40 THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • DECEMBER 20, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
How you can take control this fl u season
Th e 2017-2018 fl u season will unfortunately
be remembered for years to come.
According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), the 2017-
2018 fl u season was the only season to be
classifi ed as “high severity” across all age
groups. In addition, there were an estimated
nearly 80,000 deaths according to
the CDC - a record-breaking number by
all accounts. Th ese statistics are a devastating
reminder that this viral infection
can direly aff ect anyone.
Th ere are steps you can take to keep
you and your family from getting the fl u
virus this season - most importantly is to
get a fl u shot.
“Th e time is now to get your fl u shot,”
says Norman Moore, PhD, Director of
Scientifi c Aff airs and Infectious Diseases
at Abbott. “It takes about 2 weeks for
your body to build up an immunity to
the fl u virus aft er getting vaccinated, so
it’s important to get your fl u shot sooner
rather than later.”
Dr. Moore points out that a fl u shot
protects more than just you. “Th e more
people that get vaccinated, the more diffi
cult it is for infl uenza to spread through
the community. Getting vaccinated not
only protects yourself, but those around
you,” cautions Dr. Moore.
Th is fl u season, here are a few simple
measures to keep in mind to avoid catching
and spreading the fl u:
Preventing the Flu
You and your family can take certain
health measures and practice good
hygiene to avoid contracting the fl u virus.
Th ese include:
Getting the fl u shot. Th e fl u vaccine
gives you and those around you the best
defense against contracting the virus. Th e
CDC has found that the fl u vaccine can
reduce someone’s risk of getting the fl u by
as much as 40-60 percent.Washing your
hands frequently. Regular hand washing
with soap and water is a critical step to
ensuring the virus is not as easily spread
or contracted.Avoiding close contact with
anyone with fl u-like symptoms. Th e fl u
virus is highly contagious, so avoiding
close contact with colleagues, friends, or
family members with the virus can help
keep your risk of catching the fl u low.
Testing for the Flu
If you or a family member do start to
experience fl u-like symptoms despite taking
precautionary measures, visit your
doctor’s offi ce or an urgent care clinic
right away. Today’s available fl u tests
are some of the fastest and most accurate
yet and can be administered in a variety
of healthcare settings, including walkin
clinics, urgent care centers, and doctors’
offi ces.
Point-of-care fl u tests allow healthcare
providers to accurately and more quickly
diagnose fl u patients than ever before.
A fast, accurate fl u test and diagnosis can
put antivirals in the hands of people when
they need them most. If fl u symptoms are
caught early, those with the fl u can be
prescribed an antiviral medication which
helps lessen the severity and duration of
the fl u, but it’s only eff ective if taken within
48 hours of the onset of symptoms.
Treating the Flu
Some of us are bound to get the fl u no
matter how careful we are. If you are diagnosed,
make sure to take proper precautions
to get back to feeling better soon.
Stay home from school or work to
avoid spreading the virus and infecting
others.Focus on getting plenty of rest.
When you’re sick, listen to your body and
don’t fi ght what it’s telling you that you
need, whether that’s sleep, a warm bowl
of chicken noodle soup, or a few days off
from the gym.Stay hydrated. Pedialyte
can help you feel better by providing an
optimal balance of sugar and electrolytes
to replenish fl uids and prevent dehydration.
Courtesy BPT
Eating healthy, eating safe
You try to eat healthy, but the one
thing you can’t control is who has been
handling your food and whether they
are practicing adequate food safety. Each
year, foodborne illnesses sicken close to
50 million Americans and lead to more
than 130,000 hospitalizations and 3,000
deaths. A lot of these illnesses are caused
by simple things like restaurant employees’
failure to properly wash hands, cooking
surfaces and fruits and vegetables.
Foodborne illnesses present a greater
challenge to certain groups of people
with reduced immunity, such as children
younger than age 4 and people older
than age 50. Food can also become compromised
much earlier in the production
process, and for this reason food producers
are using a variety of means to keep
our food safe.
One approach uses the concept of hurdle
technology in which a variety of mild
steps (hurdles) are used to limit microbial
growth at each stage of production. Th ese
include combinations of weak acid treatments
with gentle heating and reduced
humidity, or alternating low heat and
chilling treatment. Th e fresh-bagged salads
you see at the grocery store are a good
example of this. Vacuum-packed products,
prepared under rigorous hygienic
conditions and heated at lower temperatures,
are another.
Other technologies include the addition
of antimicrobial agents such as enzymes
and other natural compounds that inhibit
the growth of bacteria or prevent oxidation.
Salt too is a very eff ective anti-bacterial
in food. In fact, it is the oldest known
food preserver. Salt is widely used in the
production of all cheeses, cured meats
and many fi sh dishes.
Salt preservation works by infl uencing
the amount of water that all microorganisms
require to survive and grow. Th e use
of salt in controlling water means that the
levels of other preservatives or processes
can be reduced. Th is means that microbiological
safety can be achieved with
reduced heat, acidity and other preservatives.
Th is results in a product of vastly
improved taste and nutritional quality
because of the improved retention of
other nutrients.
However, as the federal government
pushes companies toward lower salt content
there are some concerns that it could
aff ect food safety and increase the amount
of preservatives that must be used. Many
prefer salt as the more natural choice.
Fortunately, food safety is a leading
concern of the Food and Drug
Administration and its Commissioner,
Scott Gottlieb, and the newly appointed
Deputy Commissioner, Frank Yiannas,
who was previously Vice President of
Food Safety at Walmart, and Director of
Safety and Health at Walt Disney World.
Food safety is an ongoing challenge
for an enormous and complex food system,
and although challenges continually
arise, exercising caution and attention
in food purchasing, storage and preparation
will minimize the risks. Remember to
not only eat healthy but to also eat safely.
Courtesy BPT