Those nice women in purple who have been injecting anti-flu vaccines in students’ arms are not just doing it for fun. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, flu season can start as early as October.
Unfortunately, when next month kicks off, midterms and seven-page papers will kick off as well. Don’t fail a class because you’re sick at home. Try these tricks to avoid the flu:
Step 1: Take the shot
That needle is “the best way to reduce the chances that you will get seasonal flu and spread it to others,” according to the CDC. Flu shots are composed of a small sample of the virus, which your body reacts to. Your immune system develops antibodies against the influenza strain within two weeks of vaccination.
You can choose whether to take the trivalent flu vaccine, which would protect you from three types of influenza virus, or the quadrivalent vaccine, which protects against four. Whatever you choose, immunity is supposed to sting.
Step 2: Exercise
“When moderate exercise is repeated on a near daily basis, there is a cumulative immune-enhancing effect, which leads to a sustained response by the immune system to illness,” the medical website WebMD states.
Exercise speeds up your body’s production of white blood cells, which enables you to fight bacteria and viruses more easily. It can also help you de-stress and sleep better, which would in turn boost your system.
Take it a little easy, though. If you already have the flu, don’t work out. Your body will just kick into overdrive and make it worse.
Step 3: Zinc out
Who knew taking in metals would make you healthier? Zinc, which is essential for the maintenance of immune system cells, is a trace metal in many foods, according to Harvard University’s Health Publications. Without this element, T-cells will not function correctly and your probability of getting the flu soars.
Oysters, beef, lamb and chicken are all rich in zinc. If you’re vegetarian, spinach, nuts and chocolate will work, too.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
But Harvard says you should only take 15 to 25 milligrams of zinc. Anything more than that will cancel its good effects.
Step 4: Party moderately
Alcohol impairs the immune system, according to the health website Livestrong.
Getting drunk gives you a nutrition deficiency, which weakens your body. Alcohol also encourages the malfunction of B-lymphocytes, antibody-producing cells in the blood that protect your body from diseases.
A little advice from Livestrong: “Taking one or two drinks a night is not likely to harm your immune system. Three or more drinks a night is a significantly different story.”
