Make this cold and flu season a non event.

This month’s blog reveals the most important ways to take good care of yourself during this challenging time. If you do make the acquaintance of an unwanted bug, we’ll also share effective strategies to stop them in their tracks and send them on their way.

Is it a cold, or is it the flu?

• Colds start gradually with a stuffy, runny nose and sneezing. Cold viruses populate cool areas of the sinuses, throat, and nose.

• Flu comes on fast, with chills, high fever, cough, as well as achy muscles and joints. Flu viruses prefer warmer lung tissues. There, they can weaken the lungs, making them vulnerable to bacterial infections such as pneumonia.

You know that colds are just an inconvenience, but you may feel more apprehensive about the flu. If you think you have the flu, you can count on being very uncomfortable. But as long as your temperature remains below 102ºF, there’s no need to worry. Garden-variety influenza (unlike a worldwide flu pandemic) is very common. It isn’t, by itself, life threatening. In fact, recovering from the flu actually builds your immunity.