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" It&amp;#039;s that time again. each year, up to 20 percent of Americans get the flu, and as a whole, we suffer approximately a billion colds. In other words\u2014and we hate to say it\u2014odds are, you&amp;#039;re going to experience some degree of sneezing and coughing in the next few months. You&amp;#039;ve probably already heard and read conflicting suggestions on how to muddle through. Don&amp;#039;t look for that here. We&amp;#039;ve done the sifting for you, and distilled the latest information and most essential research into our must-do guide for staying sniffle-free this season. So, wash your hands and\u2026 Get vaccinated It&amp;#039;s not too late, even though it&amp;#039;s already December. &amp;quot;The flu season runs through March or April, so it&amp;#039;s well worth getting the shot,&amp;quot; says Carmela Rocchetti Sheinin, MD, attending physician at Manhattan&amp;#039;s Lenox Hill Hospital. Not only will the flu vaccine (also available in a nasal spray) reduce your chances of getting the virus by 70 to 90%, studies show that people who get vaccinated every year have better long-term immunity than those who don&amp;#039;t. And in case you&amp;#039;re worried the shot is going to give you the flu, it won&amp;#039;t: If you have sensitivity to one of the proteins in it, you may feel achy for a day or two, but that&amp;#039;s it. Watch out for where the virus might be  Since you can&amp;#039;t know whether that person sniffling in front of you has a cold or the flu, it&amp;#039;s best to keep about 3 feet (slightly more than an arm&amp;#039;s length) between you and, say, your neighbor in the checkout line, recommends Neil Schachter, MD, director of the respiratory care department at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City and author of The Good Doctor&amp;#039;s Guide to Colds &amp;amp;amp; Flu. At home and work, clean the counters, your desk and other surfaces with hand wipes, and use them on yourself throughout the day, he adds. The cardinal rule: Don&amp;#039;t rub your eyes or touch your face or mouth. These are the main routes through which the bugs enter your system. Exercise and get enough sleep  Research has found that when postmenopausal women do moderate exercise (like walking) for 45 minutes a day, five days a week, they cut their risk of getting a cold by about a third. But no matter what your age, exercise can help you build your immune system. Sleep works in much the same way: Your body uses the time to repair damaged tissue and boost immunity. Avoid secondhand smoke  It damages your respiratory system, making you more vulnerable to infections. How Serious Does It Need To Be To\u2026 Stay Home From Work: A good rule of thumb is to stay home when you&amp;#039;ve got a fever. But be aware that you&amp;#039;re usually contagious for the first five days, so try to minimize contact with others when you start feeling sick, says Dr. Schachter. Skip Your Workout: If you take it easy, exercising with a cold is OK. The flu is a different story: &amp;quot;Working out can dehydrate you and raise a fever,&amp;quot; says Dr. Rocchetti Sheinin. &amp;quot;Oonce you&amp;#039;re better, wait a few days to avoid a relapse.&amp;quot; Travel: Getting from point A to point B drains your strength, and you may be more prone to motion sickness. Also, dry air can aggravate a cough and a sore throat. Wait as long as possible. Visit Children or the Elderly: Because they&amp;#039;re more susceptible to viruses and tend to get sicker once they&amp;#039;ve contracted one, hold off on seeing very young or old people for at least a week after you start having symptoms. Natural Remedies What Works Neti pots Doctors and studies align on this one: Rinsing out your sinuses with saline solution (or salt water) can drain nasal passages and keep your breathing clear. Chicken soup A yet-to-be-identified ingredient seems to ease upper-respiratory symptoms caused by colds. While even canned soup can work, you can find the recipe that University of Nebraska researchers used here: unmc.edu/chickensoup Zinc Numerous studies show that when taken early in a cold, zinc can keep the virus from replicating, reducing the time you&amp;#039;re sick by 50%. (Aim for 13 to 25 mg a day.) Vitamin C A number of