacco, and not go to school or work until you have not had a fever for at least 24 hours.

“If you have the flu or flu symptoms, get rest, drink plenty of fluids and stay home,” Yeager said. “See a doctor and treat symptoms as they occur.”

The risk of getting the Flu is higher if you have a weak immune system (Asthma, Diabetes, Lung Disease, Liver Disease, etc.), are older than 65, are a child or infant, are pregnant, or go to heavily populated areas (schools, hospitals, office buildings, college dormitories, etc).  You also have a higher risk of developing complications with the Flu. The most common complications include dehydration, ear infections, pneumonia, sinus infections, inflammation of the heart, brain, or muscle tissue, organ failure, and in rare cases, death.

It is crucial that you contact your doctor if you have the Flu and have a fever for more than 4 days, feel very sick, develop shortness of breath, have chest pain, have discoloration of the lips, feel dizzy, have seizures, become confused, have persistent vomiting, or feel like your symptoms are getting worse.  The doctor may be able to give you an antiviral drug to treat the virus. Antiviral drugs work best when taken during the first 48 hours off being sick, but they can still be beneficial by cutting its duration if given later.

Influenza is easily spread from person to person, but it is easy to stay healthy and prevent yourself or someone you know from becoming sick by remembering theses simple tips and facts.