Christmastime is here – and, unfortunately, so is flu season. What’s worse is that according to the CDC, Louisiana has the highest rate of flu or flu-like illness in the country. Ochsner Health family medicine physician Dr. Madeleine Dehner says there are things you can do to lower the chances of getting the flu – and they actually go beyond simply washing your hands and covering your mouth.
“Make sure you’re staying hydrated, eating good food, eating healthy food, which may be a little difficult around this time of year,” Dehner advised.
Dr. Dehner says take extra precautions if you’re near anyone exhibiting flu-like symptoms.
“And if you come into contact with people who are exhibiting those symptoms, just remembering to wash our hands and try to avoid contact as much as possible,” Dehner suggested.
Dehner says you’ll want to take precautions if you’re the one experiencing those symptoms.
“Usually, we try to tell patients stay home, especially within the first couple days of having cold-like symptoms. We get really concerned when the symptoms start to linger after a week or we start getting worse,” Dehner said.
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