Want to know how to strengthen your health defenses so that you are not side-lined with the next bug that goes around? We all know what it is like when someone sprays you with a sneeze or doesn’t cover their cough, or your child or spouse comes home sniffling. Oh boy then it’s only a matter of time. But this time of year is THE perfect environment for viruses to spread.

It’s cold and flu season! Did you know the average adult can catch two or three colds per year according to the Centers for Disease Control, kids can get up to ten, and between 5 and 20 percent of us get the flu? Yikes!

But there is good news for you with the following prevention strategies and ways to boost your immune system.

Prevention is key

— Wash well. One study found that only 5 percent of people washed their hands long enough to kill germs and bacteria. So wash your hands with warm soapy water a minimum of 15 seconds (hint: slowly sing the ABC song twice).

— Sanitize. Hand sanitizers are okay in a pinch, but soap and warm water are your best defense for germs and bacteria.

— Swipe with wipes. Anti-bacterial wipes or sprays, you know the ones, should be used on most everything when someone in the house is sick (door knobs, remotes, phones and cell phones, refrigerator handles, chair backs, faucets, toilet handles to flush, steering wheels, car keys or fobs, etc.

— Don’t touch your face. Think about shaking hands with people or touching places where other’s hands have been. Then you rub your eyes or mouth, or bite your nails – and germs get into your system.

— Never reuse a tissue. It’s just too easy to use the wrong part where germs lie in wait. The rule is: one use and throw away. Now wash your hands.

— Avoid sleeping with someone sick. Enough said — even for someone who may already be infected or exposed to an illness. And wash linens often and definitely after a sickness.

Boosting your immunity

— Hydrate. Drinking plenty of fluids helps keep your immune system in germ-fighting mode. This is even more important for those who have fever, sweating, runny nose and teary eyes.

— Get moving. Physical activity can help keep your immune system in shape too! Did you know people who exercised call in sick half as often as those who don’t?

— Sleep. Not getting enough sleep lowers our immune system. One study found that adults who slept six hours or less per night were four times as likely to catch a cold.

— Probiotics. Good bacteria can help produce protective immune cells according to the Center for Integrative Medicine of the University of Maryland, School of Medicine. Have you tried yogurt or a probiotic supplement? Ask your pharmacist.

— Flu vaccine. This shot lowers your risk of getting the flu, passing the flu germs to your babies, children or other adults like your parents/grandparents or those with chronic conditions or are immunocompromised. Each year 20,000 children under age 5 are hospitalized because of flu complications! Protect yourself and others!

So how do you know whether or not you have a cold or the flu? If you’ve ever had the flu, you know, right? Signs and symptoms can be similar, but with the flu – the severity of the symptoms can be very serious and sometimes deadly. This might help. Generally with a cold, which can last up to ten days, – have symptoms that show up above your neck (headache, runny nose, scratchy throat, coughing, swollen glands and other aches and pains). With the flu, which can last 3 to seven days – have symptoms that show up both above and below the neck (all the cold symptoms plus fever, chest coughs, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, and all over aches that cause extreme fatigue).

For either of these illnesses, it’s important to rest and stay hydrated. More importantly, call your doctor as soon as possible if you think you may have the flu, have trouble breathing, have a fever above 100.4*, severe vomiting, coughing or upper respiratory symptoms that lasts more than ten days. And if you are sick, please stay home and away from others to prevent the spread of these illnesses. Remember to “Cover Your Cough” and that unexpected ‘sneeze’, wash your hands a lot with warm, soapy water and disinfect everything touched.

For information about the flu virus, flu vaccine available right here at the Health Department, or other health-related topics, please contact Kathie Cox, Health Educator II/PIO at Scotland County Health Department, at 910-277-2470, Ext. 4478. Or, go to www.cdc.gov/flu.