December marks the start of the cold season!

While the title was meant as a double entrendre, December is a time of year when colds and the flu often make a big jump in the number of individuals affected! The reasons for this are numerous, but most hinge on the fact that the Holidays bring a lot more people together into closer proximity than at any other times of the year!

As the fever of the season sets upon us all, there is a felt and urgent need to get out and shop for Christmas gifts, to hit those office parties and to get together with loved ones. With more people moving about and bumping into each other, there are many more chances for those bad germs to spread! Add in the stress that the Holidays naturally bring, add in a touch of really cold weather and voila! You have the perfect recipe for getting those sniffles, aches and red noses that only colds can bring!

How can you avoid it all? Well, I suppose you could lock yourself away until March, but in general that's not a viable option. For most of us, we'll have to just shoulder through the gauntlet with a hope, aspirin and a prayer! But wait! There are some common sense things you can do to lessen your chances of falling ill, and here they are;

1. Wash those hands! If everyone would only do that numerous times a day, there would be a lot less illness going around!
2. Went you're out and about, stay alert! If you're in a crowed venue and you see someone that looks ill, then vacate the premises pronto, even if it's your dear old uncle Ned!
3. Avoid crowded shopping malls by going on-line or by at least choosing times when those germ pits are less crowded.
4. Say no to office parties! I know that's hard to do, but do you really wants to mix with highly stressed out co-workers who've just returned from a local malls, loaded with rhino virus?
5. Buy a can of Lysol and actually use it on door knobs, counter surfaces and such. Flu viruses can last for a long long time on certain 'fomites' – i.e. any object that can support a virus.
6. Plan ahead and do your grocery shopping, bank visits and such during off times. Early morning is really good as people who are already sick really hate to get out of bed early in the day.
7. Get a flu shot! Duh! (No, you can't get sick from the shot and yes, people actually do die from not taking this simple precaution).
8. Exercise, limit you intake of alcohol and eat well – Gee, I'm beginning to sound like someones mother!
9. Stay well hydrated – Drink 8 cups of water a day, at the very least!
10. Finally, if you do still manage to get yourself sick, do everyone else a favor and stay home!
    
     Update: Week 47 (basically through the end of November 2015)
    

    

    Let's try and keep that red line on the floor through vigilance, frequent hand washing and making sure everyone you know gets their shot!