Ready for flu season?

It’s that time of year when friends and flu are near. While it is true that the month of December inspires everyone to keep in touch with friends and loved ones, it is still unclear why there are influenza outbreaks during this month. The most logical reason is the sudden change in temperature.

According to the Flu Fact sheet of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in the United States alone, there are about 36,000 deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations attributed to the regular influenza season.

Based on a statement of President George W. Bush on the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza, influenza costs the US an estimated $10 billion a year.

Flu is caused by more than 200 different strains of virus that can be easily transmitted. It can be caught through the inhalation of air with cold germs after someone coughs or sneezes, or through touching a virus-exposed skin or surface.

The common symptoms of flu usually appear two to three days after being infected. A person who experiences difficulty in breathing due to mucus build-up, accompanied by fever with headache, most likely has it.

Flu season is the time of the year when regular patterns of flu outbreak cases are documented. It usually occurs during the cold half of the year.

According to a research by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the flu virus develops a hardened shell during cold seasons, making its life span longer until it reaches the respiratory tract.

Having healthy habits, frequent hand-washing, using disinfectants and limiting exposure to people infected with the flu virus are tried and tested preventive measures.

If the flu virus persists, an intervention treatment can come into play. Consult a doctor on medicines that can shorten the course of the disease, reduce the severity of the symptoms, prevent recurrences, and help restore effective immune function like the generic drug Methisoprinol.

Methisoprinol is marketed by New Marketlink Pharmaceuticals Corp., a trusted healthcare partner of choice which specializes in the importation, sales, promotion and distribution of a diverse line of quality pharmaceutical and healthcare products.