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March 2016 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
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ing plenty of liquids will help the
immune system function optimally.
Make sure you are up to date on your
vaccinations. Consult your family
physician to be sure you have the
correct diagnosis and treatment plan.
Web sites such as www.WebMD.com,
www.Clevelandclinic.com or www.
MayoClinic.com can help you get
initial guidance about managing the
flu and strengthening your immune
system.
Sources and Resources
National Institutes of Health (2016). Key
Facts About Seasonal Flu. http://www.
niaid.nih.gov/topics/Flu/understandingFlu/Pages/seasonalVaccine.aspx
WebMD (2016). Influenza: What is the
Flu? www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/
flu-guide/advanced-reading-types-offlu-viruses
About the Author
The Flu and Your
Immune System
You can spread the flu even before
you know you’re sick
from bed rest and liquids and usually
recover in three to four days. Elderly
individuals may experience longerlasting symptoms because of a compromised immune system.
Following a healthy diet, adhering to good sleep habits and drink-
Thomas W. Miller, Ph.D., ABPP, is a professor emeritus and senior research
scientist, Center for Health, Intervention
and Prevention, University of
Connecticut; retired service chief from
the VA Medical Center; and tenured professor in the Department of Psychiatry,
College of Medicine, University of
Kentucky.
By Dr. Tom Miller, Staff Writer
The immune
system protects
the body by
detecting a wide
range of agents,
called pathogens, such as viruses,
parasites and bacteria. It distinguishes
them from the body’s own healthy tissue. More specifically, the lymphatic
system consists of bone marrow, the
spleen, the thymus and lymph nodes.
Bone marrow produces white blood
cells, or leukocytes. The spleen, the
largest lymphatic organ in the body,
contains white blood cells that fight
infection and disease. The thymus is
where T-cells grow, and lymph nodes
produce and store cells that fight
infection and disease.
According to the National
Institutes of Health (2016),
between 5 percent and 20 percent of
Americans get the flu each year. More
than 200,000 people are hospitalized and 36,000 die annually because
of flu in the United States. Flu is a
respiratory illness caused by a virus.
It is highly contagious and is usually
spread by the coughs and sneezes
of an infected person. Contact with
an infected person through touch or
shaking hands can result in the transmission of the flu virus.
Adults tend to be contagious one
day before getting symptoms and
up to seven days after becoming ill.
This means a person can spread the
influenza virus before he even knows
he is infected. A flu epidemic, when
a large number of people are infected
with flu, can last several weeks. Public
health measures can be effective in
limiting flu transmission. Enhanced
surveillance with early detection,
daily temperature taking, prompt
reporting and isolation through home
medical leave can decrease the spread
of influenza. Research has shown
symptomatic illness attributable to
influenza decreased from 12 percent
to about 4 percent with the use of
these measures.
The effective prevention and management of flu symptoms requires
several steps on the part of each
individual when he or she realizes he
or she is getting sick. Most important
is having a routine yearly flu vaccination for all persons aged 6 months
or older, preferably before the onset
of flu season. According to WebMD,
individuals with flu symptoms benefit
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