Shot in the arm best defense against flu

Remember when you were a child and your mother kept after you to wash your hands? She was wise beyond her years. Along with cleanliness, a little soap and water can go a long way to keeping you healthy.

“Frequent hand washing is very important,” said Rhonda Ralph, director of clinical services at Bangor Area Visiting Nurses. “And avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. But the best protection against the flu is getting a flu shot.”

Think about how many things you touch in the course of a day. Now think about how many other people have touched the same object. Once a person with the flu touches a surface, the virus is deposited there, quietly waiting for its next victim. If you come in contact with the item in question and then rub your face, you could come down with a nasty case of influenza. This is especially true during flu season, which runs November to March.

If hand washing is not possible, try using alcohol-based hand sanitizers – not to be confused with antibacterial cleansers. Sanitizers are readily available in stores and come in handy purse-size bottles. (I have several in my bag – not that I’m compulsive.)

You also should be aware that the flu virus is airborne. This means that if you happen to be in the way of a cough or sneeze delivered by an infected person, the virus could get in your nose or mouth with no help from you.

For most healthy adults the flu makes life miserable for about a week, but generally does not cause any serious health problems. For some people, including seniors, there is substantial risk when contracting the virus.

“Getting a flu vaccination is not a 100 percent guarantee that you won’t contract the flu,” said Ralph. “However, should you get the flu, if you’ve had the shot, your symptoms will be reduced.”

So armed with this knowledge, if you are in the following categories, you should have a flu shot a few weeks before the season starts:

. Are 50 years old or older.

. Have long-term health problems such as heart, lung or kidney diseases, asthma or diabetes.

. Have immune system problems caused by disease, medication or cancer treatment with X-rays or drugs.

. Have a severe form of anemia.

. Live in a nursing home or other chronic-care housing facility or work with people who are living there.

The flu vaccine is made with eggs, so if you have an egg allergy, tell your health care provider before getting the shot. If you are taking a blood thinner, mention it at the time you receive the shot so any light bleeding can be monitored.

If you are feeling ill, how do you tell if it is a common cold or the flu? Influenza brings with it fever, chills, extreme exhaustion, chest discomfort and cough. These symptoms are rare with a cold, whose main characteristics are stuffy nose, sneezing and sore throat.

The flu can bring on complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia almost overnight, which can be life-threatening for an elderly person, Ralph said. Delaying treatment can make matters worse.

“Some people are still resistant to the idea because of an old myth that the flu can be contracted from the actual flu shot. This is simply not true,” said Ralph. “The virus in the flu shot is dead, completely inactive, so it is impossible to get the flu from the shot. There is absolutely no danger of that.”

There will be flu shot clinics in the area, so watch for listings in The Weekly.

It’s time to roll up your sleeves and give good health a shot in the arm.

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging. For information on EAA, call 941-2865 or log on www.eaaa.org.