Influenza (or the flu) is something that everyone gets once in awhile. It is a viral infection and causes a wide variety of symptoms ranging from headaches to chills. Although there is no guarantee that you can prevent yourself from contacting the flu, there are steps you can take to reduce your chances.

Is it a cold or is it the flu?
Colds and flu are both contagious viral infections, which have similar symptoms. However, although a cold may make you feel a little run down, the flu can knock you off your feet.

Symptoms
Cold

• Fever: Rare
  
• Headache: Rare
  
• Aches and Pains: Slight
  
• Fatigue: Mild
  
• Exhaustion: Never
  
• Stuffy nose: Common
  
• Sneezing: Usual
  
• Sore throat: Common
  
• Cough: Mild to moderate Common

• Fever; High, lasts 3-4 days
• Headache: Prominent
• Aches and Pains: Often severe
• Fatigue: Can last 2-3 weeks
• Exhaustion: Early and prominent
• Stuffy nose: Sometimes
• Sneezing: Sometimes
• Sore throat: Sometimes
• Cough: Can be severe

• Wash your hands: Most cold and flu viruses are spread by direct contact and the germs can live for hours. Therefore, if someone with a cold touches a telephone, the next person to touch it will pick up the germ.
• Don't touch your face: Cold and flu viruses enter your body through the eyes, nose and mouth. Touching your face is the easiest way of introducing germs into your system.
• Drink plenty of fluids: Water flushes your system.
• Eat yogurt: Research has shown that eating one cup of low-fat yogurt a day can reduce your susceptibility to colds by up to 25%, probably because yogurts beneficial bacteria may stimulate production of immune system substances that fight disease.
• Don't smoke: Statistics show that heavy smokers get more severe colds, more frequently.
• Avoid closed spaces: Offices and public transport are a breeding ground for germs.When somebody sneezes, the germ particles are sprayed out at about 100 miles and hour for about 30 feet, which means that anyone within that area can be contaminated.
• Do not share cups or utensils. Do not drink from the same bottle or glass as someone else, puff on the same cigarette etc.

Treating the flu
If you are unfortunate enough to catch the flu, there are a few steps you can take to relive the symptoms or shorten the duration.

• Know when not to treat symptoms. In the beginning the majority of your symptoms are a part of the natural healing process and, if you try to stop them, you may actually make your flu last longer. For example, a fever is your body's way of trying to kill germs in a hotter-than-normal environment so, by enduring a fever for a day or two, you may actually get better faster. Similarly, coughing clears your airways of the mucus that can carry germs into your lungs and the rest of your body.
• Stay warm and rested. Resting, and keeping warm, helps your body direct its energy into fighting your flu.
• Drink hot liquids. Hot liquids relieve nasal congestion, prevent dehydration and soothe your throat.
• Eat infection fighting foods:
  Here are some good foods to eat when you're battling a cold or flu:
  Bananas: Soothe upset stomach
  Blueberries: High in natural aspirin
  Chili peppers: Can open sinuses and help break up mucus in the lungs
  Onion: Has phytochemicals that may help the body clear up infections
  Honey: Soothes sore throats, a natural antiseptic
  Lemon: A natural antiseptic
  Garlic: Effective at killing the virus, which causes colds
  Ginger: Attacks viruses

Should you have a flu vaccination?

• Flu vaccinations are only really necessary for people who are more at risk of developing complications should the catch the virus. These people include:
• Everyone over the age of 65
• People with chronic heart or lung conditions (including asthma)
  Anyone with a weakened immune system
• People with diabetes or kidney disease