Everything you need to know to protect your family from the flu

The flu is a highly contagious viral infection that affects the respiratory tract. This infection involves the lungs, throat and nose.

All ages are at risk of contracting the flu, although the virus tends to affect children more than adults. However, there are ways to prevent this illness, including the flu vaccine.

Here’s what you should know to keep your family from getting the flu.

Preventing the flu

No one likes to see a family member-especially a child-being sick with the flu, so there are several ways and methods to prevent the onset of the disease:

  • Maintain a good body temperature, especially in times of severe cold.
  • Do not get too close to people who have the virus, since the flu is a contagious disease. Thus, it is recommended to wash your face and hands constantly, as this is a way to avoid contagion.
  • If flu symptoms are noticed, it is recommended that both adults and children stay at home, as this way they will not spread the disease.
  • Eating healthy and maintaining a healthy daily routine will prevent you from having low defenses, so the risk of catching the flu will be lower.
  • If you sneeze or cough, avoid covering your hands, as they contain germs and microbes. It is preferable to cover your mouth with your elbow.
  • If you think you or a family member has flu symptoms, see your doctor.

Signs and symptoms of the flu

The flu has specific signs and symptoms. These are listed below so you can identify them:

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  • Chills
  • Headache
  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Sore throat, tonsil infection
  • Constant nasal mucus
  • Feeling tired, muscle and joint aches and pains
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea

Flu Vaccine

The best way to avoid the flu is to get vaccinated against the disease. In fact, millions of people each year avoid the flu by getting a flu shot.

Everyone over six months of age can get the flu vaccine. Since this vaccine cannot be given to infants under six months of age, it is important that both adults and older children in the household have received the vaccine to avoid giving the flu to the baby.

If your child has not been vaccinated against the flu, now is the ideal time to see a specialist.