You do everything you can to stay fit and healthy. You eat the right things get plenty of regular exercise and try to maintain at least eight hours of sleep a night. Even when you do all these things it is always a certainty that at some point ant time you will have to battle the odd cold or illness. The unfortunate fact of life is that no matter how healthy your lifestyle, you are never fully immune to bevy of cold and flu viruses floating around at any given time. This is especially true during the colder months and the onset of cold and flu season. You can always assume that when you are in great health you will end up sharing close quarters with a person that is in the midst of dealing with a cold. When it comes time to battle the cold season there a few things to keep in mind that can insure that you will limit your exposure to and or shorten the length of your illness, which will save you money when it comes to potentially expensive emergency room visits.

The Old Rule of Washing Your Hands can Potentially Save You the Hassle of Emergency Care

We have all heard the advice since we have been knee high to a grasshopper, wash your hands. This piece of advice goes doubly so for us as adults. Many times the most preventable illnesses come about from not adequately washing our hands before we or touch or face. Just imagine the pain of having itchy eyes and fever could be prevented simply by making sure that you wash your hands regularly, especially when coming in from a public place. Yes, people might think you are a bit obsessive by washing your hands several times during the day, but they won;t find it so odd once you are the one that is still well while they are out buy flu treatments.

Using Zinc Lozenges can Reduce the Time of Your Illness

As mentioned before, even with the best preventative procedures, you might still end up battling a cold or flu bug. Even when it comes to tackling a illness sometimes the best offense is the best defense. If you are starting to feel those tell tale signs of a cold (tickle in the throat, running nose, light headed feeling) coming on there are things you can do to head it off at the pass. One of the most proven methods is using zinc. There are all types of zinc products on the market that are shown to help reduce illnesses. Different from some of the unproven remedies, zinc actually works by preventing cold and flu viruses by preventing them to infiltrate mucous membranes. Just remember to read the directions and take the recommended dose or you could end up with a sour stomach and a numb mouth.

Don’t Be a Hero, go to Skip The Wait Urgent Care if Need Be

There is something to be for the strong and silent type, but sometimes it is important to get the help you need in order to get better. If you have been experiencing flu symptoms for more than a couple of weeks with no noticeable improvement, it might be time to seek medical help. Luckily this is quite easy especially with the prevalence of skip the wait urgent care centers. Skip the wait urgent care means that you will be able to be seen quicker than a standard emergency room and at hours that a family doctor usually would not be available. The costs also tend to be less than the other channels of medical treatment as well. There is no need to be a tough character when it comes to getting over your illness. Sometimes gritting your teeth and bearing is a good way for your illness to linger on or in worse case scenarios become worse. Seeking treatment at a skip the wait urgent care can help you get back to your regular healthy self.

This cold and flu season stay vigilant, healthy and make sure to pass along your health tips to others. It’s important not to only take care of yourself, but also educate others about how to prevent easily preventable illnesses.