Senior Health and Well-Being: Have You Had Your Flu Shot?

I had my flu shot this morning.  Once again I would like to remind seniors about the importance of taking care of themselves.  Don’t wait for someone else to remind you.  Do it now. You are responsible for you own health and well-being.  Getting a flu shot is one way to do that.  I still know people who refuse to take flu shots.  For some reason they think that they get sicker from the shot than they do from having the flu, but we all know that isn’t true.  You only have to be really sick once to understand how vulnerable older people can be.  You may think that flu shots are just for kids, but the fact is that the disease knows no age limits. 

For a miniscule cost and a tiny pinprick you get the benefit of avoiding days or even weeks with fever, chills, headaches and other miseries.  You already know that the flu is highly contagious.  Fever, chills, headache, sore throat, dry cough, runny nose and body aches that last from three to seven days will hit you sooner or later.  If you are lucky it will just be in the form of a cold, but if you aren’t lucky you could become quite ill.  Cold and flu symptoms are very similar but they are caused by different viruses.  In general, the flu is worse than the common cold and the symptoms more intense. 

Although most people recover from the flu without complications, some develop pneumonia and if you are older this could put a serious crimp in your lifestyle.  A flu shot may only cut your chances of getting the flu by 30-40%, but at the very least it tends to make the infections less severe and can reduce the risk of serious complications.  A flu shot isn’t all though.  You need to be especially mindful of hand washing, covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using disinfectant wipes on telephones, computers and door knobs.  Avoid close contact with sick people, stay at home of if you have a cough and fever, eat well, exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep.

Each winter the flu can be counted on to infect many people.  Flu spreads easily from one person to another.   With no cure in sight and treatments that may shave only one day off from being sick, the flu shot is the best way to stay healthy during flu season.  Flu shots are a safe and effective way to stay healthier.