studies have shown that it may reduce cold symptoms and duration by around 20%. Talk to your doctor first so you don&amp;#039;t take too much. What&amp;#039;s Iffy Echinacea A 2007 review of studies found that this herb could reduce the risk of getting a cold by as much as 58%, and that it could slightly reduce the cold&amp;#039;s duration once you&amp;#039;re sick. That said, a similar review in 2006 showed no prevention benefits, and experts remain skeptical. If you do try it, look for a variety labeled E. purpurea. Clinical trials on extracts from this echinacea plant show that it may be effective. Acupuncture A handful of studies have shown that people getting acupuncture have somewhat strengthened immune systems. But results are preliminary. When To Go To The Doctor &amp;quot;If you&amp;#039;re gradually getting better, it&amp;#039;s probably fine to wait it out,&amp;quot; says Dr. Schachter. But if your symptoms get really bad and you have a 101\u00B0F fever or higher, or if you&amp;#039;ve been sick and not getting better for one to two weeks, call your MD. Here&amp;#039;s what she can do: Tell if it&amp;#039;s a flu virus, fast Two new tests (xTAG RVP and ProFlu+ Assay) screen for multiple viruses; you get results in just a few hours. Take a throat culture to test for strep This can feel like a cold or flu but needs antibiotics. Check for allergies and sinusitis &amp;quot;If you&amp;#039;ve been sick for several weeks with no change, allergies are a strong possibility,&amp;quot; says Dr. Ein. Test for pneumonia or bronchitis The worst scenario for the flu is that it progresses to one of these illnesses. Symptoms include: Green or yellow phlegm (with pneumonia, it can be rusty red); a persistent cough; chest pain; extreme weakness; a high fever, shortness of breath and chills. You may need antibiotics for pneumonia that developed along with a flu You&amp;#039;re Sick\u2014Now What? At Home \u25CF stay hydrated, especially with hot liquids &amp;quot;This is particularly important when you&amp;#039;ve got the flu,&amp;quot; says Daniel Ein, MD, an allergist in Washington, DC, and immediate past president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma &amp;amp;amp; Immunology. &amp;quot;A high fever makes your body lose water. But dehydration drives your fever up. It&amp;#039;s a vicious cycle to avoid.&amp;quot; Hot liquids ease congestion and loosen phlegm in the chest and nose. \u25CF don&amp;#039;t spend too much time lying flat &amp;quot;Your sinuses can&amp;#039;t drain properly when you&amp;#039;re horizontal,&amp;quot; says Dr. Ein. &amp;quot;Everything flows back, not down and out.&amp;quot; Try sitting up in bed, changing your position occasionally, and alternating with some couch time. At the Drugstore \u25CF acetaminophen or ibuprofen Try to avoid drugs that mix cough suppressants, acetaminophen and decongestants. &amp;quot;A common cause of acetaminophen overdose is using combo products. Take each drug separately so you know exactly how much you&amp;#039;re getting,&amp;quot; says Dr. Schachter. \u25CF antihistamines They block the histamine receptors that trigger all those upper respiratory symptoms. They will also help if your throat and/or nose is itchy. Look for non-drowsy ones like Claritin and Allegra. Consider decongestants (usually in nasal sprays) if you&amp;#039;re really clogged. But don&amp;#039;t use them past three days or you run the risk of a rebound effect\u2014 your stuffiness will come back worse than before. At Your Doctor&amp;#039;s Office \u25CF antiviral medications Prescription drugs like oseltamivir (known as Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza, which is typically inhaled) attack the flu at the cellular level and keep it from spreading within the body. They can shorten the illness by between one and two days if you take them 12 to 48 hours after you start feeling like you&amp;#039;re sick. \u25CF nasal corticosteroids These prescription sprays block inflammation, and in clinical trials, were more effective than antihistamines in treating cold symptoms. It takes about a week for them to kick in. Unfortunately, they can have some side effects, including nosebleeds and skin irritation. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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