A couple of year’s ago I had flu for the first, and hopefully last, time. I thought I’d had flu before but boy when people say you really know it when you actually have it they’re telling the truth! A cold and sniffles flu is not. A week in bed with a terrible cold and headache doesn’t make it either. Try 4 weeks of permanent chills, aches, headaches, coughs, tummy aches and more… And then add another couple more weeks until you feel back to yourself again and you’re getting pretty close.

It was awful. Especially as Jonny had it at the same time and we had a small baby and toddler to look after. I think back to those weeks and it’s such a blur. We were lucky and had help from our friends who took the children out and my Mum who came to look after them for a bit which was so needed. Until, she inevitably caught the flu and had to go home to be ill in her own bed.

Having flu is NOT fun!

The next year I made sure that I had a flu jab along with the children. I’d fought for Florence to have one back when they didn’t offer them to every child routinely and luckily my Doctor was accommodating. My oldest friend had a very young family member pass away from swine flu and I’d been, righty, so terrified that it had been a no brainer for me to ensure my children were vaccinated. I just had’t thought about myself!

I feel really stongly about the benefits of vaccinations in general and having had flu once it was enough to make me know that paying a nominal amount of money in preventing it happening again was money well worth spending.

My Mum, who is 66 and has the jab free on the NHS (LOVE our NHS) because of her age just like the little ones, feels the same as me but she always seems to go home from us with some bug or another. For all the fun of the festivities, it brings with it an increased risk of picking up illnesses, with unpredictable weather triggering or worsening many conditions, such as asthma, flu and the norovirus – Jimmy had Rotovisus when he was 6 months old and believe me, that’s not fun either!

With a higher risk of picking up bugs at this time of year, now is the time to really step up your health regime to stay fighting fit and avoid the nasty viruses. The last thing any of us want is for the flu to ruin our Christmas…Carway Pharmacy has some great tips to ensure we all stay fighting fit this winter!

• Clean up your act: As we come into contact with so many people each day, and with more of us choosing to hibernate indoors when the temperature drops, it doesn’t take long for viruses to spread. Flu is one of the nastiest viruses to catch at winter and can knock you out for up to two weeks. For flu alone, it takes coming into contact with just 30-50 spores for the illness to develop in others, and considering each time we sneeze, millions or spores are released, it’s easy to see how contagious it is. Being extra-vigilant when it comes to hygiene is very important.
  • Wash your hands regularly with antibacterial soap and carry hand sanitiser with you so you can keep your hands clean on the go.
  • Take a similar approach to surfaces: clean areas which get used often – such as tables, keyboards, phones and door handles – with an antibacterial spray to kill off any potential germs.
• Rug up: Wrapping up warm during winter lowers your chances of picking up the flu, colds or even more serious conditions. Wear several layers as opposed to one big woolly jumper, as the layers will trap the heat and keep you warmer for longer. When at home, keep your room temperature no lower than 18°C, and drink plenty of hot drinks to keep you toasty.

• Sprouts, not just for Christmas: Food is what fuels your body, so you need to keep your energy levels up by eating the right foods regularly. Zinc – found in spinach, cashew nuts and lean chicken – can help to boost a flagging immune system, while vitamin C – found in citrus fruit, chilli and Brussels sprouts (everyone’s favourite) – can help to reduce the amount of time it takes to fight a virus. One hearty, hot meal a day will keep you warm from the inside out.

• Stay hydrated: Hydration is key to staying healthy at any time of the year. Drinking eight glasses of water every day will help to keep your kidneys working and flush out toxins from your body. Additionally, maintaining proper hydration levels can enhance your immune system’s efficiency, which is crucial for warding off illnesses and infections. It is possible to boost your immunity even further by taking essential vitamins and nutrients through methods such as NAD IV therapy, in addition to hydration via drinking enough water. This ensures your body is well-equipped to fight off various pathogens by boosting your immune system.
• 40 winks: Research has found that not getting enough sleep can make you three times more likely to pick up the cold or flu virus, so ensuring you get a good night’s sleep is vital for keeping healthy. If you’re having trouble sleeping, ensure your room is between 18-24°C, choose a mattress with the right level of support for you, and consider fitting black out blinds to make your room the ideal environment for the perfect sleep.
• Get active!: While you may want to spend winter hibernating under a duvet, it is important that you stay active. Even just light exercise, such as a 15 minute walk, can help to stimulate your cells to fight infection, as well as help to improve your mental health too.
• Get your jab in!: One of the easiest ways you can ensure you don’t catch the flu is to go and get your flu jab. Everyone should have the flu jab whether you are classed as being in good health or fall into the ‘at risk’ category. The flu is highly contagious and can knock anyone off their feet for weeks – not ideal over the Christmas period!

While many otherwise healthy people will get over the virus in 2-3 weeks with plenty of bed rest and fluids (Like I said, for us it took much longer and we are healthy so…), it can have much more serious complications if spread to others, such as the elderly, pregnant, or those with underlying health conditions. Even if you’re not worried about yourself you have to think of those you come into contact with!

Will the jab end up giving you flu though?

The flu jab itself won’t give you the flu so you definitely don’t have to worry about that. It contains only inactive particles and prevents you from getting flu, and therefore stops you from passing it on to anyone more vulnerable too. You can get yours at any local pharmacy without an appointment today.

So… Join me in a bid to stay fighting fit and avoid the lurgy this winter, Christmas is just around the corner and for me personally, the only poorly head I want over the festivities is going to be down to possibly one too many glasses of something fizzy!

To learn more about the flu jab or find your nearest participating pharmacy, please visit careway.co.uk. The website is a health hub for people wishing to locate their nearest pharmacy and features specialist healthcare advice, interactive health tools and allows people to keep track of their own health.

In association with Careway.