How to Avoid Getting Sick this Season

• Keep your distance! If someone has cold or flu, give him or her space! Viruses spread through airborne transmission or personal contact.
• Wash your hands! Viruses can survive on doorknobs, keyboards, and other objects. If you touch them and touch your nose or mouth then you've got it. Wash your hands after being in a public place.
• Avoid sharing mugs, cups, or utensils. Use your dishwasher or hot water to clean. Your friend may not look sick today, but.
• Avoid second-hand smoke. If you smoke, try to quit!
• Eat well-balanced, healthy diet, drink plenty of water, get a good night's sleep!

Antibiotics are Not Always the Answer

Antibiotics are an effective treatment for bacterial infections, like sinusitis or pneumonia. Many infections common at this time of year -colds, sore throat, and the flu- are caused by viruses, which don't respond to antibiotics.

Often colds start as a virus. You must be ill for a while before the bacterial infection starts.

Why We Like Antibiotics

• We want to feel better
• We're busy and just can't afford to be sick
• We feel like we are doing something

Why Antibiotic Misuse Can Hurt Us

• The more we use them, the "smarter" bacteria become to resisting antibiotics.
• With the overuse of antibiotics, they become less effective over time so they will not work when you may really need them.
• We will run out of effective drugs to treat infections.
• Remember, no antibiotics can be "good medicine."

*Example: Among children it is already increasingly difficult to treat some ear infections with the antibiotics we have available. They often need higher doses.

If You do Have a Bacterial Infection and Your Doctor Prescribes an Antibiotic, Make Sure You...

Call your doctor back if:

• You're not feeling better
• Your fever goes up
• You notice a change in your symptoms

Follow Treatment Plan for Antibiotics

• Finish entire course of treatment
• Continue medication even if you feel better
• Call your doctor if you develop a rash or other side effect

If You Stop Taking it.

• Illness may recur or continue
• Medication already prescribed becomes ineffective

Other Important Measures to Stay Healthy or get Better if you do get Sick

• Get plenty of REST - be careful not to get run down
• If get sick, give in to it and rest, otherwise you will just prolong illness
• Eat a healthy diet full of lean meats, dairy, fruits, and vegetables -A vitamin can also help
• Drink plenty of water
• Steam for congestion - hot showers
• Salt water gargles for sore throat
• Saline nasal spray for stuffy nose
• Ibuprofen or Tylenol - aches, pain, fever

Making Sense of the Symptoms

Cold	Flu	Bacterial Infections
Gradual onset	Sudden onset	Gradual onset; occasionally acute
Fever - rare	Fever - characteristic - high (over 101°F) 3 - 4 days	Fever characteristic, high (over 101°F)
Hacking cough	Nonproductive cough; can become severe	Cough can be dry, productive
Headache rare	Headache prominent	Headache sometimes
Myalgia (achy) slight	Myalgia (achy) usual, often severe	Myalgia (achy) sometimes
Fatigue; weakness-mild	Fatigue; weakness can last up to 2-3 weeks	Fatigue; weakness common
Extreme exhaustion rare	Extreme exhaustion early and prominent	Extreme exhaustion rare
Chest discomfort mild to moderate	Chest discomfort common	Chest discomfort common
Stuffy nose common	Stuffy nose sometimes	Stuffy nose rare
Sneezing usual	Sneezing sometimes	Sneezing rate
Sore throat common	Sore throat sometimes	Sore throat sometimes